Extreme Fly Fishing!

San Diego’s spine-tingling mako sharks!

Believe it or not, Doctor Steve Ward and his wife Randie released more than two dozen mako sharks which weighed up to an estimated 150 pounds during a brief three day fly fishing expedition. Does that sort of exciting shark fishing catch your attention? Well, it sure caught mine!

Ward and his wife are both fly-fishing veterans from Texas who have spent quite a bit of time chasing tarpon in the Florida Keys. For several years now, they’ve headed west to San Diego for the sole purpose of fly-fishing for mako sharks with Captain Conway Bowman. With each passing year, their tales have become more fascinating and in 2005, their trip was simply so extraordinary, I decided it was time to experience this hair-raising fishery for myself.

I can remember when no one had ever even hooked a mako shark on fly, let alone landed more than twenty in only a few days. Rumor has it that somewhere around 1980, someone in the Northeast - Long Island or Massachusetts - landed a mako on fly, but for unknown reasons the catch was never submitted to the IGFA. It wasn’t until 1984 when the first official record mako shark was taken on fly by Billy Pate. Pate had plenty of milestones in his illustrious fly-fishing career, but even he’ll admit that once he set his mind on achieving this goal, it took quite some time to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. I mean come on, where does one look for a mako shark docile enough to land on a fly rod?

While mako shark encounters do occur every now and then here in Florida, the fish are typically huge - often well over 500 pounds - and seem to only appear when the angler is in a heated battle with a billfish. The same theory applies in New England  waters – plenty of makos, yet few are small enough to handle on fly. Add the fact that these ocean-going predators are highly migratory and constantly on the move, and it’s easy to see why you can’t just run offshore and start casting. Even if you were fortunate enough to cross paths with a mako shark of any size, in all probability it would not at all be interested in a dinky fly. Vicious predators capable of shredding 30-50 pounds of flesh in a single bite don’t get too excited about a bunch of brightly colored feathers. Hence the challenge; locate a healthy mix of manageable size mako sharks and then figure out how to entice them into eating a fly.

Billy Pate’s research brought him to New Zealand where he had previously spent time trout fishing. After hundreds of dollars in phone bills and postage, Pate was ready for the first ever “Mako Shark on Fly” expedition. He started in Whakatone on The Bay of Plenty. Fishing with Captain Rick Pollack, the idea was to drift a spot known to attract juvenile mako sharks where they could effectively be chummed to the boat with chunks of bloody tuna. It took a while, but curious makos homed in on the slick and ultimately on Pate’s fly. He set the first ever mako shark IGFA records with a 65 pound fish on16 lb. tippet and a 37 pound pup on 8 lb. tippet. That was January 1984.

Today, all of the IGFA fly rod mako shark records have been filled. The largest recorded is 149 pounds landed by Kydd Pollack on 20 lb. tippet off Poor Knights Island, New Zealand, in 1998. While it appears that Captain Pollack remembered a few things from Billy’s trip, landing a mako shark on a fly was still a major feat until Captain Conway Bowman appeared on the scene in 2002.

Conway and his partner, Dave Trimble, were the first captains anywhere to advertise blue water fly fishing charters specifically for mako sharks. Operating out of San Diego, CA, Conway discovered that there was an abundance of small (and a few large) mako sharks within five miles of his home port. There were a number of undersea mounts, steep drop- offs and distinct current rips that attracted baitfish and local predators such as marlin, tuna and, of course, mako sharks. The trick was figuring out how to get the sharks to within striking distance of the long stick. After considerable experimentation, Conway and Dave found the most effective means of accomplishing this was with the freshest chum possible. They visited local seafood markets and convinced employees to save fresh fish scraps in plastic buckets rather than discarding them with the day’s trash.

Once the chum was acquired, the idea was to place a burlap bag full of fresh scraps in a milk crate and hang it over the side of the boat. The enticing scent would be spiced with chunks of whatever fresh fish could be caught that day. Once a shark appeared in the chum slick, it could be teased into striking range of the fly with hook-less baits – a typical bait and switch approach.    

Conway and Dave own and operate a pair of tricked out 24 ft. Triton center-consoles. The boats are sleek, wide open and fast. While the Pacific waters off San Diego are deep, they are typically surprisingly calm, so prime fishing grounds are often only a short run from the mouth of Mission Bay. Ward and his wife have been fishing with Conway since the guys began Bowman Bluewater Charters. His photos from his trip back in 2005 were so amazing that I gladly agreed to join him the following year.  

“Once a shark appeared in the chum slick, it could be teased into striking range of the fly with hook-less baits – a typical bait and switch approach.”

The San Diego mako season runs from May through October, and the fish seem to be most active just prior to the full moon. Each year, however, is slightly different. Sometimes big numbers of fish appear in July, and sometimes they appear in September. Nevertheless, fishing is always fairly consistent. On a typical day, a half dozen makos will be chummed into casting range. While it’s always chilling, some days are downright explosive!

I arrived in San Diego a day before the Wards, so Conway and Dave allowed me the privilege of joining them on a little exploratory trip. I was glad to tag along since I learned long ago that you can’t take photos with a fly rod in your hand.

We met at Dana Landing Marina at 8:00 a.m. The captains were ready to go as soon as I stepped onboard. Within minutes, we were up on plane heading west into the unknown. They had a specific ridge they wanted to try, and it wasn’t long before Dave throttled back. Before I knew it, we were in business. The sea was calm with just a hint of breeze to help our drift and sufficiently disburse our chum slick.

Dave dumped five pounds of frozen tuna scraps into a sack secured in a plastic milk crate which was then tied off to the transom. Slowly motoring around for a half mile helped spread the scent. Then he shut down and the waiting game began.

Rule number one with these guys is that they never kill a mako. In a single week they could easily rewrite the IGFA record books, but that is not their goal. They, too, believe these magnificent apex predators are simply too valuable to kill, and they are willing to do whatever they can to preserve this magical fishery. They fish 12 to 15 weight fly rods with Nautilus 12 and 12S reels that hold hundreds of yards of 50 lb. gelspun backing. Conway explained that while small fish - up to 80 pounds - can be handled on a 10 weight, as soon as you pick up a light rod, a 200 pound beast shows up.

Since setting records is not part of the equation, there’s no need to worry about tippet strength or length measurements. Clients can certainly fish within IGFA specifications if they wish, but it’s all for fun fishing.  Five feet of 50 lb. mono from the fly line and two feet of heavy wire leader is all that it takes. This rig lets the angler land the fish faster and allows the captain to hold the leader while de-hooking the fly with a nifty contraption they designed specifically for this type of fishing. It is essentially a six foot gaff handle with a small circle on the end rather than a point. The line fits in the circle and with the heavy leader; the opposing forces easily dislodge the hook without anyone ever coming in contact with the fish’s business end.

Hungry makos would be coming in on scent and looking for a big chunk of meat. The brightly colored fly was designed to get their attention!

However, the really unique part of this operation is the flies. They were huge. Most patterns were made of synthetic fibers in hot orange or chartreuse. The body of the fly was about a foot long with a chunk of foam folded over the 7/0 hook to keep it close to the surface. These are far from delicate creations, but hey, whoever said sharks were attracted to “delicate.” Hungry makos would be coming in on scent and looking for a big chunk of meat. The brightly colored fly was designed to get their attention! Casting wasn’t really a factor either - all you had to do was get the furry concoction 30 feet from the boat and wait for the shark to find it.

After the briefing, it was time for some serious fishing. All we needed was our first victim! This was really exciting for me because I’d never even seen a mako shark in the water. I’d caught plenty of big sharks on fly on the flats, but never a mako. From the very moment the first one appeared, I was mesmerized. These are truly awesome creatures every bit as formidable as I expected them to be.  

We drifted slowly in calm, deep blue waters. The only problem was that it was a bit cloudy which limited our visibility. I heard Conway say “Here we go!” and, as I squinted my eyes to pierce the cobalt waters, the ominous shape appeared. It was more than five feet long with a blue/grey back tapering to a silvery/white underside. It had a pointed nose and a thick, powerful tail. The camouflage was perfect for its deep blue environment. Its movements were methodical and deliberate, typical for a predator of this magnitude. With no natural enemies and the ability to catch, kill and eat just about anything in its path, this mako was in no rush. 

The shark came straight for the chum then quickly turned off, only to pick up the scent again. Dave threw the hookless teaser bait ahead of the shark and moved it slowly. The mako spotted the juicy bait and just as it swam up to take a chunk out of it, Dave pulled it away. Now agitated, the frustrated mako came up again and Dave reeled the teaser away again, this time letting the shark taste the meat. Simultaneously, Conway’s fly dropped in the water just feet ahead of the teaser. Dave allowed the shark to taste the natural bait one more time just before pulling away - right past the fly. The mako followed until it saw the fly which it promptly ate. Conway set the hook and proceeded to put a major bend in the 12 weight. The shark didn’t even budge.  It just sat there shaking its head as its senses processed the minor annoyance in the side of its jaw. This stalemate seemed to take a long time, but lasted only 60 seconds before the mako decided it had enough of this game. The fish screamed 50 yards of line then rocketed ten feet into the air in an unbelievable aerial display of its sheer power. This was absolutely spine-tingling!   

Conway did everything he could to pump the fish back, only to have it explode through the surface again. The next time he got it to the boat, it stuck its entire head out of the water, thrashing back and forth as if its impressive dental array would be enough to make the pressure go away. Dave grabbed the leader, slid the dehooker down to the fly and with a quick thrust, the mako was free. Pretty cool!

 
“The fish screamed 50 yards of line then rocketed ten feet into the air in an unbelievable aerial display of its shear power.

Absolutely spine-tingling!”

We raised a dozen mako sharks that day and caught eight, plus a couple of blue sharks that really didn’t count. I went on to fish with Steve and Randie the next two days, and we landed a total of nine makos out of twelve that investigated our chum slick plus another blue shark of around 150 pounds. Every so often an ocean sunfish would drift by or we’d spot a clump of kelp paddies that had to be checked out. All of our mako sharks ranged between 40 and 90 pounds, but just a few weeks before our trip, angler Brendan Mason hooked a monster that Dave Trimble said had to be 11 ft. long and weigh more than 600 pounds! It ate the fly, ran off 300 yards and jumped a dozen times. You can see a series of photos of this magnificent creature by visiting www.BowmanBluewater.com .

One of the most exciting things about this fishery is that you never know what’s going to appear behind the boat, but one thing is certain; it’s going to be awesome! To experience this mind boggling fly fishery, call Conway at 619.822.6256. They now have a condominium for their clients at Dana Landing, and there are plenty of activities in San Diego for family members who prefer not to fish. Conway and Dave have something that you can’t find anywhere else in the world, and their efforts to preserve this outstanding fishery are to be commended.

Eight mako sharks on fly in a single day! Ten years ago, no one would have thought that was even possible.