Plymouth Castaway's Sea Angling Club member Clive Wagner hooked more than he bargained for from the rocks in the Dart estuary.

Amazingly his light tackle stood up far longer than it should have against the violence of a Thresher Shark that had taken the strip of mackerel on offer for more mundane species. As the fight progressed the reel steadily emptied and with mere feet left on the spool the 12lb test braid gave up.

The encounter lasted several heart-stopping minutes and had it been successful a unique British record for this variety of shark would have been set in the shore category for which the qualifying weight is just 40lb.

The estimated weight of the lost fish was at least 150lb. Another of considerably size was caught from the most unusual platform of a speedboat in Bigbury Bay.

The latter area proved very profitable for a small group of ray hunters fishing from the Plymouth charter boat Happy Days owned and skippered by Aaron Lidstone. Heaviest of the five blondes that were caught weighed a minimum of 34lb for Plymouth-based unattached angler Trevor Harris.

The remainder, like the big one also released, were weighed in double figures and were shared between Clive and Chris Way and the skipper.

The current British record for this sought-after variety of ray is not far ahead at 39lb 10oz a fish caught by Paignton's Steve Underwood off the Devon coast in 2006.

Blue shark are now providing a level of sport for boats working out of Looe. Heaviest so far estimated to be 102lb was caught by Looe SAC member Bob Woodman who was fishing from his own boat Blue Mist. Dave Bond's Mystique11 and Pete Davis's Force ten have had blues to 95lb at their gunwales.

Carp anglers have also triumphed. At Creedy Manor the honour of 'best fish' was shared by Elias Crang of Black Dog and Cornishman Mike Body both bringing in specimen commons of 24lb 7oz. Body's fish was in a day bag of 16 that aggregated 240lb.

Returning the next day he banked eight commons up to 23lb 9oz. Crediton's Sam Stevens had just one fish but it was a common of exactly 24lb and a new personal best fish of 22lb fell to Tiverton's Chris Charlett. The heaviest tench of the venue's season an excellent specimen of 7lb 7oz was banked by John Ward.

Town Parks fishery's catfish were active at times. Richard Johns a holidaymaker had the best of those reported a fish of 23lb 5oz that took loaded worm popped up off the bottom.

Steve Hilleard fished tight to the island and using home-made meat boilies had a trio of cats to 16lb 10oz and four carp the best a mirror of 16lb 4oz. Fishing the Match Lake Rob Metcalfe did not expect much of a catch in the very hot prevailing conditions but to his surprise he banked over 100lb of carp in the session.

Firing a constant supply of coarse pellet kept the fish interested around Peg 16. What is being termed a big fish bonanza begins at Tavistock Trout fishery this coming Saturday July 10th. From first light rainbow and brown trout weighing up to 20 lbs introduced to all the venue's lakes over the past few days will be available. Fishing permits cost is as usual.