SHARKS YOU CAN CASH IN ON

ONE of Europe’s richest-ever fishing competitions has been launched this week. The Ballycotton Big Fish is a catch, tag and release shark tournament staged off the coast of County Cork, Ireland.

Tickets are now on sale for the September event which boasts a L250,000 prize fund.

The angler who boasts the biggest shark over the four-day competition will net the L170,000 jackpot and there are also L20,000 prizes for the longest shark caught each day as well as the captain whose boat lands the greatest number of sharks during the tournament.

As the home of five Irish records, Ballycotton is no stranger to big fish and is a popular destination for anglers after blue, mako, thresher and porbeagle sharks. PENSIONER Brian Chapman has landed his first-ever fish… a whopping 250lb arapaima. The 82-year-old was treated to a holiday to Thailand’s Exotic Fishing Resort by pal Paul Quenet.

Brian’s huge catch came on his first cast with a rod and reel!

THE pike record for Glasgow’s Harelaw Fishery has been broken with a 38lb 2oz specimen.

Stefan Jensen lured the esox after it grabbed his legered lamprey bait and it is the 41-year-old’s second ‘thirty’ from the big-fish water.

LURE fanatic Alex Stoica has landed his first 5lb perch after three years targeting big stripeys.