Shark Week On Fly: Bull Shark

Today’s “Shark Week on Fly” featured shark is the Bull Shark. Considered one of the most dangerous sharks in the world, they can be found inhibiting warm shallows of many coastal flats and beaches, and can even be found up many different freshwater rivers. With a bite force that is considered to be the 6th strongest bite out of any animal in the world, landing them on a fly can be a daunting task.

Flylord’s content contributor, Cameron Cushman talks about his experience: “Bull sharks have been on my list for a while now but I’ve never spent much time pursuing them. We were on the Indian river throwing for juvenile tarpon when a few bull sharks started swimming around the skiff. I laid out a baitfish pattern with no luck to the first two swimming in the area and basically had given up on them. At this point, we went back to the tarpon when a dorsal fin popped up behind the fly after a few casts. The small bull shark followed the fly all the way to the skiff but just never made the commitment, at this point we had given up on the shark.”

“A few minutes later we are poling along the mangrove shoreline as I’m basically just flipping the fly into the water waiting on Marcos to call out a fish when I see little Mr. bull pop up again. This time he nailed the fly and it was on from there. After a few photos we released him back to be on his way and terrorize all the little fish in the river for the rest of his life. Since then I’ve hooked three other bullies and each one fought different, some ran and some pulled but, they all broke me off. I’ll always look forward to tossing at any shark we may come across on the flats.”

Fun fact: Bull sharks have special adaptations in their kidneys that help them keep salt in their bodies even when they’re in freshwater. The furthest upriver a bull shark has been recorded is 2500 miles.

Shark Attacks: “Bullies” has been responsible for 100 attacks worldwide according to the International Shark Attack File. With 21 of them being fatal. This classifies them as the third deadliest shark.

For more shark on the fly content be sure to follow @cameroncush, he claims he likes chasing sharks on the fly so much “He’s chosen to throw at sharks over tarpon on several occasions in the lower keys.”

Photos courtesy of Marcos Mazzola

Be sure to check out the other “Shark Week On Fly” pieces:

https://flylordsmag.com/single-post/2018/07/24/shark-week-on-fly-bonnethead-shark/

https://flylordsmag.com/single-post/2018/07/23/shark-week-on-fly-blacknose-shark/

https://flylordsmag.com/single-post/2018/07/23/shark-week-on-fly-lemon-shark/