![\"Owen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/owen-mates-who-operates-the-kayak-fishing-cornwall-youtube-channel-hooked-the-remarkable-specimen-wh.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nA kayak angler has landed an extraordinarily uncommon Atlantic wreckfish in waters off Cornwall, marking what could be one of the most unusual catches in British fishing history. <\/p>\n
The prehistoric deep-water predator, scientifically termed Polyprion americanus, typically inhabits depths of several hundred metres and is renowned for its ability to consume sharks.<\/p>\n
Owen Mates, who operates the Kayak Fishing Cornwall YouTube channel, hooked the remarkable specimen while targeting blue sharks approximately ten miles from shore in Falmouth Bay. <\/p>\n
The species, which can survive for a century, rarely ventures into waters shallow enough for rod fishing.<\/p>\n
Adult wreckfish almost never encounter humans, making this catch particularly exceptional for British coastal waters.<\/p>\n
The encounter occurred last month when Mates and two companions were creating a chum slick to attract blue sharks. <\/p>\n
“We had a chum slick out and were targeting blue sharks when this strange-looking fish started circling the boat,” Mr Mates explained.<\/p>\n
Mr Mates also explained that the anglers initially struggled to identify the unusual visitor. <\/p>\n
Owen Mates, who operates the Kayak Fishing Cornwall YouTube channel, hooked the remarkable specimen while targeting blue sharks approximately ten miles from shore in Falmouth Bay<\/p>\n
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KAYAK FISHING CORNWALL<\/p>\n
“At first, we had no idea what it was and then, after a few minutes, it took one of the shark baits a mackerel flapper on my rod,” he said. <\/p>\n
The seasoned angler expressed his astonishment at the unexpected catch. <\/p>\n
“I couldn’t believe it,” he added after seeing the substantial fish secured on his line.<\/p>\n
The wreckfish had taken the mackerel bait intended for sharks, creating an extraordinary moment for the fishing party.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/the-prehistoric-deep-water-predator-scientifically-termed-polyprion-americanus-that-typically-inhabi.jpeg\")
The prehistoric deep-water predator, scientifically termed Polyprion americanus, that typically inhabits depths of several hundred metres, was found off the coast of Falmouth Bay<\/p>\n
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PA<\/p>\n
The fish measured between 70 and 80 centimetres and weighed an estimated 10 to 12 pounds, dimensions that could surpass the existing British rod-caught record of 11 pounds 14 ounces established in 2001. <\/p>\n
Despite the potential record, the anglers photographed their catch briefly before releasing the wreckfish unharmed back into the ocean.<\/p>\n
“It wasn’t until we got home and checked online that we realised just how rare it was,” Owen added. <\/p>\n
His research revealed that the sole comparable catch occurred in 2001, taken from waters midway across the Channel near Poole.<\/p>\n
“The only record I could find was from 2001 and caught mid-Channel off Poole nothing close to land like this,” he noted. <\/p>\n
The proximity to the Cornish coastline makes this catch exceptionally unusual for the species.<\/p>\n
The wreckfish’s reputation as a formidable predator extends beyond this recent catch. <\/p>\n
America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documented extraordinary footage of the species’ hunting prowess using a remotely operated camera.<\/p>\n
Scientists initially believed they were investigating a shipwreck when they discovered sharks engaged in what appeared to be a feeding frenzy. <\/p>\n
The predators were consuming a 2.5-metre swordfish when a massive wreckfish approached with an entire shark already in its jaws.<\/p>\n
Researchers concluded that the wreckfish, unable to access the swordfish directly, had instead seized one of the feeding sharks. <\/p>\n
This behaviour demonstrates the species’ opportunistic nature and remarkable capacity to prey upon other apex predators.<\/p>\n
Such footage underscores why encounters with these deep-sea hunters remain exceptionally rare in British waters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A kayak angler has landed an extraordinarily uncommon Atlantic wreckfish in waters off Cornwall, marking what could be…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":212387,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[130487,64,63,44,128,13296,10726,338],"class_list":{"0":"post-212386","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-across-the-uk","9":"tag-au","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-science","13":"tag-sgg","14":"tag-south-west","15":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212386\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/212387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}