On June 16, 2009, an angler fishing off the coast of South West Ireland reeled in a 480kg, 3.9m bluntnose sixgill with rod and line. Experts say that this is the biggest fish ever caught with a rod in the British Isles. Six-gill sharks are a deep-water species, and are only rarely caught. Richard Peirce, chairman of the Shark Trust, expressed his disappointment that Mr Waldis did not release his capture, as did many anglers who follow the modern more of returning “trophy” fish to the water .