RECREATIONAL fisherman Adrian Hinds says he would still go swimming off Tasmania's coast despite encountering a 4.5m great white shark at the weekend.
Mr Hinds and his mates were fishing off Port Sorell on Saturday when a massive great white started nosing around their boat.
"It was probably between four and five metres, it was 500kg I reckon," Mr Hinds, 32, of Launceston said last night.
He said the shark spent a couple of hours circling the boat, but neither he nor his fellow fishermen felt any fear.
"It was awesome. It was just checking out what was going on, pretty much," he said. "We were pretty awestruck. We never felt any danger."
Aerial shark patrols started off the East Coast on Friday because the hot weather has seen an increase in bait fish and sharks. Surveillance is concentrating between The Gardens and Scamander.
"The blokes I went out with, they've been fishing for years and never seen one before," Mr Hinds said.
He said the shark nudged the motor when the propeller was out of the water and ripped a protective mat hung over the side of the boat.
"When it had a go at the protective mat it got stuck into it a bit, had a little bit of a thrash," he said.
They were 50km off Port Sorell at the time.
Despite hearing rumours of other shark sightings, Mr Hinds said he would still swim at the beach.
"Yeah I still would, I think they're a fair way out," he said.
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