At the time of writing, the Tope (Galeorhinus galeus) is rated as Critically Endangered, so anglers need to take this into consideration and, ideally, avoid targeting them until numbers recover. Tope can be caught using barbless hooks, which are less harmful, baited with mackerel, squid and crab. You'll also need a heavier rod set up and ideally a multiplier reel. Whether they nozzle your bait before running, or biting into it in one go, they will try to run with the bait. Let them run and expect an exhilarating fight that can last ten minutes or more. Due to their shark's teeth and their extremely muscular bodies, these fish are very hard to fight. Initially, the bite can be a tentative tap on the rod tip that quickly turns into a reel screaming run with the rod bent double once they realize what is happening near the surface. The reel should be in free spool with the ratchet alarm engaged when tope fishing. It allows the tope to run off with the bait while feeling minimal resistance. In addition, set the drag so the line is under steady pressure well below the strain at which the line will break. Avoid striking the fish with the rod. Put the reel in gear and let the drag set the hook against the weight of the fish as the line tightens after the fish runs a few yards off the reel. Allow the fish to take line against a well-set clutch by maintaining steady pressure. A line held too tightly will break like cotton, a line given too easily will get spooled. At the point where the tope approaches the boat or shore, slack the clutch, as this is when the most strain is put on hook holds and line etc. It's very dangerous for both anglers and fish once you land the Tope in the boat or on shore because all that muscle and those sharp teeth will thrash around violently, so you must hold the fish firmly while removing the hook. As a result of not controlling the fish, you may not only get hurt, but the fish may harm itself and possibly die as well.