Awestruck onlookers film tiger shark tussle at Tathra wharf

Raymond Day had never been fishing off the Tathra wharf but was soon entranced as some of his fellow fishers had hooked up something large. He immediately started filming.

It was only when it came close in to the wharf that it became clear it was a large shark.

"I'm not local so I'm not sure if that's usual there - I was a bit awestruck," Mr Day said.

Mr Day said it was a "beautiful looking" shark and believed it could've been a tiger shark given the striations on its sides, noticeable as it thrashed and rolled around before it was cut loose.

"They seemed convinced they had to cut the line, but I felt if it had been smaller they were considering bringing it up," he said.

However, Mr Day said the young kid looking to free the shark did so in an act of "utter stupidity".

"His feet were in the water only about 30cm away from the shark's mouth, it was utter stupidity.

"You can hear one guy yelling to him that 'you've got to use your head if you're going to do this sort of fishing'.

"I turned my phone off then as I didn't want to capture what I thought could happen next."

Thankfully for all concerned, nothing did happen and the shark was freed unharmed.

Shark fishing from the Tathra Wharf was outlawed over 20 years ago.

In 2014, swimmer Christine Armstrong was tragically killed near the wharf by a shark the NSW Department of Primary Industries think was most likely a large great white.

Mr Day said he saw the big signs at Tathra Wharf saying fishing for sharks was banned under a local government directive. He was also concerned to see swimmers at the time between the wharf and beach.

However, he also said within a few minutes of letting the shark go, the fishermen were back in a kayak taking their line out again a couple of hundred metres into the deeper waters.

"Maybe there's other big fish they are going for?

"I fished there for two days and that was the only incident I saw. Everyone there was awesome and chatting like fishers do.

"Everyone there was good and the mood was positive, but the stupidity of the kid [was alarming]."