Fisherman bitten by shark off Gold Coast

A Gold Coast fisherman has walked away from a dangerous encounter with a shark after being bitten on the leg.

The 31-year-old man was 20km off the Gold Coast when he caught a reef shark on Wednesday afternoon but in the ensuing struggle the feisty fish managed to bite him.

The shark was then released back into the ocean while the man was taken back to shore at Main Beach where he was met by paramedics.

He was able to walk off the boat and appeared to be in a "jovial" mood according to a Queensland Ambulance spokesman.

The man was taken to hospital in a stable condition.