South Devon Report

[Jez]

Dived Hopes Cove on Saturday at around high tide. Viz was reasonable considering the weather we've been having at about 4m when the sun was out.

Very quiet for a long while until I dove down between two large rocks and startled a decent looking bass. He took off under the ledge of the rock and so I followed on top of the ledge, came to the edge of the drop-off and waited for him to come back, sinking myself deep into the kelp. Sure enough he came back from the open water to check me out. I sensed he was already on 'alert' and so didn't think he'd hang around too long so I lined him up and fired. I still can't believe I missed it. Never saw another bass all day.

Found plenty of large mullet later on though, ending up with 4 in total. I shot a 4lber at one point and also skewered another that was sat behind it - fish kebab!

Hope the nice weather will hold and clear the water some more this week.

[Jez]

Dived Anstey's Cove, Torquay on Sunday pm. 2m viz max, saw one dogfish and packed it in after half an hour. Nothing else to report. Nice to get wet though.

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by Jez

Dived Anstey's Cove, Torquay on Sunday pm. 2m viz max, saw one dogfish and packed it in after half an hour. Nothing else to report. Nice to get wet though.

Hi Jez, I had similar problems in Dorset yesterday; I saw a goldfish-size fish & 3 minnow! Scuba divers said the saw several spotted dogfish. Do people spear dogfish? The ones the divers encountered were docile -- allowing the divers to stroke them! Seem like there wouldn't be much sport or enjoyment there -- but I seem to recall that shark meat is pretty good (meaty, like steak) & a dogfish is a small shark I believe(?).

[Jez]

Pekka has tried dogfish, taste's ok apparrently. I think you're better off skinning it when you clean it, something to do with toxins (I don't think lethal) in the skin making the flesh go off. Or is that rays? I can't say I've tried them and they don't die easily so I usually leave them so I dont' have to deal with them squirming around on your stringer.

They are quite friendly fish and you can easily grab or pet them if it floats your boat. I think the viz down near Thurlestone (west side of South Hams) was 5m on the weekend. If the wind stays in the north to east it may still be ok this coming weekend. Never dived their yet but I've seen pictures of nice fish from there.

[Spaniard]

Shooting dogfish IMO is not any kind of sport; easier to shoot than wrasse and more difficult to kill cleanly. Taste is OK so I guess if you have to eat them then go for it. In some chippies they are sold as rock salmon I think.

[Mr. X]

Think I'll add dogfish to my "will not kill(...usually)"-list -- I didn't realise fish could be so "tame"/docile:

1. Dogfish/Shark
2. Wrasse

...Hey, I never said it was a big list!

[fearthespear]

nah...doggies are rank to eat. Leave the rock salmon to the "grockles" and go for better quarry. I'm trying to but am a bit of a crap shot on the quiet! Incidently i have, on three seperate occasions this year, gone to pull the trigger on my commanche only to find I have accidently knocked the safety to "on". It's well frustrating so i'm thinking of just taping over the catch so there is no safe mode! Anyone got any thoughts?

[Flattie basher]

Rather than tape it over, on my omer and sporasub guns I just take catch out everyone else I know does the same thing. Never had any problems with this course action. I also use an 80cm totemsub gun, were the safety is not an issue as they are not fitted.

[dave]

The safety on the Comanche is a push through type? If so, put it in the off position, then drill a hole through the button right next to the mechanism, and put a 1/4" piece of thick mono through the hole and burn the ends over. That way the safety is impossible to turn on. Spearguns should not be fitted with safety catches in my opinion. the only safety is slack rubbers
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by dave

...Spearguns should not be fitted with safety catches in my opinion. the only safety is slack rubbers
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

Have to agree. I was advised to not use the safety, ignored the advice and so missed what would have been my second kill, a decent size bass . Still, lesson learnt. If the gun needs to be made safe -- then it must be unloaded, i.e. slack bands.

[fearthespear]

Well thanks for the tips lads...consider the weapon "adjusted"! Those doubles are sure in trouble now! (cough!)

Hoping this weather holds out to allow a quick sesh around portland this weekend. Strong northerly predicted on friday, may just get away with it!

[UK Spearo]

IMO the only safe gun is an unloaded one! And even then I never point it at anyone (you never know if a wave might catch you and push you towards your buddy in the water!). I always 'disable' the saftey catches on my guns. That way I know it'll never be on when I'm linning up on a fish, but also, I know that as it's never 'safe' I am always aware and make sure I never ever point it where it shouldn't be pointed.

[Jez]

Dive Budleigh Salterton early Sunday morning. A bit chilly getting changed with frost all around but once in it was lovely.

Oily calm seas and viz at around 6-7m in bright winter sunshine. It was a lovelly dive, shame I didn't see any fish. There were the usual huge wrasse, millions (no exagerration) of starfish and a few baby pollack (next year ). Anyone else get any results over the weekend?

[Mr. X]

Wow I thought viz would be awful after the winds, etc. last week. Apparently not.

Do you think water temp. will still be ok to dive over the Christmas hols? I want to get out a few more times before winter sets in hard.

[Flattie basher]

Not really a south devon report but I dived on Sunday and had about 25ft viz of off Brighton. We were three miles out. Only thing was no bass at all.