-
Welcome to the DeeperBlue.com Forums, the largest online community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing. To gain full access to the DeeperBlue.com Forums you must register for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:
- Join over 44,280+ fellow diving enthusiasts from around the world on this forum
- Participate in and browse from over 516,210+ posts.
- Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
- Post your own photos or view from 7,441+ user submitted images.
- All this and much more...
You can gain access to all this absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!
spear fishing in pembrokeshire
- Thread starterpembroke
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Do not know why more people are not into spearing in Pembrokeshire. Grew up in Pembroke Dock , now live in Weymouth .
Always bring my kit when I come down to visit the folks.
In the past I have dived St. brides , Angle ( all the way around to the Heads ) Watch out for seals!
Fresh east ( right side of beach , looking out to sea ) is a good beginers dive.
Don't know if the vis is any good ever in the haven? was thinking about trying out a few of the jettys next time I come down.
Always bring my kit when I come down to visit the folks.
In the past I have dived St. brides , Angle ( all the way around to the Heads ) Watch out for seals!
Fresh east ( right side of beach , looking out to sea ) is a good beginers dive.
Don't know if the vis is any good ever in the haven? was thinking about trying out a few of the jettys next time I come down.
Lo guys!
Just had a fantastic weekend fishing in Pembrokeshire with a mate and Steve Parker. My friend and I decided to try to "Bear Gryls" it and survive off what we can scavenge/catch etc and buy nothing which we managed to do easily. Food is in abundance when you know where to look (Thanks to Hugh Fernley whitingstall:inlove)!
After arriving at our first spot on 6pm Saturday, a long fin later with my friend wearing my mums old wetsuit (which was tiny for him) on my kayak to a little spot, we got in the water about an hour or so before high tide. I could not of wished for a better start with my first two dives seeing bass and on my fourth or fifth, managed my first ever bass! Two dives later a second bass was on the stringer and my gun was put away on the kayak as we had enough food for the evening! Steve managed two pollack within 5 minutes of each other at ~7lb each. My mate was happy as he had seen his first bass but missed it but we had a nice barbecue with my two bass.
Second day was in a completely different spot which yielded no fish so as we said goodbye to steve, my friend and I moved back to the first spot but tried a different side of the bay. All credit to my friend as he had been sick due to the relocation of his testicles caused by the incredibly small wetsuit. He looked so unbelievably miserble until 10 minutes later, he had his first fish on his line. I am NOT jealous in the slightest......his first fish was a 5lb bass which was the biggest bass of the weekened! I managed another smaller bass and a large pollack of 5 1/2 lb also. Monday was just the same with a few pollack and smaller bass. All in all a fantastic weekend with 6 bass caught in total and 4 large pollack (by my standards)! My mate walks like he is a cowboy now, even after sitting for the 6 hour return drive!
Just had a fantastic weekend fishing in Pembrokeshire with a mate and Steve Parker. My friend and I decided to try to "Bear Gryls" it and survive off what we can scavenge/catch etc and buy nothing which we managed to do easily. Food is in abundance when you know where to look (Thanks to Hugh Fernley whitingstall:inlove)!
After arriving at our first spot on 6pm Saturday, a long fin later with my friend wearing my mums old wetsuit (which was tiny for him) on my kayak to a little spot, we got in the water about an hour or so before high tide. I could not of wished for a better start with my first two dives seeing bass and on my fourth or fifth, managed my first ever bass! Two dives later a second bass was on the stringer and my gun was put away on the kayak as we had enough food for the evening! Steve managed two pollack within 5 minutes of each other at ~7lb each. My mate was happy as he had seen his first bass but missed it but we had a nice barbecue with my two bass.
Second day was in a completely different spot which yielded no fish so as we said goodbye to steve, my friend and I moved back to the first spot but tried a different side of the bay. All credit to my friend as he had been sick due to the relocation of his testicles caused by the incredibly small wetsuit. He looked so unbelievably miserble until 10 minutes later, he had his first fish on his line. I am NOT jealous in the slightest......his first fish was a 5lb bass which was the biggest bass of the weekened! I managed another smaller bass and a large pollack of 5 1/2 lb also. Monday was just the same with a few pollack and smaller bass. All in all a fantastic weekend with 6 bass caught in total and 4 large pollack (by my standards)! My mate walks like he is a cowboy now, even after sitting for the 6 hour return drive!
Forgot to say - managed to lose my rubber dive belt with 10kg on it in a kelp bed! Frantic drive around pembrokeshire yielded 9kg and vast contrast in dive weight colours on a bright blue nylon belt!
Gutted mate!
will have to go on a bit of a salvage mish!! still got an old lift bag somewhere from my past life as a tec diver!
Am hoping to get out this weekend, any reports on the current viz? is big springs this weekend so a few spots might be out but may just take the yak and drift them!!!
will have to go on a bit of a salvage mish!! still got an old lift bag somewhere from my past life as a tec diver!
Am hoping to get out this weekend, any reports on the current viz? is big springs this weekend so a few spots might be out but may just take the yak and drift them!!!
Hey Dave you forgot to mention it was also the 1st meeting of "Neptunes Angels" the official "dive hunter" owners club of Wales! God we really burned fin last weekend. here are some pics, I hope!, Dave's the one who is doing the Transformer impression and I'm the ropey Mutant Ninja Turtle and you can see why my hunter now skinks of fish! I'm gonna see how Tecdave gets on with his and then I'll get the leather waistcoats done...... only Kiddin... we'll ave neoprene ones!!!!!!!
Attachments
Hi Pembroke,
Yes it was me you met!!
Have you been out at all?
Which stringer you got? is it the marco bardi one with 2 plastic 'weight retainer' like bits? if so then you thread one on each end of your belt and have the stringer run between them, loop attatched to the karibener (sp!?) and the stringer bar through the grove in the other black plastic bit! mono goes round your back. Will try and find a pic and post later.
Yes it was me you met!!
Have you been out at all?
Which stringer you got? is it the marco bardi one with 2 plastic 'weight retainer' like bits? if so then you thread one on each end of your belt and have the stringer run between them, loop attatched to the karibener (sp!?) and the stringer bar through the grove in the other black plastic bit! mono goes round your back. Will try and find a pic and post later.
Will be in Pembrokeshire this weekend if anyone is around and fancies a furtle through the kelp?
hi guys.
What's the current formal situation these days with local bye-laws etc re spearing in coastal Pembrokeshire (and/or Marine Park)
I ask as one who recently contributed to sorting out the silliness of the recent European proposal (which as it stood implied banning spearo in the seas of Western Europe).
What's the current formal situation these days with local bye-laws etc re spearing in coastal Pembrokeshire (and/or Marine Park)
I ask as one who recently contributed to sorting out the silliness of the recent European proposal (which as it stood implied banning spearo in the seas of Western Europe).
I would think its the same in the marine park area, as in no take but unsure at other spots, there doesn’t seem to be any info or bye - law on the south Wales fisheries web site so I take it as carrying on as before.
I will say that we really need to keep on at people not to shoot bass that are to small (or breeding fish that are large >7lb) the size limit for south Wales is 37.5cm and I have seen fish taken by inexperienced spearos that would be hard pushed to make it. Let’s not give people ammunition to take our sport away from us. Let’s be sensible and only take those fish that are 3 - 6lb. If you don't know the rules read up on South Wales fisheries website, that goes for crabs and lobsters too. Ignorance is no excuse.
Rant over!!
Dave
I will say that we really need to keep on at people not to shoot bass that are to small (or breeding fish that are large >7lb) the size limit for south Wales is 37.5cm and I have seen fish taken by inexperienced spearos that would be hard pushed to make it. Let’s not give people ammunition to take our sport away from us. Let’s be sensible and only take those fish that are 3 - 6lb. If you don't know the rules read up on South Wales fisheries website, that goes for crabs and lobsters too. Ignorance is no excuse.
Rant over!!
Dave
OK - I know what you're saying Dave but if you think about it - telling people to leave both small fish and big fish but take middle sized fish, from a conservation point of view, is quite illogical.
As spearo's can be selective about the fish they take, logically it makes far more sence to take small, legal fish over big or middle sized ones.
If the aim is to increase bass stocks, what we need are an abundance of large, breeding fish.
With all wild animals, fish etc a population graph will look like this:
There a high drop-out rate through-out the potential life cycle, obviously, with the hightest amoungst the smaller fish, decreasing over time as the population is 'thinned out'.
Now, if the aim is to increase the numbers of breeding fish, it's logically incorrect to asume that it is best to take middle-sized fish over small fish.
This is purely based on probability: which single fish has the highest chance of making it to breeding age - a small fish or a medium fish? .
Due to the higher mortality rate in small fish (compared to medium fish) a single medium sized fish has a FAR higher probability of reaching breeding age compared to a single small fish.
If you wish to take bass while spearing while increasing the stock of large, breeding fish - it is better to spear small fish over medium sized ones.
Personally, I don't think that spearing makes a tangible impact on stocks but just thought I'd throw it out there
Last edited:
Fair point but I am not talking about fish stocks here, I am talking about the image of spearfishing. I know that the few dozen bass a season is not going to make a slight bit of difference.
The main problem is that of the public point of view. Especially with anglers some of which have a real bee in their bonnet regarding taking of any fish. If we can reduce the number of fish taken ie, one 4-5lb bass instead of 4 just legal fish then the perceived impact is much less, keeping every one happy!
Am not sure about you but I cant seem to get much meat off a 2lb fish (well over 37.5cm) so do I take lots of 'easy' shooting schoolies or wait it out for a tidy fish????
The medium fish in your graph and the ones I shoot are also breeding fish as are many in the small legal size group (average spawning size for bass is 42cm) so these fish have already spawned many times and contributed to the gene pool! its just the big fish have much higher fecundity than the medium breeders.
Nice graph by the way!!
The main problem is that of the public point of view. Especially with anglers some of which have a real bee in their bonnet regarding taking of any fish. If we can reduce the number of fish taken ie, one 4-5lb bass instead of 4 just legal fish then the perceived impact is much less, keeping every one happy!
Am not sure about you but I cant seem to get much meat off a 2lb fish (well over 37.5cm) so do I take lots of 'easy' shooting schoolies or wait it out for a tidy fish????
The medium fish in your graph and the ones I shoot are also breeding fish as are many in the small legal size group (average spawning size for bass is 42cm) so these fish have already spawned many times and contributed to the gene pool! its just the big fish have much higher fecundity than the medium breeders.
Nice graph by the way!!
Ah, I see what you're getting at - glad you liked the graph
I thought we were on about stocks, not image. Very fair and good points then. I did mention something in one of the other threads where someone posted about taking 18 big bass in one session.
Fair enough they may wish to fill up their freezer but it looks and sounds pretty bad!
I thought we were on about stocks, not image. Very fair and good points then. I did mention something in one of the other threads where someone posted about taking 18 big bass in one session.
Fair enough they may wish to fill up their freezer but it looks and sounds pretty bad!
Rep to you both for bringing up the issue of image. Its something rarely discussed on these and other boards. Personally, I'm not in favour of certain attributes of spearfishing culture like shooting beautiful sea creatures like Marlin and other trophy hunting macho stunts, excessive kills etc.
As spearos we need to discuss the issue of image rather than sink into collective denial about how others may percieve what we do by repeating mantras to ourselves about "trawlers", "most ecological method...", "fill yer freezers" etc etc.
Rightly or wrongly, spearfishing got a bad name in this country once and it could happen again.
As spearos we need to discuss the issue of image rather than sink into collective denial about how others may percieve what we do by repeating mantras to ourselves about "trawlers", "most ecological method...", "fill yer freezers" etc etc.
Rightly or wrongly, spearfishing got a bad name in this country once and it could happen again.
Last edited: