From Italy to South West Ireland

[spazio]

Originally Posted by Andy Davies

Is the closed season to protect spawning bass? If so, it would be great to that in force in the UK. I'm always gutted to find that I've killed a female bass when she is full of eggs.

yes, I completely agree.... it's a big damage for everyone!

[Spear-Fin]

Hey Spazio!

Ireland is just great! Land, people and guinnes,...
Dont't worry about driving there. Traffic is way more relaxed than in Italy. just keep left and you'll be fine. still the rule is right first, than left. but most intersections do have traffic signs anyway. after a few days you'll like it more than driving the right lane.

I'm from austria and my brother and I we are looking for a close spot to go spearfishing. you mentioned that you are from Italy. where is a good spot there? we thought about going to "la spezia" cause it not too long of a drive from Innsbruck.

we where in Croatia recently, and it was alright, but not as easy as in Australia or Norway. only chance to get fish is by getting up very early. I bet it's alike in Italy.

Can you give us any recommendations about where to go best in Italy. Also about fishing rules and regulations. fishing fees. better adriatic side or mediterranean.

Any help and hint is highly appreciated.

Fin.

PS: I saw a video where a guy was spearfishing in an italian lake. is that allowed? can I for example spearfish in lago di garda?

[Spear-Fin]

Hey Spazio!

Ireland is just great! Land, people and guinnes,...
Dont't worry about driving there. Traffic is way more relaxed than in Italy. just keep left and you'll be fine. still the rule is right first, than left. but most intersections do have traffic signs anyway. after a few days you'll like it more than driving the right lane.

I'm from austria and my brother and I we are looking for a close spot to go spearfishing. you mentioned that you are from Italy. where is a good spot there? we thought about going to "la spezia" cause it not too long of a drive from Innsbruck.

we where in Croatia recently, and it was alright, but not as easy as in Australia or Norway. only chance to get fish is by getting up very early. I bet it's alike in Italy.

Can you give us any recommendations about where to go best in Italy. Also about fishing rules and regulations. fishing fees. better adriatic side or mediterranean.

Any help and hint is highly appreciated.

Fin.

PS: I saw a video where a guy was spearfishing in an italian lake. is that allowed? can I for example spearfish in lago di garda?

[spazio]

it will be more difficult.

it depends on the type of holiday you're planning.

if you are intended to spearfish and also looking around, you can come without any problem.

if your intention are basicly to spearfish, you'd better go in another season.

also I was going to the same place but I couldn't organize myself earlier, that's why I'm planning to go to ireland or to another quieter place, because I'd love only to fish in peace and looking around will not be very important to me.

from innsbruck, croatia is surely the best solution, because it's not far and is beautiful. but it's very important to know exactly the good places, especially in this season.

in the two forums where I use to be in italy, there have been many discussions and good advise about it.
I remember on, recently, exactly in northern croatia, close to the italian border.
the forums are:

http://www.bluworld.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

http://www.apneamagazine.com/ibf/index.php?act=SF&f=4

try with search (cerca) with the words croatia (croazia) northern croazia (croazia settentrionale or nord croazia) if you can understand italian, otherwise, post in english.
croatian friends speaks english and also some italian ones do.

as for italy, as sais, this is not the best time for spearfishing, surely all the year is for looking around.

the adriatic coast is all sandy with only line of rocks put to protect the beaches. the unique exceptions are the tremiti islands and some little parts of my region, abruzzo, in the south.

then marvellous is the salento, jonio coast.

this will be too far from innsbruck.

the other coast, the tirrenic coast is mostly rocky with alsomany islands.

from innsbruck, as you said, la spezia is good strategically.

from la spezia, travelling westside is rocky until the border of france.
in the southern directions is mixed.

you can also consider to take the ship with the car in piombino and travel until elba island. it's very nice.

in all tuscany you will have thousands of things to see and to do.

other places are too far.

sardinia is wonderful everywhere but you need to take the ship and sail many hours.

if youd ecide to go in this season, remember to ask to friends in some forums, because you'd better go and know where exactly to spearfish, otherwise you'll run the risk to see wonderful underwater places but have no chance to catch a fish.

as for the lakes, in northern italy tou can spearfish into the garda lake and como lake.

after your survey in the forums, if you need to know some more detail, I will ask for you.

please tell me something more about spearfishing in ireland and norway.

all the best.

emidio

[Marius]

Hi Guys!

If you want to go to Norway there are many beautiful locations! I have been to the Bergen region and found an excellent local spearfisher named Börje!
His company is named "frivannsliv" you can check it out if you don't already know it. He also knows all the good spots (not only fish but also crab and mussels), where there can literally be hundreds of fish! Good spots are always in currents, where the little fish feed and the big ones go after the little ones! Water ist quite cold (Summer 12-15 °C) Open cell neopren (6,5mm) will keeep you warm; my 6,5mm semi-dry suit was kind of cold and limited my "bottom" time...

[spaghetti]

For Spear-Fin: lago di garda is a yes-yes for great fun spearfishing. You may send me a pm me for any information.
To stay sort-of on topic (Ireland, Italy and stereotypes), if you go to lake Garda, pay a visit to a town called Desenzano del Garda: plenty of good spearfishing spots, and moreover an irish pub run by a man from Sligo with the best beers I've ever tasted in Italy (irish beer of course: Guinnes, Harp and Kilkenny).

[spazio]

Originally Posted by spaghetti

For Spear-Fin: lago di garda is a yes-yes for great fun spearfishing. You may send me a pm me for any information.
To stay sort-of on topic (Ireland, Italy and stereotypes), if you go to lake Garda, pay a visit to a town called Desenzano del Garda: plenty of good spearfishing spots, and moreover an irish pub run by a man from Sligo with the best beers I've ever tasted in Italy (irish beer of course: Guinnes, Harp and Kilkenny).

ciao!

you're talking as you've already been in ireland.

do you have any suggestion?

thanks

stammi bene!

[spazio]

Originally Posted by Marius

Hi Guys!

If you want to go to Norway there are many beautiful locations! I have been to the Bergen region and found an excellent local spearfisher named Börje!
His company is named "frivannsliv" you can check it out if you don't already know it. He also knows all the good spots (not only fish but also crab and mussels), where there can literally be hundreds of fish! Good spots are always in currents, where the little fish feed and the big ones go after the little ones! Water ist quite cold (Summer 12-15 °C) Open cell neopren (6,5mm) will keeep you warm; my 6,5mm semi-dry suit was kind of cold and limited my "bottom" time...

there's a flight for an airport just near bergen....!

life is very expensive there, I imagine, much more than ireland, doesn't it?

[spaghetti]

Originally Posted by spazio

ciao!
you're talking as you've already been in ireland.
do you have any suggestion?

My suggestion for this season is: Guinness extra cold!
Sorry Emidio, not yet been there even if I'm sure it would be worth it.
quando torni cammi sapere com'è. Ciao!

[Spear-Fin]

Thank you all for your hints!

I was in Ireland but unfortunately not to go spearfishing there. But I did a little reseach on the web about that. I found quite interesting things:
1. Since the great famine fish has the reputation of being a poor mans food in ireland. They seem to not like fish so much. So they don't go fishing as much as croatians or italians. Except trout and salmon.
2. I hardly found anything about spearfishing there. Only about angling. I even called the fisheries and they couldn't provide detailed information about spearfishing. so I guess the fish will be quite curiously approaching you because having hardly ever seen predator in a wetsuit before. ;-)
3. Here two useful links. They are about rod-fishing but on the maps that you can download for free, are heaps of spots for different fish. I guess we as spearos can use this info just as good.

http://www.swrfb.com/
http://cfb.ie

PS: Guinness definitely extra cold!

[Marius]

Norway vs. Ireland:

Yes Norway is indeed expensive! Because of that we went camping, preparing our own food and moving from spot to spot! It is allowed to stay at any place (for wild camping) for a maximum of two days! Open fire is not allowed in the summer month (therefore we had a charcoal grill). In Norway you can really go for a great "adventure-holiday" if you like that...

Ask Fin (my brother) for the prices in Ireland!

[Spear-Fin]

Once again me, guys.

I hope you downloaded the great maps of southwest ireland.
For Spazio!
well, im not in looking around. Plain spearfishing is the deal! the more fish, the better. thats my first goal, when planning a holiday. ;-)
but thanks very much for your helpful hints!
unfortunately i don't speak italian...

more tips for plain spearos still welcome...

[spazio]

Originally Posted by Spear-Fin

Once again me, guys.

I hope you downloaded the great maps of southwest ireland.
For Spazio!
well, im not in looking around. Plain spearfishing is the deal! the more fish, the better. thats my first goal, when planning a holiday. ;-)
but thanks very much for your helpful hints!
unfortunately i don't speak italian...

more tips for plain spearos still welcome...

thanks for the info!

considering as general rule that summertime is always more crowdy than other seasons, I suggest the external islands of northern croatia and istria.
as external I mean the last one towards italy.

in italy, not far from innsbruck, I would exclude completely the adriatic sea, unless you aren't willing to travel till the southern part of puglia, in the salento area.

therefore, tuscany.

I would try the elba island which has a lot of places you can reach also by car. it's very close to the mainland, therfore also the cost for travelling with the ship is ok.

along the coast of tuscany, the area of cinque terre, excluding the park, argentario and nearby piombino.

then if you want to do the best among all these solutions but travel further, then take the ship from livorno and go to island of corse.

also in summer you can have good time, because they continuously open areas that were closed as parks and close new ones.
in this way many places are very well preserved.
exclude the east side and go either to the northern part or to the south-western one.

all the best

emidio

[spazio]

Originally Posted by Marius

Norway vs. Ireland:

Yes Norway is indeed expensive! Because of that we went camping, preparing our own food and moving from spot to spot! It is allowed to stay at any place (for wild camping) for a maximum of two days! Open fire is not allowed in the summer month (therefore we had a charcoal grill). In Norway you can really go for a great "adventure-holiday" if you like that...

Ask Fin (my brother) for the prices in Ireland!

I usually rent a little house with friends where we can cook and store and prepare all the equipment.

I will consider norway for a next time.

I've already been there but not for spearfishing and I saw it's really beautiful.

[spazio]

Originally Posted by spaghetti

My suggestion for this season is: Guinness extra cold!
Sorry Emidio, not yet been there even if I'm sure it would be worth it.
quando torni cammi sapere com'è. Ciao!

I hope I can manage it.

in positive case I'll let you know the results, among with all the other friends of the forum.