Ireland spearing 2007

[sunfish]

anchored over wreck.JPGAbusingelves, when I said hole and cave diving I meant hunting as you do with your 50cm beauchat.Like you, I don't like entering caves with only a breath of air.On Tuesday[17.7] I went out to the wreck again to try some photography with F31 [same camera as Feargus has].I took quite a few shots but was a bit dissapointed with the underwater ones.Apart from the close up ones they seemed blurry and greyish.I guess thats why people use wide angle lenses and get close to the subject under water.
As a spearfisher I should be able to get close enough to fish, and I may save up for a wide angle lens for wrecks and the like.
The diving was in the 35 to50 ft range, so low light conditions probably didn't help either.
After 17 dives i made for home as bad weather was coming.

pollack17.7.JPG

bad weather coming.JPG

[sunfish]

Yesterday I went to look for another wreck, this time off "Sevenheads".I found some wreckage, and a shoal of nice pollack.Somehow I had managed to misjudge the tide times and the current made me leave before I found the main wreck, but as a consolation prize, I found a big Rambo knife like scubies use! It had no leg straps so maybe it fell off their RIB.
I'm planning on going there again tomorrow, when wind and tide should be better.

[abusingelves]

hole fishing! now i understand. i almost had you down as an action man type of spearo.

was out last night myself, but was late when i got out ond viz wasn't great. was more of a recon thing. finned around the reef i talked about earlier. saw some nice ground with large rocks and holes for stuff to hide in.

have to get myself a torch. its just not fun when you know there has to be something hiding in these holes.

[foxfish]

Looks like your new thread is taking off - great stuff, good reading so far.
I found these little beauties a few days ago in a cave where I live in the Channel islands. I was partially happy with myself as I don't like entering caves that much either!
http://forums.deeperblue.net/attachm...pict0002_4.jpg

[sunfish]

Hi everyone, nice crabs Foxfish. Crabs are one of my favourites, both brown crabs and spiders.
Yesterday I went back to look for second wreck again.This time I went in the morning, just before high tide and it was a good deal deeper.I made a full circuit of the rocks but could still only find smaller bits of wreckage.I'll have to try low tide and further out sometime.
Meanwhile, as I was now getting bored, I moved off to look for good pollack elsewhere.The spot I chose has a row of "fang like" rocks sticking out of the water in front of steep cliffs.I anchored on a 30ft shelf at the base of the fangs as the water is too deep to anchor anywhere else.I swam the length of the rocks then began diving the wall and shelf while drifting back in the gentle current. I soon had a pollack of 4.9lbs then half way back I found a 3.1lb crayfish on the wall about 10 ft below the shelf! First one I've ever seen.
On the way back I got out my small spinning rod to try for mackeral.At first I caught only pollack keeping one of 4.4lbs and returning the others, but eventually spotted birds diving and took 10 mackeral to make pate.2007_07210010.JPGA mixed bag.

[paddyc23]

hi sunfish this is pat, as i was looking at ure picture of ure pollock u caught it showed ure picture, can i ask u something is ure real name dave or hilly, if so this is pat c. you might know me from ireland.

[Sea Hunter]

Planning my first trip to Ireland this Sept and would like to freedive spearfish.

I will probably rent a cottage for a week and would like suggestions where the best vis and best locations for shore dive spearing.

I've 30 years cold water diving experience and am fit. I play underwater hockey twice a week, spearfish in 48f water twice a month. This year I've shot 30 lb white sea bass, 22 lb halibut, 50 lb yellowfin tuna and 10 lb baracuda.

I'm anxious to taste some cold water Atlantic fish.

[fcallagy]

Sunfish re the camera silly question but have you it on underwater mode on the sp dial?.
Had a great dive yesterday as i finally got some scuba cover and managed to get to 29m on the line but before that while waiting on the pontoonfor the others to arrive in the boat there was the usual couple of kids fishing with small nets. When they saw me going in the smallest said please catch me a fish i laughed and sadi Id try. First dive off the pontoon I spotted a lure and some line taht had broken away. I lifted the line and lo and behold it had a small plaice on it.
The look on the kids faces were pure class and delight to see a real live fish up close and touch it etc. We got the hook out and released it as it was a bit on the small side.

[foxfish]

Great little story

[stone_shot]

Seahunter_
Vis can be dodgy at the best of times - there's really no way to predict it, you just have to get wet and see. With the amount of rain we've had lately (46 days of it) I would imagine that a lot of shore marks would be pretty silted up.
But having said all that, I would still give West Cork and Kerry a look. The shore fishing there is phenomenal, and while you probably won't run into any 30 pounders, you should have no trouble putting a few nice ones on the table.
The inshore waters near Waterville in Kerry (though it's the middle of nowhere) are absolutely stuffed with fish, and last time I was there the vis was quite good even though the wind was up. Just don't shoot any salmon or trout (it's illegal). Sea bass have to be at least 40cm and you can only take 2 per day - this is one of the few regulations here that is actually enforced so don't take any chances with undersized fish or taking more than the bag limit. There are no size or bag limits on any other sea fish.
PM me if you need any more suggestions for places to go!

[stone_shot]

Nice crabs Mart! Ever been unfortunate enough to get one latched onto any body parts? I had a tiny one (around 3 inches across the back) remove a chunk of skin from me - I imagine one of those bruisers could take a finger off no problem

[foxfish]

Strewth Stoney you are alive!! welcome back dude.

[fcallagy]

hes back and its his birthday

[stone_shot]

You know you're the first person apart from my wife that noticed that!!
Yep Foxy, still lurking in the shadows mate - the little spearo is due to arrive within the next week so DB will probably be the extent of my diving for a little while - so keep the tales coming for your dry-docked brother!!

[foxfish]

Happy birthday then! What you up to? Have you finished your training?