Gower 2007

[scottie3030]

hey guys had a little trip over to the gower the weekend then off to tenby had 16 triggers, red gurnard and a nice mullet brilliant diving be back as soon as i eaten all those triggers

[James T]

Can anyone recommend the best way to dispatch Triggerfish. Scottie3030 and I were nearly eaten alive in a contest of the predators on our recent trip out. I had a Trigger on the shooting line which swam straight for me and bit me three times - even with the stringer through its head. I now have a hole through the calf of my wetsuit, and only the kevlar webbing of my gloves saved me losing a finger - twice!

I tried the usual approach but these fish have got armour plated brain cages and a diehard, terminator approach to revenge. I don't have a shotgun license or abbatoir bolt gun. I also didn't want to carry a half brick around with me.

Any ideas?

[alexlloydthomas]

Scottie where did you go in Gower?

I'm still trying to find a decent place around there - was it around 3-cliffs area?

Alex

[Mr. X]

Hi Scottie, how many of you fish came from the Gower?

[foxfish]

James you big woss - stick you knife or stringer in their gills & do as much damage as pos, bit gory & loads of blood but the fish will die!

[sunfish]

James, get Scottie to video it next time you go. I'd love to see that!

[scottie3030]

hey guys
i think me james had about 14 fish from the gower in the end we could of had a load more they were every where had to head back early coz i didnt tie the achor on properly and my boat floated awaythe rest came from tenby! Cant say where we got them as its now a secret spot! its not to far from the mumbles! my girlfriend has just bought a olympus camera thats good for 10 meters without a housing been tryin to get her to let me take it out but she havin none of it those triggers would make a wicked spearing video

[James T]

Originally Posted by foxfish

James you big woss - stick you knife or stringer in their gills & do as much damage as pos, bit gory & loads of blood but the fish will die!

You are right - in fact it was a job not to drown and would have made quite funny spearo footage. I was floundering around trying to hold the damn thing away from me - each time I let it go by accident it would swim straight at me jaws going and making that crunching noise they make grinding their teeth together.

I must try to be more manly its true.

[James T]

OK so now for a salutary tale of diving alone on the Gower.

After the last successful, if painful, trip to the Gower which Scottie and I took I decided to head out alone on Friday as my buddy was off working in Weymouth. I was working in Newbury and thought I would drive straight from there - past home in Bristol - down to the Gower for a couple of hours fishing.

Mistake # 1. Travelling light because of the long distance I decide against taking the kayak. (next time take the Kayak and anchor - so I can get back...)

Mistake # 2. I got down to the coast of choice at about 5pm after slack water with the promise of a 10m rising tide. I assumed the current would be pushing me on-shore... (next time dive on the slack and with small tides only - maybe take a look at the local currents - or talk to someone who knows what they are doing.)

Mistake # 3. I knew it was getting a bit late so took a torch in case it turned into a night dive. Also took a goody bag. Tied the whole works to my float - very heavy, lots of drag. (don't carry so much gear...)

Mistake # 4. The water looked a bit muddy in close but I thought it might get better further out. (it didn't)

Mistake # 5. I got in the water. (based on all the evidence only the most desperate loser would get into that soup.)

I swam out for about 500m passing clear patches of water diving occasionally and thinking I was going to be OK on the swim back in, but also thinking the swim out was easier than expected. I found my spot and started to dive. It was only when I stopped and tried to maintain my position I realised I was swimming in a bloody offshore river!!

It was hard to see this on the surface - but when I got down to the bottom the weed was horizontal on the bottom being blown flat - I had to hide in gullies to stay still - but my heavy float kept pulling me up!
The vis on the bottom changed from 3m to 1ft in the course of a single agachon - very spooky. (I need a few 'being manly' tips - foxfish if you have some that would be helpful.)

On the surface I couldn't stay over my spot - i was gradually being swept out to sea. I tried for a little while to swim against the current - but decided to swim at right angles to the cliffs and try to climb up.

This was good strategy - I clambered up in between the large swells that had started to crash on to the rocks - tearing the arse out of my wetsuit in the process.

I climbed up the shallow cliff to the woodland on top - Luckily for me I found a path through the woods back towards my car. By now it was getting dark - at last a reason for my huge C8 torch.

Unluckily for me the path had been designed to take in the most scenic of all possible routes across the headland, and with no choice but to stick to it. I clambered along in my new(ish) wetsuit socks stumbling over 'evil dead' style roots and through 'blair witch' style clearings until I emerged sweating into the deserted cemetary... Full moon, the works... Fortunately there were no red neck locals al la 'Deliverance' waiting to jump me from the shadows (I was the only red neck in the bushes.)

I e v e n t u a l l y got back to my car in the dark. With sole less wetsuit socks. A little more educated on the Gower, but probably none the wiser.

(FYI - The Bristol Channel has one of the greatest tidal ranges in the world)

[Pastor]

Yikes! Sounds like an epic, glad you're safe and with a bit more local knowledge. Thanks for sharing that with us bro!

[foxfish]

I not sure about advice James but I have a question - when are you going to do something like that again because it makes for great reading!!
There cant be much left of that suit now
I guess we all have had scary experiences but if you survive there is no better way to learn! As regards diving in strong tides well you most definitely need to no which way it is running & when it will change direction. We dont find the really big tides are very good for free swimming fish as the weed tends to lie flt as you found out. We do find big tides are the best opportunity to find flatfish, one hour either side of low on the edge of the tide can really produce. However there are plenty of locale divers who wont venture outside the bays on big tides, others have grown up with the knowledge & know what to expect.

[scottie3030]

haha sounds like you had fun james! almost as good as my night dive down weymouth head still hurts now

[Jez]

I remember searching for surf during my student days around Langland and seeing the mother of all tidal races off the point between Langland and Mumbles! Anyone heard of the Bitches off St Davids in Pembroke? Now that's a tidal stream!

[sunfish]

The tide race off the end of the Old Head of Kinsale can extend for two miles. Grown men have been known to kneel on the jetty and pray thanks to their God after getting back out of this.(To the astonishment of passersby.)

[Mr. X]

Great post James. Lots of insights & an epic story.

Originally Posted by Jez

I remember searching for surf during my student days around Langland and seeing the mother of all tidal races off the point between Langland and Mumbles! Anyone heard of the Bitches off St Davids in Pembroke? Now that's a tidal stream!

There used to be a young teenage surf pro that lived and surfed at Langland. I believe he was sponsored by Alder. Never heard of the bitches but a group of friends had an epic returning from climbing sea stacks in Pembroke, they had to do a sea-level traverse in a quickly rising & powerful tide & then ascend the cliff in the dark. They were very shaken up afterwards & lost a lot of gear including 2 new ropes but they were happy just to be alive.