Congers!!

[Huw]

Hi im quite new to spearfishing.
I am an avid fisherman who has caught many a conger eel from the loaction that i will be spearfishing around - i know what they are capable of and was wondering if anyone has ever had a problem or been attacked by them or is it just me being a pansy?!?! When spearfishing on a website i saw someone spear a conger it was crazy - surely someone has been hurt by them or do you guys just tend to avoid them if you see them? Is it just me terrified of getting in the water with them? the strange thing is that i wouldnt care if there were sharks where i go as i dont find them to appear as menacing!!

Just curious! Huw :duh

 

[Spaniard]

Huw,

Shoot conger if you're intending to eat them otherwise leave them because they are difficult to land; if one holes up on you it could be a nightmare retrieving your spear! I do not know of any spearos being attacked by conger but they will bite a carelessly placed hand, especially if you've shot one :vangry .If you do decide to shoot one try shooting just behind the head, from above. This should sever the spine or at least prevent the eel swimming back into its hole.

 

[dave]

Congers are nothing to worry about! When in their natural environment and left alone, they are quiet, retiring creatures, it is just that when they are pulled out of the water or speared they get a bit testy!
I used to spear them when I was a kid, but these days think it is just not worth the hassle (and it takes weeks to get conger slime off a wetsuit!)
As Spaniard said, shoot them at right angles to the body to prevent them backing into their hole, then cut the spine with your knife to kill them before pulling them out. They will bite after being speared, but rarely do any real damage as they dont have very big teeth
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

 

[Kev]

Just to let you know that in the Sussex Sea Fisheries area (Dungerness to Hayling Island) members of the Sussex Spearfishing Club have agreed not to spear congers. Reason, apex predator and whats the point if you are not going to eat them. The only exception is in a comp which might be one day every few years and just for info there are very few congers to be found at places like Bognor. Hope this helps.

 

[PeteyH]

As Huws spearo buddy, i share the same caution around congers as he does. Even though reading these posts has curbed my fear, i do still have the nagging thought of *conger?*conger?*conger?* pushing to the forefront of my mind when i'm in the water, as im sure huw does too. If anyone who has come into contact with these creatures, not to shoot, but just passing, could just explain what they act like in their natural environment and what to do if they attack!
Pretty stupid thing to be scared of I know, but our fear has come from several years of summer work at the Fowey aquarium with the experience of feeding them!! Also if any one is coming down to Cornwall this summer please feel free to come in and see either me or huw in the aquarium! (its a small local place so there will only be one person working there!)
Cheers, Pete

 

[Huan]

Congers are actually placid in the water, I have come across several while spearing and they were quite shy, all you see many times is a tail slipping into the kelp.
I came upon one on a popular swimming beach once in about a foot of water just lying on the sandy bottom motionless, once the eel saw me she just backed away and disappeared.
All the congers are female, males haven't been found yet....

 

[Huw]

Hi guys,
cheers for your tips. I know spearo Dave has said that the only thing that has tried to take fish from his stringer (in the uk) was a seal, but has any one else out there got any tales to tell of fish stealers - ie:congers?!

cheers again
Huw

 

[Spaniard]

Congers rarely leave their 'hole' during the day but at night they venture out to feed and party. When I was learning the ropes as a kid in Spain, one of the older guys used a trick to see if congers were 'holed up'. He would wear a white glove and wriggle his fingers to try and mimic a small octopus (favourite prey of mediterranean congers) with his hand inside the hole!!! he got more than his fair share of bitten fingers but the trick worked so well he also shot many congers. If you swim past a hole with a conger in it and you have fish on your belt I've no doubt the conger will go for the fish; but not you. If you string your fish on a bouy, then unless you are spearing at night, it is unlikely you will encounter free-swimming congers that will eat your fish. My dos pesetas.

 

[Huan]

I heard a good story from some wreck divers, there are a lot of wrecks on the south coast of Ireland, and many are diveable.
This particular diver was on a wreck in 50m or so or water and noticed that the wreck had a particular absence of fish. he entered a room and shining his torch around saw what he thought was a plate in the corner, he swam over to investigate and realised that the plate was the eye of a huge conger in the corner of the room!
He reckoned that the head was as big around as a rubbish bin, feeling a bit vulnerable he just kept the light on the fish and backed slowly out of the room.

 

[PeteyH]

Great story!

Would love some more... any one else out there got any to share?

petey

 

[Old Man Dave]

Shot literally hundreds of conger but not in the last 20 years. Made big catches in comps, in the hundreds of pounds (together not individual )

Used to dive with the holder of the conger record and have caught them to about 55lb myself. Seen bigger ones though freediving and also as a scuby seen some big mothers on the wrecks.

Don't hunt them anymore due to; not eating them, not being a competition spearo and kinda liking them now.

Had a mate was badly bitten by a 20 lb eel he'd speared in a comp.

Been struck in the mask by a couple of eels. While diving under the weed looking in holes they've shot out of their lairs and struck my mask because I assume they mistook my glass reflection (refraction?) for a silver food fish. Could be they were defensive but they are not usually aggressive. Had several attack my flopper or wing barbs. Again probably thinking of food. Had one about 15lb come out of a reef and grab the barb on the spear and then spin. Scared the sh*t out of me.

Was once spearing a few big pout on a wreck when a 30 lb eel grabbed one off the spear. Has a real tussle as it had the spear clamped in its jaws and wouldn't let go. Could hear its teeth squeaking on the metal even underwater. Eventually it tore the pout off and swallowed it just like a big snake. You could see the lump move down its throat and along into its stomach.

It's probably too late to say don't worry but generally my experience is if you don't bother them they wont bother you. Never been bitten by a conger myself, however watch out for ling, angler fish, trigger fish and monkfish. Been bitten by all of them. :naughty

Dave

 

[foxfish]

I can assure you, that last post was an abbreviation of my brothers encounter with conger From my point of view I respect conger & as a consequence never speared one! However they are quite a familiar sight while diving in Guernsey. Having said that, they are positively rare compared to 20 years ago. I know of one particular eel that I have seen many times & in fact watched her grow considerably. This eel lives in a large sea pond only exposed at low tide. The pond is only 10 or 12 ft deep but on many occasion I have had her surprise me with very close encounters! As we know water can carry sound, there was a particularly loud crunching sound that had me investigating its source, turned out to be my acquaintance crunching a spider crab!

 

[Huw]

Cheers guys i think you are gradually helping us to overcome a strange fear. I think we will be fine once we actually see one whilst out there and see that it doesnt behave how i am anticipating! Anyway thanks again and ill try and block the image of our 40lber in the aquarium gulping down mackerell next time i jump in to the bay!

Cheers
Huw

 

[spaghetti]

http://www.apneamagazine.com/allegati/grongoweb.wmv
I hope this link will work:
1-flashlight
2-side shot with trident 3cm behind the eyes
3-end of the game

 

[Huw]

Spaghetti..... YOU LEGEND!!

Serioulsy thanks alot for this clip. Although i am quite sure that i will pass on shooting a conger myself, this has answered a few questions that i couldnt really write down with them still making sense! You see the main thing on my mind was that if a conger saw me it might persue me, however that guy had to get reallly close to that thing to pull the shot off, and since i wont ever be going that close... im happy!

once again thanks

Huw

ps: if anyone else has any similar clips i would love to see them.

 

[spaghetti]

Spaghetti..... YOU LEGEND!!
Serioulsy thanks alot for this clip. Although i am quite sure that i will pass on shooting a conger myself, this has answered a few questions that i couldnt really write down with them still making sense! You see the main thing on my mind was that if a conger saw me it might persue me, however that guy had to get reallly close to that thing to pull the shot off, and since i wont ever be going that close... im happy!
once again thanks
Huw

Don't worry, be happy: I've never heard about spearos attacked by congers or murenas. Yes, they have a scary figure, but they just stay in their cave even if you get very close. I know people who have been painfully bitten by eels, but only after shooting eels. Both congers and murenas are considered easy game in the mediterranean: if you know the proper technique, there's no difficulty (but accidents are always possible due to lack of attention: it takes to be careful). BTW, we eat them: they're delicious.
--Years ago I saw on tv a documentary (kind of "Real tv") about a girl in Australia or somewhere attacked by a huge murena in open water. But that was a tropical species, never heard anything like that in european waters by our Murena Helena (and I have doubts that what I saw on tv was a true story)

 

[Huw]

Yes i have caught many congers on a rod and line and have eaten them - and loved them! I have never wasted one.... and never will
is there much difference between congers and murenas when it comes to eating or hunting (out of curiousity)

Cheers
Huw

 

[greendiver]

I must admit they are delicious:t ,
This weekend, I went camping with my wife and some friends, brought my gear just in case............
I did not know the spot at all, but everybody wanted fresh fish, so...
I caught 2 rubberlips, in Spanish borriquete, and needed something else, it was cold wanted to get out..
Speared a nice Muray eal, we fried it in Olive oil, a bit of wine...great weekend!!

One thing, Once...one of them scared the hell out of me!!
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=62532&highlight=murenas

 

[Rafaiol]

one thing about that clip with the conger eel.... what a terrible shot he he

 

[alexanderXP]

OK... I am abit confused here... DO YOU EAT THEM OR NOT.... their blood is poison,thanks to their eating habbit?

So, when you fry it, what should you watch out for? What bodyparts should you remove when cooking any eel?Just so i know for once and for all.

Thank you!