Cornwall 2007!

[Robbo66]

My impression is that the vast majority of experienced spearos do not make a habit out of spearing wrasse each time they go out! So, an attempt to educate others rather than to flame them as you seem to specialise in!

I feel sorry for you if you recommend taking pot shots at wrasse in order to learn how to spear other species. This is a bit like taking a twelve bore into a field and shooting cows as practice for shooting rabbits and pheasant etc.

Excellent response, I am certainly with you and Foxfish re the Wrasse issue...closely followed by bubbler spearo's and the indefensible competition scene. But we don't want to go there.

I've just seen the size of the fish shot by a fella on the Ireland thread....the length of a divers knife...and he was proud of it enough to post a photo.

Wrasse & sprats...what's spearing coming to !

 

[sargatlarge]

Thanks for your encouragement and friendly advice Dave and Surfnspear. Even though I've only been spearfishing once so far, I'd never spear a fish without having the full intention of eating it. I had even got a fish pie recipe ready! And after reading a lot of other comments, I would have no problem with eating Wrasse, although I'd much rather catch something else (tastier/more challenging)- and this led me onto the advice needed.

I'm not here to cause arguments, but I do think that newbies (to any sport/hobby) such as myself would benefit from encouragement rather than feeling like they've just made a species extinct.

It was fascinating to learn about the sexuality of Wrasse! I will certainly be spearing in a very different area this weekend though - weather permitting.

 

[jamessargison]

Hi guys.

I'm Sargatlarge's (Dan's) brother, James. I moved to Cornwall 2 months ago and have been getting into some watersports. My brother and I have been snorkelling lots in the past and have just started spearfishing. I think the next step for us would be to use weightbelts. Can anyone shed some light on this for us? How much weight, what kinds work best etc. Also, how deep to people tend to dive? How long do you stay down there for? What equalising method do you use? I've been reading that to pinch your nose and blow is quite bad!

I've just started kayaking and went on a short beginners course, which certainly helped a great deal to quickly increase confidence. Are there any beginners spearfishing courses? I feel like there's so much to learn, but no way to learn it apart from trial and error!

 

[podge]

Hi guys.

I'm Sargatlarge's (Dan's) brother, James. I moved to Cornwall 2 months ago and have been getting into some watersports. My brother and I have been snorkelling lots in the past and have just started spearfishing. I think the next step for us would be to use weightbelts. Can anyone shed some light on this for us? How much weight, what kinds work best etc. Also, how deep to people tend to dive? How long do you stay down there for? What equalising method do you use? I've been reading that to pinch your nose and blow is quite bad!

I've just started kayaking and went on a short beginners course, which certainly helped a great deal to quickly increase confidence. Are there any beginners spearfishing courses? I feel like there's so much to learn, but no way to learn it apart from trial and error!

Have a chat with Bryn (Almostafish on the forum) he does a very good spearfishing course.
He’s up on the North Sea at the moment but will be back in around 28 days time.

http://www.portlandspearoacademy.co.uk/index2.html

Have a look at the above.

 

[sargatlarge]

Have a chat with Bryn (Almostafish on the forum) he does a very good spearfishing course.
He’s up on the North Sea at the moment but will be back in around 28 days time.

http://www.portlandspearoacademy.co.uk/index2.html

Have a look at the above.

Hi - I actually emailed portland spearo academy a couple of weeks ago but heard nothing yet. Their site looked good though. Whos's been on this course from here?

 

[gutshot]

Who said pinching your nose is bad? Its the main way to equalize the pressure in your ears. As for depth i just got my biggest ever bass last weekend. It was shot with in 3m of water. Mind you it was quite a long dive hidden in the kelp!

I have not seen much of almostafish spearo acadamy but it sounds like you could do with a basic freediving course. Then maybe move on to almostafish. Thats how i started. Unboxed blue freedive course got me to 30m in the tank and showed me how to control my breath holds. You wont find unboxed blue around now but you see some adverts for othe places on this site Welcome to DeeperBlue.net Courses - Learn FreeDiving with the experts! . I hope this helps.

Have fun and welcome to the site.

 

[sunfish]

Spearo Dave, congratulations on the big pollack. I saw your 10lb fish on medfish, a real beauty and I've been trying to find a bigger one the last couple of weeks. Big pollack are my favourite quarry overall and you've really raised the bar now! About the gilthead, were the other fish in the shoal a similar size?

 

[scottie3030]

Hi - I actually emailed portland spearo academy a couple of weeks ago but heard nothing yet. Their site looked good though. Whos's been on this course from here?

i also emailed portland spearo academy about a course and heard nothing i ended up doing a freediving course with saltfree which was really good

 

[dave]

About the gilthead, were the other fish in the shoal a similar size?

Yep, all about the same size, one of the other reasons I almost ended up with nothing was that I was looking for a big one at the back of the shoal

cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

 

[Mr. X]

... I think the next step for us would be to use weightbelts. Can anyone shed some light on this for us? How much weight, what kinds work best etc...

Search the existing threads, there are several good, full explanations on how much weight, why, when, etc.. & formulas (SCUBA divers seem to be particularly good at this). It'll depend on your buoyancy (size, %fat/density, etc.), that of your wetsuit (thickness, coverage, etc.), how deep you dive (need more to hold you down in shallow water) & the salinity of the water (not such an issue if you just dive in the sea). It would be prudent to start light and add weight gradually as you feel necessary. I tried mine out in the local pool first (get permission). I'm quite large, with a full 5mm spearo suit I bought 20lb of weights but started diving with 16lb. I've been diving with 20lb for some time now, I should probably add a little more (carrying 22/24lb is quite common for shallow spearing), as I don't dive deep - but I usually just grab onto a kelp stalk if I need to hold myself down for aspetto (probably not ideal, as it requires some exertion - but I figure a slight tendency to float is not an entirely bad thing).

 

[steve game]

Went out this afternoon between blackhead and pentewan got two bass one was just over 1lb and the other was 2lb. Vis wasn't brilliant about 8ft and abit choppy, water was going down my snorkel but still nice to be in the water.
Steve.

 

[tribs]

Nice that you got in the water but really should you be taking a bass of 1lb or even 2lb? This is not a personal thing but i wouldn't want you nabbed for taking an undersized fish or you walking up the beach with it and bystanders pouring scorn on all spearo's for taking immature fish that haven't bred yet.

Just a thought

Tribs

Out

 

[Mr. X]

Not really for Cornwall but a useful guide, one more time: http://www.southernsfc.org.uk/mls/wheelhousecard.pdf

 

[sunfish]

1lb is almost certainly undersize.2lb probably scrapes in but, in my opinion, most of the legal limits are way too small. Looking at Mr Xs list for instance, a 10.6in plaice has a body the size of the palm of your hand. Surely it's better left to swim on and grow up a bit?

 

[dave]

2lb is safely legal, normally about 43cm. A 1lb fish is about 35cm, bass dont have to be much over 1lb to be legal. (A lot of people are very bad at estimating fish weights, but that is a whole different subject)
Minimum landing sizes for CORNWALL can be found here;
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/pdf/4/r/Miminum_size_sheet_Nov_20061.pdf
Landing sizes vary from area to area. The only way to be sure is to contact the local Sea Fisheries Committee. The list posted by Mr X covers Dorset and Hampshire. Most landing sizes are way below what you would want to land anyway, but working to another areas rules is not an excuse in law if you are caught with an undersize fish.

cheers
dave
ww.spearo.co.uk

 

[steve game]

Thanks for comments and info fellas.Have taken it all in and next time will be going for the larger ones.
Cheers

Steve.

 

[napper]

Just started spearing after spending the summer snorkelling. It's all going too well with a 3lb bass on my first try out with a gun. I guess that'll probably be the only one i'll get now still i wont ever forget it and the meal. I'm wondering about lobsters and how to get them. I have tried unsuccessfully with a hook when i dived years ago (scuba), spearing them doesn't sound quite right either ?

 

[napper]

Ps i am aware there is an MLS.

 

[dave]

Well done on the bass, hopefully the first of many
It is illegal to spear lobsters (or any other shellfish) in the UK. The important thing with lobsters is to move quickly and not worry about the claws! Grab them quickly and decisively behind the head. If they are in a hole, sometimes you can tickle them out with a spear, but speed and bravery is still normally the best option:martial Avoid grabbing them by the claws as they will shed them. You will get nipped sometimes, but I think that is a fair price for a lobster dinner

cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

 

[napper]

Thanks Dave pretty much common sense, speed and bravery three of the many things that I lack. And a big thanks for the gun which was one of yours.