Cornwall 2009

[SurfnSpear]

Guys, by chance if any of you are around.........
BBC2's Tom Wilde from 'What to eat now ' is looking for someone at short notice to be a back up for the spearfishing element this Thursday. The original person HAS an injury ruling him out (just spoke to him!). Filming will be all day starting about 7.30am. Anyone willing to be involved should reply to the below, first come first serve.
cheers
Brett

Hello again people,

Thanks for the advice and for the videos sent through it was important to see the quality full screen and uncompressed.
We have decided to go with a waterproof lipstick camera,which should give us the desired quality so those of you who were worried about BBC standards should be relieved.
We have a shoot set up for thursday the 21st of May in Newquay. Unfortunately one of our contributors has injured his leg. As such I am very keen to find a replcement spearo and you guys seemed like exactly the people to ask. I realise it is very short notice but if there is anyone located in the newquay (cornwall not Wales)area that is available on Thursday please give me a ring.

Thanks once again for all your help.
I look forward to hearing from some of you.
tom.wilde@optomen.com
020 7967 1264

 

[diver9]

Guys,

Not sure if this is of interest to anyone, but I found firefly type chemical lights at Trago today for 59p each. They are 6inches long and were by the torches.

Eddie and I have used them when diving at night and they were excellent and a damn sight cheaper than when I bought them on line.

Stay Safe

 

[Lazuli]

Hi Guys and Gals, went for a dive at one of my south coast haunts today. Amazing what a bit of sunshine and clear water can do for one's morale. Water looked like Perrier from the shore and once in it was a good 5 m. Some suspended bits and planktonic forms (including a cool jellyfish) but not much considering how arse the weather has been. Finned out to some favourite reef features and first dive saw a huge spider crab who came over to check me out. Not long before the Pollock started to appear. Took one who was too curious for his own good, then a larger one. The second fish was a classic gut shot and went wild threatening to rip off. Innards everywhere. Soon had him subdued. Dropped my knife in the process though but was lucky enough to retrace it. Tried to make it a Pollock 'hat trick' but all the targets had fled and I was getting tired.

Good to be back in.
Laz

 

[Pav]

get on!
how do you guys find these bigger pollock?
I reckon the biggest I ever see are not much more than 1lb.
I also find the same when fishing for pollock rod+line. A LOT of small fish. Occasionaly I've been lucky and got bigger fish (3lb) but thats it!

 

[Lazuli]

Personally I think its a high tide thing if you are shore diving. From a boat its probably a reef/wreck/structure thing. I stick to a 2 hours before, 2 hours after high tide window and given that the fish are coming in I tend to see some ok Pollock returning to the same areas on the prowl.

I reckon they like rough ground.

 

[Pav]

so are you then fishing below the lowtide mark (or where it would be), or are the pollock coming in over the reef?

 

[Lazuli]

I've taken all but one of mine from below the low tide mark (give or take the odd extreme low here and there). I find the high tide brings the bigger ones in who then try their luck in shallower water. Still, sometimes it seems like there are only tiddlers about.

 

[budleigh spearo]

yeah today at budleigh in shallow where usually there would only be small ones there were some bigger pollock think the bigger tides bringt hem in closer

 

[nickever]

Whats the verdict for the weekend then people?

Tides are looking good for an early afternoon push, sun should be out, not much swell as far as I can see, very light winds, got clearance from the missus....

Hoping for a classic weekend of spearing. Heading down to the far southwest to try a few favourite spots.

Incidentaly it was almost exactly a year ago that I pulled out a PB 8lb bass from a favourite haunt. Yet to see any bass worth shooting this year.

By my calculations I must be due a biggun.....

 

[Old Man Dave]

Hey Nick why not take the week off . I'm going to. Good luck on your bass hunt.

Dave

 

[nickever]

Yeah, think Im due a week off. Not had one for 5 weeks!!!

Oh to be a teacher in the summer in Cornwall - what a life. Makes up for the endless late winter nights marking, stressing over coursework and devoting my life to the job...

Only 8 weeks till the summer hols - then the spearing gloves really come off - look out bass!!!!

 

[Lazuli]

Long dive Falmouth area today. Lots of Spider Crab and glimpses of decent Pollock. Could not get near the fish today despite my best efforts at stealth. Something had really spooked the Pollock I was hunting. They were not curious at all and stayed well out of range. One of those days perhaps.

Had a strange moment today. I was buddying my girlfriend's dive from the surface and caught a glimpse of something large-ish and silvery to my left. Lots of churn in the water but it was indistinct but definately fin-like. Looked out of the water in the direction of the thing and there was a large area of disturbed water. Really s##t me up good and proper.

Hope you all have a good bank holiday :friday
Laz

 

[podge]

We’ve seen an explosion in spearo numbers lately so Glowworm has put up a very useful thread with an even more useful link for some of the new guys, might even save you from a bo**ocking from the man with the clip board. (Fisheries officer)
Have a look here
http://forums.deeperblue.com/uk-ireland/82970-minimum-fish-shellfish-sizes.html

 

[tribs]

Yeah, think Im due a week off. Not had one for 5 weeks!!!

Oh to be a teacher in the summer in Cornwall - what a life. Makes up for the endless late winter nights marking, stressing over coursework and devoting my life to the job...

Only 8 weeks till the summer hols - then the spearing gloves really come off - look out bass!!!!

Here, here!! I'm a spearing teacher married to another teacher so we know that feeling!! Too much marking, too many targets, not enough money but the holidays make it all worth while!!!!!!!

Tribs
out

 

[badlander]

Had a dive down on the Lizard today as the tide came up.Vis was outstanding 10m maybe more and it felt much warmer today.Loads of fish around.So many bait fish around and pollock.Fairly early on drew in a group of 30 or so bass which all looked fairly small but popped off a better sized one that turned out to be bigger than i'd thought.Fished the same area for about an hour and though i saw the big group a few more times i wasn't ever able to get a shot.I took my net bag today as i had orders for some spider crabs from the Mrs which proved to be quite a laugh.The last one i found was pretty big and aggro and i had a bit of fun getting him in the bag.I found though after much tangling that if you turn them upsidedown and drop them they curl up into a ball and make it easier to bag them.
Beautiful dive that was almost as good as it gets.

 

[Padaxes]

hehe yeah you shouldn't even need to drop them , just turn them upside down and they usually curl up , i guess its to defend their underbelly which is more vulnerable?

I think i'm slowly going loopy from not being able tot get in the sea and will probably book one of those reef fishing trips for a day, desperate measures!

 

[diver9]

Well done on the catches guys - I am hoping to get familiar with the new kayak tomorrow so may just take rods - hoping to get in spearing at my usual spot early Monday...Wife has been working all weekend and I am Master Sergeant Baby sitter and boredom preventer so no time for proper spearing.....and on my birthday as well!!!!!!!!!!

As far as the spiders are concerned, when they are turned upside down in the water they usually colse up, bu when you lift them out of the water and turn then upside down, they always close - that why I tend to have the net bag on the float.

Good luck all - stay safe

Diver9

 

[badlander]

Cheers for the tips.I feel next time might go a little more smoothly.

 

[tribs]

Had a dive down on the Lizard today as the tide came up.Vis was outstanding 10m maybe more and it felt much warmer today.Loads of fish around.So many bait fish around and pollock.Fairly early on drew in a group of 30 or so bass which all looked fairly small but popped off a better sized one that turned out to be bigger than i'd thought.Fished the same area for about an hour and though i saw the big group a few more times i wasn't ever able to get a shot.I took my net bag today as i had orders for some spider crabs from the Mrs which proved to be quite a laugh.The last one i found was pretty big and aggro and i had a bit of fun getting him in the bag.I found though after much tangling that if you turn them upsidedown and drop them they curl up into a ball and make it easier to bag them.
Beautiful dive that was almost as good as it gets.

Nice haul Badlander,

How do you rate your ICE Fins?

I have had them now for about two months and find them a little soft.

Regards

Tribs

 

[badlander]

They are on the soft side.I usually cover a lot of ground on the areas i hunt so a softer fin suits me fine.Also i never do any really deep stuff and for the depths i do they seem adequate.If i was boat diving more then i think i'd get a different stiffer blade.