I think they are smelt I went on my first night dive Thursday and seen loads of them, good video mate what torch do you use ?
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Cornwall 2010
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I think they are smelt I went on my first night dive Thursday and seen loads of them, good video mate what torch do you use ?
Headed up the road a bit today to try somewhere that looked promising on google earth. Turns out it wasn't as good as it looked but was still okay. About a mile swim to the good terrain and only to discover my sinus cold is still very much in effect which resulted in serious pain at 2m. Rather discouraged, swam back but picked up a bass, mullet and a flounder along the way. Will really need to ensure i'm back to 100% before i bother going in again. Vis was patchy from 3-5m or so.
Nice vid Tom. Your torch looks like it has much too narrow a beam though. Fish could be scad (horse mackerel), they're too big for smelt.
Dave.
Dave.
that will explain why I seen naf all this morning! Wish I Knew that at 5oclock this morning 
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Thanks! The torch is an unbranded chinese thing, if you wind back a few pages there was a discussion about them. Cost me 50quid, which is pretty damn cheap for the power it has. OMD I seem to remember someone mention you had the same torch as well? I don't think the beam is that focused, I think it is probably the fisheye lens on the gopro that narrows it down.
Thanks alot for the suggestions on the ID as well guys, just had a look on google images and i'm fairly certain they are scad! Do they make good eating? I've never even heard of them before!
Scad are common in small groups and shoals, mainly inshore at night from now 'til the new year. I never bother with them. Most fish are edible but the scad is low down the list. They have a creapy habit of following behind you on the limit of your torch light, sometimes in big shoals. Given me a fright more than once. They only grow to a small size as well so further reason for not bothering.
The Chinese torches are fantastic but mine doesn't have a narrow beam and is not adjustable. Maybe its the camera as you suggested. With these torches if you dive deep or scuba then be aware there can be a problem with leaking at depth. There's a small mod you can do to eliminate what is actually a design flaw.
Dave.
The Chinese torches are fantastic but mine doesn't have a narrow beam and is not adjustable. Maybe its the camera as you suggested. With these torches if you dive deep or scuba then be aware there can be a problem with leaking at depth. There's a small mod you can do to eliminate what is actually a design flaw.
Dave.
Had a dive last evening on the Lizard trying out new kit. Up till now I've been spearing in a Trago's mask and cheapo Scubapro Squid fins. I've upgraded to a pair of Mares Razors (bought in local shop, Cressi didn't fit) and a Cressi Matrix mask. I have to say it's a massive step up! The field of view seems to have doubled, loving it!
And I managed to shoot myself a nice 4lb bass. I saw at least 2 more amongst the stringweed but they always saw me before I saw them (light was fading). Is it worth waiting once they've swam off or do they just settle down somewhere else? I've tried waiting a couple of times but no luck (ran out of patience).
And I managed to shoot myself a nice 4lb bass. I saw at least 2 more amongst the stringweed but they always saw me before I saw them (light was fading). Is it worth waiting once they've swam off or do they just settle down somewhere else? I've tried waiting a couple of times but no luck (ran out of patience).
that will explain why I seen naf all this morning! Wish I Knew that at 5oclock this morning
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You should of messaged me mate I'd of met you down there anyway
.Hmm I didn't notice them follow me, but a group of about 5 or 6 did rush right up to me on one dive as I was shining my torch into the gloom. Smelt always make me jump though, they never seem to notice me until i'm really close, and they always end up pinging off my suit!rofl
As for the torch, I haven't had any problem with it leaking yet. Although the deepest it's been is about 8m (the eel grass bits in the vid). I did cut down the spring inside by a turn or two and always silicon grease it before using it so hopefully it should be ok! Only slightly annoying thing is I get about 1.5hr burn time on full power which usually means I have to swim back using my frogman!
Yes, that's the correct modification (shortening the spring).
If you have the "protected" Li-on batterries they have a habit of cutting out dead with no warning as a safety measure. First time I used the torch they cut out at about 1hhr 15 mins and I had a scary swim back in the dark (no back-up torch). Since then I found that I can get 2 hours run time but need to charge up fully the day before. The first time I had charged the batteries a week before. One of the advantages of Li-on is no memory loss. Appaerntly they are best kept half charged (40%) for long periods and then fully charged before use.
I am not too bothered with maximum life as replacements are cheap anyway but since fully charging the day before I do get 2hrs every time.
Dave.
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Its right what you say OMD/Foxy about the way most of the UK treat the humble Scad or Horse Mackeral - however like quite alot of our least popular seafood it is prized by other countries - The Scad is very popular with the Japanese as Sushi, rather than the pot bait it gets used for quite often here. I have eaten it before cooked and also found it more boney than the regular Mackeral - but still pretty good actually.
Been doing a few dives lately. My diving is getting upto scratch or maybe i am just pushing those demons out of sight now as i am comfortably doing dives upto 2min 15sec with roughly the same suface interval. Almost a 50/50 split between above and below water
Anyway, between dives with min viz, no more than 2m, i have been bringing in some nice bass trying some different tech to cope with the poor viz.
Also got a message through from a film maker in south africa who has been making a spearfishing film. Not you usual clear blue water film as it also includes european spearing. Should also include uk spearing.
Just got to get my copy now!!
Anyway, between dives with min viz, no more than 2m, i have been bringing in some nice bass trying some different tech to cope with the poor viz.
Also got a message through from a film maker in south africa who has been making a spearfishing film. Not you usual clear blue water film as it also includes european spearing. Should also include uk spearing.
Just got to get my copy now!!
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A while back in Dorset I shot a scad and got to looking up info on it. I read an interesting article (The Moet of Mackerel) and have always had a little sashimi when I can. Saturday out on the boat about 3 miles offshore in between the single bass, cod, gurnards, basking sharks and dolphins it was no different as the opportunity arose to enjoy a little $58 scad (aji) sashimi as it came off the hook! As we had all hardly eaten breakfast, it was very welcome!
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Hello there mate - hey did you like it then? I haven't eaten scad sashimi before but will next time. I have tried Pollack, Pout and regular Mackeral. Both the Mackeral and Pout were nice but too chewy in the parts that I had cut. My 100% fave which I think is honestly as good as any fish I have ever eaten raw is Pollack (for me, if you take a nice shoulder cut without any sinews, it is as good as Tuna and better than any other fish raw I have tried.) It was a complete revelation!! I like to carry a bit of Wasabi and Soy out on the boat when I remember!!:t
James, it really is good...I often forget the green and brown but with a clear palate it's easy to mark it as a very fine piece of sashimi! I have never tried pollock though!