Soak your suit in 'piss off'? Where do you get that stuff from - might try soaking mine in it too.
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Your average surf shop will stock some variety of it.
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Cornwall 2010
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Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Your average surf shop will stock some variety of it.
Got in for a few hours this morning. Great vis, over 10m in places. Only saw a small lone bass and mullet, but was good to be in the water on such a nice day. So extended my time in the water and checked out some shallow reef off the beach was a particularly nice spot in the conditions. Saw a few schoolies, and a modest mullet. Gor out as the soda streams got in for a beach dive. A fruitless session but a really enjoyable one. Was a bit cooler but think conditions permitting I could get in again. But do wonder if the fish have gone now.
sj
sj
Hey Buddy, great you got in but just to inform you its illegal to take Sea Trout with a speargun. You could get a spanking on here or worse still fined and prosecuted if caught with one without a necessary license.
Sorry to be Mr P.C squad but that's the way it is I believe.
Tribs, trying to be helpful.
out
Thanks Tribs.
I was unaware of that, so thanks to you and one other who PM'd me. I appreciate the advice put pleasantly and helpfully by you both.
From the behaviour of the one I saw I suspect they're tricky to get too close to. I was lucky that the vis was great and the sun was shining yesterday so I was lucky to get a glimps of such a stunning looking fish. I was surprised to see it as there's no navagable fresh water at the beach I was on. Now I know that leaving the safty on and admiring them swiming is the thing to do
Can anyone advise on what decent species are available from this time of year on? I'm hoping I might get one or two more sessions in this year with a bit of luck, but just wonder if it's worth it, and if so what to target and in what type of locations?
Ta.
sj
Here you go, link and text, courtesy of the legend, Old Man Dave:
http://forums.deeperblue.com/dorset/81473-dorset-spearing-2009-a-26.html#post755749
"Lots of people asking about what’s about and when does the spearing season start.
I don’t claim to have all the answers but after over 40 years of spearing I have learnt a thing or two. Having said that there are no absolutes. Glowworm shouldn’t have caught his plaice yesterday if you follow the general rules.
Most of our native British fish are here in the summer and offshore breeding in the winter. Some of our fish are at the northern end of their range but some are at their southern range. All fish need to reach a certain size to breed and that may be quite large, so the smaller ones don’t migrate to breed.
Bass/mullet/pollack
These fish are inshore to some extent all year, especially the smaller non breeders. However, bass and mullet are a warm water species and don’t in general like cold water. Usually all these species are caught from April to December with August and September being prime months. Having said that I have caught big bass full of roe inshore in March and small bass in most every month of the year. Big breeding Pollack are sometimes close to shore in January/February, although as the anglers/commercials will tell you pollack are currently stacked up on the wrecks (breeding). Alderney (CI) has big shoals of winter (breeding) mullet.
So overall while you can catch any month the summer is the hot time.
Flatfish (all except flounder)
Flatfish breed offshore in winter. Plaice move out sometime around November (weather and temperature dependant) along with brill and turbot followed by soles. They return around March/April usually looking a bit spent and mainly the large ones first. They then seem to disappear for a month or so. This coincides with spiders being inshore and some people have associated the two events. Whatever the reason when the spiders thin in July the flats move inshore. August/September are the hot months. If the weather is good in October then that’s prime inshore brill and turbot month. By November all the flats have roe and are in really prime condition.
I don’t want this to turn into an epic so I’ll leave out wrasse, conger, lobster, crab, scallops, red mullet, etc etc etc. I do have info (opinions anyway) on these but if you want to know then just ask.
Personally I start bass fishing by day in April and start to catch a few and then I switch to flats in July. Most night diving I do in the autumn as the nights draw in. I seldom target other species but pick them up as I go along.
Dave."
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Here's something else you might find useful (if it actually pastes ok). It's not mine, I pinched from an angling website:
UK waters offer a diverse range of fish species. Some are resident, some migratory, some are bottom dwellers, others pelagic (swimming near the surface). We even have some sub-tropical visitors. Many have suffered from commercial exploitation, leading to depleted numbers and a smaller average size. Others (usually prey fish) have thrived because of the demise of the exploited species, while some newcomers have arrived either as the result of a more plentiful or untapped food supply, or because of global warming.
Success can vary, depending upon where you live and fish. It is also affected by water temperature – there is a southern and a northern migration pattern of summer and winter species throughout the year. However, recent warm, prolonged summers have meant that many of the southern species now range much further north, and their season extends longer. One thing that has not changed is that the catching of sea fish requires effort on the part of the angler. The ‘chuck it and chance it’ approach of the past is most inappropriate today. Nowadays a bigger emphasis is placed on finding the fish, and with travel so easy many successful sea anglers follow the peaks of species through the seasons.
FISH GROUPS
The families of fishes found around the UK are divided into several groups – flatfish, rays, sharks, gurnard, eels, ling, codfish, wrasse, bream, mullet, mackerel, scad, garfish and bass. There are several other species groups among the smaller fish – mini-species – which are not always direct angling targets, but sometimes serve as bait. Among them are dragonets, pogges, weevers, gobies, blennies, rockling, herrings and sandeels.
SEASONAL MOVEMENTS
The movement and migration of fish has a great effect on results and we are constantly reminded about being in the right place at the right time. Cast where there are no fish and you go biteless. The seasons have a major influence on fish movement, and we describe some species as summer fish and others as winter fish. When these two overlap, the result can be a fish bonanza. Generally this is during the autumn, as early as September or as late as December. Global warming and the change in seasonal temperatures has an effect, while the arrival of the winter, which is always a gradual north to south progression around our coasts, means that some regions will fish better for longer than others, and at different times of year. The main seasons and species around the British Isles are:
April, May: Spring sees the common shore crabs start to peel around many parts of the UK coast and this attracts bass, eels, pouting, flounder, codling, plaice, ray, dogfish, smoothhound and others inshore. After the rigours of spawning, many of these are hungry.
June and July: Summer arrives in the south of the UK with species like tope, smoothhound, ray, mackerel, garfish, scad, pollack, bass, mullet, gurnard, bream, plaice and sole continuing to arrive and spreading north. The baitfish – sprats, sandeel, mackerel and scad – are shadowed by many of the larger predators as they move north.
On the west coast of the British Isles the Gulf Stream speeds the species surge north, while on the east coast the cold North Sea slows the northern migration. July is a month for the unusual – some of the rarer breams, rays, trigger fish and wrasses.
August: This can be a month when some species bypass venues in the far south – everything has moved north – but regional temperatures and sunshine can have an effect. Further north, August can be one of the best months of the summer for mackerel.
September and October: Usually a time of plenty in many regions, with the summer species like bass, mullet and ray having reached their maximum range and starting to overlap the resident and winter species like cod, whiting, pouting and dabs. The mix can produce some spectacular results, and this time is the best in most regions for specimen fish. It's also when most of the unusual or rare species extend their range furthest.
November and December: A time when the bigger bass and the bigger cod feed inshore on their way to their winter spawning grounds. Both take advantage of the carnage of the winter gales moving closer to shore. Generally bass start to move south, cod north at the end of this period, although in some regions both species move back into deep water. Seasonal cycles of species like cod produce an overlap of fish inshore when food is short and hungry mouths many. Lean cod years will see a shortage of bigger fish. The weather changes in many regions at this time, and sea anglers have to be able to cope with low temperatures, wind and rain. The rewards for lasting the course are the bigger fish! Lots of whiting, dabs and codling will keep the rod nodding in most regions.
February and March: The slowest time of year in many regions. The bigger fish will have moved away from the shoreline to spawn, and only immature fish and a few localised species like flounder remain.
UK waters offer a diverse range of fish species. Some are resident, some migratory, some are bottom dwellers, others pelagic (swimming near the surface). We even have some sub-tropical visitors. Many have suffered from commercial exploitation, leading to depleted numbers and a smaller average size. Others (usually prey fish) have thrived because of the demise of the exploited species, while some newcomers have arrived either as the result of a more plentiful or untapped food supply, or because of global warming.
Success can vary, depending upon where you live and fish. It is also affected by water temperature – there is a southern and a northern migration pattern of summer and winter species throughout the year. However, recent warm, prolonged summers have meant that many of the southern species now range much further north, and their season extends longer. One thing that has not changed is that the catching of sea fish requires effort on the part of the angler. The ‘chuck it and chance it’ approach of the past is most inappropriate today. Nowadays a bigger emphasis is placed on finding the fish, and with travel so easy many successful sea anglers follow the peaks of species through the seasons.
FISH GROUPS
The families of fishes found around the UK are divided into several groups – flatfish, rays, sharks, gurnard, eels, ling, codfish, wrasse, bream, mullet, mackerel, scad, garfish and bass. There are several other species groups among the smaller fish – mini-species – which are not always direct angling targets, but sometimes serve as bait. Among them are dragonets, pogges, weevers, gobies, blennies, rockling, herrings and sandeels.
SEASONAL MOVEMENTS
The movement and migration of fish has a great effect on results and we are constantly reminded about being in the right place at the right time. Cast where there are no fish and you go biteless. The seasons have a major influence on fish movement, and we describe some species as summer fish and others as winter fish. When these two overlap, the result can be a fish bonanza. Generally this is during the autumn, as early as September or as late as December. Global warming and the change in seasonal temperatures has an effect, while the arrival of the winter, which is always a gradual north to south progression around our coasts, means that some regions will fish better for longer than others, and at different times of year. The main seasons and species around the British Isles are:
April, May: Spring sees the common shore crabs start to peel around many parts of the UK coast and this attracts bass, eels, pouting, flounder, codling, plaice, ray, dogfish, smoothhound and others inshore. After the rigours of spawning, many of these are hungry.
June and July: Summer arrives in the south of the UK with species like tope, smoothhound, ray, mackerel, garfish, scad, pollack, bass, mullet, gurnard, bream, plaice and sole continuing to arrive and spreading north. The baitfish – sprats, sandeel, mackerel and scad – are shadowed by many of the larger predators as they move north.
On the west coast of the British Isles the Gulf Stream speeds the species surge north, while on the east coast the cold North Sea slows the northern migration. July is a month for the unusual – some of the rarer breams, rays, trigger fish and wrasses.
August: This can be a month when some species bypass venues in the far south – everything has moved north – but regional temperatures and sunshine can have an effect. Further north, August can be one of the best months of the summer for mackerel.
September and October: Usually a time of plenty in many regions, with the summer species like bass, mullet and ray having reached their maximum range and starting to overlap the resident and winter species like cod, whiting, pouting and dabs. The mix can produce some spectacular results, and this time is the best in most regions for specimen fish. It's also when most of the unusual or rare species extend their range furthest.
November and December: A time when the bigger bass and the bigger cod feed inshore on their way to their winter spawning grounds. Both take advantage of the carnage of the winter gales moving closer to shore. Generally bass start to move south, cod north at the end of this period, although in some regions both species move back into deep water. Seasonal cycles of species like cod produce an overlap of fish inshore when food is short and hungry mouths many. Lean cod years will see a shortage of bigger fish. The weather changes in many regions at this time, and sea anglers have to be able to cope with low temperatures, wind and rain. The rewards for lasting the course are the bigger fish! Lots of whiting, dabs and codling will keep the rod nodding in most regions.
February and March: The slowest time of year in many regions. The bigger fish will have moved away from the shoreline to spawn, and only immature fish and a few localised species like flounder remain.
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Here's the rest of it:
"SPECIES LOCATION
Many common species have a liking for a particular marine location – it could be a specific sea feature like a reef, gulley, rock face or estuary. Here is a general overview of what species are found where. Remember, though, that migration can place species in venues they are passing through, which is why this is a guide rather than a hard-and-fast rule.
Cod: Have a liking for deep water and strong tide which they use to travel to feed. They are found over clean and mixed ground, but can become localised among rocks and reefs, where they take on the colour of the kelp – so-called ‘red’ cod.
Bass: Small school bass are caught in estuaries and from surf beaches, especially when a large surf is running – then they often feed inside the main breaker. The bigger fish hunt around reefs and piers, especially in the shadows of harbour lights, and in fast tidal runs or anywhere easy food is available. Many piers where anglers gut mackerel and throw the entrails in the sea are home to some big bass.
Pollack: These are found on or off the sea bed behind pier piles, under weed fringes or close to pier walls, cliff edges, reefs or the edge of the tide flow.
Mullet: Active near the surface in calm water marinas and harbours, they can sometimes be spotted under boats, or around wind-blown flotsam. Find them feeding on the outer sea side of piers and they will be less timid.
Mackerel and garfish: Both species prefer clear water. The mackerel shoal up against rocks, pier walls and beaches, chasing small fish, where swooping gulls often betray their presence. Garfish, small relatives of the mighty marlin, are surface feeders, sometimes seen leaping around floating weed
Wrasse: Often located up off the sea bed around rock edges, pier piles or weed fringes. They are very localised in shoals – find one and there will be others. If you don't get a bite, move. Wrasse don't feed at night.
Conger: They can be very localised to a particular area of rock, holes in pier walls, the bases of cliffs or patches of rough ground. Nocturnal, they often venture out of their lair under cover of darkness to feed.
Sole: A nocturnal species, they are found on shell grit beaches, feeding in the last hours of darkness, or in coloured water, often very close to the shore.
Plaice: They prefer a sandy, shell grit bottom, anywhere near pea mussel beds, and sandy patches between rocks and weed.
Dabs and whiting: Found over clean, sandy, shell grit sea beds, they like coloured water best in daylight, clear water after dark.
Flounder and eels: Both are fish of the estuaries, but are also found on beaches on the edge of estuaries.
THE EFFECTS OF WEATHER ON SPECIES
A major factor affecting shore fishing results is the weather, with wind direction and sea temperature both having a major influence on occasions. Generally a strong onshore wind produces a stirred and coloured sea, sometimes resulting in a sand bar or reef being gouged apart by the waves. The resulting marine carnage spills and kills lots of marine life, which obviously attracts the predators. A calm, clear sea with wind off the land still produces fish, but is generally best fished after dark, when fish are more active and far bolder. Rough, coloured seas in daylight are always more productive for the majority of species. Some wind directions are better than others. An east wind is rarely productive countrywide, and in many regions, if it lasts for any appreciable time, it kills sport completely. A touch of north to an east wind is most productive on North Sea coasts. Alternatively, around much of the south and west coast, any wind from the west or south is productive. Low winter temperatures can also affect how a venue fishes. A low tide mark exposed to heavy frost overnight can rapidly cool the shallow water and send fish packing. Floods and snow water have the same effect. As a general rule, in winter fish only shorelines where you are casting on to a sea bed that is never exposed over low tide. "
"SPECIES LOCATION
Many common species have a liking for a particular marine location – it could be a specific sea feature like a reef, gulley, rock face or estuary. Here is a general overview of what species are found where. Remember, though, that migration can place species in venues they are passing through, which is why this is a guide rather than a hard-and-fast rule.
Cod: Have a liking for deep water and strong tide which they use to travel to feed. They are found over clean and mixed ground, but can become localised among rocks and reefs, where they take on the colour of the kelp – so-called ‘red’ cod.
Bass: Small school bass are caught in estuaries and from surf beaches, especially when a large surf is running – then they often feed inside the main breaker. The bigger fish hunt around reefs and piers, especially in the shadows of harbour lights, and in fast tidal runs or anywhere easy food is available. Many piers where anglers gut mackerel and throw the entrails in the sea are home to some big bass.
Pollack: These are found on or off the sea bed behind pier piles, under weed fringes or close to pier walls, cliff edges, reefs or the edge of the tide flow.
Mullet: Active near the surface in calm water marinas and harbours, they can sometimes be spotted under boats, or around wind-blown flotsam. Find them feeding on the outer sea side of piers and they will be less timid.
Mackerel and garfish: Both species prefer clear water. The mackerel shoal up against rocks, pier walls and beaches, chasing small fish, where swooping gulls often betray their presence. Garfish, small relatives of the mighty marlin, are surface feeders, sometimes seen leaping around floating weed
Wrasse: Often located up off the sea bed around rock edges, pier piles or weed fringes. They are very localised in shoals – find one and there will be others. If you don't get a bite, move. Wrasse don't feed at night.
Conger: They can be very localised to a particular area of rock, holes in pier walls, the bases of cliffs or patches of rough ground. Nocturnal, they often venture out of their lair under cover of darkness to feed.
Sole: A nocturnal species, they are found on shell grit beaches, feeding in the last hours of darkness, or in coloured water, often very close to the shore.
Plaice: They prefer a sandy, shell grit bottom, anywhere near pea mussel beds, and sandy patches between rocks and weed.
Dabs and whiting: Found over clean, sandy, shell grit sea beds, they like coloured water best in daylight, clear water after dark.
Flounder and eels: Both are fish of the estuaries, but are also found on beaches on the edge of estuaries.
THE EFFECTS OF WEATHER ON SPECIES
A major factor affecting shore fishing results is the weather, with wind direction and sea temperature both having a major influence on occasions. Generally a strong onshore wind produces a stirred and coloured sea, sometimes resulting in a sand bar or reef being gouged apart by the waves. The resulting marine carnage spills and kills lots of marine life, which obviously attracts the predators. A calm, clear sea with wind off the land still produces fish, but is generally best fished after dark, when fish are more active and far bolder. Rough, coloured seas in daylight are always more productive for the majority of species. Some wind directions are better than others. An east wind is rarely productive countrywide, and in many regions, if it lasts for any appreciable time, it kills sport completely. A touch of north to an east wind is most productive on North Sea coasts. Alternatively, around much of the south and west coast, any wind from the west or south is productive. Low winter temperatures can also affect how a venue fishes. A low tide mark exposed to heavy frost overnight can rapidly cool the shallow water and send fish packing. Floods and snow water have the same effect. As a general rule, in winter fish only shorelines where you are casting on to a sea bed that is never exposed over low tide. "
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I had a enjoyable but freezing dive on Sunday too. Great weather and viz. Should have been a great day, but 2 things happened to sour it somewhat:
1.My Missus smashed my car in to somebody else's, destroying my no claims bonus.
2.Underwater, what I'm pretty sure was a nice sized bream swam up to me, and by the time I'd hesitated whilst trying to decide what it was, darted off just past the tip of my belatedly fired spear.
My No claims bonus is worth a fair wack. Bream at the fishmongers - a fiver? But which of these 2 events is going to haunt me for the longest?
1.My Missus smashed my car in to somebody else's, destroying my no claims bonus.
2.Underwater, what I'm pretty sure was a nice sized bream swam up to me, and by the time I'd hesitated whilst trying to decide what it was, darted off just past the tip of my belatedly fired spear.
My No claims bonus is worth a fair wack. Bream at the fishmongers - a fiver? But which of these 2 events is going to haunt me for the longest?
Our thoughts are with you.
Shame about the no claims too.
Was a great day to be in the water.
sj
Sorry to hear that mate is your misses ok ?
Time to get a 7mm I think, just got mine and its making all the difference. As for your disasterous day cars can be replaced and no claims reearned but you will be visualising that missed shot till your next decent fish
Thanks guys, and thanks for the posts on the weight vest too. The missus is fine, my car is fixable. When she phoned to say she'd crashed, I think she must have been too shaken to notice that I first asked "what's the damage", then quickly added "how are you."
7mm + the added weights - isn't that a bit michelin man? And as there's less fish about too, for the time being I think I'll stick to 5mm and a slightly shorter season, but respect to you winter boys. I used to surf all year round in my younger days, but I'm too soft now.
7mm + the added weights - isn't that a bit michelin man? And as there's less fish about too, for the time being I think I'll stick to 5mm and a slightly shorter season, but respect to you winter boys. I used to surf all year round in my younger days, but I'm too soft now.
Dont forget you only need a thicker jacket really. or i think some people use a wetsuit vest. although there's far fewer fish around during december-march, the water can be crystal clear and that, for me, makes it well worthwhile braving the cold! not everyone's idea of a good time tho, i can see that.
As I share your love of crystal waters can I get some clarity on the extra layer approach. Sounds cost effective.
Is the idea to wear a 2mm vest under your spearo suit? I know under would be obvious, but just wondering if it makes the jacket much harder to get on? I assume you'd get th evest under the long johns too to keep the seal between LJ and Jacket?
All sounds better than the extremes of lake windsurfing in my past where I wore a 6/5/3 over a 5/3 and had to break the ice round the edge of the lake to launch.
sj
I think what Jonny means is you can just use a 7mm top as its your torso that is the real concern when it omes to keeping warm
Has anybody got some dyneema I could buy off them to tie a dyneema wishbone to my speargun or does anybody know where I can get it from ?
I purchased a Beuchat marlin carbone elite and the s/steel wishbone that comes with it trashes the carbon barrel after only a few shots, I have the dyneema wishbone but unfortunately Beuchat dont supply the cord to tie it on
I purchased a Beuchat marlin carbone elite and the s/steel wishbone that comes with it trashes the carbon barrel after only a few shots, I have the dyneema wishbone but unfortunately Beuchat dont supply the cord to tie it on