Cornwall Spearfishing 2006

[Huw]

Dived on wednesday. Beautiful vis. a little nippy when we got out, btu water wasnt too bad. Saw no bass mulelt or flatties... only wrasse. Wasn't really there for a wrasee, so let them be.

Good luck to both of you...

Huw

 

[badlander]

Well the viz was great,managed a good bass on my first dive,dispatched the fish and realized i was minus one float,my line had somehow severed and i spotted it on the other side of bay so it must have happened just after i entered the water...bit of a swim and got it back.Stayed in about 4 hours and only managed one more bass..saw a fish i couldn't name,looked like a monkfish,thought i'd leave it be.Loads of dogfish again.Bloody cold towards the end.Might give tomorrow a go as the winds look like they're going S-SW after that.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Do you mean an angler fish that people call monk fish and is often sold as monkfish or a true monkfish. I've only ever seen one true monkfish although they were commoner 30+years ago and I think Clew Bay (sp?) in Ireland is still a stronghold. Angler fish were common but have been heavily fished in the last 20 years as they have become very popular in posh restaurants and fetch a high price. If it was an angler fish then you missed a good oportunity to make a worthwhile catch (provided it was size).

Have posted a pic of a small angler fish I caught for you to study.

Dave

 

[gutshot]

Spearing seemed a better option than surf so heaed to the south coast. No one around, sheet glass sea conditions and the viz was not too bad! As mentioned by Badlander dogfish everywhere. Saw a few bass and ended up nailing one. Not the biggest but easily above size and big enough to make a good meal. My buddie managed a few shots and missed them all. Bless his cotton socks.

So the bass are still around which is good but damn, that water is getting cold. Badlander, what thickness is your suite? 4Hrs, you are either off your rocker or you have a damn good suite. Congrat's on your catch.

Gutshot

 

[spearheads]

As mentioned by Badlander dogfish everywhere.

i have seen lots of dogfish today also, and i got bitten but it was a provoked attack i toched his head while he was sleeping then jaws attacked.

 

[badlander]

OMD - It was one of those but only about maybe 50 cm in length,just sitting on the bottom minding his own buisness.Just looked too small to shoot.

Gutshot - I've got a 5mm Elios,i get cold after a while but i just get carried away when the conditions were as nice as today,i'm trying to find the funds for a 7mm suit to prolong this year and allow a more early start to next season.While there are still bass about,i won't be able to stop myself.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Anglers are great fish. They can flatten themselves and bury in sand/gravel and are sometimes hard to see. They can be quite aggressive and have a nasty bite. Only one third of their weight is the edible tail meat. It used to be the biggest fish on the spearo record list at 80+ lbs 'til surpassed by the conger record. The one in my pic is about 50lb.

I bought a vest to go under my 5mm suit for cold weather use. Got it from scubaland france for a very good price. Started wearing it last week. Makes a big difference although I had to add a little weight to my belt to compensate. Last year I dived into January to make the most of the winter night time species and found a 5mm suit was okay in the water but changing was the killer. Now we drive there and back in our suits in winter but then over here it's only a max of 15 minutes drive to the sea.

Dave

 

[gutshot]

Badlander, just as i thought, off your rocker! I too have a 5mm elios and after an hour and a half i am cold. Mind you it could depend on the type of diving you do. I bearly move except tiny sidewards finning to move me along and i try to keep my surface interval to a min and bottom time to a max. That does not do much to keep body heat up. A vest sounds like the go for the min. Thanks for that one old man dave.

Keep it up badlander and maybe we will fin past each other one of these days!

Gutshot

 

[ashtro]

Ive got a 5mm shortie which I wear over the top of my normal wetsuit
which helps to keep warmer this time of year.
Tends to slow you down a bit though but at least you can still get in the water.

 

[badlander]

Got in for a couple of hours before dark,managed two bass,a plaice which was an added bonus and a pollock that was just that little bit too big to leave.

 

[jurrasic]

I use a chillcheater Short John under my wetsuit no extra weight needed very thin so does not affect movement, also great for rubber fetishists.
Definently warmer. WWW.CHILLCHEATER.COM

 

[Huw]

Me and PeteyH anre about to get in from Fowey. Will post a trip report tonight.

Cheers,
Huw

 

[Huw]

just got back... got down to the entry point to find a 4ft swell :rcard

we decided to give it a miss.

cheers,
a disgruntled huw.

 

[Mr. X]

I use a chillcheater Short John under my wetsuit no extra weight needed very thin so does not affect movement, also great for rubber fetishists.
Definently warmer. WWW.CHILLCHEATER.COM

Would certainly go with a studded collar! The Superstretch Aquatherm fabric looks similar to the tough stretchy material used on some removable racing wheel covers & some waterproof overtrousers [Thought I had seen something similar before: Rob Allen Europe website]

Do you just use an Aquatherm vest?

OMD, that's quite a fish (interesting how fashions come back too).

 

[badlander]

Saturday's looking vaguely promising provided these SW'lys don't ruin things too much,looking at getting in somewhere on the dropping tide in the morning at either the Lizard or around Falmouth somewhere....might even try and make the most of it and do both,easy to say that now but a bit harder when you're freezing cold and all your kit's wet and sandy in the boot.

 

[James T]

Badlander - just don't change - get yourself a plastic seat cover and drive between the spots in your gear. Works for me - especially in the Winter.

 

[badlander]

Wow,all that dancing around in the garden at night and sacrificing small birds and rodents may have actually payed off,looks like the winds have got more favourable for some spearing...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=3731

 

[spearheads]

Can you try the dancing again as it worked with the wind see if you can do it with the swell. have a look at the swell report:rcard http://www.spearo.co.uk/spearo.htm.

 

[badlander]

I think i may be tucked up enough to avoid all that swell down in falmouth area and on the back of the lizard and swells veering more to the north all the time,i've got everything crossed for tomorrow,sadly though it's too wet for dancing.

 

[badlander]

Not actually feeling too optimisitc this morning,but we'll go and see what we can see (or not see) got my papers stamped for the whole day so we might have a little sniff about the back of the Lizard if theres not too much swell.