Cornwall Spearfishing 2006

[dave]

I dived a favourite reef in east Cornwall yesterday. The viz was mainly about 8m, but with big areas of warmer, cloudy water. Not a huge amount about, but eventually I found a big school of mainly 3-4lb bass uptide of a pinnacle in a fairly strong tidal run. After a few dives I started seeing some bigger fish at the back of the school, and ended up with a couple to take home, 7lb and 10.5lb. Both were shot with a Mamba 110 in approx 40ft of water
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

 

[Spaniard]

Very nice bass mate, well done.....

 

[foxfish]

Great catch Dave, looks like you have a "few" wraps on you mamba?

 

[spearoskiboy]

my buddy and me have been spearfishing around mevagisey, cornwall since friday morning, and had a succesful few days, 3 nice bass and a bag of pollock, but yesterday on the way back to the quayside in port mellon I bagged myself an Atlantic Salmon ????

I sort of stumbled across it chassing some sand eels?, it was the only shot I fired all day, as up to this point the only excitement was my buddys Bass on the way out a couple of hours earlier..

needless to say it was a packed bbq last nite..

anyone else bagged one of these lately?

I have pictures on my mobile but the software is not recognising my bloody mobile..will post after i get the toolbox out..

 

[dave]

It is illegal to spear salmon:head
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

 

[SurfnSpear]

Nice session Dave...

 

[spearoskiboy]

why is it illegal to shoot salmon?,

do they all belong to tesco?, there was no price tag on it???,

is it because they have been over fished by the supermarkets,or is it wealthy land owners selling expensive tickets and paying the tax man his bit that get the say, this is the first one i have ever shot so i know it cant be my fault if there numbers are few,

it was fair game, it was fast,strong and didnt just sit there,

is it because i haven't sold it in a shop so vat didnt apply?, does all salmon need vat added?, do i owe the goverment 17.5% of the fish?

I dont understand? in this world of odd rules i am confused,

I did not know until this morning that i had broken the law!!, all i did was shoot an amazing fish that was fanatastic to eat,

if the rules of spearfishing are correct then why is it allowed to shoot large wrasse (360mm plus) when they are crap to eat( nobody eats them surely ?)
and illegal to shoot salmon and sea trout?, fish that would be consumed and not just been shot for the points?

I love our nanny state:ban

 

[Spaniard]

Probably something to do with them being a 'game' fish which fall under more stringent regulation. Just a guess, hopefully someone out there knows exactly why......

 

[spearoskiboy]

you see thats it 'game fish', you can sell tickets to fish 'game fish',

i paid $500US to go game fishing in mauritius once and all i got after six hours of desiel fumes was one large dorado which i was not allowed to keep,

the idea that somebody might pay to fish these game fish, has made it illegal to take one without paying, and everybody just agrees, 'thats illegal', when do you think they will start charging us to use the sea?

 

[dave]

It is illegal to use a "spear or like instrument" to take salmon, trout or freshwater fish. It is an old law, but one that Sea Fisheries take very seriously indeed. The last person to be caught spearing salmon in Cornwall got a fine of around £2000.
I personally dont care what you do, but bragging about breaking the law on a public forum which is read by Fisheries Officers (I know this for a fact) is not a great idea and really doesn't help the image of spearfishing
There are so few laws relating to spearfishing there is no excuse for not knowing them, but here is a quick recap
It is illegal to spear salmon, trout, freshwater fish or shellfish
It is illegal to sell or offer for sale fish caught with a projectile
Minimum landing sizes apply to most fish (eg 37.5cm for bass in Cornwall)
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

 

[daveking]

dave,

Could you direct me to a site where i can find more about the legal catch sizes?
Nice Bass!

 

[dave]

Minimum landing sizes vary from region to region, and are set by the local Sea Fisheries Committee. Unfortunately most of these have not yet discovered the internet:head so you have to phone the relevant office (Local Council should be able to give you the number) and ask
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

 

[spearoskiboy]

It is illegal to use a "spear or like instrument" to take salmon, trout or freshwater fish. It is an old law, but one that Sea Fisheries take very seriously indeed. The last person to be caught spearing salmon in Cornwall got a fine of around £2000.
I personally dont care what you do, but bragging about breaking the law on a public forum which is read by Fisheries Officers (I know this for a fact) is not a great idea and really doesn't help the image of spearfishing
There are so few laws relating to spearfishing there is no excuse for not knowing them, but here is a quick recap
It is illegal to spear salmon, trout, freshwater fish or shellfish
It is illegal to sell or offer for sale fish caught with a projectile
Minimum landing sizes apply to most fish (eg 37.5cm for bass in Cornwall)
cheers
dave
www.spearo.co.uk

well that just about sums things up really,,

i think your mind is working a bit wonky, i was unaware that an old law exsitsted on spearing of salmon, i was not bragging, i have never shot a salmon before so thats why i asked if any had been bagged before, i was not even intending to sell the fish to tesco, i was mearly trying to start a debate on the legality..

while 'trawling'(legally) the net for info i can find nowhere where its says that it is illegal to shoot salmon, defra site has nothing i can find?

so where are we to learn these invisable rules?

there was no signs on the quayside? plenty with the minimum catch size for bass which we all know..

i really dont think i have damaged the image of spearfishing i think you are taking things to far, i think spearfishing for points and prizes does more damage to it than anything else.

i noticed you have taken a dislike to me in the past, including scoffing about my m8 using his totemsub in british water (most accurate gun he has, which would make hunting better in any water), if you have an axe to grind then thats your lookout..as for me...

i will just get on with enjoying being in the water to catch fish to eat, not to put a plastic trophy on the mantle and a ribbon round my neck..

for anybody else reading this, just cast this a thought, you can buy salmon in a supermarket,resturant and many other places, tinned, off the bone, or jammed in a nasty m and s sarnie, but you cant take one from the sea by yourself cook it then eat it as this would be braking the law, its a bit like my favorite law the one involving wind generators on land, you can own a wind generator, you can use power from a wind generator, but it is illegal to generate your own electricity for your home when a consumer supplier is available.

atb

 

[1 shot 1 kill]

Spearoskiboy, I don't think Dave is having a go, just informing you of the law. I know it seems an odd law but i'm sure there are/were reasons for not taking freshwater fish on a spear and that’s just the way it is.
I'd really like to drive on the pavement and can't see why i shouldn't (obviously i can but i'm just using it as an example!), but its deemed by most people to be a bit off, and a big no no by the coppers, so i tend not to! Same deal with spearing salmon and trout unfortunately. I understand you made a genuine mistake because the law isn't particularly intuitive in this case so now you know for next time, if you chose to break the law given another opportunity then that’s at your own discretion.
In my opinion all spearos have an obligation to present the sport/hobby in the best possible way to the public if we want to save it from the same fate as hunting with dogs. Not waving your gun about in the supermarket is one good way, informing people who ask you why you spearfish in reasonable terms is another, as is staying within the law. I know this law doesn’t appear to make sense, but unless you're the head of the board of fisheries and are in a place to change it i suggest you either abide by it or be very subtle about flouting it!
Dave pointed out the main laws governing spearfishing, these seem to be passed on between spearos but i'm sure they can also be found somewhere official, try the British Spearfishing Association website, they may even have explanations with them.
I'm not condemning you for making an honest mistake nor am i trying to tell you what to do in future, i'm just trying to express my own views because at the end of the day we are all only governed by own ethics (and the law, which i believe was the original problem!)
Good luck for the future, hope you get stuck into some decent bass and the salmon will be a distant memory!
www.portlandoceaneering.com has a link to the minimum sizes in its spearfishing section, as Dave said these might not be national but it’s a start.

 

[Jep]

well that just about sums things up really,,

i think your mind is working a bit wonky, i was unaware that an old law exsitsted on spearing of salmon, i was not bragging, i have never shot a salmon before so thats why i asked if any had been bagged before, i was not even intending to sell the fish to tesco, i was mearly trying to start a debate on the legality..

while 'trawling'(legally) the net for info i can find nowhere where its says that it is illegal to shoot salmon, defra site has nothing i can find?

so where are we to learn these invisable rules?

there was no signs on the quayside? plenty with the minimum catch size for bass which we all know..

i really dont think i have damaged the image of spearfishing i think you are taking things to far, i think spearfishing for points and prizes does more damage to it than anything else.

i noticed you have taken a dislike to me in the past, including scoffing about my m8 using his totemsub in british water (most accurate gun he has, which would make hunting better in any water), if you have an axe to grind then thats your lookout..as for me...

i will just get on with enjoying being in the water to catch fish to eat, not to put a plastic trophy on the mantle and a ribbon round my neck..

for anybody else reading this, just cast this a thought, you can buy salmon in a supermarket,resturant and many other places, tinned, off the bone, or jammed in a nasty m and s sarnie, but you cant take one from the sea by yourself cook it then eat it as this would be braking the law, its a bit like my favorite law the one involving wind generators on land, you can own a wind generator, you can use power from a wind generator, but it is illegal to generate your own electricity for your home when a consumer supplier is available.

atb

Just add my ten penneth..

As far as I understand it is DEFRA's job to protect and develop all river finfish and shellfish. As Sea Trout and Wild Salmon swim up freshwater/tidal rivers they come under its jurisdiction, whether it is in a river or in the sea.

If I remember correctly you used to have to get a special rod licence for these fish as you are not supposed to fish for them in the breeding season and you have to record catches out of season etc. I'm not sure where to find the legislation that covers spear fishing though. Check out the link http://www.defra.gov.uk/marine/index.htm

As far as the debate goes, watch this space... its only the big boys who tend to lobby for their rights - its going to be the minority (us) who lose out because we don't have a voice. Salmon and Sea Trout are going to be just the tip of the iceberg....

 

[UK Spearo]

Dave - nice bass.... in the tide - yeah right - you were in your favourite string weed patch weren’t you! rofl

As for the spearing Salmon and Trout..... like Dave said it's an odd, old law but is watched closely by the sea fisheries.

Ignorance is no defence in a court of law.

 

[Pav]

Back to poor viz on the North Devon coast! Had a few good days prior to the new swell thats arrived. A few bass around the 3lb mark. A lot of Mullet in the water. The odd Pollock and wrasse cruising about which I like to watch. A few spider crabs and the odd shoal of sand eels darting past. (What are the small fish , almost sand eel size that shoal the shallows? They often stop and come very close. About 3 inches long?? Silver, almost clear.)

I have only really this year started taking advantage of the sink and hide in the weed technique. Amazed how an empty sea can all of a sudden come to life. Had 2 Bass that i estimate to have been 5lb+ come and see me but my concerns about leaving the bottom and getting some air meant I couldn't wait for a shot. Still nice to know they will be there for another day / year.

 

[Mr. X]

Well done Pav! I have been completely bowled over by the richness of sea life I've seen out there recently - so many variations! I generally call the stuff smaller than sandeels, fry or minnow -- which is probably wrong but it's terminology I picked up freshwater fishing years ago & the small fish look similar - or baitfish (again probably bad terminology). OMD is good at fish identification - he identified the Launce/greater sand eel for me recently.

British law is archaic and in this case arcane. You can't blame Spearo Dave for that, as a competitive spearo he is going to encounter the rules, regulations and enforcers as a matter of course. I am not surprised that SpearoSkiBoy was not aware of it (search Google & you just find this thread, if you are fortunate enough to find books on spearfishing they rarely cover regional regulations). The law is not well known, publicized, nor intuitively obvious in this case. I'd heard of it but probably only from this forum - effectively "word of mouth". However I expect the competition spearos see it referenced or included in their competition rules & regulations. The salmon spearing restriction was probably introduced to protect stocks associated with Lord somebody or others private salmon & trout fishing rivers. Salmon stocks did decline terribly a few years ago [see Chapman Pinchers autobiography for details] by pollution, development & more efficient fishing. Somebody told me recently things have improved a lot recently with the rivers getting cleaner - don't know if it is true though. As we have said many times - spearing is a low volume activity & restricting it is probably the least effective way to preserve fish stocks. However, keeping to all the applicable laws (seems like there are not that many) seems like a sensible way to avoid additional restrictions.

[If you don't like the law you can always petition the EU on the basis that it is infringing your human rights . IMO We need to be careful to protect our existing rights to fish/hunt too.]

Let's fish!

 

[spearoskiboy]

Thanks MR. X,

Thats pricisely what i have found too. no written reference to the law regarding Salmon,(the only ref, being on british spearfishing assoc' regarding a ban for spearfishing comp's)

I have been suffering a bad guilt trip since my first posting the other day,

nobody here at work could believe that it was illegal either,

but the way some people have reacted you would think, i had crawled up a river in combat gear and blown it out the water with an RPG, before dissapearing into the nite, leaving a trail of devastation in my wake.!

atb skiboy

 

[foxfish]

The odd Pollock and wrasse cruising about which I like to watch. A few spider crabs and the odd shoal of sand eels darting past. (What are the small fish , almost sand eel size that shoal the shallows? They often stop and come very close. About 3 inches long?? Silver, almost clear.)

Hi Pav those small fish are Atherine Smelt, we call them Roselet in Guernsey.