Cornwall Spearfishing 2006

[podge]

Hi guys just back from The Lizard with stuckinsurry from the long weekend.
Dived Kennack on Friday at low water viz was fairly good not much to see apart from the standard suspects lots of wrasse had one good flat fish of around 3.5 lb that came home with me, I think it was a Dover Soul.
Saturday weather turned against us so spent most of the day looking for spots that were not blown to bits finally got in at Coverack just for an hour viz just about the length of my spear saw a bass and a few mullet but not for long enough as they disappeared into the gloom.
Sunday conditions were much the same after a drive around came across Porthhoustock an out and out dive spot no good for the spearo, but just around the corner there’s a spot called Porthallow just the job nice bit of string weed and a bit of reef.
Monday straight to Porthallow and in the water just after the top of the tide.
Mullet heaven never seen so many although most were only school fish there were a few good ones among them took just one fish of around 3lb and just enjoyed swimming around with the rest. Also saw bass and stuckinsurrey found a lobster the size of a small nuclear submarine down a hole that must have been blown out of the reef with dynamite but try as he did that bad boy was staying right there.
All in all a great time with some good dives.
Paul
Rab sorry I didn’t give you a call left my phone in the bathroom at home, next time we are down I’ll give you a bell.

 

[stuckinsurrey]

Also saw bass and stuckinsurrey found a lobster the size of a small nuclear submarine down a hole that must have been blown out of the reef with dynamite but try as he did that bad boy was staying right there.

Damm lobster has been haunting my dreams ever since! As arnie once said though....i'll be back!:martial

 

[Mr. X]

Damm lobster has been haunting my dreams ever since! As arnie once said though....i'll be back!:martial

Was it the lobster or the thought of the conger that might be behind? (Just kidding). Sounds like a fun trip. Think you got unlucky with the wind & viz this weekend. This coming weekend looks more promising, to my mind.

 

[Soul Deep]

Well... If you can't beat 'em join 'em! Most of my time was spent surfing as it was quite a windy and rough sea state the past week. Newquay was gridlock due to the Board Masters Championship :head

Saturday saw a nice encounter with a Basker nr Padstow :inlove Yesterday was lush weather and calm sea state South so went of Maenporth (nr Falmouth) Loadsa BIG bass or WHAT!?! Was a bit gutted though as I was traveling back yesterday evening so had to write off catching anything as I didn't want to be stuck in traffic all the way to good old Londinium town with the smell of fish reeking up ma nose! :rcard

Next time I'm up that way I will give you a bit more notice so we can hook up...

Cheers,

SD

 

[SurfnSpear]

I had a trip out in a boat on Saturday for some rod/spear action off Newquay. Well it was quite an interesting trip scenery wise. We had 5 basking sharks around us chomping on the plankton with a couple brushing the boat and doing some brilliant open mouth turnsnext to us. We also came across a pair of sunfish, and there was some great porpoise feeding attacks on bait fish where they broke the water. Very nice to see.
Fishing wise...it was mackeral and pollack.
On the spearing front, the vis was shocking and all we did was have some exercise really and get some ideas for next dives.
Oh, and I thought the scenery on land at the Rip Curl Boardmasters was pretty good too!rofl

 

[Craig Thailand]

Hi guys,
Im from Bodmin originally but i have been working in the real estate business here in Thailand for the past 5 years or so . It looks like you guys had a cool trip out there at Newquay, is that seal still hanging around the harbour?
Believe it or not I miss the cold atlantic with poor vis and even colder changing of clothes on the beech. I am planning to go spearing off an oil rig in two days time so I will send some pics of how it went.
By the way is tall trees still going strong? I had some good times there:friday

 

[Mr. X]

...Oh, and I thought the scenery on land at the Rip Curl Boardmasters was pretty good too!rofl

Did you get a Lynx "ManWash"? Might help attract the fish...worth a try!

2 weeks until we visit the Lizard. I can't wait. Hope the winds are good. I don't need sun, don't mind a bit of rain, just want a little viz. And, if there's no viz, I've got the rod & 2-man kayak as a fall back. Failing that, there is always the pub.

 

[SurfnSpear]

Hi Craig, there's about 3 fat seals in there now, one was taking mackeral out my hand when loading the boat much to the delight of the clicking holidaymakers! Tall trees is still going but now has a lap dance club....not been there myself of course:naughty
Newquay has changed a lot and will continue to do so in my opinion. I must admit it's all a bit mad these days in town and I try staying over at Crantock beach.

cheers

 

[billythefish]

My friend and i found a great spot round from cadgwith and the lizard recently, didn't get any fish but lots of spidercrabs around if you wanted to try one really nice afternoon.
Also a good spot was near portscatho by st anthony head lighthouse steep hill up and down tho! but nice spot
a great place i found on the north coast was porthcothen walk along the cliff to the two rocks out from the cliffs they provide a lagoon that's great for snokelling around especially if the swell is coming in.

 

[Pav]

Fed up with the north westlies went in with a buddy yesterday to spear the most sheltered spot on the North devon coast.

VIZ was about 1ft. Could only see 1/2 way along my 75cm gun. Even on dives the Viz didn't improve... infact it just got darker.

May be forced to drive West next week.

 

[Mr. X]

Just looked at the forecast for next week. Monday looks most promising day to me at the moment: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=1194

Although there is plenty of time for that to change yet.

 

[Jez]

Head south dude. Going to Dartmouth tomorrow. Its been blowing offshore for 2 weeks. Now all I need is some fish!

 

[Pav]

Yeh reckon thats the plan.

I always head for Penzance and spear the coast Penzance - Helston. 2hr drive door to beach!

Just wandering if this is my closest access to the south coast? I drive from Bideford / Barnstaple.

any ideas .. or is the route to Penzance my quickest? Very happy with the spearing around that area but question if there is anything closer.

Eastlies were forcasted on magicseaweed.com for the N.devon coast earlier but they have changed it to more N wests for another 5 days!! so no improvement expected for this coast.

May check the north coast further west to see if its any clearer away from the bristol channel? Any reports re. Viz down that way would be useful. Thanks ;>)

 

[Mr. X]

... is anything closer.

I reckon there is some good spearing to be had closer to you, between Plymouth & St. Austell.

 

[Pav]

thanks mr x for the ideas. AA route planner reckon Looe is 2hr 17mins for me.. so no closer, but some alternatives down that way if we want a change... and that satalite image looks nice!

Bantham / Bigbury takes just over 2hrs.
Plymouth City 1 1/2 hrs.. but unsure how far it would be from City Center to spearing waters. I don't know plymouth very well, but I think I remember a rocky cliff path with old victorian swimming pools cut into the rocks?

 

[Mr. X]

Would be interested to know more about spearing around Plymouth. Noticed this place on the map:

http://www.multimap.com/map/browse....m=0&scale=50000&multimap.x=483&multimap.y=315

There is so much coast though, with all those inlets. It would take lifetime to explore the S. coast fully.

Looks like there is a Ferry over to Torpoint (PortWrinkle & the Rame Head area). Hadn't realised that it was 47min from Plymouth to Looe -- those roads are pretty long & windy in places though.

 

[PeteyH]

Hey does anybody go spearing around the Fowey area in Cornwall? I havent really met anyone this year. Both myself and Huw go most days, and would be interested to see if anyone else goes around the area.

 

[Huw]

Hi Guys,

Beauty of a dive at the end of last week! Came home with a new p.b mullet, i will try to post some pictures as soon as i can, although they are small due to a camera on a mobile phone taking them :head .

Went out last night too, was a spring tide and so nice and high. Got into the water at about 6.40pm, and the vis around the boat was terrible and my heart sank as i entered the water. However it turned out to be a 'barrier' of algae or something, as closer in shore and around the rocks the vis was perfect, up to 8 - 9 meters in places which was amazing ( probably the best i have seen). I was very suprised to see 3 redmullet feeding on the sandflats too, as it was a first for me. I attempted a shot, but they were so thin from above, the spear went about a cm wide and went through his pectoral fin, and he spiralled up the spear before tearing himself off, and dissapearing into the distance!

Ended up with a nice Bass though from the string weed, and took him home, to give to my neighbour in exchange for a trip out on his new boat!


Hope you guys are all having good fishing too!

Cheers,
Huw

 

[Pav]

Took the advice! , got down yeterday evening and the winds swung around to the south rofl .

Got out on the south coast last night. Spotted a few mullet and a 1 Bass.

Today met up with a mate. We looked at the soup coloured water on the south coast and then headed up towards St Just on the North Coast.

The initial count of 1 Seal and 5 marker bouys from the cliff turned out to be 6 seals! A really fun dive. We stuck together and were frequently buzzed by the Seals. It was rare not to have a Seal by yourside! Distracted from hunting I was happy to watch these creatures.

Then back to hunting! We swam across the bay to the other point. Spotted a few Mullet and having seen 2 Bass in a gully I dived and waited in the weeds. 10 seconds, and I had a Seal next to me :head ! I had to smile / laugh.

On the fin back to our start point I hit a Mullet as the Bass were not playing. That attracted the Seals! , kinda spooked by how keen 1 particular Seal was I finned into shallower water and passed a shoal of about 10 Bass all around 2 - 3lb. They were shifting full speed! , and was lucky with a shot and was able to add a Bass to the stringer. .

Mate had blanked so gave him the Mullet for his Barbq and the Bass went home with me :t .

Will hopefully find a Cove of our own tomorrow away from the Seals! ... although to swim with so many and have them swim so close to us was an experience I am glad to have had.

 

[podge]

Nice one Pav
Great report, wish my mate would share his catch with me but having said that I probably wouldn’t give him anything either.
Paul.