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Dorset Spear Fishing 2011

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
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Thanks foxfish. As a total beginner, before you've seen/shot at fish, you just have no idea whether you're doing the right thing, going to the right places (eg how far out from shore, in bays do you stick to rocky edges or go into the middle?) or whether you're a million miles away from ever catching a fish! As soon as you've hit a few, you know you're on the right path, but until then, you're kind of blind! :) I'm probably far too noisy on descent and my bottom time is v short, but I'll improve. So, when hunting the kelp, are you actively swishing it away to see into the crags for bass?

You wont find many fish just swimming around in the open deep water.
You need features, big fish eat small fish & small fish need sanctuary, look on the reefs & on the edge of tide.
Hunt the shallows as quietly as possible, really, really, stealth like, no noise, no splashing just stealthy & slowly edging along the weed beds.
You can find & shoot big bass & mullet in 2' of water, sometimes right on the shore line but more likely on top of a reef 50 yards or more from the shore
 
Cheers foxfish, that's a real help - I can almost see the fish as you describe it! I'm back next weekend, so will have another shot at it then.

I'm also going to build a dummy fish, suspend it under my buoy and have some practice on that too. I remember from my very little spearing abroad that it was surreal how you could be point blank range and still miss!

Thanks foxfish - really appreciate it.
 
Just back from Swanage ( diving with strange bottles on me back ) bah had a lovely shoal of bass with me ! one sat 2ft away from me and the others were approx 1 metre away 2lb to approx 6 lb probably 15 in number . I am sure they were smiling at me ! bah ( there is a no spearfishing ban 75 metres on pier ) was lovely to see .
 
Thanks foxfish. As a total beginner, before you've seen/shot at fish, you just have no idea whether you're doing the right thing, going to the right places (eg how far out from shore, in bays do you stick to rocky edges or go into the middle?) or whether you're a million miles away from ever catching a fish! As soon as you've hit a few, you know you're on the right path, but until then, you're kind of blind! :) I'm probably far too noisy on descent and my bottom time is v short, but I'll improve. So, when hunting the kelp, are you actively swishing it away to see into the crags for bass?


Don't 'swish' it out of the way mate, that's the surest way to scare a fish.

Hide in it, hide behind it, stalk through it slowly and stealthily (as Foxfish describes above), and try go 'still' the moment you think you've encountered a fish - most important of all, learn to 'look through' the weed: you can shoot a fish through a very small aperture in the weed from a few meters away (although you might have to wait for the fish to move into line of sight first - best not to try to force the shot by 'swishing').

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Cheers Gaz D - I'm getting a better picture of what is required....and I'm beginning to think I'm still a way off :) I can tell, from the posts and videos that I've got to be able to hold my breath for much longer! At the moment I'm descending, then I only have about 10 seconds before I have to return to the surface! Not a lot of time to 'hide'! :) I can hold my breath out of water for like 2mins...but by the time I've descended, I've already used a fair chunk of my O2 reserves! (Must get fitter!)

I feel I'm under-weighted as it's slightly tough to get going down without spashing the surface (and feels like a little too much effort but could be technique) but I've read the dummies guide (here on DB) and after exhaling it says you should be buoyant on the surface...I'm 'buoyant' but nose&mouth under water (which for SWB isn't too useful) so I'm figuring I can't be under-weighted (if anything still overweighted!). If you guys exhale at the surface are you buoyant to the point that your nose/mouth is out of water? I've got a 5mm wetsuit+boots (no integral hood) and I'm carrying 7Kgs of lead....Sound about right?
 
Cheers Gaz D - I'm getting a better picture of what is required....and I'm beginning to think I'm still a way off :) I can tell, from the posts and videos that I've got to be able to hold my breath for much longer! At the moment I'm descending, then I only have about 10 seconds before I have to return to the surface! Not a lot of time to 'hide'! :) I can hold my breath out of water for like 2mins...but by the time I've descended, I've already used a fair chunk of my O2 reserves! (Must get fitter!)

I feel I'm under-weighted as it's slightly tough to get going down without spashing the surface (and feels like a little too much effort but could be technique) but I've read the dummies guide (here on DB) and after exhaling it says you should be buoyant on the surface...I'm 'buoyant' but nose&mouth under water (which for SWB isn't too useful) so I'm figuring I can't be under-weighted (if anything still overweighted!). If you guys exhale at the surface are you buoyant to the point that your nose/mouth is out of water? I've got a 5mm wetsuit+boots (no integral hood) and I'm carrying 7Kgs of lead....Sound about right?


I was referring to hunting from the surface, in water as shallow as half a meter.


EDIT: Sorry if I've repeated anything you said Foxfish - I was sending these posts from my phone, and didn't spot what you had already written (I've edited you in to that last post now).


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2011... a big year of change for me.. surfboards still in the rack since my op in January.. thought I was gonna go crazy without it! So.. I made a few changes to my routines.. put surfing aside and committed fully to a new cause. Bottom line is... this year spearfishing has grown to be a massive part of my life.

Theres something about being completely comfortable underwater.. it's like an addiction.. searching.. finding new terrain.. then sinking into the deep to find a quiet place to hide.. a mysterious, beautiful, ever changing world right on our doorsteps.. a place I now go to get away from all the chaos that surrounds us.. to fly amongst the pillars of kelp in the hope that one day you see that fish of your dreams.. and when you do.. that adrenaline starts pumping.. and you really start to feel alive!

So.. This is a compilation of all the best clips I could find from the last year or so of footage.. a little insight into what goes on under the waves!

It was mostly filmed in Cornwall but there is some footage of our trip to Portland so I thought I'd drop it on here for you boys to see too ;)

Enjoy.

[ame=http://vimeo.com/28616761]Spearfishing 2011 - Best of Summer on Vimeo[/ame]
 
Awesome video! At first I thought why isn't he shooting. And then the first drop - Boom. Good stuff, keep them coming.

I've also recently had a major switch from bodyboarding to spearfishing this year and couldn't agree more about the complete escapism. Forget those crowded lineups, kelp is where it's at!
 
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I keep looking at my board thinking - I am going to cut out a square hole near the front & put in a glass panel, fit a couple of big lights under it for night diving & a electric motor with a small propeller!
 
I must be in the minority: I've just splashed out on a new board and am looking at getting another one too!

(Got a nice Nigel Semmens 6'4" B52 Bomber for sale, if anyone is interested?)

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Fantastic video!

On the edge of my seat with my trigger finger twitching.

Surfing was my biggest passion, followed by beach casting. Now the board comes out once a week, the rods once a month, the spearfishing gear at least 3 times a week.

Never in a million years would I have guessed I would actually be pleased to pull up in my camper at Woolacoombe to be greeted by flat calm clear conditions!

Great forum with some great members; I have learnt a lot from here, thanks DB.

Lee
 
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