Dorset Spearfishing 2006

[Almostafish]

Tides.

The moon's gravitational force pulls on water in the oceans so that there are "bulges" in the ocean on both sides of the planet. The moon pulls water toward it, and this causes the bulge toward the moon. The bulge on the side of the Earth opposite the moon is caused by the moon "pulling the Earth away" from the water on that side.

If you are on the coast and the moon is directly overhead, you should experience a high tide. If the moon is directly overhead on the opposite side of the planet, you should also experience a high tide.

During the day, the Earth rotates 180 degrees in 12 hours. The moon, meanwhile, rotates 6 degrees around the earth in 12 hours. The twin bulges and the moon's rotation mean that any given coastal town experiences a high tide every 12 hours and 25 minutes or so...

 

[Old Man Dave]

What species of flatfish? How big? How deep? What vis?
You're not related to "Kev" are you. Quote "Went diving in the English Channel, caught fish".
We hunger for info.
Yeah right!
Dave :mute

 

[KWM]

Now now old man Dave, you tell us all your secret spots and I will tell you mine. "Kev"

 

[Almostafish]

Old man Dave

Nothing special at all to be honest. I had 3 fat flounder ( No idea of the weight as I just gut them and eat them ) Most were caught in about 4m of water on the sloped edge of and eddy'd bank. Tide was in the last of the flood and that made for some fun drifts. Hop on over one day and we can show you some nice spots... and all get pissed.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Thanks Almost. Hi Kev :wave

I was interested as I have not got a lot of experience diving in Feb.
What I did know (or thought I did) was that plaice get their rows in Nov/Dec and then bugger off to deep water to breed. There are some small ones under about 1.25 lb (still legal) that hang around as they are not up to breeding size/age yet.
Soles I always thought the same. However recent night dives have seen sole stuffed with row inshore in January. I'm currently trying to find out how/why/where? Have contacted the local Sea Fisheries to see if they have info. Most books seem to be contradictory. Am also trying to wring the secrets from the local netters.
Anyone with any knowledge of winter soles - I'd be interested.
Flounder are rare here as we don't have any rivers/esturies and that seems to be a main flounder habitat. However, have caught a few, which were pretty big (3lb+) and absolutely delicious. Now 'cause they're rare and I'm getting old and soft hearted I tend to let them swim (as I did once this year)
Angling mag's seem to think flounders are worse eating than wrasse! You obviously donn't share that opinion. Prehaps it's the river ones that are manky. Certainly my open sea ones were excellent specimens and as I said very tasty.
Flounders are an inshore winter flatfish - right? Are they full of row/breeding at this time of year?
Antway, whatever, well done for getting stuck in and catching at this time of year.
Dave
PS I chickened out of a solo night dive tonight and stayed in front of the fire. Me a whimp.

 

[Almostafish]

Night diving.. Brrr.

You are right about the flounders being full of roe but if you boil it up it spreads on toast and tastes damm good. They are a little lacking in flavour but a free fish meal at this time of year is a free fish meal. I roasted them with garlic and a little chilli. Send me a PB and I will share hunting sole tips with you if you want..

 

[fearthespear]

There were two more "boys" out with Almostafish, UK Spearo and Flyflicker today. Only lasted half an hour tops before I was beyond comfortable. Found out that 5 degrees (on both our Suunto's) is my limit!

Willi saw a couple of flounder but left them be (probably couldn't swing his blue water gun around to them in time!!!!)

Thanks Ade (Portland Oceaneering) for the coffee...just the job! That Picasso gear looks tasty.

Thank you also Flyflicker for a Savoyesque meal this evening, spectacular bass curry in particular!

Thats me done now until April....Good luck all you "real men"!

 

[Mr. X]

Tides.

Thanks for explanation (good). I am familiar with the basic theory -- I looked it up a few weeks ago when baffled by a couple of odd tidal experiences in Dorset. [There are some good references on the web for this now. I can't recommend the description on the BBC children's website -- it seemed poor. However there are some nice graphics & explanations out there...I found this one quite good & concise: http://www.clupeid.demon.co.uk/tides/simple.html - basic physics but it also describes the cause of the double bulge (most don't) & the spring/neap effect of the sun. [One day I will read this too (longer): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tides].]

Tides around Dorset are unusual (perhaps something to do with the Solent/Chesil Beach?). There are oftendouble low-tides (per high tide). When I was in Newton's cove recently, the water was quite high when I arrived at noon (high tide I thought -- turned out it was just one hour after low tide at Portland), then fell continuously until I left around 3 or 4pm. When I checked the tide charts, low tide was supposed to have been 11am -- the total opposite of what I had experienced. Probably the bulge between the two lows, it went up quickly immediately after low tide & then went down for the second low tide (which is, apparently, often lower that the official low tide:head).

Bass curry?!

 

[Almostafish]

I must admit that I only checked my D3 when I was on shore so I will ammend my temp reading to 5c.. Bloody hell! that would exlplain the pain on my face for the first few minutes then.

Mr X you seem to want to have a 100% understanding of every tiny aspect of spearfishing.. Its not necessary and also when people do find out about when its the best time/place/tide to catch a fish you can be damm sure that they are not going to tell the world. The main thing is to be as relaxed as you can be in the water and this just cant be conjectured or analysed.. Just get in the water and fish. Learn from your mistakes, perhaps dont tell everybody about them, and move on. Its not a quick fix sport. You should be getting somewhere when you have worn out your second wetsuit... Sound about right everybody??

As for the tides I dont seem to pick up on the anomalys that you do. Dont expect the sea to care about what somebody has said its going to be doing in ideal conditions and at chart datum. Make sure your Primary port is Portland and not Devonport. Take into account any storms or surges out at sea by getting a Met report also look at a chart of the area to get an understanding of the dynamics. Buy yourself a program called Total tide if you want hourly updated tidal reports with indicated tidal flows ( Tidal dimonds represented as force vectors ) for the entire world. Its about £1200. Thats what I use in my work as a mate/master on Tugs and its what the RFA and RN navigators use.

Chill baby and enjoy the water for what it is.

 

[flyflicker]

Sounds perfect Almost, just go with the flow X

2006 tide booklet from Portland Oceaneering for £1.40 - bargain!

 

[Mr. X]

Sounds perfect Almost, just go with the flow X

2006 tide booklet from Portland Oceaneering for £1.40 - bargain!

Already got one,. BBC's Tidal information is interesting -perhaps more like the program mentioned - in that it shows visually the double low tide anomally.

I was hoping to go out today but too many late nights last week put paid to that . The cold weather, lack of fish & talk of spawning flatties has sapped my enthusiasm somewhat too. Probably next week. Managed a couple of runs to help start shifting the Christmas excess though (wetsuit felt a tad tighter last time out!).

 

[glowworm]

Well got to the beach today but not in the water,took the dog for a walk along ringstead beach with my girls..

 

[Old Man Dave]

Thanks Almostafish. Here's something to aim for, a 3kg+ sole.
Dave

 

[Almostafish]

No GM fish on here please.. Laff! Like the hair

 

[UK Spearo]

Nice fish old man dave!

 

[glowworm]

You do look like a soul"man in that photo Old Man Dave.....I can almost hear the Bee Gees in the background...rofl rofl

Cannot deny you are the master when it comes to flatties.A lad on the medfish forum has posted a picture of a 6kg turbot shot in 4 meters of water last week.I didn't know they came that shallow.

 

[Almostafish]

Glow worm try Sandsfoot at night..

 

[foxfish]

Apparently, some people used to call him Stavross (probably not the right spelling) you know the guy from Kojak with the mop!

 

[glowworm]

Sandsfoot at night ?? What time of year Almostafish?? I went into Portland Oceaneering on saturday to place a picasso order with Ade and he said you had all been in.Catching turbot at night sounds like a real challange.How do they taste out of the harbour ??? I know fearthesper said he shot some rays in the harbour and they tasted bitter...is that just a ray traight or because they were from the harbour?

 

[Almostafish]

They taste very nice indeed. Come on out with us one day/night and have a crack. Just send us a pm. Prepare to be cold though..!