Dorset Spearfishing 2015

[scrumpy]

Well done terry mate

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Guys - i've clarified the rules with the Staff and the Forum Rules - https://forums.deeperblue.com/help/rules/ - now have the following two clauses which cover the topics we've discussed:

Comply with local, regional and national laws

There are topics on this forum that include activities governed by local, regional and national laws in your country - for example Spearfishing activities. Please ensure that your posts and any photos you post are compliant with any legal requirements otherwise you will find you post(s) and photo(s) removed

Complaints against posts and photos will results in them being removed

We run a simple system on the forums. If more than 3 different people use the reporting system to complain against a thread, post or photo will result in it being removed from public view whilst the forum staff review the complaints.

Trolls fall under this clause:

What Can't I Say?

Nothing sabotages a healthy conversation like rudeness:

• Be civil. Don’t post anything that a reasonable person would consider offensive, abusive, or hate speech.
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These are not concrete terms with precise definitions — avoid even the appearance of any of these things. If you’re unsure, ask yourself whether you'd go on TV and publicly say it on camera.

This is a public forum, and search engines index these discussions. Keep the language, links, and images safe for family and friends.

So to clarify - night diving is not an illegal activity so is perfectly acceptable to be discussed on these forums.

 

[scrumpy]

Great news. lets all move on.
happy diving everyone

 

[Pointandhope]

Where's my torch?

 

[jpp]

Thank you for clarifying.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Pointandhope]

On a serious note, if anybody could report any slim chance of viz from swanage to portland next day or 2. Looks like there may be a weather window sun or mon. Thanks in advance.

 

[Paul M]

Last Saturday after dinner I checked BBC Weather website and saw nice forecast. Decided to risk a drive to Dorset not knowing what conditions are there after all those gales.
Phoned my son Michal and told him to be ready for ride asap. We left Fareham at 6pm. Boat launched in Lulworth Cove half past 9pm.
In the cove water was very milky but outside, a bit away, was better. We headed eastwards and checked what visibility was at Mupe Rocks - was dive-able but we wanted not only to catch a fish but also to have some fun and pleasure while hunting under water. Continued towards Kimmeridge Ledges. There quality of the water was much better - vis up to 10m over stony bottom. No fish there. We sailed back making three stops at Gad Clif, Worbarrow Tout and Worbarrow Bay. The best visibility was under Gad Clif - up to 12m! Everywhere not many fish spotted and no lobsters. I got only 2 Sea Bass and Michal got 3 Bass, 1 Dog Fish, 1 Pollack.
We felt ourself very comfortable what supprised me because previous time we got frozen very fast. I checked my Suunto and found that the temperature of the water rose up to 17 degrees Celsius! Before diving that night I expected opposite. Nice surprise.
On Sunday we went to Kimmeridge to launch the boat. Sailed westwards, made several stops, spent 4 hours there and went back with one fish caught by Michal - nice Gray Mullet. Where is all the fish we saw there ten days ago, gone?

 

[Mr. X]

Weather forecasts look promising for this weekend ;^)

 

[Mr. X]

...
So to clarify - night diving is not an illegal activity so is perfectly acceptable to be discussed on these forums.

It is legal in this country (UK) - not necessarily everywhere.

 

[Paul M]

Weather forecasts look promising for this weekend ;^)

Indeed, looks nice. I'm on my way although do not know what the vis is like.
I plan to do one dip tonight, one tomorrow afternoon and one on Sunday early morning. Not sure about Sunday afternoon. It depends if I can find a buddy to join me. My boats need two persons to launch and bring out them.

 

[Pointandhope]

Planning on a dip tomorrow,an hour before low and two after, to make use of the tide to explore some new ground. Would expect reasonable viz, but it is a big tide.

 

[Pointandhope]

Never managed to get in on Sunday, so took a gamble with this wind and went this arvo to an area sheltered by tall cliffs(damn long walk mind), and has held viz in similar conditions. I was despondent when I looked from the cliff top, but at ground level looked doable. Got in on a super low tide and stayed in for 3 hrs up. Viz was 2-4m with a slight swell but ok. Went out slightly deeper than I have before and was surprised to find barren clay out there, came in 5m shallower and found the edge of a large reef extending up to the high water line and running several hundred metres along the shore. Found some small pollock with a few takers here and there, managed to miss two nice ones, FUDGE IT! Drifted along with the breeze, and it was the same story all over, so picked out a brace of pollock. What really peed me off was missing 5 big sweet mullet down at 8-10m. Came home with the pollock and a pair of mullet at 3lbs each. Nice afternoon but missing is getting old, I have changed the bands for the next diameter up and also changed from dyneema line to mono, so maybe that has upset things. I'd like to review some of the camera footage to see if I can see where I'm missing. Happy days. Not a single bass seen, although it hasn't been a great bass mark.

 

[Mr. X]

The weather forecast is looking promising for spearing again this weekend: http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day/Weymouth+DOR+United+Kingdom+UKXX0317:1:UK
Bit warm for the start of the pheasant season though.

 

[Pointandhope]

The weather forecast is looking promising for spearing again this weekend: http://uk.weather.com/weather/10day/Weymouth+DOR+United+Kingdom+UKXX0317:1:UK
Bit warm for the start of the pheasant season though.

Some of us have been shooting partridges for a whole month in this warmth.

 

[Pointandhope]

Just back from a quick dip on the purbecks. Was running later than planned and I knew the wind was due to kick up around 11am. Got in at 10:30 to fair viz and slight swell. Within the hour though viz was plummeting and the swell was drowning my snorkel, I took off a bit of weight which helped, but also made duck diving difficult and therefore bottom times were rubbish. I was surprised how barren everything looked compared to a few weeks ago when there was lush long kelp, and baitfish everywhere. I saw only a few mediocre pollock of note, not a single bass on what is a reasonable spot for them. However, I didn't get to a mark I found a while back as the swell was a bloody nightmare, and spent the whole 1.5hrs in a small cove. Came home with 2 pollock around 2lbs each. Probably the last time in for a week or two looking at the weather forecast.

 

[Pointandhope]

A short vid of the last couple of trips.




I should add that the nickname comes from my mate who has the youtube channel shotaway films.

 

[halfandy]

Nice video. I wish I could slow down time like that!

 

[Pointandhope]

Another trip today to purbeckshire again. With the northerly winds I chanced a long walk to a very remote rugged bay sheltered from that wind, and was not disappointed with the viz, pretty fair apart from a narrow band against the shore. I rounded a small headland where my buddy found some nice fish 12 months ago, and straight away found some life in loose shoals of mullet and bass, I had a 20 min period when every dive I was greeted by skittish bass and mullet. A bit of sub par shooting later and I had a bass, a mullet and 3 pollock on the stringer. Unfortunately the bay I had planned to explore I never even reached after 2 1/2 hrs in, so took a long swim back to the first spot I found some life, but the viz had dropped with the ebbing tide, so left a bit early to tackle the hike. Here's hoping the settled weather continues so that I can actually explore that bay, my appetite is well and truly whetted as I shot a modest pollock right on the beginning of the bay and the moment the spear hit I saw a big silver fish bolt away just in the gloom. A couple more dives yielded no answer. Always the way that the best spots are the most inaccessible.

 

[spearoeddy]

Enjoyed the video, pointandhope you are a pollack menace! How do you make them taste good? I've got into brining them which firms them up and is quick. I tried foxfish's suggestion of waiting a day or so for the flavour to develop. Maybe I didn't wait long enough!

 

[foxfish]

Probably just repeating myself but Pollock in my opinion is a fine fish but the size does influence the flavour & texture.
Small ones around 1.1/2lb are nice as a boneless fillet with skin on (scaled though) just pan fried fresh.
Middle ones around 3-5lb are the most difficult to serve but leaving their flesh in the fridge for two days will dramatically improve flavour!
Big ones over 10lb are great.. like cod with taste, really big ones (Wreck caught in winter) have huge flakes of flesh and like 6 months in the freezer.