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Dorset Spearfishing

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Sorry Mr X that was a ref to flyfliker about a training pool that we use, you are welcome to com along if you wish. Send me a PM if you want more info.

As for the viz I/we do tend to swim out quite far and go fairly deep depending on what we are after... Hope the muscles get better!

B. :cool:
 
Scallops.. Would you find these on all coasts? and how deep. Have not seen these on my dives (are you free diving for these?). Thanks.. (I'll search other posts for scallops incase their is another thread on these!..
 
Pav look for scallops on flat sandy bottoms with slight plant growth. Look for the little white frongs with dots on the ends around the shell and they will normally be flat shell side up in a small mud/sand indent.... All spearo and collecting should be done freediving in my humble opinion.

Hope it helps :cool:
 
I got lucky, saw an old shell. There were just a few. A couple were jammed between pebbles -- those were hard to see. They sometimes open up too. I picked up one that I thought was just an old, empty open pair of shells & when I looked for it amongst my catch --it had closed up like the rest of them!:D Interesting creatures.

I have no idea how they are distributed -- I would be very surprised if there aren't some to be had in Hampshire, Devon & Cornwall too though (and Ireland judging by Huan's recent comments).

Yes, snorkel -- not scuba. (All the scuba divers I have met don't eat seafood beyond fish & chips anyway!)
 
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Thanks for that Mr x and Almost a Fish. How deep / far from the low tide mark are you finding them? I'll have a hunt for them on the north devon / cornwall coast next year and let you know how I go. I wander however if our heavy swells would make this coast less suited to them as our sand banks move around a lot. I'll be sure to feedback if I find one!
 
You start to find them at 5-6m+. It takes a while to get your eye in but when you do its worth it. Remember your size limits and only take what you are going to eat. Enjoy! :cool:
 
Interested to know if you have you ever spotted Cod on your winter dives?
 
Dorset: Weymouth Squid & Cuttlefish?

:wave [ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?p=576059#post576059"]Dorset: Weymouth Squid & Cuttlefish?[/ame]
 
We're off to Weymouth for a crimbo eve spear this saturday...anyone else having a go?? I know it's late but it'll be fun! :)
 
Good luck, I read an article in the current Sea Angler magazine about catching decent winter bass in 18 inches of water (Lymington I believe). I have also yesterday spoken to a shore angler mate in Newquay who reckons they are still catching good bass in the shorebreak on the full low tide on peeler crab....they're still there, just.
 
Pav said:
Interested to know if you have you ever spotted Cod on your winter dives?
Probably best not to shoot cod these days. Just read a detailed article in the Telegraph about the new fishing quotas. Scientist want to halt cod fishing for a few years - but failed. I think they estimate total cod population at 40 tonnes (these numbers are my best recollection -- best verify yourself -- not sure if that is all UK waters, might be just North Sea) but the EU will allow 21 tonnes to be caught next year -- more than half of the already dangerously depleted population; there will also be "bycatch" by fisherman trying to catch other fish & illegal fishing too. So 2 years from now, it will be interesting to see if there will be any cod left -- I guess the fisherman will move onto something else. We have all stopped buying cod (haddock is the traditional fish with chips & I prefer mackeral/Bass/sole/red snapper/tuna/...).
 
Thinking of spearing Saturday or Monday -- anybody been in or looked at the sea this week? I was up in York & visited the sea from there -- very choppy.
I was thinking about trying Weymouth, outside harbour walls from Newton Bay (sp?) (is this allowed/worthwhile?).
 
Mr. X said:
Thinking of spearing Saturday or Monday -- anybody been in or looked at the sea this week? ...I was thinking about trying Weymouth, outside harbour walls from Newton Bay (sp?) (is this allowed/worthwhile?).
Thinking of spearing Monday -- how is the sea looking down there??

Thinking about Newton Bay or maybe the Bill (although this time of year perhaps better to stick with the bays...I have more than doubled the weight on my belt too). I might take a fishing rod -- I have a feeling conditions will be poor :(. [I see it is windy but the wind is coming overland -- I am wondering if the bays might be spared the effects?]

BTW AlmostAFish -- you should do something with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for the River Cottage TV series. They're Dorset-based and have done boat fishing, squid, scuba diving for lobster/congor eel...seems like spearfishing ought to be next ;).
 
Mr. X said:
BTW AlmostAFish -- you should do something with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for the River Cottage TV series. They're Dorset-based and have done boat fishing, squid, scuba diving for lobster/congor eel...seems like spearfishing ought to be next ;).

He has a spearo mate called Gary Fook apparently who is credited with a 'Chinese sea bass' recipe cooked on the rocks of Portland Bill in his brilliant 'the River Cottage cookbook' (the one with Hugh carrying two piglets under his arms)..Page 331........
Perhaps Almostafish was around?...:D
 
A very Happy New Year to all spearo's.2005 was a great learning curve with new friends made and knowledge shared.A big thanks to Ben and Ade at Portland Oceaneering for all their help and the fantastic spearo BBQ's (maybe this year we can catch more fish for them)rofl rofl rofl Maybe we could get Hugh to dust off his wetsuit and come to a spearo BBQ.

Here's to a year of perfect spearfishing weather and obliging fish.

Keep safe and i hope we will all meet soon enough.
 
Weymouth Salvage - Weight Belt + flag - Reward offered (Doh!)

Had a bad day today: :eek: Accidently dropped my weight belt:inlove-:mad:->:waterwork & float flag at Newton's Cove, Weymouth today (BTW Happy Year all!:friday ) The belt is pretty distinctive:

1. Rob Allen black rubber Marseille-buckle weight belt (with green plastic triangle near buckle); 4x RA D-shaped weights (about .75Kg) 2 at either ends (may have reflective tape on them); 4x bright Yellow 1Kg weights along the back.:waterwork

2. Also, lost: Blue-White "Diver down" alpha float flag (from my Rob Allen float).:(


Reward offered: cash or cash & dive knife (+ shipping or can pick up from south coast, etc.). [Loads o' rep. too!;)]

Location:http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.c...zm=0&scale=5000&multimap.x=487&multimap.y=299

Newton's Cove from the carpark nearest the Nothe fort. I entered the water in front of the 3 benches closest to the fort around noon. The belt must have been released as the sea washed me over some large rocks just below the surface & covered in kelp -- about 50 feet out from shore and directly in line with the 3rd bench I reckon; on or around the low rock barrier. When the sea levels drops the rocks start to become visible, a few inches under the surface. There is a prominant sloping "limestone pavement" that juts out at lower tide levels (it is invisible at high tide, covered by water, but is quite prominant as the sea level drops) -- I reckon I was washed over the shallow rocks immediately North East (left, when looking out to sea) of the limestone pavement (I may have been on the left edge of the pavement -- but I walked over that later).

[I entered the water a little closer to the fort (in front of the second bench?) at a vague natural step of rock -- the water was shallow & clear here when I left, the belt is not there. I noticed the belt was missing almost immediately I had cleared the rocks and immediately started looking for it, retracing my steps as best I could. There was a lot of water, waves & plankton though at 1pm -- conditions looked much better at 3pm (I was able to walk over the weed covered limestone pavement & some of the adjacent rocks) but I had to leave :(]

Should be a pretty easy retrieval at low tide [I stayed as long as I could but one of the party is quite ill, so we had to return promptly] the water involved shrunk drastically at low tide & the water cleared & calmed a lot --no time to suit up again though :(. When I originally entered, the water never got real deep... I quickly reached weed & rock - got washed over & crawled across the rock barrier, swam a few kicks, loaded my speargun but then immediately noticed the belt had gone.

Not sure what happened with the float flag -- I got distacted while screwing it in at the car and it probably got knocked out crossing the rock barrier (doh!). [Checked the float today -- looks like the flag was screwed in ok but got levered out, must have been crossing the rocks].
 
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glowworm said:
A big thanks to Ben and Ade at Portland Oceaneering for all their help and the fantastic spearo BBQ's (maybe this year we can catch more fish for them)rofl rofl rofl Maybe we could get Hugh to dust off his wetsuit and come to a spearo BBQ.
quote]

Damn right Johno! This time we put real .50 cal ammo on board the duck, and prime those grenades (just in case we end up with nothing like last timerofl )
Tilly withdrawl symptoms biting hard?
 
Withdrawl really hit home today as went to Ringsted with the family to walk the dog.Sea was calm but no vis after strong swell,but tide was very low so noticed some intresting points on the reef for us too explore later.Need to work off the christmas excess from my waist line before i get back into my wetsuit.


.50 cal and handgrenedes ??? i wonder what the harbour master would make of thatrofl rofl rofl
 
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