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Guernsey 2006
- Thread starter portinfer
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
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Had brill for lunch. No I haven't taken out a second mortgage to dine at Da Nello's restaurant but just enjoying part of last nights catch. Went on an international night dive to chaperone Alessandro. Fabio stayed on shore as he was too tired. He only manages to dive 7 or 8 hours a day, every day, now that he’s getting a bit older.
Tried Chouet in not too good conditions but turned out to be fishable if not ideal. Saw the usual pout, crabs, cuttlefish etc but also saw 40 or 50 small red mullet. By small I mean 3 to 4 inches long. Never seen that before. Found about a dozen sole from a few inches up to a couple that were legal at 10 inches but left them to grow a bit. Also saw a small plaice that was just legal but ditto the sole. Did take 2 brill. One was a small but legal 13/14 incher and the other was a fine 2.25 lb-er. Followed this up by managing to lose a nice plaice in the 2 to 3 lb bracket. Don’t ask how as I’m too embarrassed to tell. Alessandro had a couple of bass (as usual) plus a small plaice and a small sole.
Oh! Well, back to wall papering and getting ready for work again on Monday :waterwork .
Dave
Tried Chouet in not too good conditions but turned out to be fishable if not ideal. Saw the usual pout, crabs, cuttlefish etc but also saw 40 or 50 small red mullet. By small I mean 3 to 4 inches long. Never seen that before. Found about a dozen sole from a few inches up to a couple that were legal at 10 inches but left them to grow a bit. Also saw a small plaice that was just legal but ditto the sole. Did take 2 brill. One was a small but legal 13/14 incher and the other was a fine 2.25 lb-er. Followed this up by managing to lose a nice plaice in the 2 to 3 lb bracket. Don’t ask how as I’m too embarrassed to tell. Alessandro had a couple of bass (as usual) plus a small plaice and a small sole.
Oh! Well, back to wall papering and getting ready for work again on Monday :waterwork .
Dave
The sh1t weather this weekend gave me the opportunity to sort out weight belt and float etc., following my dive with Foxfish. Went to see his brother Dave to give him a break from wallpapering
and he kindly sorted me out with some 4lb weights to go on my existing webbing belt, although I'll probably switch to a home made neoprene belt plus " Dave special" weights. Again learnt more in 1 hour than I have in a year's spearing on my own.
Also visited Squeaker at the Dive Shop for some bits and pieces, and asked if he had any flags to go on my float - as it happened he had a proper "Diver Down" flag which came from a broken proper float, which he knidly gave me. Attached is the equipment I have assembled. Any other suggestions welcome!
More soon - will also post this on the Home Made section.
and he kindly sorted me out with some 4lb weights to go on my existing webbing belt, although I'll probably switch to a home made neoprene belt plus " Dave special" weights. Again learnt more in 1 hour than I have in a year's spearing on my own.Also visited Squeaker at the Dive Shop for some bits and pieces, and asked if he had any flags to go on my float - as it happened he had a proper "Diver Down" flag which came from a broken proper float, which he knidly gave me. Attached is the equipment I have assembled. Any other suggestions welcome!
More soon - will also post this on the Home Made section.
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Colin - looks like you are getting all the gear ready 
And I guess your Mamba will be here soon (-ish ... Italian time...) so then you will be well kitted out.
I find it useful to have a weight on the end of the float line but others tie direct to the gun - my way is more risky if you shoot a tuna but other than that it works for me
Saw Mart's float recently - looked good and like the spare knife stuck in the foam - good idea (I 'donated' one to neptune recently so watch your feet around the Lihou causeway....).
Ed
And I guess your Mamba will be here soon (-ish ... Italian time...) so then you will be well kitted out.I find it useful to have a weight on the end of the float line but others tie direct to the gun - my way is more risky if you shoot a tuna but other than that it works for me
Saw Mart's float recently - looked good and like the spare knife stuck in the foam - good idea (I 'donated' one to neptune recently so watch your feet around the Lihou causeway....).
Ed
You mean the Mamba won't be here on Monday?
Actually, note the small sash-type weights alongside - I was thinking of clipping them on my belt, with the option of tethering the float to them, e.g. in weed.:hmm Will have to see whether this works in practise.
Cheers
Colin
Actually, note the small sash-type weights alongside - I was thinking of clipping them on my belt, with the option of tethering the float to them, e.g. in weed.:hmm Will have to see whether this works in practise.
Cheers
Colin
Colin's not the only one who's been doing some DIY.
As I'm getting the mamba soon (hopefully) I've decided to make a new barrel for my comanche to make it shorter and easier to use at night. Its going to be 75ish in length, though probably work out a bit shorter.
As the muzzle and handle fit inside the barrel I'm using two bits of copper pipe (cheers Dave, its a perfect fit) to fit each end, and between them I'm going to fit a nice bit of wood to make the up the length.
Not sure whether to go with the burnished or brushed finish for the copper yet though.
As I'm getting the mamba soon (hopefully) I've decided to make a new barrel for my comanche to make it shorter and easier to use at night. Its going to be 75ish in length, though probably work out a bit shorter.
As the muzzle and handle fit inside the barrel I'm using two bits of copper pipe (cheers Dave, its a perfect fit) to fit each end, and between them I'm going to fit a nice bit of wood to make the up the length.
Not sure whether to go with the burnished or brushed finish for the copper yet though.
Attachments
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Nice one Tom - that nice shiny copper should attract the fish!
Do you think we will need to mod the Mamba a la Foxfish ( well perhaps not quite as snazzy) or was it just because he had the longer spear? If it needs a bit more buoyancy at the end I was thinking just a bit of pipe insulation might do for now - don't know how well the standard sizes will fit the barrel?
Looks like another day in the workshop by the look of the weather and sea conditions - although the other half seems to have some log chopping planned out for me ...
:martial
Colin
Do you think we will need to mod the Mamba a la Foxfish ( well perhaps not quite as snazzy) or was it just because he had the longer spear? If it needs a bit more buoyancy at the end I was thinking just a bit of pipe insulation might do for now - don't know how well the standard sizes will fit the barrel?
Looks like another day in the workshop by the look of the weather and sea conditions - although the other half seems to have some log chopping planned out for me ...
:martial
Colin
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No modification will ne "needed" I'm sure, but that doesn't mean some won't be forthcoming anyway! Its all part of the fun eh!
Foxy's sleeve was primarily due to the longer, heavier spear yeh, but I know Ed thinks it needs some extra muzzle floatation in its standard spec too.
Foxy's sleeve was primarily due to the longer, heavier spear yeh, but I know Ed thinks it needs some extra muzzle floatation in its standard spec too.
Quite right Magpie you dont need to modify a perfectly good gun, just pop over to Medfish to see how capable a mamba can be. (you can find out a bit more about my mods as well, under pimp my gun.) However even with the standard spear you will find the gun nose heavy, this is not necessarily a problem especially considering the gun is so manoeuvrable. Any how I am working on a new sleeve that wont require removing the fore sight or line clip. This time I am building a fibreglass two part mold so I can make as many as I like quite cheaply. I will post some pics as work progresses but it is a very complex & time consuming construccion.
Big search on for a diver who was reported overdue yesterday afternoon (about 5pm - I think). Diving out of Fermain. No talk of a boat so assume either a shore scuba dive or I suppose more likely a snorkeller? Lifeboat/Air search and now a dive team are involved. Tide would have been running north yesterday afternoon so shouldn't have been swept away and it's a very small tide so not too much flow. Doesn't sound good but can survive a long time in a wet or dry suit this time of year. Not much any of us can do. It's even too rough to search in the boat so just hope for the best.
Dave
Dave
I was out sailing yesterday afternoon (it was pretty rough we hit 18kts with the spi up!) When we came in at 2:30 there were a couple of guys in a rib on boatworks fuelling pontoon who were going diving. We joked about being rough. Not sure if they were local I've not seen the rib before (orange and black humber 6-7m). They had all the gear and seemed to know what they were about . I havn't been out today so don't know any more. Fingers crossed.
Andy
Andy
Hope it all turns out to be a bit of confusion and everyones safe and sound.
My gun project continues, having obtained a nice lump of mahogany (Cheers Dave) I set about making a right mess of it with me saw. But its only a very rough shape so I haven't totally ruined it....yet!
My gun project continues, having obtained a nice lump of mahogany (Cheers Dave) I set about making a right mess of it with me saw. But its only a very rough shape so I haven't totally ruined it....yet!
Attachments
The Float, part 2!
Attached is what I've done so far. Any suggestions or comments welcome...
As it happens, the loop on the weights are a nice tight fit on the line, so I can move them along as necessary according to depth of water, and loop the rest out of the way.
Attached is what I've done so far. Any suggestions or comments welcome...
As it happens, the loop on the weights are a nice tight fit on the line, so I can move them along as necessary according to depth of water, and loop the rest out of the way.
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Thanks OMD, I was planning to follow your instructions last week but left my old fillet knife at home:duh. We did manage to borrow a decent BBQ though. I saw some huge Wrasse in Cornwall. I shot 2 which I estimated at 5+lb (having shot a 5.5lb one last year). I didn't realise they reached 8lb. I should have weighed them as one was really stocky ...about the same size as the other but maybe 2 or 3x as thick. Never seen such a wide fish before - although yours looks pretty wide in the picture.Old Man Dave said:
Cooked one whole (bar head & guts) in foil with a small amount of olive oil & slices of lime over coals ... the skin charred & was easily peeled off. Should not have frozen such a thick fish though - took a lot of cooking!
The other I cut into steaks & then coated in a marinade, then individually wrapped the steaks in foil to go over the coals. The marinade prevented the skin charring, which made skin removal more difficult. The first fish tasted better (it reminded me of a nice piece of haddock, others said cod - firm, moist, meaty white flakes, with a subtle taste as OMD said). Also cooked up a bass with the marinade & some fresh basil...although I think it would be fine just grilled with nothing added. The bass did rather show up the wrasse, but everybody ate both -- & they are quite picky.Got a couple of pollock in the deep freeze from yesterday morning. Plan to cook them tomorrow (any suggestions?) - will probably just grill or fry them, esp. as we have never tried pollock before.
Had my first dip on Friday after being scuppered by ear probs for a couple of years.
Quite a ground sea running so went to the shelter of Longis Bay. Viz was poor at about 3m but saw a couple of small bass, pollack & rockies. Crossed the bay over the sand but saw nothing, the viz got a lot better too.
Found a big old wrasse in an old tumbled down jetty, now just a load of boulders. So watched her for while, didn't want to shoot it.
Now I know where she is I'll return in the angling festival and hopefully catch her, keep her alive in a bongo, weigh her in and then put her back for next year!!
Quite a ground sea running so went to the shelter of Longis Bay. Viz was poor at about 3m but saw a couple of small bass, pollack & rockies. Crossed the bay over the sand but saw nothing, the viz got a lot better too.
Found a big old wrasse in an old tumbled down jetty, now just a load of boulders. So watched her for while, didn't want to shoot it.
Now I know where she is I'll return in the angling festival and hopefully catch her, keep her alive in a bongo, weigh her in and then put her back for next year!!
"NO SIGN OF MISSING DIVER
A joint rescue effort by all of Guernsey's sea rescue services has failed to find a diver missing off the… Island's coast. The search was stood down just after 4pm yesterday. Guernsey's emergency services were first launched late Saturday afternoon to search for a diver between Havelet and St Martin's point. It's believed missing person was diving in Fermain Bay. The search had to be stopped on Saturday evening due to bad light but resumed first thing on Sunday morning. The Flying Christine, the inshore lifeboats, Channel Islands air search and the Police diving team were all involved in the search. No sign of the diver was found and the search was stood down at 4.15pm. Guernsey Police think they know the identity of the diver but will not release a name until it can be confirmed."
I heard this morning it was someone on his own tank diving @ fermain. The guy I work with knows his uncle. Apparantley he got up early on sat am to go diving. When he didn't return home late afternoon the search was started and looked at the places he was known to go. They found his car at the top of Fermain and clothes on the rocks. Sounds very sad.