Guernsey 2006

[crazyman]

Going on the last couple of days and seeing the ammount of swell on the beach across my road i dont think the viz will be that good.
what i do is try a spot, and if the vis is not very good i get on my noble steed and move to somewere else, (get a few funny looks though on my motor bike with my spear gun tucked down the back of my bag).

 

[Andy.R]

Thanks for your inputs on a new suit. I bit the bullet and ordered the 6.5mm Omer cammo. Being unlined reminds me of a Barbara Nicolle jacket I had in the early 70's. It was smooth neoprene glued with yellow tape. You used to have to use talcum powder to get it on, then it would rip. I remember it was as good as useless, it was second hand and didnt fit, but at 15 I was proud.

Still got a double lined 7mm Technisub circa 1978 which I can still get into!!!! (but not move once in!!)

Sam, I remember riding my suzuki 100 with all my gear inc speargun, nice to hear times don't change :naughty

I snuck out of work early today with a thought about going in but too rough and the viz would have been worse than crap.

Weekend looks grim but might have to go in somewhere

Andy

ps torch now seems to work on both bulbs Means I can fry those fish still in the sea. Not sure if I dare suggest a night dive though? I'll wait to be invited

 

[Trip15]

I'll keep an eye out for you on your bike crazyman!

Andy, I had a Barbara Nicolle suit too which was very good but I had to stop using it when I got too big! I seem to remember I sold it so it had another lease of life. Also had to use talc to get it on. My elios with a bit of conditioner (or whatever) seems a lot easier to get on.

 

[Magpie]

So what does everyone think the viz is going to be like on the weekend? Worth going in?

Pretty poor I reckon, and just as a warning there will be rod danglers everywhere this weekend.

 

[Sarnian]

Pretty poor I reckon, and just as a warning there will be rod danglers everywhere this weekend.

Don't we have a term for anglers, equivalent to spearo? Roddos? Hookers? Danglers? :hmm
Does anyone know what the conditions are like for going out this weekend? Haven't been able to do much as I've b*gg*red my shoulder and couldn't even touch my other arm - a slight disadvatage!
My suit is a 2 piece 5mm Imersion from Apnea in Jersey - not cheap at around £150, but very good once you learn the trick of lubricating to put it on! - and more importantly taking it off! As for camo, there's discussion elsewhere on this thread, and also an interesting article in ( I hate to say it!) the Jersey spearfishing club site. See also Foxfish's fancy artwork on his guns!

 

[portinfer]

http://magicseaweed.com/Guernsey-Surf-Report/167/

Looks like there is a bit of a lull ( ) until Wednesday and then alot of swell.... thinking of taking up surfing

Ed

 

[Andy.R]

I went in this afternoon for a mega three-hour session at the tea drinking place. Guess what... Nothing.

The viz was not as bad has I expected however there was a constant ground swell which made conditions not all that pleasant. It was warm and pleasant apart from getting waved at by an angler,who I don't think was saying hello! I was well away from him and did keep well away although thought otherwise with his unpleasant attitude - why do people have to be like that? The sea is big enough for everyone surely?

I worked in and out of the thong weed and then dived outside over the sand bank at 20-25 feet. I found an old evinrude 15 horsepower outboard buried in the sand with just the tip of the propeller showing, but no flat fish. I managed to bring home 2 male spiders which are cooking as I type this.

I intend to have another crack tomorrow afternoon and am keen to try to the small bay at the end of the knife, prob go in at 2:00 ish so may see somebody there?

Andy
(ever hopeful and mindful of the fact that if you don't go in you won't catch)

 

[foxfish]

Andy you might be better staying inside the knife? It is sheltered there at least from the swell & usually better vis. Right on the point of the knife is where I saw that really big bass!

 

[portinfer]

Went in yesterday for an hour and when you dived below the surface the vis wasn't too bad - definitely fishable...

Saw two mullet on some aspettos around 8m / 1:20 but nothing much other than that so I started to have a forage under some ledges for lobsters (I hoped) but instead discovered the awesome power of snake lock anenomes ! Bloody hell a really really really bad sting.... so be warned .... if you ever have the misfortune of brushing one you will know what I mean.

I must have brushed past one and it managed to sting me on the cheek between the mask and the hood - within seconds it felt like someone was slicing my cheek open with razor blades and I drove back home to sort it out and noticed a massive welt on the side of my face - all swollen etc.... Not sure what to do with these types of stings but I put vinegar on it and hot water - seemed to do the trick but there is a still a big welt there today.... Any info on these deadly sea creatures ? Still hurts a fair amount...

Oh - didn't catch anything

Ed

(EDIT : just read a bit about them... some people are more sensitive to the sting than others. A guy even died from liver failure (similar species but in Florida) after being stung by an anemone on the shoulder. Apparently you should douse the stung area in vinegar for at least 30 minutes to neutralise the stings that have not fired off yet. You shouldn't rub the area and shouldn't do anything else... seem that not much is known about the poison in anenomes (they ALL sting apparently) so the current wisdom is to do nothing that may contribute to further harm. Either way I will be ALOT more careful of these little buggers....)

 

[Andy.R]

Went in as planned this afternoon.

Met up with OMD. Caught a nice plaice of 3lb 10oz and a handful of clams . I was in for 2hours, as I left all I could see of dave were his fins constantly pointing skywards!! I'll be interested to hear what he caught. Before we went in he was muttering something about lobsters and holes.

Nice dive viz pretty good again bit rough out at the end of the knife, took a few waves down the snorkel. didn't see much else apart from a couple of cuttles loads of small red mullet oh and 3 other divers.

Andy

Ed, my younger son had a similar experience. He looked like Mick Jagger, difficult not to laugh at him.

 

[portinfer]

Cheers Andy ... yeah, I always thought anenomes were pretty harmless and not the leathal little buggers that they are... might be cheaper than botox or whatever women use to get Mick type lips ...

What exactly was your son doing to the anenome ?!

Ed

 

[foxfish]

Bad luck Ed, I know a few people who have been stung on the face? I guess at least you have a reasonable excuse. I think it can only be the more sensitive parts of skin that are effected? I have handled many snakelocks without any discomfort.
Nice fish Andy.

 

[Old Man Dave]

As Andy has already mentioned I was in this afternoon. Stayed in 3 hours for a really good look around. Had been planning to go out in the boat but it was too rough. The southerly force 3 to 4 turned out to be southeasterly force 5 to 6, hence the marathon snorkel instead.

Looked for flatfish first and got 3 plaice, none as big as Andys but 3 nice plaice never the less. Then had a look in "trigger fish" reef. Had seen a small lobster, a big conger and a million wrasse last time I was there but today all the holes were empty apart from some small crabs and pout.

Finished off the day by looking for a bass. Saw 5 mullet in total and 3 large (over 5lb) wrasse, was tempted, but left them all for another day. No bass were seen.

Dave

 

[Huw]

Hi guys.

Short and sweet question... I need to buy some gloves! my fingers have been sliced, spiked and stabbed too many times this season and so i think that it is time to admit that i do actually need some and buy a pair .

I never really liked the idea of using them for spearfishing because i really like to feel the trigger, and prefer my hands to be as manoverable as possible. Just wondering what thickness the gloves you are wearing are, and which model / makes?

3mm seems a bit thick to me, am i right? I like the look of the riffe ones on www.speargun.com because of the fact that they are manoverable, but have a kevlar lining for strength.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Huw.

 

[ADM]

I just got some from Quayside, pretty thin but nice and easy to move with them, they had a whack of sizes in a big bucket, about £8 I think.

 

[foxfish]

Huw I always wear gloves, I feel more confident crabbing hold of speared fish that way. My brother doesn't wear gloves for the same reason Andy obviously had a good price from Quayside but unfortunately it is a locale shop. I also brought mine from there, 3mm double lined with little sticky patches on the palms. Other reasons I wear them is to match my camo suit & to keep warm. I have found no problems with firing my gun but it is not easy trying to untangle knots!

 

[Magpie]

Nice work Andy! Could have done with that plaice this weekend fishing!

I've always used glove to keep me hands warm, protect from fish/rock damage and make loading more comfortable. It was January when I was buying my gear so I got 5mm ones and I'm still using them now. I've found no problems using them at all so I don't think 3mm would be too thick.

And finally, I'ver never had any problems with snakelocks, and have handled lots, never tried to snog one though so don't know how my face would like it!

 

[Andy.R]

Picture of yesterday's fish. Ref the snakelocks my son was prodding them in a rock pool then wiped his mouth with his hand. (thats what he says, we still call him the anenome snogger though.)

Andy

edit: The new suit has just arrived!!

 

[Guern211]

Hi Guys not been spearing yet but I tried the knife for the speccy hunt and pulled out a 4lb 14oz bass just short of qualifying but I'm pleased all the same.

Still trying for the sole though OMD! They are as elusive as ever!

I got stung by a jelly fish in spain this year I didn't do anything to it and it eventually went away after a couple of hours. I read up on them when I got back and vinegar or wee sparks off of the remaining barbs poison so you get the full hit and then you have to wait for it wear off. Also made a note to learn how to say jellyfish in spanish next time I go as I felt a right idiot trying to describe jellyfish with my hands!

 

[Huw]

Cheers guys. I think i will buy some gloves for next year. My buddy wears just one glove at a time; so that he has one hand to grab the speared fish with, and a hand free for trigger work etc.

I think that i will go with 3mm then.

Thanks for your responses.

Huw.