Guernsey 2006

[foxfish]

Dave you might get a response from Colin, I walked down the beach with him, by the knife. I am so disappointed about not being able to dive at the moment, I loaded up my gear & went to look at the sea with the intention of trying a hour in the water. When I saw Colin I thought I would let him test it first. He confirmed my fears, crap vis, so I didn't bother.
PS some spear Col.

 

[Andy.R]

Went everywhere today

Drove up west coast, checked out west coast Herm, east coast herm, humps, barbees, Fermain, Petit Port, soldiers, havelet..... all crap

Have to get in somewhere tomorrow. might try rousse or chouet on the low tide, or maybe my secret plaice spot between brehon and herm

Maybe do a tank scalloping?

Andy

 

[Sarnian]

Right

Well I thought I'd try the Knife and I saw Foxfish so he kindly acted as my Sherpa with all my gear - float, hand spear etc. and in turn I was his guinea pig to go in and check the vis. Well the rhs of the Knife was really crap, and so Mart went off to try somewhere else. I then went across to the lhs and it was at least clear enough to see the bottom, so I tried out my new handspear I just made, but didn't manage to see any flatties. In fact I only saw a shoal of longnose - I had to try a pot-shot ( well you do don't you) and the odd rockie, but vis was really crap. I hadn't seen longnose underwater before and they look almost translucent. Also saw a pipefish and a weird small fish on the bottom which looked a bit like a gurnard, but with striking black and white markings. Could also have been a weaver perhaps ?( the French eat them you know!) In the end, all I found was a cockle to stick in my paella tomorrow

 

[Old Man Dave]

Popped in down west for a quick dive this afternoon. Vis is fine provided you're in more than 3 foot depth. Could see the bottom from the surface in 20 foot. Caught one big plaice and missed a big bass. Going out now so edit this post with more details and a picture tonight.

Went in Port Grat half an hour before the big low spring tide. Had taken my little 75cm gun as I thought the vis would be bad and anyway was going to target flatties. Only loaded the 16mm rubber to the first notch. Putting my fins on in 2 foot of water I couldn't see the bottom. However as I swam out into 6 foot the vis cleared and looked very fishable. I circled a reef that lay across my route out to sea. Then I saw it. A really big bass, close to 10lb, came cruising along the sand bordering the reef. It was 2 foot off the bottom in about 6 foot of water and passed me by within a few feet. I lined it up and let fly. Unfortunately the gun just didn't have the power. I hit it in the shoulder area but with a shrug it pulled the spear free. I hate loosing fish, especially if i wound them. Hopefully this one will recover. If i had been using any of my other bigger guns or prehaps even if the rubber had been on the back notch I would have had my biggest bass of the year. Curses!!! :head .

Moved on from this little shallow reef out to the heads I call triggerfish reef in honour of a capture made there last year. No triggers were home today but there is a BIG mother of a conger under a square boulder in the corner of the reef. By the end of the day, on several reefs, I was to see 2 decent crabs, one small size lobster and one undersize one. However, with no float today (hence with no bag) and not much appetite for shellfish, I left them all.

Out onto the sand/gravel border, I found the tide edge in 15 to 20 foot. A third of the way down the patch I was down studying the seabed for small buried plaice or sole when I noticed a large section of the bottom seemed to be covered with orange spots. Bloody hell thats a big uncovered plaice!!! Suffice to say in short order I dispatched a 5lb 4oz plaice and put it on my stringer. It was a big fish, with a large head and eyes but not the fattest i've ever seen. In fact in the water I guessed 6lb but the scales don't lie. The rest of the patch produced no more fish and as I had an appointment re someones birthday I headed home. Shortish dive, unexpected good vis, few good fish seen and another good day in my "office" .

Dave

 

[Sarnian]

Hi Dave
While you were at Port Grat I was next door at the Knife again. Vis was better, though still not brilliant. I went in around the Port Grat side, funnily enough, as it looked better on the low spring. Saw quite a few mullet around the eelgrass in the shallows and had a few shots at them, but they were too far away for my little pneumatic ( if only I'd had one of those new Mambas I've heard about ... !! )

Also saw a few schoolies in the same area, but left them to grow up a bit! Tried some more flattie spotting and prodding in the gravelly bits, but still couldn't manage to see any. Also saw a large tail behind a rock, but it didn't come out the other side . I then went back towards the causeway around some very likely looking bootlace weed areas, but saw nothing more. I should have stayed around the area I'd seen fish. So no fish again, but cockles for the paella!

 

[Old Man Dave]

It's Mart's birthday :friday .

[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?p=614159#post614159"]Happy Birthday FOXFISH!![/ame]

Brother Dave

 

[Andy.R]

Nice catch Dave and lucky for you Colin to get to go in. Thats one hell of a spear you've got there.

I fully intended to go in yesterday, but by the time I had got through the things I had to do time had beaten me. I get mildy annoyed with members of my family who just don't understand the 'time and tide waits for no man' adage. The fact that I'm an hour late DOES make a difference.

Happy Birthday Foxfish

Andy

 

[Spaniard]

Hi guys - I have tried the Jersey lot, but not had any replies

I'm over staying in Jersey in the last week of October and I'm after a spot or two for a dive; is St.Catherines Bay worth a look....

I know I should have choosen Guernsey, but I have friends on Jersey and more importantly my wife says the shops are better...!

Cheers
John

St Ouens is good all round terrain and most years hosts a competition. St Catherines pier can be good, one of the London boys shot a cod there in a competition and I've had good flatfish around the castle at Gorey. The North east of the Island is deep water with sheer cliffs in places but if you get boat access then is fishable. Apnea is a good shop on Bath Street, St Helier and Neil there will help you with some local knowledge I'm sure.

 

[foxfish]

Well I just had to try out my ears on my birthday (probably a mistake) Went to the knife & found a couple of bass on a reef in the middle of the bay.

 

[ADM]

nicely done birthday boy!! Hope the ears are OK, guess it might be hard to tell if it was the dive that did it if they aren't right...:friday :yack

 

[derek foxen]

Ear damage is probably the spearo's equivalent to the footballer's wonky knee - I suffer from a degree of tinnitus [ luckily not too serious so far ] which I'm pretty sure is a legacy of the years I spent diving and is why I decided to quit while I could still hear my own advice! Both of my brothers have experienced ear problems recently with Foxfish trying a birthday dive today after several weeks of enforced abstinence.Well done taking two bass today Mart and a splendid plaice for you yesterday OMD.Dave prefers to eat the smaller ones { his freezer's full of fish anyway ] so my family got to scoff it this evening .View attachment 10803

 

[Sarnian]

Nice catch Dave and lucky for you Colin to get to go in. Thats one hell of a spear you've got there.

I fully intended to go in yesterday, but by the time I had got through the things I had to do time had beaten me. I get mildy annoyed with members of my family who just don't understand the 'time and tide waits for no man' adage. The fact that I'm an hour late DOES make a difference.

Happy Birthday Foxfish

Andy

I know just what you mean Andy.The times when tide, wind, swell, time of year and visibility all coincide outside working hours are few enough as it is!

Colin

 

[foxfish]

Learn to budget, take unpaid time off & eat your catch

 

[Magpie]

Was that a proto-sleeve on the mamba there Mart? How'd it go?

Derek how did you cook them plaice lumps? Looks bloney good!

I'm all bunged up myself now so divings out for a bit. :vangry

 

[foxfish]

Tom, I did use my new designed sleeve but I need to balance it a bit more. Anyhow I will most likely use my original as I have a chief tester who is in the process of sleeve development. Once Ed has tested the new model I will find out what needs to be done to get it right.
Derek's wife is indeed a good cook :t

 

[crazyman]

I think im going to have to look a bit harder for some flaties the plaice looks great........

i have only been able to have a cuple of dives in my new suite but i have noticed that some of the stiching and joins mostly on the long jons has split/torn, is this normal for a new suite??. I know they usally strech abit and the suite is the right size acording to there size chart if any thing it should be to big.

thanks sam

 

[portinfer]

Mart - I will try to get wet in the next couple of days Sleeve looks sweeeet and I will do my best to offer some info on how to improve it (if that is necessary). I keep hearing '...help me Obi Wan Kenobi...' underwater now !

_____________
Ed

 

[Old Man Dave]

This morning I loaded the gear in the van so I could have a quick getaway dive after work this afternoon. In the water at Chouet just on low at 4pm.

Went out through the shallows around the reefs on the odd chance that there would be another big bass around like the one I didn't get the other day :vangry . No luck, tide was too low and vis a bit iffy.

So off onto the sand. Started looking in about 6 foot and Hooray! got a plaice. It was well buried but under some weed and the movement of the weed over its back had exposed a small patch of orange spotty skin. Vis was fine as I worked my way down to 20 foot could see the bottom from the surface. An hour later I had another 3 plaice, all were buried and were found by prodding "lumps". No monsters but all perfect eatering size .

Saw a few big male spiders again and this time picked some up. Unfortunately my borrowed bag (thanks Andy) was a bit small, so tied them on the line. At one point I had 3 but back on shore I had one. Think my knots were a bit suspect. Must remember to tie a boy scout on my float for use next time :t .

Came back through the reefy shallows, which seemed more fishy now the tide had come up a bit. Saw a mullet and a jumbo wrasse but let them pass. Then as I rounded a boulder in stealth mode I surprised a 4lb bass and stoned it with a 1 foot range head shot. Was using the little 75 but at that range and with the 16mm rubber on the back notch there was no doubt of the outcome.

Ho Hum! another day at the office (again).

Dave

 

[foxfish]

Well done Dave, nice tasty catch.
My ears dont seem any worse today but I am still living in a empty cathedral!

 

[ADM]

Another nice catch Dave, must get myself in the water, the rod and line work just isn't working of late...