Guernsey 2006

[Old Man Dave]

I'm fairly desperate to get in this weekend. To be honest would settle for 6 foot vis if I could guarantee it. Think a night dive would optimise any potential. Sunday day time can't go as it's the grandson Finlay's first birthday celebration.

Don't think either day looks like boating weather but as Col says the forecast keeps changing. So gonna play it by ear and see if Saturday or Sunday night looks vaguely fishy so now off to charge the torch but more in hope than expectation.

Dave

 

[Old Man Dave]

Well went in tonight.

Had a look just before dark and there was a swell in both Pembroke and Chouet. Didn’t help that it was high tide and as such not much lee shelter from the land. The only place that looked any good was right in Grande Havre bay opposite the Vale pond near the Vale church. Thought (wrongly as it turned out) that only bass would journey so far inshore in such a shallow bay.

So in through a one-foot breaking swell right on high tide. Vis was.. well couldn’t see end of gun, even with the big torch :waterwork . Out into 6 foot and vis was just ….6 foot. Swum the shallows looking for bass but wasn’t surprised not to see a thing. Decided to look deeper so swum out, seaward. Several hundred yards and the depth was 10 foot but the vis had improved to ….10 foot. The bottom was fairly shitty so headed out some more. Quite a long way out and now in 15+ foot the bottom was gone from sight as the vis stayed at 10 – 12 foot. However at last far out in the middle of this large shallow bay I found some clean rippled sand, the sort that you wouldn’t bother with at all in daytime but which is often productive at night. After only a few dives and down once again when no one was more surprised than me that I spotted the familiar shape and colour of a nice plaice. It was lying uncovered near a piece of weed on the limit of my vision. So right turn, reverse grip on the gun from the handle to a grip half way down the rubbers and hand spear the fish neatly behind the head. Slipped my left hand under the speared fish and headed up for a much needed breath.

Had been in an hour but was reinvigorated by the capture of the plaice. When I considered the odds of finding a fish at night in such a big area I thought either I was very lucky or the bottom was carpeted with flatties. Another 15 minutes of concentrated diving and I thought it was the luck option when on one of my many “this is my last dive” I saw a decent plaice. I was running empty but with the crap vis I knew I had to act now. Decided on a shot, something I seldom do with flats. Having got close I fired with the intention of breaking for the surface but realising this is a no-no I called on some last reserves and got a hand on the fish before a 15-foot sprint for breath. Okay so I wasn’t doing 2 minutes plus at 30 metres but at night and with low vis it was exciting none the less.

A few more “last” dives and I headed in. The vis in the shallows was even worse and coming in through a big bed of bladder wrack floating up from a 6-foot bottom in zero vis was …. not nice.

Back home, showered and changed the plaice weighed 1.5 and 2.5 lbs. Nice fish and made even more satisfying by having been taken by making something out of nothing . Love this night diving.

Dave

 

[derek foxen]

Well went in tonight.

Had a look just before dark and there was a swell in both Pembroke and Chouet. Didn’t help that it was high tide and as such not much lee shelter from the land. The only place that looked any good was right in Grande Havre bay opposite the Vale pond near the Vale church. Thought (wrongly as it turned out) that only bass would journey so far inshore in such a shallow bay.

It's amazing what determination and a positively silly degree of optimism can achieve in what is,at best,a pretty 'hit-and-miss' type of pastime.
Last night's conditions would surely daunt anyone with any common sense and yet you've got to admire OMD's commitment when the odds are stacked so heavily against the chances of success.
Reminds me of the little girl who,on the morning of her birthday,rushes out into the garden and starts shovelling the one-ton pile of farmyard manure her dad had delivered the previous evening.
"What you doing,Katie?" asks her dad,"Come inside for your presents."
"You can't fool me,Dad,"says Katie,"I know there's a pony in here somewhere!"
Well done Dave...TWO ponies!

 

[foxfish]

Very good Derek rofl
Very good Dave, I am just glad madness doesnt run in the family :t

 

[Magpie]

Ok so thats your daughter on the right Derek but who's the little girl at the front? :t

 

[Andy.R]

Got tomorrow afternoon off. Low water 2:30 don't think I'll be going diving though:waterwork

Might get the blokart out and have a blast. If anyone wants a spin I'll be on Vazon 2:30 - 4:00 ish, flag me down.

Unless the wind drops and the water clears rofl rofl

 

[ADM]

Not looking good for Saturday. My first available day to dive with my cold now gone and no fishing desperately in need and what does the weather say? f8/9 and naff. Can't see me testing the new suit which still hasn't seen water...

On another matter, my bro wants a rubber band gun for Christmas. He is mainly a tank diver but wants to take more than a hand spear with him for those close encounters with fish that aren't flat, he said something about not being able to catch bass with his bare hands (useless IMO...). he wants something short and easy to handle with the tanks and all.

any recommendations without me spending a bomb?

 

[foxfish]

Yeah give him yours & get someone to buy you a 900 for christmas.

 

[Sarnian]

Nice pics Derek! You're right Andy - for the second weekend running it looks like perfect conditions - for surfing.:vangry
Nothing to do except give your gear a good clean, do some bodging on equipment, and look at threads like this one to cheer yourselves up: ( hope this works): [ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=68313"]http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=68313[/ame]

With Christmas season coming, looks like the next hunting type activity is likely to be ormering!

 

[Magpie]

Yeh, I think I've hung up the gun till the spring.

Already been planning my ormering. Decided to hit the cliffs this year, bit of abseiling here, bit of falling there :crutch , must be loads of the buggers down there.

 

[ADM]

Yep, quick get them out of belle greve before they fill it in... Muppets. Leave my bait digging, spearing and fishing alone.

www.guernseywaterfront.com

 

[Sarnian]

Yeah ... has anyone thought how high the walls and houses will have to be to cope with a 12' swell in an Easterly force 10? Especially with the predicted rise in sea levels around Britain by 2-3' by 2080, according to the Government Marine Climate Change impacts study to be published next week.

On a completely different subject, just heard that Arbroath Fisheries won a BBC award for their smoked fish . Foxfish may be interested to see their techniques on their website - sounds much like yours though Mart. http://arbroath-smokie.co.uk/catalog/smokie.php

I assume it's not worth even thinking about going in today - but has anyone even bothered to check the vis?

 

[foxfish]

Thanks Col but that is hot smoking, I was using that method but moved on to cold smoking.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Was gonna try tonight but at lunch time I met some tank divers in Chouet/Les Amareurs car park who'd been doing a training shore dive (in the bay not in the car park) and they reported the vis as zero!

Dave

 

[Sarnian]

Thanks Mart - and thanks for that Dave - saves me wasting time.No surprise really.

Meanwhile, here's what some spearos are up to in a better climate ( hope this works)

=

That's how to deal with those porbeagles!

 

[Old Man Dave]

Went to double check East coast. Looked grim. So haven't dived for a whole week now. That's gonna make me grumpy tomorrow (work).

I watched the vid and noted this one from the same guys. I think they're sick.

Dave

 

[Sarnian]

Hmmm... hadn't seen that one - I have to agree.

Planet Earth looks like it might be interesting tonight - called "Shallow Seas". BBC1 @ 9.

 

[ADM]

Yeah ... has anyone thought how high the walls and houses will have to be to cope with a 12' swell in an Easterly force 10? Especially with the predicted rise in sea levels around Britain by 2-3' by 2080, according to the Government Marine Climate Change impacts study to be published next week.

had thought the same thing myself. Just drive along Bulwer in a strong easterly at high and imagine that being your house (no thanks...). the wall would have to be a good 10ft higher (at least) that the existing sea defence at the current high water mark. Not going to be able to see the islands.

will de-value my house and the views will start to be killed more than admiral park development alread has, will kill off my ormer, verm, bass and mullet spots and guaanteed we won't be allowed to fish/dive/spear off the new "jetties" with the houses on if it all goes ahead. Good turnout at the walk though, news had it at over 1000 people.

 

[badlander]

Those video clips are hideous,funny you should say sick because thats exactly how it made me feel,i don't want to sound like a hypocrite because yes,i like to shoot fish,but that just seems wrong to me.

 

[foxfish]

Looks like Magpie is comming home with some prizes, I copied this from another site-

Tom : AKA "Donkey" has broken 250 yards today for the very first time. This is also the furthest EVER cast by a Guernsey bloke. Well done.

-Well done Tom :friday