Guernsey 2007

[ADM]

Best advice from another Newbie is to listen to these chaps!! They know what they are talking about.

Occasionally they will give you tips on where to go but it is best to guard the marks from the public eye due to issues with netters going to marks which have been producing the goods.

I have been told a few spots but know some others from my angling.

My tip:

Use a weight belt, makes all the difference and keeps you lower in the water so you don't splash too much, made a big difference to me and doesn't scare the fish so much.

 

[Spaniard]

When we come over I fully expect to be led blindfold to 'spot x' by Foxy and OMD et al so that I can't come back on my own and catch all the big ones

 

[Sarnian]

Too true Spaniard! It's enough with these foreign trawlers pillaging our fish stocks!

Wise advice from OMD.

I went for a swim with the wife this evening at a well known anchorage, and thought, well I have to take a mask to check the vis, and then of course the speargun, 'cos I'd be gutted if I saw something to shoot, and of course at least the wetsuit longjohns, in case I wanted to stay in, and obviously the flippers too. Well the sea temperature was lovely, and after half an hour had seen a few mullet, but at high tide in open water you don't really expect to shoot much. Vis was pretty murky, but probably due to the sand still being stirred up.

A chum turned up, and did shoot a medium mullet, and we had an impromptu barbie with fried mullet as starters. Couldn't be much fresher!

2 weeks to go and looking forward to it.:friday

 

[foxfish]

It would seem the Indian is a popular choice so I need to book today if possible, as the place is only small.
Any guerns coming along need to let me know ASAP please.
http://forums.deeperblue.net/beach-bar/68289-holiday-guernsey-2007-a-14.html#post654679

 

[Sarnian]

Count me in Mart! :friday Wifey would like to come too, if we're having any partners, but if we're limited by numbers, no probs.

Went in to a favourite north east spot, just before low today, in spite of poor vis and a biggish tide. Got this little mullet, and saw a few others, but no bass at all. Just under 5lb - I thought it might have been a bit heavier somehow. Mart how are you doing for fish to be smoked?

Met a couple of young spearos in the car park who had seen nothing. Told them about the forum so they may be reading this.

 

[foxfish]

Well done Col, I will be firing up the smoker next weekend. We have plenty of things to smoke but I will have room to smoke more for your own consumption mate.

 

[foxfish]

Hi Newbie Rider

Guess you might be the guy mart (Foxfish) met the other day?

Dave

Nope think his name was Antony, there is a new member with that name who lives here though, sent him pm but dont think he has made a post yet

 

[Magpie]

Rider, short of coming out with one of the boys you'd be best off reading the back catalogue of this thread, guernsey 2006 and guernsey summer fishing.

And then when you've finished reading, go back to the start and read them again cos you'll have forgotten half the stuff you read first.

There are decent fish to be had all round the island and half the joy is finding your own favourite spots.

Not been in for quite a while myself and just had to return early from Ridunia so might have to venture in tomorrow.

 

[portinfer]

Tom - give me a shout if you fancy a dive today... I haven't got wet since before Dublin
Ed
(I'll get round to getting some moby credit and call you in a bit maybe...)

 

[Magpie]

So Ed and me sorted out a dive today somewhere I haven't been before, I shall name it The Fork. He turned up with Marco and Laura in tow, so the three off us set out against the tide for the long swim out to The Fork.

I went mooching around in a big shallow kelpy area while the others worked some deeper stuff. Got me a 3lbsish bass and missed a bigger one before rejoining the boys who'd seen a few and missed a few. Played around in some decent tide behind the fork before setting off for a lengthy, in fact far too lengthy, slog to another reef.

Most of it was in 8-9m, which meant my 8m line to my float wasn't ideally suited, but found me a nice eating size plaice on the way though, which I could just about reach without me float yanking me back up.

By the time we got to the target reef I was too knackered to care about finding any more fish, though did see a few schoolies about. Marco had a bass but Ed, shock horror, blanked...complaining that he couldn't hold his gun straight in the tide, need to work on them wrists mate :t

Loads of sandeels about, melveys and better size ones, in the shallows and the deep.

Nice dive, viz was reasonable, 4-5m in most places.

Sarnian, what are you doing with fishy fingers in my grandmothers drive?

 

[Sarnian]

Mullet steaks meuniere! Must get some filleting lessons from OMD or someone!

Well done Magpie and Ed - what next - the spoon? Magpie, was your grandmother Mrs E. or have you got the wrong place? Will PM you.

 

[Magpie]

She was indeed, and Pedro was my arch enemy. Both sadly departed now.

PS. I'd be up for a filleting masterclass too, especially flatties!

 

[Sarnian]

Small world eh Magpie! I agree flatties must be the hardest to fillet ( CFE course Dave? ).

Did anyone read in the Sunday papers about Gordon Ramsey pretending to spear bass in Devon, before cooking them on his TV programme last year? Apparently a "member of the British Spearfishing Squad" ( didn't know there was one!) went out with him and caught them for him. Apparently " he made the beginner's mistake of not holding still enough to allow the fish to come into range for a successful strike". Sounds familiar!rofl

 

[foxfish]

#10 13 Hours Ago
Mr. X
Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Britain
Posts: 1,644
Rep Power: 48


You heard it on DeeperBlue first - "Gordon's an effing fake" permalink

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Just heard this on Radio 4. Broke in the Sunday Times today (better late than never?!).

Gordon’s TV fish catch was an effing fake - Times Online

(Forum members suspected this earlier on...and got a suspicious refusal to admit or deny from those involved).

Actually, a couple of names in the article look awfully familiar...


Quote:
...“I have got three stunning sea bass,” he boasted as he returned to shore gripping the 2ft-long, freshly speared fish. “I have never caught a fish from a spear and it’s not bad for first time out.”
...
“I went in 20 minutes before everyone else to make sure we had fish to put on the barbecue,” said Dave O’Callaghan, a member of the British spearfishing squad with more than 20 years’ experience.

“I caught about four and then Gordon got in and we spent about an hour in the water. When we came back in we threaded the fish onto a stringer and he carried them.

“Put it like this: Gordon Ramsay caught f*** all.”

Dave Thomasson, a spearfish-erman from Bodmin in Cornwall who arranged Ramsay’s trip, admitted: “There was an element of the magic of television in that clip. It looks like he speared some fish. It would have been amazing if he had actually caught something, so we had it all planned. I took him to a particularly good spot and I took someone else along to actually shoot some fish.”
...
Last year Ramsay successfully sued the Evening Standard for libel over a report that alleged he had manipulated scenes in Kitchen Nightmares.

“We have never done anything in a cynical fake way,” he said at the time.

 

[Magpie]

The quote from Dave on here when it was on the TV was something like:

"3 bass on your first spearfishing trip....that's the magic of television!"

Which said all we needed to know.

 

[gsyrider]

Thanks for the advice guys, especially Old Man Dave. Lots of info, cheers!

I'll keep my eyes peeled on this forum for more advice from you guys, but after speeking to my mate, we're quite keen on taking you up on your offer sometime foxfish, to get some firsthand advise.

We went out on Saturday about an hour before low at a west coast location another friend of mine advised. Vis wasn't too bad i guess and we ended up staying in for almost 3 hours!! (love my new wetsuit) spent most of my time hiding in the thick bootlace at about 3ft depth looking out over sandy channels about 7 ft depth with bootlace either side. Saw more deccent sized fish than i'd ever seen anywhere else, a few bass and mullet around and i saw a rather large Bream from a far.. never seen a bream before! shot a lovely sized Bass in the belly (clearly my shot needs practice!) and it got away looking quite worse for wear... poor fish. it'd have suffered a lot less if it had stayed on my spear

 

[Andy.R]

Hi all

Had my stag in Dinan last weekend and lived to tell the tale :friday

Trying to get in the water this evening, I know its a falling tide and the wind is due to get up again, but its just about my only slot with the first relatives turning up tomorrow!!

I saw the Gordon Ramsay prog and thought it was mighty suspicious at the time.

Filletting flatties is easier than round fish, what you need is a very sharp and as flexible knife as possible. that way you can run the blade down the bones. If the knife isnt flexible it just doesn't work.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Went for a quick snorkel Saturday but conditions were poor. Saw a bass which was way too quick and then missed a second one at range. Neither were very big. Eventually speared a golden grey and a thick lipped mullet. Got the GG with a long range head shot using my Omer. My first successful long shot and must say I was impressed by the flat trajectory.

Sunday was out in my boat. Mainly caught a feed of scallops but had some mackerel and Pollack using the rods as well. Only one sole in the flatty department despite visiting some inshore gravel banks. Worst year for years for flatties – for me anyway.

Highlight of the day came while I was doing a drift dive prospecting for new scallop grounds. In about 55 foot over a shitty, stony bottom with little bits of weed I came across a big ray. It was a male blonde of at least 20lb and it was just sitting there resting on the stony bottom. My stabbing hand was twitching but I no longer take ray so after a good eyeballing I left him in peace. Another 50 yards with my nose fairly close down, looking for any scollies hiding in amongst the stones, I came across another grey patch of seabed. This ray was a female with an impressive wingspan and a weight of probably 30lb+. BIG fish. Like the male she was also lying uncovered and docile. Wish I had had my camera. Had a close look especially at the eyes. Blonde rays have golden eyes with weird concertina shaped pupils. She also had a strange little cartilage turned up nose. Amazing. Down here she appeared to be shades of grey with 5 big dark eye spots on each wing. Beautiful. Just touched her on the wing being careful not to scrape off the protective slime and then I went on my way. A little bit later I found my scallop patch, so maybe some reward.

I used to hunt big ray, targeting them in July/August when they come in to breed. They are still the mainstay of the commercial wet fish catch and are definitely very good eating. However, now I no longer fish commercially I don’t kill them, well I will not totally rule it out completely but generally they’re safe from me.

Dave

 

[Andy.R]

Nice one dave. BIG fish.

I had a nasty experience with a ray off brehon tower years ago. My mate stabbed it and it swam off with him. He ended going round in circles and we got the bobber line around us. I ended pulling him up on the bobber line by inflating my suit. Luckily we dived together a lot and trusted each other so it was not a problem.

Interesting article in Press today about the demise of the scallop:rcard

 

[Old Man Dave]

Brehon tower is a summer ray hotspot. Have had up to five large ones on a single drift for a total weight of well over the hundred pound. You definitely have to know how to handle them as they are very strong and can easily tow you around. You have to hit them right and apply a coup de gras in just the right spot. Big angler fish are also a problem although not so strong they got more teeth.

Forgot to mention yesterday that my mates SMB, a big dan complete with flag, almost got run down by a jetski. I had a big rigid fibreglass dive flag showing on my boat and was close by but bozzo probably didn't know what it meant. I gave him a shouted warning at which point he stopped, looked around, looked perplexed and then sped off. He had a small child riding on the back. Someones gonna get killed one day.

Dave