Guernsey 2008

[portinfer]

Yes, it was a good session - not every day you get to go fishing with the Terminator If it had fins it was going on the stringer Good haul Tom. As Tom mentioned I got this rather lame text trying to get out of going... but I insisted and I think it was probably worth it.

Clear skies with plenty of stars and calm waters, barely a ripple. Popped in and had a good view of the reefs and sunset (yes, it was out west for those with a geographical sense ). I saw a small plaice / red mullet / bass all in the first few minutes - plenty of fish about and the conditions were good. The little couches bream looked cool - I had two dives with it but I think it got the fear when Tom came over with a manic glint in his eyes and a slightly frothy mouth... it didn't hang around.

Had a good view while tracking Tom from the surface of his ray encounter - I love the way they move, shaking their wings... Yes, then a bit of weed bashing for a bass or two. Very annoyed with myself with the bigger bass... poor shot as it was in and out of the kelp and bootlace leading me on a merry chase, just nicked it so should hopefully survive.

I went for a super shallow finish and was rewarded with a lot of small bass - more than a pound I'd say but didn't take any to check measurements. More bass on the way back over and out and even a small sole lingering in the sand.

Good dive and as memorable as the last time I went on a night dive there - alot of fun and some fresh fish for the week.
Ed

 

[Magpie]

200 & 250 Productions eh. Look forward to that

Sorry Az, Couches Sea Bream a southern bream thats rare here but becoming more prevalent every year. Bream, Couches (Sparus Pagrus) Record - European Federation of Sea Angling

Here's a couple of pics, none of Ed because his hair stylist is away so he wasn't getting in front of the camera.

Only took this many because she's planning a bbq and I'm under strict orders to acquire certain elements of it (it's a hard life )

 

[sunfish]

Great haul Tom 'n Edd. I've never tried the red mullet. I must try some this year.

 

[Jonny250]

Hey Magpie, i thought you said you didnt get a picture of Ed; so who's that in the picture behind you? :t :naughty rofl

 

[Magpie]

rofl Cor, thats a guantlet thrown at Dereks feet if I've I saw one! Good job Jonny.

 

[podge]

Tom you sure those fish didn’t die of fright,roflrofl well done to you both and it ain’t half good to see you boys back in action again.

 

[Sarnian]

I still struggle to handle the camera and the gun - not happy to hold the gun by the barrel/bands and need more lead on the camera... any ideas?

Jonny this was my rig, actually using a bracket from a kid's toy telescope, which by luck fitted both the gun and the screw fitted the standard tripod mount on the camera. Easier with a pneumatic with no bands in the way I suppose...

I have been in this week - once at what I call " Ed's garden pond" where I saw some bream and a few mullet, but not much else, and once at a certain person's hole, where I saw ( and missed) quite a few bass, and loads of mullet, bringing home only a mullet. Vis was very good until the tide broke through.

 

[foxfish]

Nice one Col - shall we call the second mark foxys garden? Not that I live there but I do harvest the area & it does look like an underwater garden.

 

[Sarnian]

Hi Mart. yes, that occurred to me yesterday - in fact the Beatles song
" Octopus's Garden" was running through my head. The scenery was spectacular, it was a shame I didn't have my camera.

 

[Magpie]

Nice work Col, did you get a good look at these bream? Good enough to see what sort they were?

 

[podge]

UUUMMM Bream as long as they’re the edible type I wouldn’t care.
Nice one with the Mullet Col, how big was it? Good enough for an entry into the FOM?

 

[gbo200]

Well it seems publicly berating Beardy241 worked to pull him out if retirement and we went out last night at our usual spot. The tide was falling so I think the fish had gone to thier beds. However we left lots of undersized fish, in particular a couple of turbot (I think).

At the mouth of the bay the current was present, and we made the executive decsion to let the current take us around the point and down the coast and get out at the beach around the corner and in front of the Tower. Not sure what that beach is called. Anyway, once around the corned the tide was ripping and we barely had to fin. It was definately pulling us along at a rate of knots. Not good for catching fish, but a great ride in the dark - no moon - night. At one point we decided to haul out on a rock, but it was behind us and there was no way to siwm into the current so we picked out the next one downstream and steered over to it, managing to grab on as we went by. Great fun! However my torch died and Marcel's was not much better so coming in on the low tide, rocky beach in the dark with no torch was not really enjoyable. Anyway Marcel came home with a barely legal sole. I came home empty but satified in the knowledge that I had left a number of sole, turbot, cuttlefish, female spider loaded with eggs and red mullet, to grow for another day. g.

 

[Magpie]

Nutters! It's called Porbeagle Bay mate....

 

[gbo200]

Is it really? I guess I will take my speargun next time then. What is the best way to prepare Porbeagle? Fillets or cross cut for steaks? g.

 

[ADM]

Come on someone else http://forums.deeperblue.net/guernsey/79209-ci-july-fish-month.html#post728123

Don't let him win with the only entry.

 

[Jonny250]

Colin, thanks for the info on your camera setup, i'm intending to keep the camera off the gun tho for more photo possibilities and getting close for macro stuff.

We're all going to have to get in the water pretty swift if there's to be a vote for the FOM...

 

[portinfer]

John - have you tried a tripod head fixed to a foot long or so pipe filled with lead. Reckon this will stabilise it or at least give you some mass. Maybe woth a pointed end for jamming in the sand - perhaps with a foot long string and tiny fluroscent float in case you feel like leaving it on the bottom between dives (filming..)
Ed

 

[Jonny250]

Thanks Ed, we'll have to get our heads together and figure it out..

I went in tonite for an hour or so, near the 'rocky mountain' ;-)

Found the first fish within seconds, a medium size sole in the shallows. Not what i realy was after, so i took a piccie and let it be.
carried on for a few minutes and came accross a bass chewing on something. decided it was ok to take, although in retrospect its a bit smaller than i would usually take (but legal).
carried on around in the sand and then further out into the weed - the tide was falling so the weed was floating on the surface (hate that) and there were zillions of bugs which were biting my face (what's that all about??).
there were plenty of 'shoals' of small squids around, great colours.
finally i came accross another bass, defo eating size as i sat there pointing my gun at it, i took my time, lined the shot and ....


Nothing!


The trigger jammed! i swam forward real slow, stabbed the gun at the fish.. i scored a direct hit but the fish came off the spear. fortunately i managed to follow the fish which was pretty well stoned from the first attempt and the second time the gun went off properly - dinner / breakfast.

I was pretty happy with that amount of fish, and was preparing the camera, when i spotted a 'rug' of a sole. the last one i took was a real fighter and went completely mental when i shot it, wary of this, i made sure of a brain shot (yeah right!) success, followed by a fast knife finish and on the stringer. time to head in.
One more bass on the way in that i let live for next season...

All in all a pleasant dive with plenty of sealife - i saw my first red mullet which was an impressive sight! very pleased with that.

It took me absolutely ages to fillet the sole, made a bit of a mess of it :rcard:head there must be a way to skin those things...?

High point: catching the sole
Low: the 40 minutes to fillet it :head

also sorry to see loads of litter in the water, from beer cans to all sorts of plastic toys and cr@p. why cant people take it home.:vangry

 

[Magpie]

That's a beauty! Well done Jonny. Presume its in the FOM and I'm glad my avergae bass won't be winning!

Bitting? Never experienced that myself?

Try here for filleting and skinning videos, makes it look soooo easy: filleting-fish.com - Fish Species

Right, I'm off to research the rocky mountains....

 

[Sarnian]

Nice work Col, did you get a good look at these bream? Good enough to see what sort they were?

Hi Tom
it was a bit murky and they were in the distance, but they looked silvery so I would have said they were probably black bream. They were also not that big, and heading out to the sand from the weed.

Incidentally, are Couche's the same as red bream?