Guernsey 2009

[Andy.Round]

Good job I didn't read that before I went in last night.

Went in at Ladies Bay looking for flatties. In at 7.45 out at 9.40 nice calm evening and had a thoroughly enjoyable dive. Hundreds of small 'soles de la nuit' seen along with small plaice and a few small bass, found a couple of decent soles. Ended up out past the pole so had an interesting swim back in along the reef in and out the weed, very little life though.

Just as I was getting out (gun unloaded of course) I came across a takeable red mullet, never seen them in that close before. It sat there calmly twiddling its feelers whilst I was trying to reload my gun, then the second I had and was about to take aim, yes it scarpered.

 

[portinfer]

Was it a porbeagle Mart ? What sort of size ? Did it come out of the depths right to the surface ? Take any of the macks on the line ?

Went in with Tom last night - gear test His new torch works well and hopefully he'll write a bit about it. Seemed reeeeally small and as bright as mine (80 - 100 lumens ?) but way smaller.

Anyway, water was warm and pretty clear, a fair amount of small smelty like fish around. Nice night really, clear skies and good to go in when it's calm. Found a sole after a while and then a black bream (ok, long shot as I saw a distinctly non-bassy silhouette in the weed - kind of thought it was a GH but am happy with the black version - one day...). Good dive

 

[Magpie]

I reckon our original LED ones are about 170-180 Ed, like Dave's early generation Princeton Tec.

The one I was trying was one of the £50 from China jobs that claim to be 600 lumens, which it unsurprisingly was not. Bit more than the fami or mine when fully charged but not much. Waht I did find was that it's so small I can easily strap it to the handle of my seac-sub and use both at the sime time for double your pleasure.

Dive was ok, I saw a couple of cuttles, loads of really small sole and red mullet. Only one red mullet and sole even close to being big enough but both went untouched. Was all over before it began though when Ed chickened out, I reckon he's scared of the dark you know. :t

Odd to see a bream right in close in a couple of feet too.

 

[foxfish]

Was it a porbeagle Mart ? What sort of size ? Did it come out of the depths right to the surface ? Take any of the macks on the line

Ed pretty sure it was a porgy but not that big maybe 5' , it swam under the boat!

 

[Dave L]

I saw one of those today. Can't be sure but I recon it was a porbeagle.
I watched it's fin coming towards me about 30 feet away. Then it slipped under the water slowly, it was quite unnerving. I wasnt sure what it was, I thought it could be a dolphin or a basker at first then when I was finning like mad to get to the shore, it buzzed past me about 7 metres in front.

I've looked on wikipedia and google and what I saw looks just like a porbeagle. It was about the same size as the one you saw foxfish, 5 feet or so long and moving in to a very strong tide at a rate of knotts.

I'd just shot a mullet and gutted it about 5 minutes prior to this So I wonder if the blood and guts brought it in.

To say I was terrified is an understatment. I know the chances of an attack are highly unlikely. But nevertheless I was scared

For the Torquay boys reading this, I was about 40 metres out in Thatchers gut, in 8 metres of water and strong tide

Viz was good but I diddnt stay in that long

 

[foxfish]

Sounds pretty exciting Dave & would of caused quite a stir if you had seen it really close!

 

[Old Man Dave]

At long last the time has come to vote for the September Fish of the Month http://forums.deeperblue.com/uk-ireland/84117-september-fish-month.html .

It must be the best entry ever. Some great fish have been entered.

We've simplified the format so now the voting poll goes on the entry thread instead of being a separate thread so you can read all about the entries before you vote. Please reframe from posting on the entries/voting thread for now.

There is a discussion thread for all of the 2009 FOM's. http://forums.deeperblue.com/uk-ireland/84260-uk-fish-month-discussion-thread.html#post784201 . Please post here until after the poll closes in 5 days. Once the winner is announced feel free to post your congrats/comments on the entry/voting thread. Clear as mud .

Dave.

 

[Old Man Dave]

It's Jonny's birthday http://forums.deeperblue.com/beach-bar/84364-happy-birthday-jonny-250-a.html#post785214.

Dave.

 

[portinfer]

Went for a night dive with Charlie last night. Really stirred up/milky where we went in but 50m out and along and it was surprisingly clear. Saw alot of sole - all very small so left alone - and when coming up from bottom saw a large gar that swam around me for a minute or so at an arms length then swam away - good to see close up - nice swimming style
Charlie saw a bass but despite a long drift with the current (high tide) we didn't take anything home.
Sea is still lovely and warm - really good to get in again.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Good news on the vis Ed. Tides are looking good for some late afternoon sessions this week. Just hoping the weather plays ball.

Dave.

 

[Jonny250]

nice one Ed. good to hear someones been getting in

 

[Old Man Dave]

Getting near the close of poll, only another day to go http://forums.deeperblue.com/uk-ireland/84117-september-fish-month.html . Make sure you've voted and make sure your mates have. It's been a great month for entries and deserves a big turnout in the voting.

Several of the September FOM fish are featured in the http://forums.deeperblue.com/spearo-board/82043-deeper-blue-spearfishing-hall-fame.html along with a fair few other new entries and already an entry from October FOM. If you haven't checked out the HOF lately then have a look. It makes great viewing.

Dave.

 

[ep_haury]

Shark Alley, eh?

Could I have some details about that?

How wide is this "alley?" What sort of sharks do you tend to find there, and how often are they seen? The only sharks I thought to be common in your waters were the small dogfish.

Please, elucidate me.

 

[foxfish]

20 years ago sharks were very common, we had at least one full time longliner who fished for shark.
Blue shark are deep water fish that average 70 - 120lb.
Porbeagle shark are the ones that are most sort after for food & often get caught over 300lb but we also occasionally get Thresher & Mako that can be bigger still.
However none of these fish are common anymore due to overfishing.

 

[Jonny250]

"So Jonny - have you got any pics of you new toy? Did you catch any fish on your birthday, what was it like crossing the English channel?"

Mart i didnt get out on my b'day - bit windy but went out last sunday, hoping to find the godine bank; was a tad lumpy when we set out (my lad commented that it might be a bit rough for the bank) so we headed for the shelter of herm and the humps. Plenty of macks for tea and the freezer... plus a few doggies, but nothing else.
crossing the channel was fine, just headed south! nice to see alderney come into view and refuelling off the casquettes was good - comforting to have a full tank with guernsey in sight
the boat goes very well, but like all of these pilothouse tubs it tends to stick the bow in hard if you drive down into a big'un...
dont have any more pictures yet; need some fair weather to get out and freedive off it. maybe at the weekend...

 

[Jonny250]

just went in for a dive this evening, vis is pretty poor with the low light level and aerated water; still i found myself at, well at least 3m, with a shoal of good size mullets, so took one for the table.
didnt see much else apart from a few small pollacks and rockies.
nice to get in tho.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Shark Alley, eh?

Could I have some details about that?

How wide is this "alley?" What sort of sharks do you tend to find there, and how often are they seen? The only sharks I thought to be common in your waters were the small dogfish.

Please, elucidate me.

Porbeagle Alley is an area between 2 rocks about 1 mile from shore. It's about 50 yards wide and 70 foot deep. The already strong Guernsey tide is funnelled between the rocks creating a tide race.

This is typical porbeagle shark territory. What makes this area special is that in the lee of the rocks a sand bank has formed. The sand bank holds bait fish like sandeel which in turn attract predatory fish like pollack and bass on which porgys feed.

There have been half a dozen shark encounters here in the last 30 odd years. One of those incidents was a big porgy following me back to the boat after I had scuba dived the sand bank and returned with some speared and hence bleeding fish. It circled the boat before dissappearing back to the depths.

Dave.

 

[podge]

FOXFISH IS 50 TODAY!
I've no idea how to start a"Happy Birthday"thread!

I've got it Derek follow the link below-
http://forums.deeperblue.com/beach-bar/84406-happy-50th-foxfish.html

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOXY:friday:friday:friday

 

[Old Man Dave]

Popped in late afternoon. Haven't been for a while with a combination of poor weather and not being quite fit at the moment. However an hours mooch through the low water string weed was pleasant. Vis was only 10 foot or so but that's fine for mooching. Saw a few mullet and big wrasse but let them pass. In the end only saw one smallish bass but at least it was a bass. Just lately, in fact for a month or so, bass have been noticably absent. Haven't lost my touch, so managed a neat shot and bass for tea.

Hoping to go in the boat tomorrow.

Dave.

 

[ADM]

Just lately, in fact for a month or so, bass have been noticably absent.

Tell me about it!!

Had one on the plug last weekend but it's all pollack, day and night, deep and shallow.

Well done on getting one Dave. They are hard work. Not even schoolies in the surf which is odd.