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Guernsey 2011
- Thread starter Jonny250
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
http://forums.deeperblue.com/uk-ireland/91541-o-m-d-f-o-m-comp-july-2011-a.html
July O.M.D. F.O.M. poll now open.
July O.M.D. F.O.M. poll now open.
I decided to go for a flatfish hunt this afternoon, Port Grat was my choice.
I have always found the hunt difficult along that tide line, the tide is just so strong & the repetitive diving & swimming is really taxing!
To be honest I am just not fit in the swimming stakes & I developed terrible calf cramps - however the water was very clear as I could see the bottom in 8 meters so I made the effort to dive & search.
First fish spotted was a trigger but not a shootable opportunity, next up was a small blond ray then a 3lb sole (on the stringer) followed by two 1lb ish bream.
By then I was exhausted but on the way back in I nailed a 3lb bass in the shallows!
Not a bad dive - I am just so not used to diving the flatfish routine!
I took a pic of the sole but my sd card reader is not reading!
I also saw two other chaps out there - anyone we know?
I have always found the hunt difficult along that tide line, the tide is just so strong & the repetitive diving & swimming is really taxing!
To be honest I am just not fit in the swimming stakes & I developed terrible calf cramps - however the water was very clear as I could see the bottom in 8 meters so I made the effort to dive & search.
First fish spotted was a trigger but not a shootable opportunity, next up was a small blond ray then a 3lb sole (on the stringer) followed by two 1lb ish bream.
By then I was exhausted but on the way back in I nailed a 3lb bass in the shallows!
Not a bad dive - I am just so not used to diving the flatfish routine!
I took a pic of the sole but my sd card reader is not reading!
I also saw two other chaps out there - anyone we know?
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Actually, I dont rate sole very highly in he culinary stakes, I find it very bland & a bit to firm. So in this instance I filleted & skinned the fish then cut the fillets into half finger size goujons made a light beer batter & deep fried them.
Served with a sour cream & lime dip & chips of course.
Plaice are my favorite fish, just fried fillets with the skin on but the best ones are the small ones 1.5 -2 lb.
Turbot & brill are nice but I would not eat the same day - either 24 hours in the fridge or a couple of weeks in the freezer will just lift the flavour.
Turbot have a very distinctive smell, you cant seem to wash it off your hands for several hours after filleting one!
Served with a sour cream & lime dip & chips of course.
Plaice are my favorite fish, just fried fillets with the skin on but the best ones are the small ones 1.5 -2 lb.
Turbot & brill are nice but I would not eat the same day - either 24 hours in the fridge or a couple of weeks in the freezer will just lift the flavour.
Turbot have a very distinctive smell, you cant seem to wash it off your hands for several hours after filleting one!
Well getting a really good batter is not just about the batter mix!
Prepare you fish fillet & pat dry with kitchen towel but don't cook to big a piece of fish unless you have a serious fat fryer!!
The problem can very often be that domestic heat sources are not very good at maintaining the oil temperature when you drop in a big piece of fish - so dont use fish straight from the fridge but let it get to room temp (15 mins out the fridge) before you coat the fillet with the batter mix.
If you are using a pan of oil on the stove then pre heat for 10 mins at a medium temperature before you immerse the coated fillet but immediately turn up the heat to max & put a lid on the pan - fry one fillet at a time or 4 goujons at a time.
Lift the lid after 2 mins & see what is going on - dont turn down the heat but remove the lid if the oil is smoking - experience plays a big part at this stage to keep the temp up but not smoking - good luck mate as it is dependent on ambient heat, cookers, gas, electric, type of oil etc!
NEVER LEAVE YOUR POST, as a cook you need to stay near the cooking at all times...
Prepare you fish fillet & pat dry with kitchen towel but don't cook to big a piece of fish unless you have a serious fat fryer!!
The problem can very often be that domestic heat sources are not very good at maintaining the oil temperature when you drop in a big piece of fish - so dont use fish straight from the fridge but let it get to room temp (15 mins out the fridge) before you coat the fillet with the batter mix.
If you are using a pan of oil on the stove then pre heat for 10 mins at a medium temperature before you immerse the coated fillet but immediately turn up the heat to max & put a lid on the pan - fry one fillet at a time or 4 goujons at a time.
Lift the lid after 2 mins & see what is going on - dont turn down the heat but remove the lid if the oil is smoking - experience plays a big part at this stage to keep the temp up but not smoking - good luck mate as it is dependent on ambient heat, cookers, gas, electric, type of oil etc!
NEVER LEAVE YOUR POST, as a cook you need to stay near the cooking at all times...
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Hi guys
My brother and I both bought spearguns about a week ago and have been hitting it hard this past week (fitting in about 5 dives). Both being new to spearing we have obviously taken these first few dips to get used to it, however we seem to have found a few good spots. I have managed to take a number of rockys for our pots and also a few pollack whilst my brother nailed a 3lb 3oz bass yesterday.
I have looked back over the past few months posts and you guys sure seem to get upto some some interesting stuff! Particularly like Johnnys vids, some amazing stuff out there! Unfortunately we don't have the kayaks/boards to get out to places such as boue corneille.
Any tips would be most appreciated.
Jack
My brother and I both bought spearguns about a week ago and have been hitting it hard this past week (fitting in about 5 dives). Both being new to spearing we have obviously taken these first few dips to get used to it, however we seem to have found a few good spots. I have managed to take a number of rockys for our pots and also a few pollack whilst my brother nailed a 3lb 3oz bass yesterday.
I have looked back over the past few months posts and you guys sure seem to get upto some some interesting stuff! Particularly like Johnnys vids, some amazing stuff out there! Unfortunately we don't have the kayaks/boards to get out to places such as boue corneille.
Any tips would be most appreciated.
Jack
Hi Jack, welcome to the forum.
You dont need a yak but you should have a marker float with you when you dive.
You can find lots of great fishing close to the shore but please don't shoot wrasse for pot bait!
As spearfisherman we have the opportunity to be very selective & choosy about what we take, wrasse are like tame fish that take a very long time to grow & they are in a steep decline - so shoot fish you want to eat & use the carcass (frame) for pot bait
You can find bass in the string weed over the slack water period so try to find the weed & you will find the bass.
You dont need a yak but you should have a marker float with you when you dive.
You can find lots of great fishing close to the shore but please don't shoot wrasse for pot bait!
As spearfisherman we have the opportunity to be very selective & choosy about what we take, wrasse are like tame fish that take a very long time to grow & they are in a steep decline - so shoot fish you want to eat & use the carcass (frame) for pot bait
You can find bass in the string weed over the slack water period so try to find the weed & you will find the bass.
In addition to Foxy's advice, i avoid that situation by flour coating the fillets prior to coating with the batter mix. I often coat fish by selecting the desired dry coating be it flour, smoked paprika, chilli or whatever and placing it all in a Tupperware style container and shaking it rather vigorously until it is thoroughly coated. This provides a suitable surface for the batter to adhere to and thus avoids the batter slipping off the fish.
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As a slight variation to Badlander's idea, I often put the flour etc in a plastic freezer bag, shake the fish or whatever in it, then throw the bag away. Not so environmentally friendly, but I hate trying to clean flour off things!
( Welcome Lucas - you'll find lots of help here on gear such as surface marker floats, rigging your gun etc.)
( Welcome Lucas - you'll find lots of help here on gear such as surface marker floats, rigging your gun etc.)
I believe that this is my first post on here, even though I've been a member for a fair amount of time. I suspect that if my username is displayed when browsing this forum then some, who know me, may suspect I am lurking here to find tips on what ground is fishing well as I am a keen angler.
However, for those people I hope to bring disappointment and excitement at the same time. I am a spearo, however I haven't donned my gear for many years.
I also haven't landed anything of excitement. I've only ever shot two fish, both bass and both within 20 yards of each other. One was a big double figure fish, probably somewhere between 10-14lbs - I find it hard to be accurate at that size, which the speared bounced off its gill plate, and the other shook itself off the spear, I guess somewhere around 5-7lbs. I have seen lots of awesome fish but the most impressive was a huge Ballan off the Richmond reef at Vazon, it was comfortably in double figures, a few pounds beyond.
I generally do/did it to enjoy the scenary and see what the fish were/are doing. Back, when I used to do it alot, noone went night diving or at least noone I knew. Also I don't do asbestos or whatever it's called. I'm actually a rubbish swimmer so don't do the diving down business.
Anyway, having a young family, fishing and photography I find I don't get much time to do any other hobbies. However, I thought I'd post a story to see if it rings a bell with anyone, and to potentially reunite someone with some lost property.
Many years ago, when I dived a fair bit, probably 18-20 years ago I was rod fishing around the back of Castle Cornet. I'd had a few bream and then my bait was taken by something a little bigger. After a tussle with what was probably a Ballan it dived right below me in the deepish water. It dived for the rocks and I couldn't stop it and it snagged up (you're probably wondered why the hell I'm posting this for, bear with me, its probably worth it). I pulled to free the fish and eventually it started moving, however with more resistance this time. I pumped the fish, a Ballan of about 3lb, to the surface to see, what I first believed to be a stalk of kelp, hanging from it. However, the long tube of red seaweed had a strange handle shape at one end. I focused even more accurately to then shout the words 'grab my rod Ross, it's a speargun.' I scrambled down the rocks and grabbed the fish and gun. I was a cakey ba$7ard back then so it didn't surprise me in the least. To think that this fish dived straight under it to tangle it AND I managed to bring it up AND managed to get the spear out of the rocks I find quite amazing.
I noticed that the string was still attached - no the story doesn't get better (or more unbelievable) and there wasn't a 9lb sole on the end - and pulled it to get the spear back too.
The gun was perfect after cleaning it. It was/is called Performance by Cavalero (or similar, I can double check as it's in my garage). It was that good I sold my existing gun at the time and used this one (after a lot of testing to make sure it was safe) and still own it now as my gun.
Back then I was 15 so thought I'd won the lottery, plus there wasn't this lovely place called the internet with hobby forums so I couldn't look for its owner back then. However, I can now. If this rings a bell and you want it back, or just want to see it to bring back some old memories then get in contact. Ps. I blame you in a way as the spear wasn't too sharp and as I was a tight dumba$$ I didn't replace it. This is the reason why the spear bumped the large bass and (probably why I lost the other one) so I blame you for this, in a way. So you should marginally guilty :blackeye
I'm posting in this section so it gets the most exposure and I can hopefully complete the story of how and why it got there.
However, for those people I hope to bring disappointment and excitement at the same time. I am a spearo, however I haven't donned my gear for many years.
I also haven't landed anything of excitement. I've only ever shot two fish, both bass and both within 20 yards of each other. One was a big double figure fish, probably somewhere between 10-14lbs - I find it hard to be accurate at that size, which the speared bounced off its gill plate, and the other shook itself off the spear, I guess somewhere around 5-7lbs. I have seen lots of awesome fish but the most impressive was a huge Ballan off the Richmond reef at Vazon, it was comfortably in double figures, a few pounds beyond.
I generally do/did it to enjoy the scenary and see what the fish were/are doing. Back, when I used to do it alot, noone went night diving or at least noone I knew. Also I don't do asbestos or whatever it's called. I'm actually a rubbish swimmer so don't do the diving down business.
Anyway, having a young family, fishing and photography I find I don't get much time to do any other hobbies. However, I thought I'd post a story to see if it rings a bell with anyone, and to potentially reunite someone with some lost property.
Many years ago, when I dived a fair bit, probably 18-20 years ago I was rod fishing around the back of Castle Cornet. I'd had a few bream and then my bait was taken by something a little bigger. After a tussle with what was probably a Ballan it dived right below me in the deepish water. It dived for the rocks and I couldn't stop it and it snagged up (you're probably wondered why the hell I'm posting this for, bear with me, its probably worth it). I pulled to free the fish and eventually it started moving, however with more resistance this time. I pumped the fish, a Ballan of about 3lb, to the surface to see, what I first believed to be a stalk of kelp, hanging from it. However, the long tube of red seaweed had a strange handle shape at one end. I focused even more accurately to then shout the words 'grab my rod Ross, it's a speargun.' I scrambled down the rocks and grabbed the fish and gun. I was a cakey ba$7ard back then so it didn't surprise me in the least. To think that this fish dived straight under it to tangle it AND I managed to bring it up AND managed to get the spear out of the rocks I find quite amazing.
I noticed that the string was still attached - no the story doesn't get better (or more unbelievable) and there wasn't a 9lb sole on the end - and pulled it to get the spear back too.
The gun was perfect after cleaning it. It was/is called Performance by Cavalero (or similar, I can double check as it's in my garage). It was that good I sold my existing gun at the time and used this one (after a lot of testing to make sure it was safe) and still own it now as my gun.
Back then I was 15 so thought I'd won the lottery, plus there wasn't this lovely place called the internet with hobby forums so I couldn't look for its owner back then. However, I can now. If this rings a bell and you want it back, or just want to see it to bring back some old memories then get in contact. Ps. I blame you in a way as the spear wasn't too sharp and as I was a tight dumba$$ I didn't replace it. This is the reason why the spear bumped the large bass and (probably why I lost the other one) so I blame you for this, in a way. So you should marginally guilty :blackeye
I'm posting in this section so it gets the most exposure and I can hopefully complete the story of how and why it got there.