chilly night dive with ed this eve , very little around and not a flat fish in sight. was a good number of squid about tho
found one eating its tea ...
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Guernsey 2017
- Thread starterfoxfish
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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Great conditions, mirror calm, crystal clear but not that much around. I guess I was expecting to see flatfish but we didn't see any sole or plaice.
Quite a few squid, one of which came home with me. I was watching one and looked across to see Edd filming a few more and the fish eating one too. Amazing colours - how they change from red to pale yellow instantly always amazes me.
I saw a solitary red mullet on a gravel patch but decided to leave it - good size but I've had a few recently. Headed into the shallows to see what was about and saw a few bass, shot a decent sized one and left the rest.
Good dive & good company!
Quite a few squid, one of which came home with me. I was watching one and looked across to see Edd filming a few more and the fish eating one too. Amazing colours - how they change from red to pale yellow instantly always amazes me.
I saw a solitary red mullet on a gravel patch but decided to leave it - good size but I've had a few recently. Headed into the shallows to see what was about and saw a few bass, shot a decent sized one and left the rest.
Good dive & good company!
Just back from a night dive with Brandon and Wayne (seaweed)
What a cracking evening, not a breath of wind. In for 2.5 hrs and had pretty decent viz apart from the odd snotty patch in the shallows. Didnt see as many species as my last few night dives but it was nice to see more plaice, one of which I brought home with me. Have some friends over for dinner this weekend so took a nice sized squid too as I thought that would make a good starter. Have seen plenty on previous dives but this is the first one I have taken, amazing how strong their suckers are on the tentacles! Sticking to my gun and arm whilst trying to get it on the stringer.
Saw buried tub gurnard too and just can't resist a small poke so they move off and I can see their beautiful coloured pectoral fins.
Cheers for the dive guys, hopefully you don't leave it so long to catch up again Wayne.
What a cracking evening, not a breath of wind. In for 2.5 hrs and had pretty decent viz apart from the odd snotty patch in the shallows. Didnt see as many species as my last few night dives but it was nice to see more plaice, one of which I brought home with me. Have some friends over for dinner this weekend so took a nice sized squid too as I thought that would make a good starter. Have seen plenty on previous dives but this is the first one I have taken, amazing how strong their suckers are on the tentacles! Sticking to my gun and arm whilst trying to get it on the stringer.
Saw buried tub gurnard too and just can't resist a small poke so they move off and I can see their beautiful coloured pectoral fins.
Cheers for the dive guys, hopefully you don't leave it so long to catch up again Wayne.
Night dive to a well known turbot spot last night. The turbot were absent but it was a fun dive.
A lot of sand to cover. Saw a ray first off and must get better at telling the different species. Spotted a conger just sitting on this expanse of sand in about 3m of water. Might have been digesting a meal but was happy just sitting there.
Shot a squid, a few around, fantastic colours.
Went shallow in the weed and found a pair of bass finning lazily over some mixed kelp & gravel.
Once they'd settled I went down to measure them. Came in at 70cm! Decent size but left them as I have bass in the fridge.
Had a chat with Edd about a sole & Tom about a plaice.
Saw a tub gurnard and prodded it to see the bright blue wings. It crawled along the sand for a bit, I forget they have legs (of a kind).
Fun dive & good exercise.
A lot of sand to cover. Saw a ray first off and must get better at telling the different species. Spotted a conger just sitting on this expanse of sand in about 3m of water. Might have been digesting a meal but was happy just sitting there.
Shot a squid, a few around, fantastic colours.
Went shallow in the weed and found a pair of bass finning lazily over some mixed kelp & gravel.
Once they'd settled I went down to measure them. Came in at 70cm! Decent size but left them as I have bass in the fridge.
Had a chat with Edd about a sole & Tom about a plaice.
Saw a tub gurnard and prodded it to see the bright blue wings. It crawled along the sand for a bit, I forget they have legs (of a kind).
Fun dive & good exercise.
Managed a dive a few weeks ago, shot a 4lb mullet within 5 mins of being in the water, saw nothing else until I reached the spot I like, was moving forward but spotted a bass on my left and was watching it, when I put my head back to forward position had a bass right in front of me out the weed and managed to miss it, then 4-5lb long bass swam underneath me, nothing seen after that.
Last night out on my first night dive, saw some nice shoals of bass and some pretty big shoals of smaller bass, lined up on one but wasn't sure if big enough so left alone, found a squiddy looking very friendly and took him home for a starter.
Glad to finally get in and think I could get the bug for it!
Last night out on my first night dive, saw some nice shoals of bass and some pretty big shoals of smaller bass, lined up on one but wasn't sure if big enough so left alone, found a squiddy looking very friendly and took him home for a starter.
Glad to finally get in and think I could get the bug for it!
Attachments
You know when someone calls a dive "good exercise" it was a bit dull. Yes, went west the the Ed(d)s but the big slabs were absent. Sand has moved around quite a lot and there's loads of the peat exposed below the low tide mark.
Managed to scratch out a couple of plaice and some squid, here's a vid but don't expect any great excitement!
Cor blimey abit blustery out there today eh!
Headed out on a group scallop session, was choppy and not the greatest viz but that didn't stop us. Everyone left with a few schollies and it turned out to be a nice dive. Demonstrated to Matt how to shuck a scallop on one of his he had found and somehow ended up eating it raw. Wasn't to bad at all, a bit chewy but nice. Picked up a couple of parasol mushrooms on the walk back up too.
Cheers guys
Headed out on a group scallop session, was choppy and not the greatest viz but that didn't stop us. Everyone left with a few schollies and it turned out to be a nice dive. Demonstrated to Matt how to shuck a scallop on one of his he had found and somehow ended up eating it raw. Wasn't to bad at all, a bit chewy but nice. Picked up a couple of parasol mushrooms on the walk back up too.
Cheers guys
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Whats the spearing like around december time ? Im back then and keen to get in with the new gun, is anything around in a months time ?
Yeh can imagine, I just didnt know if the majority of fish would move to warmer water but yes ofcourse cant imagine the viz is brilliant around then
If you get any settled spells winter viz is the best there is. No blooms or snot mean it can be the clearest water we get.
Looks like Sunday's weather might be one of the better days for a while, having dived for scallops a few weeks ago I was a lot more comfortable in the water, less recovery time, longer dive time, ended up with 15 scallops and probably would have had more if hadn't spent 45 mins in an area that had already been harvested. Swam back to the area I started and sure enough started finding them again.
A few photos from last week - good diving & good eating!
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^ Great watch as always. This thread is 20 pages long and still going strong in November. Top effort by all the Guernsey spearos.
Are all Ray species off the menu these days? If so, due to law or just common sense?
Are all Ray species off the menu these days? If so, due to law or just common sense?
Nice one Ed, the fish at the end are Artherine smelt or as we call them Roselet.
At one time they were so thick on the ground that they were a real nuisance.
A nuisance, in way of restricting the vis & blocking out potential targets!
During the 70s & 80s, many local anglers entered the annual Roselet competition, it was held in St Peter Port harbour in November or January.
Fantastic fun & social event it was too. One year I managed to come third overall with 670 fish but you needed over a thousand to be a winner!
Roselet are great eating fish, they have sweet taste with a hint of cucumber. I always find them best, de headed & de gutted (easily done with the fingers) deep fat fried & eaten hot in sandwich (loads of Guernsey butter of course)
Derek, submitted a British record claim for one, I don't actually think it was excepted though.
I remember he shot a bass but, also took out four or five roselet with the same shot, so he decided to try & claim the record!
At one time they were so thick on the ground that they were a real nuisance.
A nuisance, in way of restricting the vis & blocking out potential targets!
During the 70s & 80s, many local anglers entered the annual Roselet competition, it was held in St Peter Port harbour in November or January.
Fantastic fun & social event it was too. One year I managed to come third overall with 670 fish but you needed over a thousand to be a winner!
Roselet are great eating fish, they have sweet taste with a hint of cucumber. I always find them best, de headed & de gutted (easily done with the fingers) deep fat fried & eaten hot in sandwich (loads of Guernsey butter of course)
Derek, submitted a British record claim for one, I don't actually think it was excepted though.
I remember he shot a bass but, also took out four or five roselet with the same shot, so he decided to try & claim the record!
It is difficult to keep up with the Ray regulations, there have been long fought legal battles but as far as I know, apart from a two week period about two years ago, Guernsey has no restrictions or quotas regarding Ray. (or much else for that matter)
We don't see the Thorne Back ray that is common in England but. Blonde Ray is the most important commercial catch & offers the largest tonnage landed. I really cant remember the tonnage but I think it is something like 220 tons of ray landed & 30 ton of bass?
Blond ray are sold locally as Skate.