Well as the end of the year is near Dave and Ed decided that they would try to sum up and close this thread. Hopefully a “Guernsey summer fishing 2006” thread will be in existence in the New Year.
Ed has completed his first serious full season as a consummate freediving spearfisherman. He has also become the unofficial leader of our little group, although he says his New Years resolution is to learn to say ‘no’ sometimes when someone suggests a dive. Believe it when we see it!
For Dave it has been the end of an era and the resurrection of his former existence. After nearly 40 years he gave up commercial fishing by diving and sold his fishing licence. By way of compensating, he returned to freediving for fish, after a 3 year lapse. His boat “Spearfish” has been decommissioned from its former role and rebuilt as a pleasure boat complete with a new monster diesel engine, gearbox, etc. He’s also made some new diving friends and become a granddad (non diving related activity).
Pete and his brother Miles have become full members of the local spearo network. Pete, now fully equipped, has made steady inroads into the bass population.
Charlie has begun a whole new career in the marine industry and still has had time to catch his share of fish.
Marcel and George have introduced night diving to the day birds and that’s been a bonus.
The resident ‘underwater huntsman’, Adrian has joined in some fun trips and even managed to up his PB bass. Also Adrian and his mate Jamie have finally got their pots out and have been pulling in quite a few lobsters.
Dave’s boy Tom got in on the act and got a bass on each of his two dives. That’s a 100% success rate, which must be some sort of record. He also bought a disposable barbeque and cooked and ate his catch on the beach. That’s the life.
Tim came on a few dives and left his mates with some amusing memories. One time Dave gave him one of the plaice he had speared as Tim was fishless. Tim’s reply was “Wait till I tell my girl friend that “I” caught this”. Tim was always good for a laugh but sad to say he’s moved to Bristol. Shame.
Mustn’t forget the visitors.
Matt Holt won the “crazy spearo” of the year award. Dave, Ed and Marco shared the actual “crazy spearo’s of the year” award for following him down that 300 foot cliff!
Ed’s brother William, who currently lives in exile, came back to his true home for a holiday. Well what else would he do while he was here but resurrect his childhood hobby of spearing? He even landed a few fish. Some were even bass. Well he is Ed’s brother after all. Their most memorable session lasted only 30 minutes as they were hungover after being led astray by Pete. They made a quick swim across the bay to spear a nice four pound bass each and then went back to lazing in the sun.
Then there was the Italian invasion. Fabio is much too good a spearo and his young brother Marco isn’t far behind. Lora must have been one understanding partner (lucky Marco) and was one nice lady to boot.
Talking of the fairer sex, mention must be made of Mary (Pete’s other half), Catherine (Ed’s cousin) and Veruschka (Ed’s friend), all of whom joined in some dives. How come Ed’s got so many hot female friends and cousins?
If anyone has been forgotten – sorry. Quite a few other spearo’s are out there and hopefully 2006 will see the group numbers increase.
So what were the highlights of 2005? Fish wise, Ed was champion bass catcher with 50 plus. Charlie had most in one dive at seven and Fabio the largest at 12 lb’ish.
Regular Island visitor Steve, who wasn’t a member of the group but hopefully soon will be, claimed a locally caught, British spearfishing record, golden grey mullet.
Dave must have been flatty champ, with his tank diving, boat exploits providing a few freezers full. In addition he led a few snorkel expeditions and caught quite a few flats that way too. However, Dave had to bow to Fabio and Ed when size was the issue. Ed was top dog with a 6.5 lb plaice and Fabio had a 5.5lb’er. Dave did lay claim to the ray crown though, with a few small and medium sized blondes, taken freediving. Marco also needs a mention as he took the only gurnard, which he speared during a flatty trip.
A few crabs were landed, mostly by Dave and Fabio took a lobster or two. On the subject of shellfish, Dave made the effort to try for a few scallops freediving which is not easy in Guernsey. He got 6 large ones. This was pretty meagre compared to the many dozen he landed tank diving but he still considered this to have been one of his best freediving catches this year.
In the rarer fish stakes, red mullet were landed at night by George and Marcel and also Fabio but Ed’s 2.5 lb day caught one, was king. Dave speared his first triggerfish of 2.75lb taken from a hole in a reef. He still has a small scar where it bit him, ouch! Some black bream were seen but despite much wishing only the Italian champ landed one. Ed saw a large lumpsucker and Charlie speared a big cuttlefish.
Lots of other fish were landed but so as not to rewrite the years trip reports, then that has been the main points of the fishy highlights. Apologies to anyone who landed a whopper and has been forgotten.
Catching fish may often have been the intention but just getting in the sea is the reward. Non fishy highlights were many and varied.
Ed had a nice bit of salvage with a landing net kindly abandoned by some careless worm drowner and also found a huge old ships anchor that proved a bit too much on the heavy side to retrieve.
Lora caught a nice Pollack (and Dave had a bass) on her first ever rod fishing outing off the Guernsey shore. Especially memorable as using the one fishing rod they beat Marco and Ed who had been spearo’ing with a gun each.
Amusing incidents included what airport customs thought when they looked in Marco and Lora’s bag and saw 3 live lobsters. What they said is unprintable, what they did is known – they confiscated them!
Mention of shellfish leads to Dave’s mate Chris, the commercial crabpot fisherman, who also occasionally dives. The deal on swapping fish frames and bait fish for crabs and lobsters was a big hit.
Totally non fish catching activities saw the manufacture of many lead diving weights and the start of project “Teak 80”, the manufacture of 2 new wooden guns.
Mustn’t forget Ed efforts with his camera or his friend Veruschka and her similar photographic tendencies. More on her work over at
http://www.liquidoceans.com/.
Gastronomic delights saw the feeding of the 5000 on such delicacies as barbequed smoked wrasse fillets, in many opinions, the hit of the year. Dave was introduced to the “chicken of the sea” the triggerfish and Ed raved on about the taste of red mullet. Dave couldn’t catch enough scallops, brill, turbot, plaice and sole to satisfy all of his friends and relatives wants and the endless numbers of mackerel caught on feathered lures fished from the boat always seemed to make him popular. Ed and Fabio loved their sushi while the others held their noses and swallowed quickly. Many other sea creatures taken by spear, fishing rod, fixed line and hand were consumed and nobody went hungry.
The new generation equipment available has impressed everyone and Ed, the Internet Shopper, supplied much of the gear to suit everyone’s needs.
Recently Ed’s ordered 4 Maori Mamba 90’s, one each for himself, Dave, Dave’s brother Mart (fish smoker) and Steve (record claimer). Now that the guns have arrived they have truly joined the dark side and hopefully Mart and Steve are going to join the group, both diving and on line.
So what does next year hold? Well it’s hoped that a few more people will be on line, writing trip reports. Dave’s going to try to carry on breaking the habit of a lifetime and continue to make less commercial style trips after flats, although he’ll never give up completely. Hopefully the range of species deliberately fished for will continue to expand. Other techniques such as holing in reefs are also on the cards. Night diving and freediving from the boat also look to figure more highly. Ed on SCUBA and Old Man Dave doing aspetto’s? Anything is possible.
Non actual time in the water should see the Teak 80’s finished and the big mahogany “Alderney Bass Gun” started. Back plate weights will be under development and more bullet weights along with rubber belts will be in production. Further new gear will be on order, including long fins for Dave and some bigger torches all round.
Whatever happens, a bountiful year spent enjoying the sea and diving with good friends both new and old, is the aim for 2006.
Happy Christmas everyone and have a good New Year.
Ed and Dave.
) for a week so anytime around then would be good - maybe organise a drink for after Christmas ?
