Guernsey summer fishing

[portinfer]

water temp : 18 C
max depth : 4.8m
max dive time : 1.36mins
no of dives : 26
----------------------------

Well went in after lunch to a local spot and the tide was ripping through a large gap in the rocks on an offshore reef. These spring tides mean that you have to get to a spot about an hour before low to an hour after otherwise the tide will be ripping too strong.

Anyway I worked my way up current on the edge of the sand and weed and also just inside the main current.

The vis wasn't great but I found that out in the actual river of a current it was fine - you just had to not battle it and drift down and then swim back up in the slack.

I did this for a while and saw shoals of mackerel (and heard Jaws-like cellos underwater too... macks = porbeagles is what my mind was saying... but I didn't see any to empiraclly check what Huan said about teeth...)

Anyway the usual ton of mullet including some monsters but I have a real problem shooting them so chose not to.

Alot of sandeels and also... some bass !

Wahey ! I was right on the edge of the current in a shallow aspetto and saw one appear behind my left shoulder nosing into the current so after backing off and waiting a bit I did the next one facing down current and it came back for a nice gill plate shot

I didn't see where the shaft had gone in so assumed it was a poor shot (it took off really fast - so I thought the shot was low in the belly) - and we drifted out into the main current. It was ripping off alot of line as the current was fast and it was shallow. I was catching up and then came across about 8 large bass all gathered around the one I had shot. Looked a bit surreal and then I dove for it and heded back to the float and the shelter of a rock I was using to lurk behind. Nice 5 pound bass !

The other one I got was in the shallows with some aguarto bootlace action - a bit smaller at a flick under 2 pounds but still a nice meal.

Adrian ? Dude you have to give up on those beers

George - sorry slept in ! Also more of a low water person .... The Humps at low water would be amazing....

Cheers
Ed

 

[portinfer]

water temp : 17 C
max depth : 8.8m
max dive time : 1.40mins
no of dives : 28
----------------------------

A nice dive on the east coas with Pete and Mary and his brother Miles. Massive springs so we were looking forward to seeing some areas that are either too deep or with current normally.

I was surprised at how low it actually went - I think the tide was 0.8m which is pretty low - you could see the high water mark on the cliffs and it was a good 10m above !

We started out in the shallows and then followed the contours of the reef that makes two small bays next to each other at this low tide. Gradually we got out to where it dropped off on the edge of the kelp. It was actually pretty murky and I guess you could see about 3m.

So a few drops onto the kelp and then following it down to the sand and green neptune grass at various depths but mostly about 6.5m to 7.5m - not massively deep but with the murk it made it a bit hard to judge where you were going to land up.

After a while of seeing no fish and taking lots of pix of baby pollack I got a bit desperate and found a solitary mullet to snap away on. (Gun was at home as I have a full fridge and freezer )

Out at the end of the reef I tried a deep aspetto at about 7.5m - well that is what the Suunto was saying but I was at the end of the 10m bouy line that I took so got me thinking that someone was wrong.... Anyone actually checked their Suunto (Mosquito is what I use) ? Can they be adjusted ?

Anyway this was definitely the sweet spot and it's a shame I have to go to work tomorrow ! On the first dive I went down and saw a few large pollack and some mullet and then the bass showed up. Loads of them and all about 5 pounds from the look of it. Kind of wish I had the speargun but then again they were alot closer to me and they hung around for ages too.

Second dive I saw a lot more and they seemed to just keep coming out of the dark ... so many, everywhere I looked....

I just kept diving - 2mins or 3mins on the surface and about 1:30 down each time.

One dive was even more amazing : I went down and held onto some kelp and the pollack were all around, then the mullet moved in and I was snapping away on the camera when all the bass arrived again and stayed milling around me (bouillabase...). Just when I thought this is a mini-Attenborough moment some black bream arrived .. and I ran out of air. The bream seem to arrive really late at the party. Looked beautiful though....

Anyway Pete and Miles had no luck with their breath hold (alcohol is a killer on the lungs he said smuggly...) so took no fish home whereas I took a 36 roll of tri-x back... might even get in gear and dev it tonight....

Fantastic dive... great day..
Cheers
Ed

 

[fishboy]

Latest bass report,
Have been in on the west coast & at bordeaux a number over of times over the last 2 weeks & no bass to be seen at all. The bass are just not in the shallows!
There's a rod & line bass competition on at the moment & no bassage for them either.
In need of new spots as usual spots are completely empty.
Except Ed (whoose luck is in) is any body finding the same?
Let me know
Chin chin
Charlie

 

[portinfer]

Go freestyle Charlie - just try an unlikely spot at an unlikely tide and you should find the bass - I think that they have been reading these posts... the bass are wising up... Or maybe I saw more cos I only had the camera ?

Cheers
Ed

(Fabio and Marco and there respectives Paula and Lora are over this weekend so get the bass while they last )

 

[Namron]

Managed a baby bass tonight - new spot not a great place for the state of tide but interesting none the less. Only say a couple of small ones and a few mullet.

Went in over the weekend (sorry Ed ended up going in later on in the day than you) but nothing came home with me. I was well hungover on Saturday and saw nowt - too rough where I was, Jamie managed to bag a couple of small ones. In on Sunday too with the low tide it looked like it would be a great spot but nada bass - only those distracting Mullet.

Anybody in after work this week if the weather doesn't break?

 

[portinfer]

Weather looks sheeeet ..... might be nice on Saturday ...

 

[Old Man Dave]

Hi! I'm back from California.
Only caught the one fish, see attached picture (should show a huge fat predator).
Also should show a shark.
Did you all miss me?
Old Man "Dieting" Dave.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Recovering from the jet lag of 8 hour time difference I didn't manage in today.
However, did catch up on gossip. Seems as though the dead spell carried on for the time I was off but as always there are always fish somewhere and so can be caught but only if you keep at it. Ed's idea, of trying the different when trying the same over and over again don't work, is a good one.
Proof in point was that last monday, despite apparently crap weather, someone I know shot a 9lb 5oz bass.
Also know of a catch of 2 bass and 4 bream taken close in on the east coast last tuesday. This was on a 30 hook long line, not spearing, but I mention it as it looks as though fishing could be improving and the fish were close inshore.
Dead neap at the moment which for me means preferably tank diving but whatever I'll be in tomorrow probably snorkelling and then boating after that.
Dave.

 

[portinfer]

water temp : 17 C
max depth : 7.8m
max dive time : 1.45mins
no of dives : 26
----------------------------

Went in with Marco and Chris after work - bit of swell but not as bad as it can be in the spot we chose. Diving down on along a line of rocks and seeing sizeable pollack (Marco took one) and the occasional wrasse.

Out at the end of the rocks Chris went back and the remainder carried on around into a small bay that can be good - not today ! Nothing so a few more drops in the main bay. I saw more pollack and one small bass that I left for another year.

Saw my first pouting - just a baby one but cool to see one close up and make out its markings and barbel.

Also was down about 8m and a massive shoal of mullet did a fly by - must have been about 30 or so, wish I had my camera.... 5 broke off from the main gang and came within aboiut 3 inches from my mask to check me out before heading back to the group.

Pretty nice after work dive.... was planning an early morning solo mission but turned out to be a late night in A+E with Pete's brother (alcohol and scaffolding poles don't mix as he discovered - don't think he will be using his hands for a while....) so might have to go in tonight instead...

 

[fabio]

Hey Ed,

brace yourself, if everything goes smoothly, I was planning to meet up with you and Marco at your place at around 6.15 pm for an evening dive!!
See you then
Fabio

 

[portinfer]

Ahhh ! Excellent - see you then - pretty nice day over here - hope your exams went well and you are now free for a bit of diving if the F.P.O. (Fisheries Permission Officer) allows..

See you later - Ed

 

[portinfer]

Working hard for bass....

water temp : 17 C
max depth : 12.8m
max dive time : 1.51mins
no of dives : 28
----------------------------

Well had a nice dive last night and only one small bass from Marco - both Fabio and myself drew blanks but at least it was good to go in at dusk.

This morning we went down to Fermain and had some deep diving.

Really beautiful morning and a very calm sea with no boat traffic around yet.

We went out with a few relaxing dives to about 6m or so seeing quite a few mullet and then found a good spot where the kelp breaks away to a sandy bottom.

Well we found this out by diving because the visibility was about 4m or so. Anyway we were all dropping down to the bottom which was about 12m to 14m.

On my dives I saw shoals of medium to large mullet streaming from behind me from both sides - maybe 30 to 40 on each side. I kept looking for lurking bass but to no avail...

After a few dives we spread out along the edge to try our luck and I found a good spot with a kelpy outcrop on the bottom right on the weed/sand edge and within a few seconds of hitting the bottom a nice found pound or so bass swam past quite fast and I took the long shot. Seemed really small down there so I don't know if it was really far away or something to do with the depth (I don't normally dive that deep).

Marco was seeing the mullet and the occasional wrasse but not many bass. I only saw the one I shot and about two others... where have they gone ???!

Fabio saw a large wrasse but decided to ignore it and then it turned out to be a large black bream - a realisation too late ! He was furious in the car for the journey to the next spot.... shoot first ask questions later...So Fabio contented himself with a large brown wrasse for sushi.

Anyway after a couple of hours we went to the west coast and drew a complete blank... not a single bass seen and maybe two mullet seen between us... I calle dit a day but Fabio and Marco decided that the 'gara' was still on so carried on working their way north. I guess I'll find out what they caught later on today.

Cheers
Ed

 

[grahamfoster]

Nice fish - took me a while to see it though after being dazzled by the shirt!!!

 

[portinfer]

It's a bank holiday what do you expect ! A man has a right to relax !

 

[portinfer]

A nice night dive last night....

We went out at about 11 or sometime around then and got home by about half twelve. Really nice dive with Fabio and Marco - we saw alot of fish and Fabio missed grabbing a lobster. I got lucky with a 5 pound bass in the shallows closely followed by Fabio landing a large red mullet follwed by another smaller bass to me and then a 5 pound bass to Fabio - pretty fast action !

I shot my first mullet this year last night (it was dark...) when Marco shouted 'branzini !' I took an aspetto and shot the larger of the fish that I saw in the background but mr mullet got the brunt of the spear...

Headed in and I found a cuttle fish grappling with a chancre. Probably should have left it as they are such amazing animals but my sister has been asking for one for ages - despte being vegetarian she loves sepia.

Anyway - no flatfish but some nice other fish...

Cheers
Ed

 

[beardy241]

George and I had a rather nice time out last night too. It's the best time of year I reckon... early dark, water still warm... excellent!! Phosphorescense was on top form too!

Pulled a couple of modest Red Mullet - the last one I had was really good eating (loaded with garlic and with a parsley sauce, mmm!). George pulled a couple of Sole, lost both of them (!) but re-caught one of them. (muppet!)

We too met several Cuttlefish which was a pleasant surprise - there were loads around a few years back but none since - so it's great to see them again. As Ed says, they are AWESOME creatures. We enjoyed the light show for a bit, I was keen to bring one home but didn't. Love 'em!

Our other treat was to bump into an Electric Ray. The tale has to be told... my dive buddy on the night in question... let's call him 'George' ...found a mother flattie buried in the sand in about 4m of water. He inspected it, I inspected it. On the surface the conversation went something like,
G. "What is it?"
M. "Not a Brill or Turbot - wrong shape."
G. "Don't get Electric Rays around here. Do you?"
M. "Dunno."
George went for it. George paid for it. I dropped to the bottom with him to get a good view. It paid off for me. He got zapped, 3 times. He let go of his knife (the conductor!) and we hit the surface tearing our masks off ROARING with laughter - well perhaps I was laughing a bit more than him).

To cut long story not so short, them fish was now swimming off to deeper water, with knife. We tracked it and recovered the knife 'carefully' and left the fish - regrettably. The fish, we presume, entered the food chain fairly soon after this, George was still nursing a sore arm over two hours later.

Ah, the stories to tell! The outcome is that we now know the we do get electrics here.

This person, 'George' will probably read this and want to tell his side of the story - but that might break his anonymity.

so long for now.

[m]

 

[portinfer]

Marcel - sounds good ! Fabio had a similar experience yesterday I think (I had to work) - he pulled it to the surface and Dave was yelling at him not to touch it ! .... If they are large and black and buzz a bit then leave them well alone.

Fabio and Marco managed to pull out a shoal of 7 pound bass today ... oh and a large black bream .. oh and did I mention the lobster and chancre ... some days you wish that you didn't work in an office ! (Again there were scorch marks on the doors at work at leaving time...)

Ed

 

[beardy241]

Oh, forgot to mention the other real treat we had the other night... a Squat Lobster. Gorgeous little fella. Hanging on the roof of a small cave he was.

http://shop.uwphoto.no/detail.asp?product_id=esv125cd035

 

[MattHolt]

Hi Guernsey Spearos!

Im in Guernsey again for a couple of weeks supposedly working . Went in today on west coast low tide and saw no Bass at all. Went for a bit of a wander before and found a spot near Pleinmont which looks like an awsome low tide spot for tomorrow. Bit of an awkward scramble down the cliffs but looks ok. Could do with a buddy. If anyone is interested please get in touch. Should be heading down there about three ish for a few hours.

Cheers

Matt

 

[Namron]

Managed a couple of dives over the weekend, and came back with four bass between the two of us. Jamie had the lion's share of the bass though with three of the four. Now have a new spot to add to the repertoire.

I shalln't tell you haw many I managed to miss in one session on Friday, some days they come home with you sometimes they don't! I have now switched back to my Tahitian spear and with my first shot on Saturday I managed to hit a bass right through the eyeball - it really went mad when that happened! I soon put it out of it's misery though but made me feel a bit guilty, right through the eye must really smart!

Anyway better after work tides later on in the week and my new suit might be here by then. (Ed - how long did yours take from when they sent you the email to say it was dispatched?)

Happy hunting
Adrian