Ireland spearing 2007

[fcallagy]

Just back from Malinbeg, had great weather and vis improved as the day went on. Had a massive bloom of Jellies, biggest I have ever seen. Not a huge pile of fish about but a nice congor hiding in the rocks. Plenty of pipefish about hanging on the weed. Had my first dive snorkelling and then two dives on scuba with trainees from Poland doing their first open water dives and both did great. We had a great day one of the best of the year.

 

[abusingelves]

woo hoo we got stickied.

was thinking there the other day, has anyone shot any ling?

i've spotted them on scuba a few times, and they're one of my favourite eating fish. got one a few years ago in a gill net, and as it came on board, the guy i was fishing with dived on it shouting ''that's mine'' rofl

funny thing is that if i'd seen it first i'd have done the same thing.

sunfish i spotted a free swimming conger a few months back aswell. beautiful animals. didn't shoot either, but it's on my to-do list, as i found a few conger recipes. think i saw a photo of Huan with a relatively big conger some time back, but can't find it now. any input on that struggle Huan? modes of cooking?

nice shots feargus, i particularly like the conger one, it almost looks shy!

 

[Cisco_Kid]

Love the pic of the seal robbo..Its expression is priceless. As if you caught him doing something he shouldn't have been..

 

[sunfish]

Nice one Abusing! Four months ago you started this.
Ling - I haven't shot any yet but probably will as the pollack from Carraigdubh often have baby ling in theit stomachs. I've also seen a shoal of baby ling in a gulley there. They're stubbier than greater sandeel.
I like ling to eat too. They're a bit more fiddly to fillet as the pin bones go the full length of the lateral line but its simple enough to take them all out in one strip.
Some of the old boys here have great knowledge of fishing marks. One of them, when asked "Where's a good place for a ling?" replied "Inside in the plate with the steam coming out of him."

 

[foxfish]

Personally I would not shoot a conger - I have killed a few in my time but they are not so common now!
Congers have been a delicacy in my Island for centuries. They were once so abundant that Congers were salted barreled & exported all over the world. This was happening 120 years ago but the fish still remains a delicacy for some!
You need to remove the skin because the fish partly excretes its bodily wastes though the skin. The resulting ammonia tainted slimy coat is very unpleasant tasting.
However the skin can remain if the fish is to be salted or brined & smoked or simply dried. Dried Conger was a particular favorite of Guernsey folk, cutlets of fish were left to dry in net bags under the sun. After several days the fish was then cooked in a low oven for quite some time? the result was then soaked until a spreadable product could be eaten on top of buttered bread.
Properly the best way to eat conger is to cut into shrimp size pieces & coat in egg & bread crumbs, SCAMPY!
They are not easy to clean & make a real mess so make sure you really want to kill one before you do.

 

[sunfish]

Feargus, I've only just now looked properly at your photos. I like the jellyfish one but the pipefish one is fantastic! Until I put it up to full size I didn't realize what it was.

 

[fcallagy]

Cheers sunfish there was a lot of them in malinbeg I saw them on every dive. But there seemed to be a whole family on that piece of weed.

 

[garett]

Hi to all who’s going to read this.
I was glad to find (thanks to Feargus) this thread.

Before to tell you about my proposition I would like briefly introduce myself.
I’m not an Irish and English is not my native language, but I’m living beside Dublin from 1998.
I like water very much and everything what is underwater. I do lot of spearfishing for more than 25 years. In different countries I use to do fishing in the fresh water. I had few years break but last year I’ve got set of new gear and restarted active snorkeling and spearfishing again.

In the August of 2006 I spent 3 weeks with my family in Co. Kerry, snorkeling, free-diving and spearfishing. We were first time there and we were very impressed of all those panoramic views that we had chance to see. I was impressed more because I could see underwater views as well. Visibility in 2006 in Kerry was just brilliant. Open Atlantic ocean beside Slea Head with crystal clear blue water, colorful underwater plants, lot of different kinds of fish – all that stuff was in my memory for long time after we came back home to Dublin. So, I’m familiar with photography and I decided to try to save all those views not in the memory only. In the beginning of 2007 I’ve got my first digital camera Canon G7 (before that I used film cameras only) with underwater case and I’ve started UW photography. I’ve discovered that it’s much more complicated to take acceptable quality picture of fish than to bring same fish to the table. I’ve spent lot of time trying and practicing underwater and on the computer. I’ve leaned a lot, but still will need to learn much more. Now I like UW photography more than fishing because of few different reasons: first of all I can keep taking pictures and record videos as much as long I can stay in the water. Then I can view all those photos again and again, and videos especially. But from time to time I take speargun underwater as well, mostly when I would like to grill some fresh fish. Even I tried to use two devices same time: camera in the left hand, and speargun in the right hand. Usually right hand never misses, but it hard to record video same time especially when I was trying to get my catch. I’ve made attachment to fix camera to the top of the speragun, I will try it at next occasion.
Besides photography I have a different hobby, a web-design. So, I decided to put my pictures and videos to the internet in order to show them to other people. I’ve created a webs-site where I display some of my edited pictures and videos
Welcome to Underwater World of Ireland
It’s in continuous development.

I discovered also that UW video is much more impressive that still images. But with videos I discovered also a new problem: originally I’m recording all videos in AVI format in size 640x480. Most of videos are very sharp, bright, colorful and clear, but even short clip has extremely large file size. For example 5 minutes video in AVI format in size 640x480 is about 500Mb on the hard disk. Because of so enormous size it can’t be used for the internet. I had to convert (after editing) all videos into WMV format. I managed to reduce video file size but quality of videos dropped down also. I’m still working on this.

I have plenty of raw photos and videos in the queue – they are waiting for reviewing and for editing. I have this long queue because I don’t have free time at all. Full time job + 3 small kids that’s were currently all my time goes. I’m not complaining, I’m just explaining why I can’t progress faster in my Underwater-Ireland project. Main idea or main intention of this project is to show to the rest of the world how beautiful Ireland is above and especially underwater. Also I would like to promote snorkeling in Ireland because I personally believe that Ireland provides very good opportunity to enjoy this kind of adventurous activity but nobody knows about this. In the nearest future I have a plan to create a page on my site with map something similar to this - scuba diving ireland
Besides written information I’ll provide pictures and videos of all sites I cuold recommend. It will be some kind of Irish snorkeling and free-diving directory. But it can be used as spearfishing guide as well because if site is good for snorkeling it most likely will be good and for spearfishing too. Also I have a plan to open a separate page about spearfishing in Ireland with similar map. But it will not be so soon because first of all I have lot of to do with my main project.

After reading all pages on this thread I’ve understood that it will be good to have right now some kind of web-based spearfishing directory where anyone will be able to find information about where and when is good to go for spearfishing or for snorkeling in Ireland. I can create such directory but I’ll need your help. I can create a separate page on my site something like this
http://www.underwater-ireland.com/spearo irl.htm (color and design can be changed) where I can put a reference table. Table will have next information:
- basic location (Donegal, Galway area, West Cork, Kerry, etc)
- detailed location (Malin Beg for example);
- how to get there and how to access site maybe map as well;
- site description (visibility at different time of the year, underwater topography, currents, etc);
- usual underwater habitants;
- recommendations;
- site coordinator/buddy (name and contact phone/e-mail address of the person who provides all that information and who will be able to give most resent advice);
- few site pictures if available;
- recommended accommodation (closest to the site (or pub:friday) and maybe those who have cooking facilities – barbeque for example to grill fresh catch);
- anything else what you think can be useful.
We are everybody will provide information required for that table. I will keep updating that table and if someone want’s to find where and when to go – it’s here. We will not need to dig 20 or more pages in the forum, ask questions, wait for reply… Besides if someone describes really well site near him, provides buddy service, quality accommodation – I think he could make some money organizing spearfishing trips… Why not? So, if you like this idea – please let me know and I start immediately.

Last thing about my videos: I would recommend you to watch my Composed video from trip to the South-West in August 2007. It’s really nice. If you like it and if you wish to watch original brilliant quality video in AVI format – I can post you free CD. Just send your postal address to my PM.

Cheers
Vic

 

[abusingelves]

hey. saw your website before, and looks good.
that video is class. was it all shot in ireland.?

does anyone know what that fish at 3:30 in the video is. you show it again towards the end. have never seen one myself?

 

[sunfish]

I've seen your website too Garret. Your pictures represent underwater Ireland well. On days when the sea's rough, I sometimes look at them as a diving substitute!

 

[fcallagy]

glad to see you here garett

 

[Pastor]

Excellent pictures Garett! The vis is amazing, I'm just across the water from Dublin and the vis is nowhere near that in June

 

[sunfish]

On Wednesday (7/11) I went out to dive Carraigdubh yet again, looking for specimen pollack.
I prefer not to dive the same spot too often, but this reef goes a fair way in different directions underwater, so it's possible to dive different parts of it in succession. Also I had a nine pounder here on Saturday June 16th, and I reckon there's a good chance that a double figure fish is lurking round here somewhere!
I started on the western arm of the reef, dropping onto ridges at 25ft and into gullies and dips at 35ft and over. I saw pollack up to 4 and 5 pounds, and after half a dozen dives I chanced on a lobster sitting in the mouth of a crack. I grabbed him immediately. He was smaller than I would normally take but I hadn't found one for a while and it's getting late in the season.(When measured he was more than a cm over the limit).
After 20 dives, I upped anchor and moved to the inner part of the western arm but the fish I saw here were smaller, mostly coalfish with some few pollack of 2-4 lbs.
I even swam up onto the shallow part of the reef, where swell turns to a break, to look for bass and mullet but none were there.
Eventually I left fishless but with a lobster, having had a great time and having made 32 dives from 10.48 to 12.40 and swum the shallows too.
deepest dive, 41ft, longest time, 1 min 24 secs.
The lobster was delicious with fresh salad and a plate of chips. Is that a bit plebian? I know it doesn't tally with my low cholesterol regime but hey, live a bit!

 

[garett]

Thanks to all for your comments. I wish to represent underwater Ireland well, because it’s worth to be on the top of that specific rating. Absolutely all material on the site is from Ireland. I hope those pics and videos I currently have is just the beginning.

What fish about you asking for? At 3:30 on video I have a simple wrass uder the rock in a small cave. It was really dark there and all pictures went bad. Video was better. It’s Barley Cove, vis wasn’t good for photos. Beside it I have big eyed jack from open Atlantic on Slea Head. I didn’t take a speargun that time so had no chance to test it.

What about spearfishing web directory? Nobody gave any feedback yet. I know personally maybe 10-15 sites in Kerry, West Cork, Galway, Dublin and Donegal. But it’s not enough to open it. Or you think we don’t need it? Please post your opinions about this.

 

[fcallagy]

Hi garett the directory sounds interesting I would be happy to put on a few spots. I wonder how much interest it would generate.

 

[garett]

I think first of all it will be useful and interesting for us who live in Ireland. Besides us I know that some UK and other EU spearos from time to time coming to Ireland for fishing. They will be able to use it as well. I think there is more than enough of fish for all of us especially for visitors (what they can do with fish?).

I personally love to travel and to discover new places. But you know yourself that weather here is not very supportive especially during the winter. Last summer even in June-July I went few times to sites I know near Dublin when weather was good enough but still I was able to see my fins only. Some kind of disappointment but I didn’t lost a lot, a few hours. But if instead of Dublin I go far enough and vis is bad there or sea is not quiet – at least full day will be lost, besides disappointment.

I've mentioned just some quick ideas about directory. If we start it and if everything goes well – I can add more stuff there, anything we will find what is useful and interesting for us.

 

[abusingelves]

hey. yeah it must have the big eyed jack i was on about. didn't even know we get them here. the seas are really changing i think.

anyhow, got in this evening, at a nice spot on lettermor.
there's a slip, but i entered just south of the slip.
dropped into a big shoal of small mullet, and i even wondered what small mullet taste like fried. lucky for me i held off, to see if there was anything larger around. two nice mullet appeared through the shoal of smalls and i took the larger.
my first stone shot!
by the time he was on the stringer, there wasn't a mullet in sight, despite me having been as calm as a cucumber.
saw no more mullet after that.
swam on an found a shoal of sprat i think, about eight inches long, i've been seeing these since august, and they've gotten much larger than they used to be. anyhow, i managed to shoot one to bring home to eat, so i'd know if it tasted like herring. put it in my tattered backup net bag and swam on.
did a good few dives of around 6-8 metres. missed a nice pollock, as i took a hurried pot shot. saw no more nice pollock after that, but i did take a small one, as i haven't had any pollock in ages. there was only room on my conscience for the one however!

was in for around an hour and a half, with my 5mm elios and didn't feel cold, but i did keep moving. there was however an icey chill wind when was taking my suit off.

got some photo's of the fish, but i lost the sprat on the walk backto the car. trying to re-size the photo's now.

 

[abusingelves]

couldn't get the third photo resized. can just change the settings on my phone, so will do that from now on.

 

[sunfish]

Yesterday I paddled out to dive an offshore reef I haven't done recently, due to the weather. Unfortunately my land bearings aren't good and I spent an hour trying to find it before giving up. The top of the reef is 30ft at low tide but normally I can be guided by lobster pot floats. I'll have to take better bearings next time I find it and I must get my sounder fitted. I'm sure I probly went over it between anchor drops, but I could get nothing shallower than 50ft and all with a flat bottom.
When I came inshore I switched to plan B, which was to get a bass I'd promised to a friend and maybe a bass and some mullet for me.
Plenty of fish about and I soon got the bass but managed only one mullet. I had two shots at bass, taking both fish, but I just kept missing the mullet. When I did finally get one it was shot in the middle. Maybe it's because their heads are small and I instinctively look for headshots or maybe it was the strong surge and swirl, which made it hard to get a steady aim.
The bass weighed 7.7lbs and 5.2lbs while the mullet weighed 4.1lbs.

 

[sunfish]

Nice pictures Abusigelves. That looks a great diving spot. Your mullet is hit in a good spot -just behind the head and through the spine.
Garret, I think your idea is a good one and will certainly be useful to visitors. I'm prepared to give advice on general areas, what fish are there, and how to find them, but I'd be reluctant to post specific fishing marks on a public website. Apart from the possibility of some spearos or anglers hitting them too hard, some commercial fishermen look in such places.