Ireland spearing 2008

[fcallagy]

welcome to the forums Johnny good to see you here. Loads of other info on this site as well if you search for it.

 

[AegeanSeaHunter]

Dear Friends

It took me 3 years to discover this site.....Isnt that funny?
Better late than never i suppose....

I am so delighted to know that there are people out there, in this country that share the same interest with me.

Moved to Ireland 3 years ago from Greece. Some difference ha.....?
I live in Killarney in Kerry for the last 3 years as i said. Nice places around here but i havent discovered the underwater beauty of the area yet.

Too cold for me i suppose....

I have been out there a few times after bass and mullets,nothing more

Brought all my equipment from greece when i first came here. Overweight of course at the airport and you should have seen the face of the guy at the checking desk when i told him that i will be spearfishing in.....Ireland!!!!! The guy was a spearo himself and he didnt charge me overweight......God bless him.

I would be looking forward to meet up with some of you in the future. I have noticed that some lads are close enough to me.

Unfortunally i dont know much about the fish habits and types of the area,but i am getting there.
Could anyone tell me if the triggerfish is edible...?
I hit one last year which nearly took away half of my finger,but i didnt know what to do with it.
I wont hit another one till i find out.........:t

At the moment i have a 90cm Apache speargun with different shafts and rubbers and a 7mm wetsuit taylor made.
Got a Kayak last year and i used it in the.......LAKE hahaha!!!!

Its not my fault lads,I am still waiting for the Indian summer.....

Thats all folks for now.Looking forward hearing from you soon

Regards

Nik

 

[foxfish]

Hi Nik, welcome to db the guys on this thread are a friendly bunch & will definitely help you out.

 

[abusingelves]

hey nick and johnny.

johny i'm not exactly sure who's near you, but there are people there spearing definitely.

nick, welcome ! can be dificult enough to find info on irish spearing and all that. the guernsey lads had a great discussion on the eatting qualities of the triggers, which i think they rated very highly. i'm sure its easily findable by searching the guernsey thread (think that's where it was).
sunfish is in west cork somewhere, and also yak dives.

 

[donnachad]

Hello Nik and Johnny, welcome to DB. Myself and a mate went to the Sheeps head yesterday, 8 degrees, between 1-2 metres vis, no fishies at all. Still it was nice to be in the sea, first time since october. Conditions can only improve.

 

[togo]

Hello guys any spearo arround Galway and info about this area???

Thinking to get there in a month time to start the season as Dublin water looks to never be clear the all year.

Went yesterday to pick up clams in dublin as get frustrated to not dive or rod fishing, do you know if they're good too eat (Not poison,?)

Looking for a buddy to fish in galway and wexmouth area as they're the closest one from dublin.

Cheers Togo

Send me a pm in case of.

 

[donnachad]

Sunfish, this should come in handy, I can only get it to work some of the time.
tubes | Irelands largest dedicated surf and skate stores

 

[johnnybuoy]

brave man!! 8 degrees is fairly cold. going to wait for the good weather. wed sounds promising so hopefully will get out for a bit then.

 

[AegeanSeaHunter]

Hey Lads

Thanks for ur info and ur coments. Abusing, i found the info about triggerfish,thanks very much.
I ll be after them this summer since there were loads around last year

Any recipe for cooking them???

Hey Johny, i might give u a buzz this summer since cork is near to me, if thats ok?

Can only dive on weekends and the next one is awfull "again". I will have to wait.
See u soon
Nik

 

[abusingelves]

hey dudes!

got out today at a bay near clifden. mainly to forrage for shellfish, as i didn't expect any fish. scoped out the area on google earth first, so i knew exactly what to expect. large shallow bay sandy bottom.

got in at 20 to 1 making repeat dives, in about 6 metres. picked up some clams, and one welk. there were a lot of welks, but only took one to try as a tester. so i'm open to recipes if i could get them before tomorrow evening.

was in for just over an hour. elios 5mm suit kept me toasty warm, and didn't feel cold in the slightest. viz was around 6metres. great to see it.

got stopped at a garda checkpoint just outside clifden. had the speargun on the backseat. was thinking that this would be interesting as i puled up to the garda. but he didn't even notice the gun ( was a bit dissapointed) and he waved me on after checking tax and insurance.

felt great to get out. here's to a successful season.

cooked the clams with a little white wine and soy sauce and garlic. and they were good, if a bit salty. perhaps eave out the soy sauce next time.

good on you guys for getting out too. cold is no excuse! elios all the way!
i've been well impressed with my suit, and its warming abilities.

will try and get photo's up tomorrow, have to resize them.

 

[johnnybuoy]

ya nik thats fine. always ok with the company as it makes it safer. see you soon hopefully.

 

[basilisladias]

Dear Friends

It took me 3 years to discover this site.....Isnt that funny?
Better late than never i suppose....

I am so delighted to know that there are people out there, in this country that share the same interest with me.

Moved to Ireland 3 years ago from Greece. Some difference ha.....?
I live in Killarney in Kerry for the last 3 years as i said. Nice places around here but i havent discovered the underwater beauty of the area yet.

Too cold for me i suppose....

I have been out there a few times after bass and mullets,nothing more

Brought all my equipment from greece when i first came here. Overweight of course at the airport and you should have seen the face of the guy at the checking desk when i told him that i will be spearfishing in.....Ireland!!!!! The guy was a spearo himself and he didnt charge me overweight......God bless him.

I would be looking forward to meet up with some of you in the future. I have noticed that some lads are close enough to me.

Unfortunally i dont know much about the fish habits and types of the area,but i am getting there.
Could anyone tell me if the triggerfish is edible...?
I hit one last year which nearly took away half of my finger,but i didnt know what to do with it.
I wont hit another one till i find out.........:t

At the moment i have a 90cm Apache speargun with different shafts and rubbers and a 7mm wetsuit taylor made.
Got a Kayak last year and i used it in the.......LAKE hahaha!!!!

Its not my fault lads,I am still waiting for the Indian summer.....

Thats all folks for now.Looking forward hearing from you soon

Regards

Nik

Goodmorning everybody!
Nik, if you notice, in this topic last summer, two more greeks appear to have been spearfishing in Ireland lately! We enjoyed diving there, met Fearguss (fcallagy), an excelent diver and great guy- and his brother, so we are looking forward to come back, perhaps next year!
It is true that conditions are very different from the Med, but after 2 or 3 dives you start to get used to it and get some nice fish too (pollack and wrasse in the North-north west, we did not go south to see any bass or mulet). Aspetto (karteri) is the best way to get a decent sized fish and you can always look under the rocks for crabs and lobster. Enjoy your stay in this beautiful country and the discussions in this forum as well!!
Vassilis Ladias

 

[dotey]

man i want to be spearing there i need more places to spear maybe get out of the state or country and try other places

 

[stone_shot]

Went yesterday to pick up clams in dublin as get frustrated to not dive or rod fishing, do you know if they're good too eat (Not poison,?)

.

I would stay away from any filter feeders like clams from around Dublin. The water quality may be ok these days, but that does nothing for the nasty stuff from the past 50 years that is trapped in the sediment.:naughty

 

[johnnybuoy]

I would stay away from any filter feeders like clams from around Dublin. The water quality may be ok these days, but that does nothing for the nasty stuff from the past 50 years that is trapped in the sediment.:naughty

good call stone shot. i trawl my own prawn and shrimp for bait but mostly for eating inside cork harbour. never been sick from them so tried shellfish, ie mussels and clams. a handfull was enough to have me sick for days.
if you want shellfish to eat head away to the coast away from harbours and estuaries.

 

[togo]

Thanks Stone shot I've ate them and they were ok but I do agree that it will be better to avoid harbour and estuaries.

Cheers will try razor clams this week-end do you have any way to pull them out ???

cheers Togo

 

[johnnybuoy]

togo,
razor are very nice to eat bu just be careful again where u get them. get a large container of table salt. find the little holes in the sand where they live and pour the salt down the hole. walk backwards to the next holes and do the same, that way you can see them appear on the top of the sand back along the beach. the salt makes them think the tide is in and they come up to feed. soon as u see em, grab em. i fry them in butter and garlic. enjoy,
johnny

 

[johnnybuoy]

Was on scuba yesterday to check out some potential spots around kinsale area. vis is not graet yet. 1-3m and the water still too cold for the pollock. no fish seen apart from a 2-3lb wrasse and a few sand crabs. anybody else venture out??
johnny

 

[foxfish]

I collect razor clams for food & for fishing bait, no doubt the most effective way to harvest the creature is with a fork. I have tried the salt method with little success although a salt solution in a squirty bottle worked a little better. I think it is the aggressive nature of salt that aggravates the shell fish to eject its hole?

 

[stone_shot]

Thanks Stone shot I've ate them and they were ok but I do agree that it will be better to avoid harbour and estuaries.

Cheers will try razor clams this week-end do you have any way to pull them out ???

cheers Togo

Super easy! Get a big bottle of salt, dump a load down the clam hole and they will usually shoot out enough for you to grab them. Just hang on until th muscle weakens and then you can pull them out easily.