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Ireland spearing 2008
- Thread starter sunfish
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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Hey to all
Is the summer coming i wonder?
Got out sunday to a new spot on the ring of kerry.Found it accidentally,through a farm,all the way down to the beach.
Met the farmer................:martial
A gas man.....He let me do my thing anyway.I had a rubber cap at the end of my spear to protect the seats in the car and your man thought that i can spear fish like that.........................You can imagine the laugh.....
Lovely guy though.................He told me to go again anytime.
The spot is lovely but no fish,yet anyway.Only a small pollock and i didnt bother.
Pick 4 big spider crabs for the dinner though........
Congrats for your wedding seamunki.........
Regards
Nik
Is the summer coming i wonder?
Got out sunday to a new spot on the ring of kerry.Found it accidentally,through a farm,all the way down to the beach.
Met the farmer................:martial
A gas man.....He let me do my thing anyway.I had a rubber cap at the end of my spear to protect the seats in the car and your man thought that i can spear fish like that.........................You can imagine the laugh.....
Lovely guy though.................He told me to go again anytime.
The spot is lovely but no fish,yet anyway.Only a small pollock and i didnt bother.
Pick 4 big spider crabs for the dinner though........
Congrats for your wedding seamunki.........
Regards
Nik
Hi lads, hows it going? New to the sport, and forum, but have enjoyed reading back through the posts from 2007 and 2008!
Couple of quick questions...
Does anyone know if it is legal to spearfish in a marine SAC/SPA? I know that there are a couple around Dublin harbour (e.g. Bull Island), and one big one in Galway.
Also, what would you guys recommend as line for the gun. My current one has some thick curly plastic cord, but it looks like it will tangle easily, and wouldn't take too much to break.
Thanks lads
Couple of quick questions...
Does anyone know if it is legal to spearfish in a marine SAC/SPA? I know that there are a couple around Dublin harbour (e.g. Bull Island), and one big one in Galway.
Also, what would you guys recommend as line for the gun. My current one has some thick curly plastic cord, but it looks like it will tangle easily, and wouldn't take too much to break.
Thanks lads
The Man Returns!
Can't wait to head out your way - with all this settled weather the vis must be getting better all the time. Now if I could just manage to re-rig my gun between nappie changes!
great idea feargus. im up for it no matter where. any excuse to get away for a weekend!! aran sounds good. im game, anybody else??
Ditch that curly plastic - it does tangle like crazy. Get yourself some 140 pound mono and some crimps and check out the section on DB called Dummies Guide to Rigging a Speargun - it should sort you out!
hey guys, got out near spidal (about 500metres from my house) there yesterday evening.
i don't know if i can convey how good the viz was, but it was absolutely savage.
i mean about 9 metres anyway. clearest i'd ever seen at that spot.
got some nice dives done as well.
there were only wrasse, spiders (small females) and a few small pollock about. went as quietly as possible as well, but didn't see any mullet.
got a bag full of mackerel from a fisherman when i can ashore, so the mackerel are in as well.
so all in all it was a great evening.
had a great dive with savage viz, and i went home with with loads of mackerel which were cooked immediately and swiftly consumed.
might get out next wednesday evening after an exam, or i might go surfing instead.
anyone else get out? or am i in a very small pocket of great viz all on my own?
i don't know if i can convey how good the viz was, but it was absolutely savage.
i mean about 9 metres anyway. clearest i'd ever seen at that spot.
got some nice dives done as well.
there were only wrasse, spiders (small females) and a few small pollock about. went as quietly as possible as well, but didn't see any mullet.
got a bag full of mackerel from a fisherman when i can ashore, so the mackerel are in as well.
so all in all it was a great evening.
had a great dive with savage viz, and i went home with with loads of mackerel which were cooked immediately and swiftly consumed.
might get out next wednesday evening after an exam, or i might go surfing instead.
anyone else get out? or am i in a very small pocket of great viz all on my own?
Hey abusing. think your right........you are gettin all the great vis!! was up in connemara last weekend and it wasnt great. lots of female spiders which have not much meat. complete opposite here. was out yesterday and saw lots and lots of male spiders.
Myself and Donnachad went on my boat on a 9 mile trek (20 mins!!) to Daunt rock, a well known pollock spot. nice spot where 2 miles off shore the rock peaks at 20ft on low water. the tide was moving at 1knot and vis was pretty poor at the surface so it was fairly hard work staying close to the boat. it payed off though. we speared some nice pollock there and another few on the way back in roberts cove.
no bass but thats my next mission. sunfish your welcome to come along next time because ill definately be revisiting Daunt Rock.
Nice 7 pounder below!!
Myself and Donnachad went on my boat on a 9 mile trek (20 mins!!) to Daunt rock, a well known pollock spot. nice spot where 2 miles off shore the rock peaks at 20ft on low water. the tide was moving at 1knot and vis was pretty poor at the surface so it was fairly hard work staying close to the boat. it payed off though. we speared some nice pollock there and another few on the way back in roberts cove.
no bass but thats my next mission. sunfish your welcome to come along next time because ill definately be revisiting Daunt Rock.
Nice 7 pounder below!!
Attachments
Was out on thursday eve vis was good on a high tide with plenty of fish but all small. the wind had picked and there was a good chop to the waves so didn,t venture too far.
Myself and the family are heading to estarit and the medes islands tomorrow on a club diving trip but will only be getting in a few dives due to family commitments. They are meant to be good though as they are a marine reserve. Hopefully will have a few photos to post monday week.
As a side note just found out my brother is off to the arctic circle for 3 weeks with charlie bird doing a gig on global warming and so on. He does directing/camera and editing stuff and while i dont envy him that i do envy the arctic all expenses paid and being paid while hes there.
Myself and the family are heading to estarit and the medes islands tomorrow on a club diving trip but will only be getting in a few dives due to family commitments. They are meant to be good though as they are a marine reserve. Hopefully will have a few photos to post monday week.
As a side note just found out my brother is off to the arctic circle for 3 weeks with charlie bird doing a gig on global warming and so on. He does directing/camera and editing stuff and while i dont envy him that i do envy the arctic all expenses paid and being paid while hes there.
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Johnny, thats a very broad use of the word WE. I missed one completely and my spear seemed to bounce off two others . And that was that empty stringer again. Still there are plenty of fish and tomorrows another day. Maybe seabass for dinner on sunday......
Nice catch lads.......
Heading out tomorrow as weather is very promising.I will keep you updated....
Heard about a missing diver off the coast of donegal a while ago on the news.........
Hope everything is ok................!!!!!!!!
Regards
Nik
Heading out tomorrow as weather is very promising.I will keep you updated....
Heard about a missing diver off the coast of donegal a while ago on the news.........
Hope everything is ok................!!!!!!!!
Regards
Nik
Nice pollack from the Daunt Johnny.
I went to a reef about half a mile offshore in the kayak yesterday evening. The sounder is useful to find high spots to anchor on! 35ft was the best spot I could find and my divings not on top form yet due to the late start of the season. 50 seconds was about the best I could manage in the current.
Second dive I clipped a big pollack which pulled off immediately. After about six dives I hit one which stayed on and weighed in at 3.9lbs. Saw only small ones after that, and I couldn't stay long as I had to work last night.
When I got back to the car one of my back tyres was almost flat. Why does this always happen when you're in a hurry?
Oh, vis was pretty good offshore, 20ft, but when I checked inshore for bass it was only 6ft. Plenty bass were around but they were small- 2lb to 3lb.
I'll look forward to trying Daunt rock. I've often looked at it on the chart.
I went to a reef about half a mile offshore in the kayak yesterday evening. The sounder is useful to find high spots to anchor on! 35ft was the best spot I could find and my divings not on top form yet due to the late start of the season. 50 seconds was about the best I could manage in the current.
Second dive I clipped a big pollack which pulled off immediately. After about six dives I hit one which stayed on and weighed in at 3.9lbs. Saw only small ones after that, and I couldn't stay long as I had to work last night.
When I got back to the car one of my back tyres was almost flat. Why does this always happen when you're in a hurry?
Oh, vis was pretty good offshore, 20ft, but when I checked inshore for bass it was only 6ft. Plenty bass were around but they were small- 2lb to 3lb.
I'll look forward to trying Daunt rock. I've often looked at it on the chart.
Took a trip to clonakilty today with some friends. The vis wasn't great still there was loads to see, shoals of mullet, some good size dogfish. No bass though. Gonna try and get to a spot near Youghal on wednesday if anybody's interested. What i've seen and heard it looks promising.
Well lads, happened to be in Galway at the weekend, so went for a couple of dives out near Ceathru Rua. The first was off a coral beach, and as soon as I was in I was surrounded by all sorts of fish. I've dived before, but not snorkelled much, and I couldn't believe that Irish coastal waters had so much wildlife to see. I must have seen about 7/8 different species of fish...
Anyway, of the eating fish there were only pollock, and I took a nice 2 footer, half of which is now in my belly! One thing I noticed though, was that there were quite a lot of lice on the fish. It was a grand healthy one, as I'd been following it for 5 minutes before I got it, but it had about 10 of the manky little things crawling around on it. Does anyone else see them often?
The other thing worth noting was the spider crabs - there were loads of them, and a couple with nice big looking claws and legs. Are they good eating, or not worth the trouble? And is there any special technique to grabbing them without losing a finger?
Anyway, of the eating fish there were only pollock, and I took a nice 2 footer, half of which is now in my belly! One thing I noticed though, was that there were quite a lot of lice on the fish. It was a grand healthy one, as I'd been following it for 5 minutes before I got it, but it had about 10 of the manky little things crawling around on it. Does anyone else see them often?
The other thing worth noting was the spider crabs - there were loads of them, and a couple with nice big looking claws and legs. Are they good eating, or not worth the trouble? And is there any special technique to grabbing them without losing a finger?
like foxfish said, the males are the ones with the big claws, and the females are not worth the hastle IMHO.
personally i prefer spider claws to the claws of the brown crab.
they taste so much sweeter.
as far as i know, they are fished early in the year in ireland on the south coast, but the bottom falls out of the market when the english (cornwall fishery i think) start fishing for them, so they are largely undisturbed for the majority of the year. i personally don't know anyone up here who has ever targeted them commercially, but they do make up a large proportion of by-catch in bottom set nets.
they are also very dificult to keep alive once caught, unlike the hardy brown crab.
they are also double,triple,quadruple jointed (very flexible) and can reach around behind their own head, so makesure when you get a big one that you keep a good eye where his claws are.
aparently to get them into the bag, on the surface out of the water, just turn them upside down, they will curl up all their legs, facilitatng their being put into the bag easily.
have been out swimming the last few days in my new tri wetsuit ( no hood) and got terrible brain freeze and dizziness the first day. the rest haven't been as bad. makes you really appreciate the hood on spearing suits.
personally i prefer spider claws to the claws of the brown crab.
they taste so much sweeter.
as far as i know, they are fished early in the year in ireland on the south coast, but the bottom falls out of the market when the english (cornwall fishery i think) start fishing for them, so they are largely undisturbed for the majority of the year. i personally don't know anyone up here who has ever targeted them commercially, but they do make up a large proportion of by-catch in bottom set nets.
they are also very dificult to keep alive once caught, unlike the hardy brown crab.
they are also double,triple,quadruple jointed (very flexible) and can reach around behind their own head, so makesure when you get a big one that you keep a good eye where his claws are.
aparently to get them into the bag, on the surface out of the water, just turn them upside down, they will curl up all their legs, facilitatng their being put into the bag easily.
have been out swimming the last few days in my new tri wetsuit ( no hood) and got terrible brain freeze and dizziness the first day. the rest haven't been as bad. makes you really appreciate the hood on spearing suits.
Good luck with the bass on Wednesday Donnachad. I'll try to squeeze in a dive before work Wednesday evening. I'll let you know if I get any.
Went out yesterday afternoon, to a reef west of here. Lots of pollack and coalfish around but none looked over 3lb. At one point I was diving 40ft over lots of wreckage and there were one or two very impressive looking wrasse living there.
Vis was very clear, 30ft+ , and this seems to make diving much easier. Once I hit a rhythm, I made repeat dives of over a minute, to 35 to 40ft.
Went out yesterday afternoon, to a reef west of here. Lots of pollack and coalfish around but none looked over 3lb. At one point I was diving 40ft over lots of wreckage and there were one or two very impressive looking wrasse living there.
Vis was very clear, 30ft+ , and this seems to make diving much easier. Once I hit a rhythm, I made repeat dives of over a minute, to 35 to 40ft.