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Ireland Spearing, 2011

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
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If u ever manage to spear one that size id think twice about posting it on the net:-) Look what happened the guy with the tuna. Fishermen get jealous and play the conservation and sport card when a lot of them would take one to stuff for the fireplace too.
I know coz I'm a fisherman;-) I'm thinking bout getting the rod out too. Had 5 lovely ling last weekend. All gone now though:-(
 
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Baldyfish cheers for the info..
I don't suppose you could tell me where you saw the Mullet, if its around Cork and sheltered that would be great. I have afew spots but with the swell and wind viz is crap.
If not no worries..
 
Kiwis vs. Connemara: The search for the Connemara Gold

Couple of weekends back my kiwi spearo mate, Dick, was in the country for a few days. I did the only honourable thing I could think of, and took a couple of days off work and drove out to Connemara.

Day 1: overcast + bit of rain, 30kt wind, 2m swells. Fortunately, most of the forecast was irrelevant, because we were diving in a harbour for scallops, so the sea was millpond flat (but the vis was predictably bad, mebe 3m). We took about 30 scallops, and also took two edible crabs who were silly enough to be in the sand where we were rooting around for scallops. Big crabs, too; Dick got his finger in [what I will describe as] the crab's armpit and was not a happy camper. Not bad going considering we got there at a tide time I'd warned Dick as "we don't really want to be diving mid-tide, because there's 5m tidal movement the next couple of days". So naturally we dived mid tide. The current abso-honkingly honked. Good job we were diving in 5m, max :t

Day 2: overcast + bit of rain, 30kt wind, 2m swells. Alas we weren't diving a harbour today, so we were exposed to wind and swell. I was on the gun, but couldn't manage to put steel in large pollack. Gutted. Saw my biggest pollack yet, to boot. Alas, he wasn't asleep beside a rock in 4m of water, in 8m vis, with a flashing neon sign above his head saying "shoot me now" like they seem to be in Mullughmore :ko, so I exited the water sans gun-shot fish. Focussed instead on finding crustaceans, which proved to be much more productive. Managed 4 edible crabs and a small lobbie. All in less than 5m of water (because we dived the low tide, so it was a good couple of metres lower than normal).

Anyway, I've summarised the trip in a video. Enjoy!

 
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Also, How Big Are Ye?

In the interest of keeping it legal, I made up a template for a shellfish and mollusc measuring stick. It contains the legal landing sizes for lobster, razor clam, scallop, crawfish, edible crab and spider crab.

Print it [using no scaling] onto an A4 piece of paper (or sticker sheet), cut out and stick onto your fish box, dive box, float or whatever. It's just a handy way of making sure you obey the legal landing sizes. Info on how to measure (from where to where) on various fish, crustaceans and molluscs is found here: Minimum Landing Sizes | Sea Fisheries Protection Authority

I've attached it here. If it's not working properly, PM me yer email address and I'll mail it to ye.

;)
 

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Saw my biggest pollack yet, to boot. Alas, he wasn't asleep beside a rock in 4m of water, in 8m vis, with a flashing neon sign above his head saying "shoot me now" like they seem to be in Mullughmore :ko, so I exited the water sans gun-shot fish.

Hmmmm.... I sense.... something.... from that statement.... but I cannot put my finger on it.....

Unlike how I put my finger on the trigger and nailed the MAMMOTH pollock to claim the title of National spearing champ and recieve my award of the Prized T! rofl

However.... Fab video! looks like ye had a blast... well done!

It certainly looks like a lovely place to dive!

Oh!! And thanks for the PDF! I was actually looking on ebay to buy something similiar... think I'll print it and cut a block of wood to suit it!

I'm actually off work for the next few days (due to a wrist injury) and I plan on diving the sheeesh outta things around here to make up for the last few months... anyone got any decent plans?

I'm thinking cod and bass ;)
 
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Nice job on the PDF and great vid. The pollock saga sounds familiar to me too. And lobster in wheelchairs?
I'm working all week rob but as I showed u this pic from my cod spot from ny boat last week im pretty gutted I can't get out!!
 

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I'm actually off work for the next few days (due to a wrist injury) and I plan on diving the sheeesh outta things around here to make up for the last few months... anyone got any decent plans?

I'm thinking cod and bass ;)

How many days off have ye got? It's looking like I might be coming down to Tyndall next week Wed/Thurs/Fri. If I do, I'll throw my dive gear in the car (oddly enough, I'm good at volunteering to do work down in Cork when I can also conceivably fit a dive at the end) :blackeye
 
sorry I'm back at work next thursday / fri / sat... Id say my wrist it be ok if I stay off the PCs... But my boss is on a two week holiday so there should not be too much hassle taking some time for a dive... Well see the weather and figure something out... Sure I may even give you a lesson on spearing big pollock ;)
 
hay regan
why didn't you take the ray ?

While cuteness is an evolutionary advantage in as much that humans might not prey on them, the reason I didn't take the rays (saw three that day) was because they were only about 25cm across. Tiny little things.

Had they been larger, they'd be coming home for dinner :blackeye
 
^^ Thats what I figured... been dying to try ray wings myself but have not seen one big enough...

Well I did see a butterfly ray in spain once but that was 2m wingtip so maybe too big!

Wonder if stingray is edible?
 
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