Ireland Spearing 2013

[plbenza]

Actually, I dont think it was an organised comp Craig... was it Pedro?

Hi all,

None competition at all. As I posted this event it would be open to all people interested about spearfishing and it would be a good opportunity like in previous editions to make a forum in order to debate all concerning issues during this weekend. Unfortunatly most of the people didn´t have that in mind.

In the end what happen was that individuals/smaller groups decided to take their own plan. During this weekend, I not even saw DURING ALL THE WEEKEND the people that they are in the pictures (despict that I know then from Facebook, where I condemed, even if he said that they put all the triggers together for the photo). In a previous occasion in Hook Head I had the opportunity to give them a word since that they had some wrasses (in quantity and two or three maybe with less than 20cm), and I told them that´s not the image that we promote (and work hard all this years to achieve the respect from the community). I spoke with this guy that posted the pictures this morning and he reply (in the Facebook photo) saying that they all put the triggers together for the photo - personally and at this point I don´t believe him. The only people that I dived with was two portuguese guys and Sunday with two latvian lads here from this forum (that I´ve meet Saturday night in Hungry Hill Hostel/Camping), that dived absolutly etically with me.

More I´ll say, I haven´t been in the place in the pictures, despite I knew it very well, I opted to try 3 news places. In one of them I got one trigger fish (the only in the weekend) that was in a huge school of maybe 30 to 50, completly calm. My other two dive mates took only one each as well for the reasons above mentioned.

In Hungry Hill Hostel, Owen (the owner) and a friend, both fisherman´s said that this year some triggers have been caught all over sheep´s head and Beara, mostly after the water temperature reach 16oC (like in previous year), and they are getting in bigger and bigger numbers over the past years.

Personal weekend briefing.
Water temp. 18oC
Deeper dive: 17.4m
Friday: - 1 trigger, 1 pollack, 2 flounders. South Beara - considerably less jellyfish than north side and water visibility from 6 to 12 metres.
Saturday: - 2 pollack and 1 wrasse. I saw 1 salmon and 1 huge Sunfish/moonfish. Water visibility was between 6 and 8 metres
Sunday: - 2 pollack and 2 John Dory´s. Water visibility was between 6 and 10 metres.

My biggest fish was a pollack caught Sunday with 5.6kg - 12lb 5.

Pedro

 

[johnnybuoy]

Well done Pedro. That's great fishing out of you.

 

[bobdonny]

wow pedro, that pollock sure looks big on facebook.

Its a shame that people are like that, and its an unfortunate truth that we must protect our good spots from them

Great fishing, well done

 

[fcallagy]

Neal well done on the pollock, on the dolphins, they probably knew you had a gun. If you saw one of the dolphins with a gun would you approach them?
If all the triggers were put together on a stringer I'd reckon thats ok between 9 people that I count in some of the other pics. If they all had a few each thats a different story. Lets face it the sport is growing and we are going to have growing pains. I'd rather see a self enforced catch limit on more than bass and min sizes for all sepcies than an arbitrary one brought in.

 

[vasile]

And educate the people that amount spent on petrol or diesel does not equate in the amount of fish taken...

 

[chealy]

My apology Pedro about he competition, I just remembered seeing some post of facebook about an organized meet and competition being organized..

I recognized the spot aswell as it's the one you told me about last year, although when I tried it the viz was bad.

 

[arrowloopboy]

This is a good warning lads,

DO NOT SHARE YOUR MARKS WITH ANYONE

They will be raped,

If lazy *******s had to put it the hard yards finding there own marks,instead of getting them from gullible fools/or forums they might respect them more.

If you share your marks with people you don't know/trust ,its your own fault if their fished out.

 

[johnnybuoy]

Shot my first trigger there 6 years ago. Kept it to myself and nobody knew. I don't think anyone told anyone about this spot. It's easy to find. Anyway. Better go searching again........
Feargus those triggers were taken by 3 guys as far as the photos show. Not sure if the stringer is total catch or one guy but its not a great reflection on the guys website which is on his teeshirt.
Just glad it's not an irish website and seems like the pattern is continuing despite everyone's best efforts.

 

[climbingperch]

Johnny it doesn't take much research too choose that spot for triggers. It's on the fisheries board website and there is a big poster in Castletownbere showing the spot.!!!! That's how Pedro chose it and I found it quite easily doing research for the trip two years ago. Thankfully as Pedro showed there are triggers in other spots too that aren't published. Gonna try a few spots in Kerry for them myself soon and I certainly won't be telling anyone I don't trust totally. I've no problem helping someone with a tip for pollock but I think bass and triggers are different bit like scallop spots. I'll put up a post later with my planned itinerary for the two weeks if anyone wants to meet up for a dive ill be starting on the dingle peninsula for 4 days on the 17th . P.s hope everyone voted for Derek in the F.o.m

 

[climbingperch]

I need some help Cork wise, got a day+night to spare between Cape Clear and Fota Island resort. Her Indoors doesn't like anywhere in Kinsale can any Corkonians suggest a coastal town on the way where there might be a chance of a dive and somewhere nice to stay ??? Thanks !

 

[plbenza]

I need some help Cork wise, got a day+night to spare between Cape Clear and Fota Island resort. Her Indoors doesn't like anywhere in Kinsale can any Corkonians suggest a coastal town on the way where there might be a chance of a dive and somewhere nice to stay ??? Thanks !

Near Fota Park (actually near Roches Point), there is a village that I usually stay called Whitegate. There is a pub as soon as you enter on your left called "The Long Point". They charge usually 20€ per night or 25€ with breakfast included...if the prices didn´t change so far...!
Pedro

 

[johnnybuoy]

Few places in cobh(next to fota) where I live. I could hook u up if your stuck.

 

[johnnybuoy]

What's goin on? Any diving happening??

 

[Derekn]

I got out last night for a couple of hours on the low tide, the wind was a bit higher than expected with a fairly strong current and swell which made things a fair bit choppy but the vis was 3-4 at worst and up to 7 in places. I seen 4 mullet, a few small codling and a couple of garfish but not a single bass. The surface water temp was a nice toasty 17c though when I got out after 9pm the land temperature felt very chilly with the strong cool wsw onshore wind.

I got a new speargun last week, I sold my 90 band gun and 75 mini roller to buy the Omer 85 ET Roller and I'm really happy with it. As mentioned in other posts its a bit muzzle heavy but I put a cork in the second hole for the other band and that's made all the difference to the balance. I also took off the big steel clip for attaching to the float and put on the included right handed ergonomic handle and now its very comfortable. I also added a loop of cord to the wishbone to help grip it when loading as the pre-tensioning of the bands pulls the wishbone too close to the muzzle to get a decent grip on it for pulling back to load. Its still a bit negatively buoyant but its a very powerful gun for its size...did I mention I was very happy with it :inlove .

 

[vasile]

Yea ,but you never mentioned,are you happy with it?

 

[danas]

I got out last night for a couple of hours on the low tide, the wind was a bit higher than expected with a fairly strong current and swell which made things a fair bit choppy but the vis was 3-4 at worst and up to 7 in places. I seen 4 mullet, a few small codling and a couple of garfish but not a single bass. The surface water temp was a nice toasty 17c though when I got out after 9pm the land temperature felt very chilly with the strong cool wsw onshore wind.

I got a new speargun last week, I sold my 90 band gun and 75 mini roller to buy the Omer 85 ET Roller and I'm really happy with it. As mentioned in other posts its a bit muzzle heavy but I put a cork in the second hole for the other band and that's made all the difference to the balance. I also took off the big steel clip for attaching to the float and put on the included right handed ergonomic handle and now its very comfortable. I also added a loop of cord to the wishbone to help grip it when loading as the pre-tensioning of the bands pulls the wishbone too close to the muzzle to get a decent grip on it for pulling back to load. Its still a bit negatively buoyant but its a very powerful gun for its size...did I mention I was very happy with it :inlove .

well done Derek , I got 105 , but waiting for its arrival . read it loadz of all types of reviews on it. most of it bad think is bit heavy on front and takes longer time to load it than rail gun. everything else is positive. now is waiting time .... waiting like a child for a Christmas presents

 

[Derekn]

well done Derek , I got 105 , but waiting for its arrival . read it loadz of all types of reviews on it. most of it bad think is bit heavy on front and takes longer time to load it than rail gun. everything else is positive. now is waiting time .... waiting like a child for a Christmas presents

Hi Danas... as Vasile said I'm not sure if I mentioned I'm very happy with it
I think you will like it but some of the criticism is valid, it is a bit muzzle heavy but if you don't mind putting a cork in the second hole for the optional band then that should sort out the muzzle balance. It is not as good at tracking as a smaller band gun but it is very accurate and can be used like a sniper rifle, picking off slow moving fish at distance. The technique for loading as described by Omer in its manual that comes on CD is an ordeal to load it, I find it only takes a second or so longer than my 75 band gun and that's only because of the double wrap and taking a bit of extra care sliding the shaft into the enclosed track.

From the manual and pictures on the CD it seems to suggest that you need to charge the bands in multiple stages, loading the pre-tension (under the gun) to its first notch then pulling back the bands (on top of the gun) to the first tab on the spear nearest the muzzle, then turn the gun over and pull back the pre-tension to the desired notch (nearest the handle for max tension) and then turn it over once again to pull back the top bands to whichever tab you want to engage on the spear.

If you follow this method then it will take longer to load and charge it, the problem is if you pre-tension the bands under the gun to where you want it then its impossible to grip the wishbone with your fingers to pull it back, unless you get some kind of loading tool with a hook on it.
What I did was to use the method used on other roller guns and add a loop of cord, just tied behind the knot on the dyneema wishbone, I then set the pre-tension just once and then leave it set in that position, for me I use the middle notch which can be adjusted if necessary though you will have to take the gun apart to do this. By adding the cord loop you can easily pull the band back until you can get your free hand to the band and then complete the loading to the desired tab on the spear, much quicker and easier than the multiple stages otherwise required. I find I can grip the loop and holding the handle I push the gun forward and up so that it rests on the chest plate on my wetsuit, I don't know if it will be as easy to do this on the 105. Give it a try and let us know how you get on. Happy hunting in those clear Norwegian waters

 

[fcallagy]

Looks like a great gun Derek. If you are on FB and want in to this group please msg me or ask to join etc. Trying to get regular winter training going in Dub, Cork and Sligo to begin with. Will post stuff in here as well obviously for non fb heads.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/411229018983641/

 

[fcallagy]

We had a savage night training last night. Hit the water at 7.30 and were treated to spectacular skys, warm water and vis of about 8m once you went below 2m. Bit of plankton and micro jellies at first. Pretty much dark as we were getting out. Some of the guys were hitting 25m depth. Others just enjoying the buzz.

 

[Derekn]

Nice pics Feargus, yesterday was ideal for diving...low winds, calm seas and great vis. The only thing was a distinct lack of Bass, I was in for over 4.5 hours and I didn't see any at all. In fact I haven't seen a Bass in nearly 3 weeks, I must have counted over 50 mullet yesterday in an area that had shoals of Bass less than a month ago...anybody else not seeing Bass where there should be some?