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night time spearfishing
- Thread starterpaddyc23
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
As a general rule/law there are no restrictions in the UK about spearing at night other than the rules/laws that apply in the daytime. Many of our European neighbours have restrictions on night diving and even using torches in the daytime but mercifully we do not.
There are some great reports on UK night diving here on DB and some good videos too. Use the search button and for vid's try member Magpies you tube entries. On you tube search for "Jaketheshed". [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXifogFNKcY]YouTube - Guernsey Night Dive August 08[/ame]
Dave
There are some great reports on UK night diving here on DB and some good videos too. Use the search button and for vid's try member Magpies you tube entries. On you tube search for "Jaketheshed". [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXifogFNKcY]YouTube - Guernsey Night Dive August 08[/ame]
Dave
I wouldnt recomend doing it alone either!
Me and trelawny used to do alot of night fishing, and just havong someone there to point the torch at you while your trying to do simple tasks like take your weights off or find a piece of clothing is soooo helpful. Plus you have the whole safety thing while your in the water.
Me and trelawny used to do alot of night fishing, and just havong someone there to point the torch at you while your trying to do simple tasks like take your weights off or find a piece of clothing is soooo helpful. Plus you have the whole safety thing while your in the water.
Not deep at all really, max for me is about 10m, and then thats rare. Nowhere as deep as during the day, you just don't have to. As soon as its pitch black, all the fish come close inshore. I picked up (literally) a nice Turbot in 6ft of water, and stabbed Plaice in water knee deep.
Find a nice beach that you know well from day diving, and use that as your first night dive. it helps if there is a house nearby (with lights) that you can use for a reference. I anchor my float in the middle of the bay where Tong and I go, and put a glo-stick on the mast, and meet up every 20-30 min or so. There is a secondary torch attached and catch bags to offload fish.
Just a word of warning, night diving gets addictive, so its best to have an understanding other half, especially when you come home at 2am stinking of fish, saltwater and pee.rofl
Find a nice beach that you know well from day diving, and use that as your first night dive. it helps if there is a house nearby (with lights) that you can use for a reference. I anchor my float in the middle of the bay where Tong and I go, and put a glo-stick on the mast, and meet up every 20-30 min or so. There is a secondary torch attached and catch bags to offload fish.
Just a word of warning, night diving gets addictive, so its best to have an understanding other half, especially when you come home at 2am stinking of fish, saltwater and pee.rofl
Does this include bass ? do they come in at night or are they just as elusive as in the day.
Also any recommendations on torches ? I have a frogman lensa, which is bright but only illuminates a small spot very brightly, is it better to have a torch with a wider beam ?
And im guessing vis is even more of an issure at night than during the day ?
Also any recommendations on torches ? I have a frogman lensa, which is bright but only illuminates a small spot very brightly, is it better to have a torch with a wider beam ?
And im guessing vis is even more of an issure at night than during the day ?
Andy, night diving is so different from day diving it's hard to make a direct comparison.
Bass like most fish come in closer and often change the areas they frequent. Bass at night will venture over shallow open sand which is something they don't do a lot in daytime. They can be easier to approach but not always.
Torches used to be 5 watts to 20 watts filament bulb ones but recently everyone has gone LED. With led's you get longer burn times and indestructable bulbs, plus a whiter light. Current mainstream favourite IMHO is Princeton Tec Shockwave LED 400. That's 400 lumens which is a measure of light output. The previous version was the Princeton Tec Shockwave LED 170. The new 400 costs about £100 and is a serious torch. I am still using the older 170 and still catching with it.
Latest diving torch idea is importing a Chinese one. The Chinese are currently trying to take over the world's manufacturing market. Dealextreme offer a claimed 900 lumens diving torch with lithium ion batteries plus charger for £50 delivered. Actually they're nearer 500 lumens and some leak. That said I have ordered one and DB member Magpie has one already.
Vis is vis. I hate bad vis and get out if it's crap, but that's just me. Plankton and silt in the water can reflect your torch light but I find day/night the same in terms of good/bad vis.
Dave.
Bass like most fish come in closer and often change the areas they frequent. Bass at night will venture over shallow open sand which is something they don't do a lot in daytime. They can be easier to approach but not always.
Torches used to be 5 watts to 20 watts filament bulb ones but recently everyone has gone LED. With led's you get longer burn times and indestructable bulbs, plus a whiter light. Current mainstream favourite IMHO is Princeton Tec Shockwave LED 400. That's 400 lumens which is a measure of light output. The previous version was the Princeton Tec Shockwave LED 170. The new 400 costs about £100 and is a serious torch. I am still using the older 170 and still catching with it.
Latest diving torch idea is importing a Chinese one. The Chinese are currently trying to take over the world's manufacturing market. Dealextreme offer a claimed 900 lumens diving torch with lithium ion batteries plus charger for £50 delivered. Actually they're nearer 500 lumens and some leak. That said I have ordered one and DB member Magpie has one already.
Vis is vis. I hate bad vis and get out if it's crap, but that's just me. Plankton and silt in the water can reflect your torch light but I find day/night the same in terms of good/bad vis.
Dave.
Thanks for the advice, i will have to try the torch i have out and see how good it is, also there are a few people in my uni scuba club who have similar torches to the ones you suggested so will try and borrow them for a night and see which works best for me.
Unfortunately being a student means waiting ages to scrape money together for any new purchase so have to make sure it is the right one for me first time ! as £100 is a third of a months budget !
Unfortunately being a student means waiting ages to scrape money together for any new purchase so have to make sure it is the right one for me first time ! as £100 is a third of a months budget !
I know this is a old post but i might as well put my bit in I have six torches dotted around the place three in my dive gear one in house car ect there from maplin £6.75 i think(Led small diving hand torch) small pocket size four very bright leds .hurts your eyes if you loook at it!!! it has four AA batteries Which last for weeks they are fantastic. bright yellow n black with rubbery grip with small lanyard very white light. I cable tide four on my mountin bike helmet when night bikein at Llandegla (Local welsh bikein mountin forest) but the lads hate it when i look at them thier blinded for the next hour!!!