South Devon 2015

[Pointandhope]

Nice

 

[Pointandhope]

A lot of deep diving this afternoon searching for Plaice. After climbing down the cliff and getting my kit sorted at the waters edge, a wave came in and washed me into the rock I was sat on. No problem usually, but this time my wickedly sharp stringer got in the way, and two inches of steel stabbed me in the top of my thigh. The wound looks small, but it's deep and is aching like a bastard. Moral of the story is, be careful out there. Accidents can happen out of the blue, usually when you don't expect it, normally when you're somewhere remote and unable to call for help.
On the plus side, I carried on with the dive, met Shiny 1 who was out on his boat. He put me on a good mark for future reference. Only took one plaice as my leg was throbbing really bad after an hour. Then I had to climb back up the cliff to the car!
View attachment 41453

That must have hurt like a bitch when mixed with wetsuit lube,piss and seawater!

 

[scrumpy]

Nice bass mate.
Trying to upload my photo. When I figure out why it's not loading I'll post up.

 

[AlB]

Can see it better we here... I'm no photographer!

 

[Trelawney]

That must have hurt like a bitch when mixed with wetsuit lube,piss and seawater!

I made a conscious effort not to piss at all! Luckily the neoprene sealed the hole pretty effectively from seawater and because of the close fitting of the suit, there was not much blood (until I took it off, then it bled everywhere).

 

[mirror]

Fantastic catch Alistair !! I can't believe you lost 2 similar fish ....you must be gutted !! ( pun intended ) I know we are now limited to 3 bass ,but 3 that size would be an epic haul by normal standards ... just look in a fishmongers and calculate how much that lot would be worth .. £££££

 

[halfandy]

Nice fish!

 

[scrumpy]

DIVE REPORTS

Three woeful dives two weeks back, resulting in 1 bass with viz 0-0.5m on the first two nights.
On the third night I dived Babbacombe, unfortunately for me so were two other spearos.
Both seemed new to night spearing by their movements and the erratic torch beams pointing here there and everywhere, still nice to meet you guys. I should’ve gone with my gut feeling and headed for home, but I didn’t !
Entered from Oddicombe so with the other guys heading the opposite way, I headed towards Babbacombe beach, then around the pier and down towards long quarry. Saw two pout, a few Pollock around a pound and an eel. That’s it !!
As I rounded the pier and total despondency had set in, I decided the night was good for only one thing and that was a bit of fitness. So Swimming from the pier area back across the bay to Oddicombe. My thoughts of retirement were pretty much decided.

With easterlies all last week, took the decision to try further down in a sheltered spot in the South Hams
I managed to get a dive in last Friday. Started slowly with a few schoolies then came across a decent shoal, diving down in the kelp managed to take 2 in quick succession.
This was followed by 2 mullet – had decided to stop taking them but friends recommend them for fish curry, so jury is out on that one.
Viz dropped off slightly but was still a good 5m – murky in places.

Thought I’d try a few deeper dives and on one of them took a thornback around 7lb. Forgot to add this to the photo, then with the slime couldn’t be bothered to capture.

Following dive just managed to see a big tail disappear, so up for a quick breath and anticipating where it might be dived again. Lay motionless on a sand bar with air about to expire, the fish entered view but as it saw me it turned away. Quickly propelled forward and managed a near perfect head shot but using my 55 gun, the spear only penetrated half way through. With my lungs exploding I managed to wrestle the fish to the surface, where the good people of a sleepy hamlet were woken by my screams of delight with my first double !

Or so I thought !

Singing all the way home and getting it on the fish scales 9lb 3oz.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

How could something so big, heavy and swallow my torch for breakfast not be a double?

A new PB by 1 oz ! size does matter.

Photo not the best in showing size, so I’ve put the torch in for scale.
At least I have found a good spot where I know viz can be had in all but the worst conditions.

Looking at Teignmouth now and the web cams not much diving to be had this week, but with the freezer stocked up nicely, happy to sit this week out.
Cheers

 

[Broseidon]

Great report bud - whopper of a bass!

 

[scrumpy]

thanks guys.

Had to wait to be back at work today to upload. None of our devices at home would allow me to upload the photos, This happens each time now.
Need also to try and take better photos, not sure I can carry the Dorset pose off though!!!

 

[Dai ASBO]

Great report Lee - great reading and impressive fish.

 

[Pointandhope]

Great report and good fish. Notice the fish all have a brown/gold hue to them. Here in dorset they all seem to be silver to blueish in colour. Strange on the eating of mullet for you, for me and my buddy they are just about a favourite, but my mrs really cannot stand to eat anymore. I've found trimming out the dark red lateral meat improves things a lot.

 

[mirror]

Well done Lee !! nice write up on your recent dives ..... That big bass looks incredibly fat , but I think it is bent , tail towards the camera making it look fatter than ever, great fish though .... with catches like that you will not need to dive very often !!

 

[scrumpy]

Just had the ray for tea. Cut each wing into two portions, giving four lovely fillets.
After john dory this has to be my favorite fish

 

[foxfish]

You can see why they are called wings!

 

[shiny1]

I noticed a Banks board one day last week while out in my boat. I guessed it would be Trelawney (Chris). I went over for a yap. He told me he had accidently stabbed himself in the leg with his stringer. He didn't seem to be in a lot of pain or concerned about it so I didn't really take much note of it. I offered him a lift to a near by rock which he didnt know of. I probably should of dropped him back to shore instead of further away.
Later when I got home I seen his report and pics of the wound. Wish I had took more notice and offered him a lift in. Sorry Chris.
I manage a dive that day after I dropped him off. I went further along the coast on the open sand and dived for plaice. I had 3 within a half hour and thought I was in for a bonanza of plaice but it was not to be. 2 more hours and only 2 more plaice found.
The bottom of the boat needed a scrub so headed in to a beach to give her bottom a good clean.
Had a quick look for a crab or lobster after and found 2 nice lobsters

 

[DafyddRees]

Nice catch Nick! Hows your season been in general?

 

[scrumpy]

That's how to take a photo! Nice one nick

 

[shiny1]

Lee its just a mobile phone taken picture. A good well taken pic can be looked at and admired for the rest of your life so worth taking a bit of time.
Dafydd because I fish commercially now I have to put that first. I normally have the odd day off for a dive but the weather this year been that bad or the bass not wanting to bite I haven't been able to dive much at all. When I have time off its normally blowing or I am to tired lol.

 

[Dai ASBO]

Great catch and good to hear from you Nick.