South Devon Report 2006

[spearheads]

dived oddicombe sunday and the viz was 6m but milky in some areas. First aspettos a shoul of bass and mullet swam past hit a 4 pound bass. There was a biger bass in the background but only hade my 75 dragon as my 90 cm excalibur last spear came of and i lost it:rcard last week .I then swam out into the deeper water and did another aspettos looking around thinking were are the bass and looked behing me and saw one and hit him this one was 5 ponds . Few dives later hit two more bass wich came of wich i hate happening. Then as i swam around a corner of a rock a mullet was feeding got him throw the back of the head it was a golden grey 2lbs . The tide was now going out so i got out as the fish leave as the tide go out here.
my new elios suit is great dont feel the cold at all.

 

[Pekka]

Hi JeZ,

Well we will definately dive all week and weekend... need to meet up over the weekend and talk about the spots around Exeter Torquay, as we have a car at our disposal this time so we can travel a bit... Also I am interested in Photographing the sunfish... So sometime need to get to Cornwall for some diving, hunting and photoshoot..
I'll give you a call on Saturday as we arrive on Friday night, hopefully they delay your brain drilling session for some weeks... so you can come along for a few dives.

Pekka

 

[Jez]

Hoping to head down to Budleigh tonight for a quick dive. Plan to be in the water by 6pm if anyone wants to join me?

 

[Pekka]

Hi Jeremy,
We are not able to join in quite yet.. but on Sat. we would greatly appreciate if we can come by to get some weights? perhaps I get my phone working again and give you a call... Saturday should be our first diving day... perhaps Budleigh if weather permits.... though it looks bit rainy and all... perhaps Torquay?

Pekka

 

[Jez]

Keep an eye on the weather but Torquay seems a safe bet.

Dived Budleigh this evening two hours before hight tide. The current was mild but definetely there. Viz 5-6m, sunny, gentle offshore breeze. ideal really.

Swam out to the reef and within 10 minutes I had a bass just over the limit (well a decent amount over actually). 10 minutes later I had a bigger bass on the stringer, tied me in a right knot. The whole shoal looked on as I strung it up, rather like a car crash scene I guess.

10 minutes later I was in another shoal of bass and took a bigger one still. At this point I put the gun on the float as I didn't really need any more fish (or want to drag them up the current!). During one aspetto I must have been surrounded (as in on all sides) by up to 50 bass, most too near the limit to bother with, they really weren't shy tonight, shoal mentality I guess?

The middle one had two small crabs in its guts when I cleaned them, rather gross, a bit like a scene from alien really.

 

[fatboyjim]

Hi guys - sorry to jump your thread but this may be of some interest to you?

I know this isnt the right place to advertise stuff but..

I'm selling my little 3.1m zodiac fastroller. Its the one with the rigid inflatable floor. Its a couple of years old in really good condition and comes with an old suzuki 8hp 2 stroke. The engine has never let me down.

Its a brilliant little spearing boat ideal for 1-2 people although we've dived 4 from it before but thats a bit cramped and you'll get some funny looks

Its super light weight i can carry it myself and put it on the car roof myself, the engine too is an easy 1 person carry. I leave in inflatated and put it on the car roof but it will fold to the size of a big suitcase.


I'm not really using it this summer and i want the money for putting a larger boat in the harbour - (we're scaling up the nonsense! )
£800 on the best offer

anyone want it PM me or mail james.hills@kerrier.gov.uk

cheers guys

 

[Mr. X]

Jim, your picture link doesn't work for me. Makes some sense advertising big things, like boats, in your local region; & you've targeted the right audience. As long is the thread doesn't get swamped, I think it could be useful. I've been thinking of getting a 4m RIB or C-Sk i440 in the future - not yet unfortunately. I started a thread called something like "RIB, Dory, Kayak" ...you might want to add a link there too.

 

[fatboyjim]

cheers I have binned that link
if anyone wants a picture i'll send them early next week
Jim

 

[Jep]

Keep an eye on the weather but Torquay seems a safe bet.

Dived Budleigh this evening two hours before hight tide. The current was mild but definetely there. Viz 5-6m, sunny, gentle offshore breeze. ideal really.

Swam out to the reef and within 10 minutes I had a bass just over the limit (well a decent amount over actually). 10 minutes later I had a bigger bass on the stringer, tied me in a right knot. The whole shoal looked on as I strung it up, rather like a car crash scene I guess.

10 minutes later I was in another shoal of bass and took a bigger one still. At this point I put the gun on the float as I didn't really need any more fish (or want to drag them up the current!). During one aspetto I must have been surrounded (as in on all sides) by up to 50 bass, most too near the limit to bother with, they really weren't shy tonight, shoal mentality I guess?

The middle one had two small crabs in its guts when I cleaned them, rather gross, a bit like a scene from alien really.

Hi Jez,

I popped down for a walk with the sweetie last night about 7.30 but must have missed you. There was a small fishing boat about 50yds out from the beach surrounded by seagulls, so I guess the mackerel must also have been out in force as well (although the Sandy Bay anglers can't cast that far!) Typical....I'm going to try and get in tonight to see if your shoal has come back.. The tide seems just right at the moment.

 

[Mr. X]

cheers I have binned that link
if anyone wants a picture i'll send them early next week
Jim

It must have been a problem at this end. I clicked on link from the Dorset thread & it worked fine, then came back to this thread & it worked from this thread too. Nice looking dinghy. Looks to be in v. good condition.

 

[Mr. X]

Super fat Bass Jez! But what are they doing in my kitchen, next to my kettle...hang on different curtains, plants. Never mind.
(Must be nice to have the problem of too many bass.)

 

[Jez]

Dived Anstey's Cove around to Hope Cove today in Torquay. Checked Budleigh in the am and it was brown:waterwork

Didn't manage to meet up with Pekka & Co. over from Finland for their diving hols. Maybe I can bunk off work and join you in Cornwall for a day!:t

No real fish in the first cove so headed out around the corner. Sunny day, offshore wind and small intermittent swell so viz was ok a 4-5m but with plenty of that lovely Torquay 'muck' suspended in the water. I was exploring close in in a small patch of stringweed when I was buzzed by two fat grey mullet. I resisted the temptation just in case. Sure enough, a few bass appeared (was only in 2m of water) but nothing worth shooting. Eventually a suitable candidate emerged from the weed and I went for it but missed. That brought the whole shoal out to have a look at me, including a 4lb fatty. I reloaded quickly quietly and couldn't believe my luck that they stayed put, not more than 3m from me. 'Aim, fire'. Oh bugger, left the safety on then. Switched it off. 'Aim, fire'. Twanng. The spear sped towards fatty but stopped like an inch from him at the line got caught on the rubbers. ARRRGH!:head I'm sure there must be a lesson there somewhere.

Headed around the point to deeper water. Not much happening really. I found some schoolies below the cliffs but nothing else so headed back to the string weed, hoping the bass were back. They weren't but the mullet were. Nonetheless, I let them off this time. 4 hours in the water at a gentle pace, I'll sleep well later

 

[Mr. X]

...The spear sped towards fatty but stopped like an inch from him at the line got caught on the rubbers. ARRRGH!:head I'm sure there must be a lesson there somewhere.

Longer gun? (Good tale).

 

[Jez]

Gonna check budders tonight. Some bass had there in the last two days apparently, waves and all. feet wet by 6pm if anyone's around.

 

[Jez]

errm, well, could't be bothered in the end last night. Definitely gonna get in tonight though, looks ideal.:t

 

[Jez]

Oh hairy bum, I've put a hole in my wetsuit jacket. Must take more care putting it on. Went to the trusty tube of wetsuit glue (for 'tis a small hole) and found it had gone solid. That stuff never keeps. Surf shop tomorrow for me then.

Went to Budders earlier this evening. It was bang on low tide and viz was, well, must have been 5m at least but rather grainy with all the muck floating about. No fish seen in an hours dive and was getting cold (see note above re hole in suit) so got out early. Hope to have my suit ready for the weekend, looking alright on the forecast, time for some exploring me thinks:t

 

[Mr. X]

... I've put a hole in my wetsuit jacket. Must take more care putting it on. Went to the trusty tube of wetsuit glue (for 'tis a small hole) and found it had gone solid. That stuff never keeps. Surf shop tomorrow for me then....

Sorry to hear that. Sounds like wetsuit glue is the way to go. A friend mentioned the other day that he patched his triathlon wetsuit with a temporary bike puncture patch from his bike kit. He didn't expect it to last long but its been on for more that a year and he uses it a lot, iron man & half iron man distance races, open water swimming practice once or twice a week.

 

[Jez]

Puncture repair sounds like the sort of thing that would be ideal as a backing on the unlined neoprene on the inside of the suit, just to give it that 'stitched' strength across the hole. I do wonder if its safe though as the 'vulcanising' solution works by melting the rubber a wee bit, or at least that's what I think. I wouldn't want to melt my suit!

I'll look into it, maybe test it on an old wetsuit. Definitely gonna fill that hole with the glue though.

 

[scottwilson]

Hey everyone im new to the forums.

I went spearfishing in Brixham breakwater last friday and got a few sniggers as I was sporting a new bright yellow weight belt with matching weights ( thanks to the friendly shop assistant in preston who sold it to me , the joke lives on.) the water was milky and only about 1 meter viz

Saturday I tried my hand at oddicombe and was impressed , viz was only 1 meter or maybe 2 in certain areas , saw a few mullet but to quick for an amature such as myself.

Meadfoot on sunday was a bad idea, the wind had made it like a soup and the rough surf made the 15 minutes I was in a pure hell.

Tried my hand at meadfoot again today and the viz was great, the best I have seen for a long time. the down side is there were no fish. Well thats a lie, there were a lot wrasse ( whats new) and small pollack but nothing else so will try tommorrow.

 

[Jez]

Well done for trying Brixham Scott. I haven't been able to pluck up the courage. Too many fisherman and trawlers!

Never seen many fish at Maidencombe myself but people do catch there with rods now and then. I find that the viz and the fish get better with a high tide around Torquay.