South Devon Report 2006

Dived Budleigh today at high tide (lunch time). Not much of a current today as the tides seem small.

A nice sunny day with gentle winds. Viz was probably 5m or so. Not a great deal of fish about, the lack of current made it hard to know where to start looking. Found some school bass after 10 minutes on the reef but nothing worth shooting.

Spent the next 2 hours looking for fish but not finding much and dodging boats:rcard It is summer I guess, need to keep your eyes up as much as down. I did drift over what I guess where a decent pair of bass in a sandy 'dugout' but they clocked me as soon as I moved my gun (was in only 2-3m of water). They moved up under the kelp/rocks so I dived down and slowly approached the hole but couldn't really see in too well. I'd left my torch in the car and noticed that the 'cave' had a hole at the front too, so they probably legged it.

A large shoal of small bass found me a few minutes later and I enjoyed a couple of dives with them. They came really close but again, none worth shooting.

Found a patch of string weed on the way in near the beach that I never knew was there so tried a few commando style dives. I didn't have enough weight for the shallows though so had to speed through it just to keep the same depth. No fish but a few spider crabs about.

Met a fellow spearo as I was getting out who had been out at the same time. I didn't get his name but he said he'd been fishing there for 48 years! He'd nearly had a couple of mullet he told me but blanked like me.

Dived Budleigh this evening over the high tide. The water was not as clear as I'd hoped, only just 4m or so and rather murky. The grey sky didn't help much but it was totally huntable.

Didn't find any bass but saw a few mullet, although they weren't too interested in me. I was feeling lazy so after one drift down the reef, instead of heading straight back up it as usual (into the current) I ferry glided across the current in towards the shore to explore the shallows behind the few rocks that hadn't yet been covered by the rising waters. Thankfully, they also provided a few eddies and slack water in which to rest.

Saw quite a few pollack but none worth shooting, they do seem a littel fatter now but I think some deeper water is needed to find any worth specimens this year. I couldn't be bothered to head back out into the current so I shot across to the river mouth and enjoyed getting sucked into the river as the tide wooshed up it at 10-15 miles and hour (sorry, don't know knots). Still a fun way to end your dive, its normally full of kids though so going there with a big gun won't win you any awards for appreciation, but it was empty tonight (just me being a big kid)rofl . Hopped out onto the back beach and headed home.

Hoping to return to spot near Dartmouth I checked out during the winter that looked really fishy this weekend if anyone wants to do some exploring. I believe there may be a wreck that could be visited from the shore nearby too (altough they give me the willies).

Went to explore Dartmouth area for a dive today. I went to a cove I'd visited in the winter that looked promising, about a kilometre hike in from the car. Sadly the water was really milky even though the wind has been offshore for 2 weeks:head

I went in for 5 minutes 'cos it 'didn't look too bad' and thought I check it, just with my suit on, no gun etc. I swam out about 60-70m and did a few dives to check the viz, which turned out to be rubbish (1-2m)

I turned towards the beach to head back and get out and do something else instead of diving. I noticed my sweetie:inlove was waving rather excitedly in my direction (which doesn't usually happen when I'm in the water) and the two other ladies (plus dog) on the beach seemed to be looking my way too. I then got that 'its behind you feeling' and turned to see a pretty darn big seal head about 10m away on the surface looking at me! I headed quickly back to the beach doing backstroke so I could watch him. Thankfully he didn't disappear under the surface so I could keep a check all the way in. He hung around for a while and seemed to want to play with the springer spaniel on the beach. He came about 30-20m from the water edge and at one point let out big snort which was rather amusing. I might have stayed and played but I didn't fancy it in such low visibility.

We didn't manage to see him when we climbed out of the cove, I was hoping to get a better photo of him from above but here he is below. Hope to have a better dive this coming week.

I hiked down to Hopes Nose in Torquay yesterday, the first time since I f'd my sinuses there last year. I wasn't expecting much but what a difference a year makes!

Weather was fair, tide was high, light winds, no swell, sun mostly, viz to about 5m in places and rather refreshingly hardly any chavs in fast boats.

Straight off the beach I was into some good areas of stringweed that weren't there last year (which made me wonder about string weed's lifecycle and how spots may change correspondingly from season to season). No fish seen until I was halfway across the bay (following close to the cliffs) but only a few small school bass, one that was border line size wise spent a few moments nibbling the end of my spear almost. Got my trigger finger in right lather but remained focussed and let it go.

Not much else seen until I reached my usual spot under the clifs on the far side where there are some underwater stacks that usually hold pollack and the odd bass. Sure enough, I dived next to one stack and noticed rather late there was a bass 2m right under me in sandy hollow between the kelp. There was a '***** has he seen me' moment from each of us but I managed to bring the target in site and nailed it from 30cm away. The spear didn't even leave the gun fully before it hit the rock beneath the fish.

A nice 3lb bass on the stringer I headed up around the cliffs, checking some of the deeper spots on the way. A lot of wrasse making a lot of noise, 'cracking' the water with their tails. Saw a dogfish too.

I rounded the headland and was heading into Anstey's Cove when I missed what must have been a 4lb bass gliding underneath, just too slow to react. Shortly after I saw my first seahorse floating 3m down in open water! It looked dead so I scooped it to the surface in my palm to have a close look. It was actuall alive, its tiny pectoral fins thrumming away and watching me with its pin sized eyes! I let him go although I rather think he was at the mercy of the currents. They don't seem great swimmers.

I missed another 4lb bass as I was saying goodbye to the seahorse but felt good that I was heading to where they appeared to be coming from. I found the patch of stringweed I was looking for (where I rather incompetently missed a fatty bass on my last trip to the cove). Sure enoughm, there were lots of bass in about 3m of water. I missed twice and they buggered off after that:head . However, I did come back to this patch later and nailed two nice 3lbers, both surface shots.

On my way back I stalked the stringweed near the beach and saw lots of schoolies and managed another 3lber. Saw a few decent grey mullet but let them go. I shot one another nice bass but it tore off leaving its intestine caught in the spear's flopper. I've never had a fish tear off before and I felt awful as it legged it to go and die a lingering death. Must only take good shots.

Was hoping to get in today but went to the Cider Bar in Newton Abbot last night and I'm not feeling too ship shape today:hungover :yack