South Devon report 2007

[spearheads]

There is a small bay just before slapton beach i have not dived it but it looks good.
As for slapton beach i dont think you can dive it the current is strong that runs along it, i have done lots of night bass fishing here with live sand ells and it can be very productive last July i had 20 bass in a session my mate also did well that night. So maybe bring the rods Mr x, if you got family or friends with you sleep on the beach with a fire great fun we camp there quite often, lots of wood to find on the beach.

 

[Spaniard]

That's a thing to investigate: you never know. Could have been a conger, an edible species of wrasse, or even a gilthead: giltheads are very smart, shy and cunning fish, hard to spear in open water, but it's a very easy catch if you're lucky enough to bust them inside holes (where they seldom hide). Bass as well is not a hole fish as you know well, but tho rarely it's not impossible to bust'em in holes. Still I'm talking about the Mediterranean, not the english waters which I don't practice. But why not trying? At least a conger is dinner too!
Global warming: Yes Spaniard I believe that's a real issue. In the last ten years it has become plenty of barracudas, bluefish and even parrotfish here in the central upper Med (northwestern italian coast). So it's possible to forecast that med fish are moving to England some of these days. Speared any dentex up there yet?
Old link, hope it's still working:
http://www.apneamagazine.com/allegati/grongoweb.wmv

Actually there are many places on the South coast in UK where BIG bass always seem to be in holes, I have seen this personally in Newhaven, Brighton and Bognor. The further South West you go the less you see bass in holes. I wish I knew why?? No Dentex yet but I am sure they will arrive along with a great white shark or two!!!

 

[spearheads]

Did not see you there spaghetti, I have speared one conger last summer what a hassle it wasrofl , but quite tasty, i have not seen any bass in holes but spearo Dave says he spears them in holes (i think).
Its a bit spooky putting your head under ledges looking around not knowing whats in there.
Do you use a torch.

A pic of the conger.

 

[spaghetti]

That's a REAL conger, Spearheads! You're right big ones like that are not easy to manage in the post shot action.
Yes I always bring on a torch. Don't you?I've had for years a Cressi Lucciola that served me well till I lost it. Then an Omer Moonlight which got flooded after a few dives. Now I have a Technisub Lumen 4, pretty goood, paid 44 euros. You don't need powerful expensive ones. A 40 euro torch is good for the hole spearing job, since it's just about a quick flash for one or two seconds.
The trick is the following: first aim the gun to the hole, THEN light up the torch, quick flash and shoot immediately. That's because our graduate Mediterranean fish have learned the equation light=pain in the ass, and soon as they see the flash they get alarmed.

 

[Pastor]

It was the famous drought year which I think was '76. I was in Jersey for 6-8 weeks and it was hotter than Spain for the whole summer, my hard orange Woolworths mask, snorkel and fins got a right seeing to rofl rofl

Those fins were the best, just like the ones the "frogmen" in the photos wore rofl Was that the snorkel with the ping pong ball in a cage? Whoa! Those were the days rofl

Thinking about it, I was i Guernsey that year

 

[spearheads]

Thanks spaghetti ,i use a UK Q40 torch, the only thing i dont like about it is that i have to twist the top to turn it on ,a button would be more handy. But i can mount it on my mask.
Not the best picture of the conger you cant enlarge it.
I might have some conger and bass spearing videos this summer that's if i build a mount on my gun for the camera.

 

[Spaniard]

Those fins were the best, just like the ones the "frogmen" in the photos wore rofl Was that the snorkel with the ping pong ball in a cage? Whoa! Those were the days rofl

Thinking about it, I was i Guernsey that year

That was the snorkel, the fins were so heavy you certainly didn't need ankle-weights and the mask was so uncomfortable I had a permanent crease etched on my face the whole summer rofl rofl

 

[spaghetti]

[Spaghetti, come loose your old Italian spearguns over here! Got a spare Commanche?]

I know it's a joke in reply to my joke about loosing guns "accidentally". But BTW I happen to have a Comanche 75 cm with reel that I'm likely to sell.
My price is 75euro + shipping for
-Comanche 75 used three times, armed with 20mm Cressi G20 rubber bands
-Cressi reel with 30 meters clear monoline
-Two shafts (a brand new Seatec Top Extreme tahitian and a 6,5 threaded shaft) and 5 prong trident.
Anyone interested up there? (before you ask, I have no idea how much is the shipping cost to the UK...)

 

[daveduvet]

I checked out babbacombe yesterday- the weather was glorious and the sea looked really inviting, I saw a few divers out and wondered if I saw you spearheads? I saw and omer float! Anyway, I have question about catching plaice, as soon will be the season. Do you spot these from the surface and then spear them or dive down and look? Any pointers would be really great!

 

[spearheads]

No it was not me i dont use a flout in the winter ,not many boats. I also saw that flout i thought the same thing as you.
As for plaice what i do is find a area of sand in a reef and look for a pair of eyes or a change of patten in the sand
also the outside of a reef where sand meets reef is normally the best area to look.
You wont see them from the surface unless they have not buried them self in sand.
Hopes nose is a hot spot for plaice, they should be arriving soon.
Say hi if you see me.

 

[daveduvet]

I will say hi sure! You won't miss me I will be with my brown doberman! I am going to train her to sit on my kayak!
How deep is the water around hopes cove? Is there a reef there?

 

[spearheads]

All the info you need on hopes nose is here click here
The water is quite deep from the shore on a high tide its straight into 8 meters.

 

[sasheo]

Went to Beer on the weekend, not for and spearing but just for a walk. i did however spot a woman wearing only a rash vest and bikini bottoms swimming around for 5 - 7mins (yes i timed her). That says to me that i should have no probs in the water for a good while with a wetsuit on? Or maybe she was just hard!

 

[James T]

Thinking of a night dive down at Beer/Seaton tomorrow night - can anyone give me a view on the vis down there at the moment? would save me and my buddy a reasonably long drive if it is rubbish - cheers

 

[spearheads]

Viz 4 meters
swell stopped
max depth 8 meters
______________________

I got in for a hour and a half this afternoon. The fish are returning as i saw a huge shoal of baby Pollock and a few sand-eel shoals, oh also one mullet was seen but was gone before i could move the gun.
I looked in some holes ,saw a lobster but he didn't want to come out and play.
Sunday is looking good, going to try Hopes nose.

 

[Spaniard]

All the info you need on hopes nose is here click here
The water is quite deep from the shore on a high tide its straight into 8 meters.

Just curious but were you the guy who photographed a spearfishing National at Talland bay a few years ago?? Cheers.

 

[spearheads]

No that was not me.

 

[waterbird]

Hi there Devon spearo-folk... anyone fancying joining up for a dive?

I am a novice, sorting out my kit now (March) and keen to get out on the water. I love freediving... and want to get into spearfishing.

I live in Totnes and have a van to get about in. Hope to hear from someone soon.

Doug

 

[spearheads]

Weather is looking nice so is the sea, I just did 18 miles on Dartmoor so my legs are a bit tired:crutch , but if they are up for it tomorrow i am going to get in at Oddicombe and swim to Ansteys and do a few dives along the way.
Fisherman are catching plaice at berry head and hopes nose already.

 

[Allan B]

I’m back in action again, after my knackered knee and life just getting the better of me, I got in on Friday at Oddicombe and paddled around Hopes Nose and on to the Lead Stone.

The Lead Stone looked appealing but chickened out as the tide was moving a bit fast for a first dive, will be back again, so went back around Hopes Nose and dived towards Anstey’s Cove.

Vis was about 2 ½ mtrs and the place was alive with dogfish, must have seen about 15 of them, shame there not my cup of tea so they all lived to fight another day.

Spent an hour chasing the doggies around before hopping back on my yak across Anstey’s to Long Quarry’s for dive number two. Vis at the surface looked really good but at 4 ½ mtrs was welcomed with a solid wall of silt so gave up and moved on. The wall of silt could be to do with the commercial divers concreting under Babbacombe pier.

Third dive was Petit Tor Point, vis was only 1 ½ mtrs and very milky. Did manage to spot a couple of mullet and wrasse in the gloom and a small shoal of sand eels.

Lead Stone and Ore Stone

Lead Stone North side

Lead Stone West side

Looks like it’s starting to pick up.

Allan