South Devon Report 2008

[MARK BISHOP]

A complete fluke to be honest but im well chuffed

Great to see that clip Scott. I was with shiny1 a couple weeks back and he had 2 bass in 1 shot. I have recently started spearing thanks to shiny1 and I'm really enjoying it. He put me in touch with spearo Dave and he has kitted me out. I've had a few fish but I'm missing more then I hit BUT it's a learning curve. I keep telling shiny1 about the ones that got away and he quite accurately calls me GREENHORN

 

[Tong]

Hi all,

I finally got a chance for a swim yesterday with my new gun and fins, So i decided to walk to bovisand beach and give it ago.

i have a 75cm gun and i could only just see the tip of it, also the currents were really strong on the out going tide so swimming was hard work! i only actually took 3 shots at fish, 1 hit a mullett i think but it tore off the spear as i hit it quite low in the body.

Pete

 

[alix.leclerc]

Does the amount of rainfall in Plymouth affect the vis overly?

Only two days till I move to Plymouth! Woohoo. I hope the conditions improve, i'd like to get some diving in before deepest winter (though the leaves are all falling off the trees here already and the sea is totally grey ).

 

[Tong]

shiny1 i dont know about if i was at the shagstone but it was hard work!!

i went over to heybrook with trewlany yesterday. vis was similar to bovi where i could only just make out the tip of the gun but it was alot easier to swim there.

i will hopefully be hitting the breakwater on friday so im hoping the weather and the sea clears up abit.

 

[tribs]

Hi All,

Budleigh again just less fish. Odd mullet, no bass all long ways off! Bassing in the boat tomorrow hopefully, redgills lead the way!!!!!!!!

Tribs

out

 

[scottwilson]

My God shiny1 your a bass magnet, and such a tanned......foot

 

[scottwilson]

Bought a new gun yesterday cressi comanche 75, I already own the 90 and so stuck with what I know. tracking fish is a lot quicker than the 90, loading is a lot easier and packs a puch so no complaints, feels a bit strange having a smaller gun but with the viz been the way it has recently I needed something smaller. kayak dive planned for Tomorrow before I head off to weymouth and weather is looking fantastic for the weekend.

 

[alix.leclerc]

Just got into my new flat, and Tom (it's his flat, i'm babysitting it) has left me his brand new 75cm Omer Excalibur 2000 and told me I HAVE to use it! I can't believe it!
Got to get in the water as soon as possible!

Major happyness in moving to Plymouth

 

[scottwilson]

roflroflrofl .......how did you know? although the girlfriends arent so well tanned.

That is a stunning catch mate

your greenhorn has landed on his feet with you training him.

 

[MARK BISHOP]

Hi all

I had a few fish today as you can see from shiny1's post. It was flat and good viz. I should have had double figures in my amount caught but I'm missing some or taking to long or spooking them etc. But I'm learning hence the greenhorn tag I am going to have another go tmw and hope to have another good day. As shiny1 keeps telling me, "if you don't shoot you wont score"

Greenhorn

 

[alix.leclerc]

Hey Pete, nice meeting you today! What are the chances?

 

[Tong]

Hi alix,

it was a rather weird meeting!! about 10mins after i met you, i also met a spearo in the weatherspoons just around the corner!!..............weird night!

I never made it out to the breakwater because i did a few hours in my local but i had a quick swim off of mountbatten beach, saw a few small mullett and bass but nothing big enough to shoot, vis was about 4m so it was a nice swim

 

[tribs]

Hi All,

Went to Ladram with North1 today after having been around there in the longliner on Thursday were gutted to see a messy stirred up sea- it had been like gin!

Still 75yards out it cleared up, loads about, over 10 species seen but nothing to eat. Probably the trawler going through the night before and the local beach boat pulling in 1000 yards of gill net stuffed with fish didn't aid our cause.

Still, keep going Shiny is showing the way.

Tribs

Out

 

[Mr. X]

Got back from S. Devon last night, which was kind to us again. Weather and vis. were a not quite as good as last year but it only rained at night. First day, fishing the east coast got us off to a good start. First fish, a bass, in the first half hour in very poor vis., followed by a small pollock (looked bigger in the murk), followed by two decent mullet as I made my way back to shore. The new short 75cm gun was all I needed all trip, it was ideal for the conditions.

Didn't get to dive quite as much this time, holidaying with a larger group, I had to make accomodation for surfing, shopping, sketching & angling too (only managed to squeeze in 20mins of kayaking in choppy seas). Saw lots of large mullet in various parts of the river estuary near Salcombe [more on that later on the Sea Angling for Spearos thread] and several at sea.

Only blanked one day and even then I saw 7 bass (6 small-medium schoolies & a lone 3+lb) while placing 2 lobster pots (with speargun unloaded) before the rough surf forced me back to shore for some boogie boarding. No lobsters next day but lots of crabs including 8 edible crabs, all too small to bother with. Also saw a large spider & my first dogfish, which let me run my finger along its tail. The exposed west coast proved choppy all week although it finally flattened out for a few hours Thursday before picking up again mid-afternoon. The east coast provided welcome shelter from the prevailing SW winds.

Later in the week speared a 3-4lb mullet which tore off after letting it play far too long:head. Total landed catch for the week, in the style of Noah (except we ate them): 2 bass, 2 mullet, 2 pollock, 2 wrasse (caught for boullabaise), 2 mackeral (rod caught).

Met several spearos at Thurlestone, inc. Spiderman & a family of spearos from Cornwall. It was good to chat & pick up some useful info. & handle a medi sten & little 45/50cm trident gun.

Spoke to a local angler at Beesands that said a Spanish trawler had layed a long net across several of the bays illegally a couple of weeks ago and looped round scooping up everything. He called the fisheries but they arrived an hour too late. The fisheries & coastguard boats were much in evidence, including during the coastguard strike.

[Thanks to those who sent suggestions on locations to visit].

 

[alix.leclerc]

Hey Pete! Yes, I didn't expect to meet any local spearos so soon, or so unexpectidly! Who was it that you met after?

I'm really enjoying my first few days here, watching all the yachts and seeing so many people in wetsuits. I got over-excited last night about the vis even though it was only a few meters (in hastings you'd be lucky to see your hand in front of your face). I'm dying to get into the water, would you be up for a dive next week after the gales die down?

 

[Spiderman]

Just returned from 2 weeks camping with the family near Hope Cove. Fairly strong westerly winds meant that conditions were not as great as I am used to with quite poor viz and choppy seas which meant for a frustrating time on the spearing front. Met Mr X at Thurlestone who had done rather better than me by finding sheltered east facing beaches. Had a few mullet for the BBQ but the bass all kept their distance.
High point was my first time of hitting 2 fish with one shot. Fun but chaotic with one mullet going wild on the spear and another spinning in circles while threaded on the line!
Low point was managing to leave a mask and snorkel behind on the beach (if anyone out there has found a Beauchat mask and snorkel???)

 

[hunt shoot fish]

Anyone from Deeper Blue?

I was passing the mew stone 1500 sat 30th returning from the rough of the Rutts & a spearo was just putting his flag up on his rib? I thought it was shiny1 as I swore he said he had one yet in his pic he's in a GRS boat?

I would have stopped but it was rough & a bit tight to the rocks for me. I did wave but they didn't see me.

Nice fish Shiny1 by the way.

 

[MARK BISHOP]

Had a go again today and shot a few bass 1 mullett and a pollack, I felt I was holding my breath longer today and felt calmer when the fish were around. May have a go off whitsands beach tmw as I,m in that area. Tiring two days on the trot of over 3hrs each time and my head feels like I'm still in the water at times. Another thing I'll have to get used to. I'll have to ask shiny1 for any tips on when your heads still swimming but your on dry land....

Greenhorn

 

[diver9]

Mark, do you suffer from hay fever or have a bit of blocked sinuses?

I have found sometimes that when I equalise my ears (on the rare occassions that I go deep enough) Ican get a bit of a spin on which is where you feel as though you are twisting in the water. I understand this can be caused by my hayfever and is where it affects your balance like an inner ear infection!!! This can last a bit onto land.

Just my own experience as now I use sinex or my hayfever inhaler B4 diving!

Nice fish Shiny, have not seen you since the last summer day we had when we met at Pentewan!!!!Wow what a summer.

By the way all is lfat and clear across the Tamar!

Stay Safe

 

[hunt shoot fish]

Shiny1,

Too many boats! Yea sorry I know it was an inflatable not a rib, doofus.

I'll keep my eye out, i'll be in a Shetland Alsaka 500.

I would like to meet up sometime to pick your brains, do you think there is much scope for a social in the Plymouth area as there seems to be a few spearo's about? Or are we all solitary animals?

Cheers HSF