Speargun for Devon and Cornwall

[westcoasttriggerfish]

Hi, I am trying to decide on a speargun for the summer. My old one was a Beuchat mundial 75cm it was a loner from a friend it was fine but I wanted to upgrade. I was thinking of a Rob Allen scorpia 90cm.

I am not sure about a few things:

• the tri cut spear making big holes in smaller fish
• the spear hitting rocks and going blunt on a hunt
• the sprung steel rusting
• the extra thickness of the barrel for tracking
• no loading butt
• attaching a float line to the nylon band

that said I am 80% set on getting it, but I would also consider a omer cayman gi or similar.
I am new to the South West, but back home in the west of Ireland I hunt pollock and bass off rocks from down to about 8m.

I was also going to get a float line (10m) a tube float and a drop weight with a reef hook to anchor the float.

all suggestions welcome

 

[Mr. X]

A 90cm Scorpia seems like a pretty good choice for Cornwall to me. You already understand the potential drawbacks of the Scorpia - well done for doing your homework/thinking - probably quite big/heavy too (my RA Sparid was, Scorpia is probably a bit lighter tho'). Was 75cm limiting you? The extra barrel length will also affect tracking.

Eventually you might want to get 2 spearguns, one shorter (65-75cm) for poor vis./dusk/dawn and a longer one for clearer days (90-110cm)? I have a 75 & a 90. A 70 and a 90/100cm might be an good combination. There is some advantage to having a pair with interchangeable parts (so the one not in use acts as a set of spares as well as a spare).

Or get one 80cm. 90cm should be ok though.

 

[Broseidon]

the tri cut spear making big holes in smaller fish

I really wouldn't worry about that - it won't make any difference.

the spear hitting rocks and going blunt on a hunt

It's not a major worry, you can sharpen it up with a whetstone - a blunt spear will still punch through fish

the sprung steel rusting

This is a really over-rated worry - only the speartip, which gets scratched up, rusts and even then, it's minor. Nothing a quick spray of WD40 doesn't fix.

the extra thickness of the barrel for tracking

It won't make any noticeable difference.

no loading butt

This is the reason I never use my Rob Allen any more... I really badly hurt my rib cartilage after a week-long spearing holiday, loading the gun every day with no butt... put my out of action for 6 weeks in serious pain. Saying that, people use and love Rob Allen guns, maybe I was just unlucky.

attaching a float line to the nylon band

Not sure what you mean - I'd attached your float line to the handle of the speargun.

If you're set on the Rob Allen, I'd personally spend a touch more and go for the slightly more expensive, Black Aluminium model - not sure of the name - but only because I've been really happy with mine - loading butt aside!

 

[westcoasttriggerfish]

Thanks Mr.X the 75cm was fine most of the time. I wanted to get a bit more power and range for bass . I also like the look of the beuchat marlin sport, similar to what I'm used to but with a 18mm instead of a 16mm and slightly nicer handel.

also a good point about spares

Thanks

 

[Mr. X]

Good response but I disagree with one point:

...
It won't make any noticeable difference.
...

It might make a significant difference: I found that tracking improved significantly when I switch to lighter, slimmer spearguns BUT I did switch to unusually slight, slim barrelled spearguns (with 25mm diameter carbon fibre barrels)., so the differences are heightened/stark. Apparently 25mm (aluminium) used to be normal long ago but it went out of fashion (the industry switched to 28mm standard, perhaps for stiffness) - I sometimes see vintage spearguns (e.g. on ebay) & low end spearguns with 25mm aluminium barrels. I expect 25mm barrels will come back into to fashion sometime, perhaps after the current craze for rollerguns? Perhaps when carbon becomes standard rather than an expensive option? I really like mine, a lot - for UK conditions/fish.

 

[Broseidon]

I personally can't tell much the difference between a 25mm XXV Gold and a 28mm RA of the same length... hydro-dynamically, is adding 3mm to a barrel realistically going to make much difference..? In use, I don't think there's much appreciable difference, apart from the Rob Allen being a much better gun of course!

 

[Mr. X]

I switched first to the 75mm XXV, so difference huge there. But I find the 90 is also significantly easier to deal with in the water (and on land), especially in currents. I sold my RA90 when it dawned on me that I would never take it to the seaside again, let alone use it.

It's not just the barrel diameter. The XXV is also much lighter too - so lower inertia. Unlike yours, my XXV doesn't have a rail, so less mass & drag there. I've converted the metal wishbone to thin, lightweight Dyneema cord. Also I use a much simpler, slimmer, lighter "rubber bone" muzzle bungee with no metal clips or swivels. A slimmer spear too, 6.3mm vs. 6.6mm, ditto. The XXV spears are 5cm shorter than normal for the size (for 75cm model, might be more for the 80 & 90cm models) - so less mass and lower turning moment. The spear-line I use is also thinner (2.3mm? vs. 1.6mm?) and the metal crimps much smaller & thinner. The regular RA bulk rubber closed muzzle holds an extra 10cm of rubber over a regular euro muzzle according to RA (I haven't switched my 90 to bulk rubber yet, so it has the small metal muzzle wishbone & the rubbers start further back). Bulk rubber is also denser - the Omer screw-in rubbers have a much bigger hole in the middle, and my RA was running upgrade 3/4" rubbers (19mm-20mm) while the Omer has shorter, standard 18mm bands. The long heavy RA flopper hangs down causing lateral drag, the XXV's shorter, lighter, thinner flopper is counter sunk into the top of the spear. The conical tip of the Omer spear is longer & lighter too. The muzzle is much smaller & ligher too. etc.

 

[Mr. X]

BTW I am not saying the XXVs are better than RA. On the contrary, they are both great spearguns. They have different strengths & weaknesses and specializations. For the opportunities I encounter most (poor visibility and fast moving fish close by), an Omer XXV 75 works much better for me than the RA 90. But if you deal with a lot of really big tough game fish (or congor eels?), an RA would likely be a better choice. If I were visiting foreign climes with big fish (halibut, barracuda, wahoo, tuna, marlin, etc.), the RA would appeal more. But lightness & shortness (as well as robustness) can be an advantage when traveling too.

BTW Tri-cut tips are good and easy to sharpen with a file or stone. On a 6.6mm spear or bigger the hole can be quite large for smaller fish but it is not really a big deal. Round cone tips are fine too, I sharpen mine on a wet bench grinder.

The large barrel of the RA & its generally substantial appearance tends to attract comments like "going after shark?" You tend not to get than with an XXV 75.

 

[foxfish]

I love talking spearguns.... the size and (or) tension can make a difference to the tracking but, trying to move an outstretched gun underwater is never going to be 'quick' no matter what make or model.

 

[Mr. X]

Yes, you definitely feel a 90, especial if your arm is out too. :^/

 

[Broseidon]

I love talking spearguns.... the size and (or) tension can make a difference to the tracking but, trying to move an outstretched gun underwater is never going to be 'quick' no matter what make or model.

That's what I was getting at - at the end of the day you're waving a long stick around underwater - having a slightly thinner stick doesn't really make that much difference.

 

[foxfish]

A nicely shaped and balanced high mass gun, is much steadier to track.
Thin light guns tend to oscillate as do the bands but a streamlined gun that uses its bulk to blend in the bands & feels neutral in the water will be slow but steady to track.

 

[westcoasttriggerfish]

All good points, I may go for an Omer or Beuchat. I have a friend from Durban was got a 110 scorpia as a beginner gun. It looked solid but he reckoned it was overkill when he brought it back to Ireland.

Thanks all for the advice

 

[Mr. X]

The length & what you do with it is more important than the model

I was watching some youtube spearing videos recently and it is interesting to see how many fish are taken with the (usually long) speargun just pointed straight ahead, waiting for the fish to move in to line of fire, rather than moving the speargun to the fish. However, the thing that persuaded me to move to the short light speargun was being buzzed by fast moving grey mullet while I waited in cover for an imagined bass to come in from some distance away. The mullet would swim by in front, over the top of me or - often - just behind me. Just couldn't bring the RA into a different position anything like quickly enough - and often the fish were too close for a 90 anyway - but with the XXV 75 I could and suddenly I was getting the mullet.. So, like I said, it suited my needs. Others may have different experiences which dictate other needs.

 

[glassyfaces]

The length & what you do with it is more important than the model

I was watching some youtube spearing videos recently and it is interesting to see how many fish are taken with the (usually long) speargun just pointed straight ahead, waiting for the fish to move in to line of fire, rather than moving the speargun to the fish. However, the thing that persuaded me to move to the short light speargun was being buzzed by fast moving grey mullet while I waited in cover for an imagined bass to come in from some distance away. The mullet would swim by in front, over the top of me or - often - just behind me. Just couldn't bring the RA into a different position anything like quickly enough - and often the fish were too close for a 90 anyway - but with the XXV 75 I could and suddenly I was getting the mullet.. So, like I said, it suited my needs. Others may have different experiences which dictate other needs.

I use a ra 90 and have the same problem of moving it quck enough in thick string weed,so i sit and wait and push weed away with barrel gently,i have considered smaller gun but then range is reduced out in open water and the spots i go to have both.I did think take a float out with both guns but i like to keep kit to a minimum but then again its a great excuse to get another gun

 

[Mr. X]

...I did think take a float out with both guns but i like to keep kit to a minimum but then again its a great excuse to get another gun

I found taking 2 spearuns in the water was just too much hassle for my simple tastes. You could try what I did recently in Devon when I was surprised to encounter unusually clear water - I called on my "little helper"! I noticed my son was standing nearby on rocky harbor wall (accesible only by climbing over rocks), I told him about the great viz and he offered to go get my 90cm speargun. Quite a scramble for him but he likes that sort of thing. Not so little these days - he's an adult now, gulp.

 

[foxfish]

I know what you mean Mr X but some guys (like the forums Guernsey fish in crew) think nothing of staying in the water for 6-8 hours (or if you are Edin -12 hours) so it depends on the circumstances!

 

[Mr. X]

8-12 hours "in the water"! Might need to strap a picnic hamper with a couple of big flasks of hot coffee/soup and some sandwiches on your float in that case Are you sure they don't come out of the water (to shore or boat) in that time? I would likely be hypothermic, severely dehydrated, tired, depleted & quite possibly chronically seasick too if I stayed in that long - and then tongue-lashed by the better half upon my return to shore!

 

[Broseidon]

Heading out for 6 to 8 hours is a standard session - it's what we do pretty much every trip. We do get back on the boat from time to time to zoom in-between spots and fill up coke, water & snickers bars - but there's a lot of diving.

Living 2.5+ hours from the sea, there's no such thing as a "quick dip" - may as well get our money's worth!

 

[glassyfaces]

8-12 hours "in the water"! Might need to strap a picnic hamper with a couple of big flasks of hot coffee/soup and some sandwiches on your float in that case Are you sure they don't come out of the water (to shore or boat) in that time? I would likely be hypothermic, severely dehydrated, tired, depleted & quite possibly chronically seasick too if I stayed in that long - and then tongue-lashed by the better half!

i was in last year for 6hrs on the lizard,i bloody loved it,caught hardly anything but just loved the hunt,scenery and the fact i wasn't at work,i get seasick sometimes but make sure i eat lots of healthy oat bars and a biiiggg hot choc before i go in,the only problem i had was the self appointed dr.doolittle who told me i was chasing the seals off the rocks?????? luckily i was so spun out i couldn't respond as every orifice was leaking as i walked by,ha ha ha ha