Spearfishing

[Jaymzflood]

Anyone done it or still do it? Im looking to give it a blast in the summer, something ive fancied for quite a while but what size speargun to I get because theres different sizes.

BTW, this isnt illegal in british seas.

 

[JoshS]

www.deeperblue.com is a great resource.
For UK a 75cm gun is most versatile. Don't get one too big because the water can be so cloudy you cannot see the end of it!

You are right, not illegal at all, and the most selective sustainable fishing method there is. Just don't use SCUBA and spearguns together!

 

[FGYT]

Just don't use SCUBA and spearguns together!

Why its perfectly legal in UK tho not in some European countries just frowned upon by Breath hold spearos

 

[IanM]

I have an arrangement with marine life, I won't eat them if they don't eat me. Long story.

Before you splash out try a Hawaiian sling, they work just as well and are just pennies to make, really just a folding barb spear-point to buy, the rest is easily made.

 

[JoshS]

To breath hold spearos it is unsporting. If you were just harvesting the ocean to eat I cant see a problem, if you can control yourself and manage what you have got. I imagine it would ruin the hunting experience being festooned with technology.

FGYT have you tried scuba spearfishng? If so what was it like?

BSAC frown upon it because people go and kill their favourite "pet" fish.

With Scuba you can use a knife! Just stab some flatties or rays, take a lobster or some scallops.

 

[JoshS]

What's the story? Sounds interesting!

 

[santaman2000]

Not with a spear gun, but gigging (by hand) is the norm for taking flounder here in Florida.

 

[IanM]

I started diving when I was eight. My first wetsuit cost £4-10-6d and came as sheets of rubber, a pattern and glue. I made my dive set from a German WW2 oxygen bottle, a Calor gas regulator and a gas mask. So a long time ago.

The story. A lovely dive alone in the Solent swimming out from shore, came over a rock and saw a fair sized lobster on the other side just waiting on the sand. I watched it a while until the air bottomed out (no gauges in those days), ducked down and caught the lobster, drifted up to the surface and wandered back to the shore.

I took the lobster home, my mother cooked it and it made two rounds of sandwiches.

The point. The lobster gave me much, much more pleasure wandering about in front of it's lair than it did by my eating it. At that point I decided not to eat any more sea food but watch and study them instead. Just a personal choice but I am sure the right one for me.

 

[FGYT]

To breath hold spearos it is unsporting. If you were just harvesting the ocean to eat I cant see a problem, if you can control yourself and manage what you have got. I imagine it would ruin the hunting experience being festooned with technology.

FGYT have you tried scuba spearfishng? If so what was it like?

BSAC frown upon it because people go and kill their favourite "pet" fish.

With Scuba you can use a knife! Just stab some flatties or rays, take a lobster or some scallops.

Yes it is looked down upon by breath hold

You should only be harvesting to eat .... you cannot put it back if you dont regardless of what your wearing

a breath hold is already using a lot of artificial technology ie Googles, Fins , and the spear gun it self as well as a thermal suit ( in UK )


BSAC rule against it which is why a lot of people assume its illegal

Breath hold Spearfishing competitions used to wipe out a whole reef of inedible large breeding stock fish so a guy could get a trophy for the most fish caught that weekend
they can shoot a pet fish same as a scuba diver


yes as a diver I can an use a knife to get flatfish (I wouldn't take Rays they are endangered as far as im concerned so not a target species) , lobsters , crabs , scallops etc

(actually its more fun to try catching big flat fish by grabbing the tail with your hand they have a sporting chance to escape unharmed )

and I can use a spear gun to get round fish

any hunting its the hunter who is the key they most know what they are doing and do it responsibly and safely

there are nice big Cod and pollock on 40 m wrecks in the channel again I dont take Cod

what i do take i have the time to correctly identify pick the best target and time to get a safe clean shot or not if I dont want to and enjoy the rest of the dive .

exactly the same as when I hunt on land for rabbits etc

 

[JoshS]

Agree responsibility is down to the hunter. Spearguns don't kill fish people do!

Just had to post this check out http://abacoforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t= be careful people!