Knife Don’t go snorkelling without a
knife – imagine if you got wrapped in a
length of rope or fishing line. Either go ‘full
diver’ on your calf or forearm or tuck a small
folder up your sleeve and leave the lanyard
protruding for fast extraction. A thin ‘dagger’
style is preferred for dispatching the fish if
you don’t get an instant kill with the spear.Speargun There are two basic types:
compressed air or rubber band. Rubber
band guns are best for UK use and are
maintenance-free – just give the whole
gun a rinse in fresh water after each use.
Carbon-barrelled guns are light and
beautiful, but they can easily get bashed
on a yacht, so choose a slightly heavier
aluminium-barrelled model which will also
help to absorb the recoil or ‘kick’ when the
spear is fired. A high-quality 80cm gun by a
company like Cressi, Beauchat or Omer will
fit the bill nicely and shouldn’t cost more
than £100 or so. You can get their perfectly
serviceable entry models for half that. New
guns are usually already rigged, but if not,
use 8m of 1.5mm nylon cord to attach the
spear to the gun and add a wrist tether.Location and method
Predatory fish, such as bass and pollack,
hang out where there are small fish on the
menu, so rocky shores, kelp beds,
breakwaters and piers are good places to
start. It would be sensible on your first few
trips to only dive for an hour or so at slack
water. The standard technique is to swimslowly on the surface for a while, then float
motionless and look for fish. Then take a
dive down and have a look around. It’s
amazing how many fish are a few metres
below you, but invisible until you’re down
at their level. Doing everything as slowly
as possible will spook the fish less and
conserve your energy.
Okay, it’s showtime. Get up close to the
fish, then closer still. Check the size. Aim
just behind the gill. Check there’s no one
in your field of fire. Safety catch off. Shoot.
Pull in the line, dispatch the fish and
thread a line through the gill and mouth
and clip it onto the float.Conservation and safety
Most people in the UK aren’t used to
seeing speargun toting divers on the
beach. Children are often enthralled by
your gear and will be keen to ask you
questions – particularly if you’re carrying a
large fish! The most popular is, of course,
“Can I hold the speargun?” My answer is
always the same, “Yes. And if you bring
your parents over, they can see it too”.
Bass fishing is regulated by the
government. For 2019, anglers can only
fish for bass on a catch-and-release basis
at the beginning and end of the year, but
are permitted to retain one bass per
angler per day between 1 April and 31
October. The regulations in full are
available online (www.gov.uk/government/
publications/bass-industry-guidance-2019/
bass-fishing-guidance-2019 ) and for 2020
will be decided towards the end of 2019.
But in addition to catch limits, it is
forbidden to land a bass less than 42cm
long. But how do you know how big the
fish is if it’s underwater and several metres
away? As bass mature, their colouration
changes from white/silver to a darker grey
with a dark bronze back. If it’s not a dark
colour, don't shoot it. One of the
advantages of spearfishing is that we can
be selective in what we catch, so exercise
restraint and only target fish over 2kg. If
you have to measure it, it’s too small!PRACTICAL
Safety
DO NOT SNORKEL OR SPEARFISH
ALONE, AND BE AWARE OF
SHALLOW WATER BLACKOUT
Many people new to snorkelling
hyperventilate before each dive,
meaning they take lots of deep
breaths to fill their lungs. More oxygen
in my lungs mean I’ll be able to stay
under water for longer, right? Wrong.
Don’t do this or you may succumb to
shallow water blackout (SWB).
Briefly, SWB is a type of hypoxic
blackout caused by cerebral hypoxia
(low oxygen supply to the brain)
towards the end of a breath-hold dive.
Think of it this way – more oxygen in
your lungs will turn to more CO 2 as
your lungs do their stuff during the
breath hold. The elevated levels of
CO 2 can cause you to faint or ‘black
out’ and you'll drown. It happens to
lots of people and can affect anyone
from beginners to pro spearos.
Experts say the risk cannot be
quantified, but it’s increased by any
level of hyperventilation. Remember
this the next time you don a mask to
clear some rope off the prop.
■ You will be tempted to fire your new
gun in the garden. Resist this. If it’s
fired without the damping effect of the
water, the recoil will astonish you, the
tether line will snap, and the spear
could (and will) end up anywhere.
Instead, wait until you’re in the briny
and practice on patches of weed.
■ Only load the spear gun in the
water and when you are well away
from other swimmers.
■ Use the safety catch, but don't rely
on it.
■ Always use a brightly coloured float
equipped with an ‘A’ flag. It’s also a
good idea to label it ‘DIVER’ in case
other people aren’t clued up on signals.■ Always have a knife.
■ Be very aware of currents.
Think about your health and
fitness. As PBO readers, we know the
sea is a changeable environment.
You should be comfortable in the
water and be able to swim well
without fins. If you have a history of
lung or respiratory problems, or a
circulatory or heart disorder, it would
be advisable to seek medical advice
before spearfishing. It’s also unwise
to snorkel if you have a cold, sinus
infection, a perforated eardrum or
middle ear disease.Small bait fish shelter in weedy areas, so
that’s where you hunt the predators like
bass and pollackAn easily accessible knife is vital
equipment if you go snorkellingBu
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