Spearfishing

Spearfishing if done correctly is probably the most ecological and conservative way to fish. Spearfishers practice "release-and-catch" by not spearing undersized fish or unwanted species. They also have little impact on the seafloor environment and tend to only shoot just what they are going to eat.

The following information is for guideline only and has no legal standing. It's up to you to be aware of all laws and by-laws that may affect you. For Irish waters we understand the following to be the case:

• no spearing in freshwater in any situation
• no spearing of salmonoids (ie salmon or sea trout)
• Bass is a max catch of two per person in 24 hours with minimum fish length of 40cm from tip to tail
• closed season on Bass from May15th to June 15th during their spawning season
• Shellfish like lobsters, crabs and scallops can be collected as long as not in a prescribed area. They cannot be collected on scuba (if you have scuba gear even if you weren't using it at the time your gear including boats, car etc can be confiscated).
• Lobsters have a minimum landing size of 85mm carapace (this is from the head to the start of the tail and excludes the tail and claws).

While not illegal to spear, please think twice about taking a Wrasse. Not only are they a somewhat dumb (but nice!) fish, they also feed nearly exclusively on seaweed and so are not to many people's taste. They take quite a while too to mature so it's not too nice to see them speared.

For Irish waters a gun from 75cm-90/100cm is more than adequate. A 90cm is probably your best all rounder. Longer guns do give more range and power but are harder to track (follow) fish with underwater. While shorter guns are good for flatfish or holes they lack the power for bigger fish. So an experienced spearo might often have two sizes of gun on their float depending on where and what they were fishing.

Even while standing up in a boat divers can hard to see - especially in choppy water. So we recommend you use a float either attached to your gun or weighted nearby to alert other water users of your presence. However do not entirely depend on it to keep you safe! Boat users in Ireland require no training or license and may approach your buoy or float at speed simply to investigate it - not realising there's a diver nearby or attached to it. Having your gun attached to your float offers the advantage of being able to drop it after having speared a fish, resurfacing to recover and then diving down back to kill the fish if it hasn't been finished with your first shot.

A good knife is essential to despatch the fish quickly - as well as your safety should you ever become entangled. A stringer on your float means you leave the fish there rather than weigh yourself down with it. If the float is a big enough one you can have other items like water, food etc on it.

Some fish have spines that can pierce your skin easily so the wearing of gloves is also recommended.

Try and meet up with an experinced spearo to learn the ropes.