I've done lots of snorkeling n scuba diving -- and I think it would be fun .... But it occured to me that in my many trips to Negril, I had never seen a tourist do spear fishing .... Is it harder than it looks?
I've done lots of snorkeling n scuba diving -- and I think it would be fun .... But it occured to me that in my many trips to Negril, I had never seen a tourist do spear fishing .... Is it harder than it looks?
Used to spearfish with my Jamaica style home made gun 4 or 5 days a week when I had the Hobie cats on the beach back in the 70s. Nothing like fried fish for lunch... I would think that today you'd need some sort of license. Also the fish stocks may not be what they were back then
Last edited by captaind; 12-16-2011 at 03:33 PM.
Linston's Zion Hill Taxi
Captain Dave
Yes ..I "tried" it one afternoon with some Jamaican lads ..oh ..lets say 10 years ago .. no licence required .. as i didn't even get remotely close to killing or catching anything ..not even sure I came close enough to spook them .. however the lads did fine and all three had enough fish ..albeit small ones to feed themselves that night .. they were especially adept at picking off the lobster on the cliffs near bloody bay ..
I decided that swimming down far enough for a closer look at the lobsters thereupon perched .. thats when my spearfishing snorkelling days came to an abrupt end when an eel ..that I didn't see lunged right at my face from a hole deep in the cliffs .. i scooby doed it out of the water ..leaving a shyte trail behind me ..Never snorkled since ..although I'd love to spend an afternoon spearfishing again .. it was a great way to spend the day ..
Here's a picture of four intrepid fish hunters.
The white guy next to me is Wayne. He's wearing a small fish gun in his hip and a dagger. Looks like a gunfighter in the old West.
I'm holding my 5' old reliable.
The Jamaican next to me is Jerry. He's holding a lobster hook. It's a small long handled gaff for pulling lobsters out of their holes.
Next to him is my son Linston holding the gun Wayne carried for him. Behind us is my 48' sport fisherman made from a cottonwood tree.
Great memories.....
Linston's Zion Hill Taxi
Captain Dave
Years ago I did the spearfishing on the reef about 1 mile west of Booby cay. Then fish were plentiful and I would grab lobster by the Antennae that waved around from holes in the reef. I would grab them quickly and hold on tight as not to let them rake my hand. Today I believe that one could help the reef by spear fishing the Lionfish that have moved in. The reef itself is fished quite hard and there are few large fish there now, and the ones that are there are needed. Read up on lionfish as they have venomous spines and need to be handled with care although I understand that they are quite delish.
Nice photos Captn. AND a dug out cottonwood boat too boot.
Love your old photos captain.
Captaind,
It's great to see Negril thru your eyes back in the day. Thanks for sharing your memories.
Thanks for sharing captaind
What a trip -- never before heard of an eel being aggressive against a snorkler or diver ... except in a great movie from the 1970s called THE DEEP .....
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