So you wanna be a Spearo?
You’ve decided to take the plunge and join the spearfishing community. Many will vouch that the ancient form of hunting certainly is the most rewarding method of catching fish
It’s physical, challenging, thrilling, and you are constantly learning about the underwater environment. You can’t beat the unbridled simplicity of hunting underwater. It’s just you and the fish.
To help get you out in the water with a little bit more knowledge under your belt, we caught up with seven-time New Zealand spearfishing champion, Julian Hansford.
Julian has managed to merge his passion into a full-time business and now runs a free diving and spearfishing retreat based in Kuaotunu, and caters from beginners to the experienced. For more information go to www.spearocamp.nz
What should I look for when picking a spot to dive?
When picking a spot to dive, it depends on what you are after. If it is kingfish, I look for a point with a current. If its snapper, try looking for an area that gives you good cover to sneak around, like big cracks or boulders to hide behind.
What are some techniques to improve holding my breath?
The best way to improve your breath hold is just spending time in the water. You can’t beat that.
I’ve just started spearfishing, what is a good fish to target first?
When learning to spearfish, it’s really good to target trevally or kahawai. If you can hit these fish, which there are plenty of, then you can hit almost any fish and start to target more difficult fish like snapper and kingfish.
What is the best way to set up ground baiting for spearing snapper?
If you are setting a ground bait, find an area that you can sneak up on without being seen. Then crack some Kina exactly where you would want the fish to be when you approach.
What are some of the biggest mistakes you see new divers make?
A big mistake people make is not having enough weights on their belt when approaching a berley, and don’t realise their legs are way up above their head scaring the sniper away before they have had a chance to shoot.
What is the right length speargun for me?
A good all-round length of spear gun for NZ is 110cm. It is easy to move around which stalking fish in the shallows, also long enough to spear a kingfish.
How often should I Re-Rig my Speargun?
Always check your trace from barrel to spear before diving for damage or wear because the day you run into your best fish will be the day you didn’t realise your face line is old and worn!
Julian’s Top Five Tips:
- Be aware of your surroundings, not just what’s right in front of you. People tend to lose concentration on what’s happening around them, e.g. drifting away in the current.
- Try not to overpower your speargun, or take long shots. An overpowered speargun becomes inaccurate and taking wild long shots really increases the chance that you will injure or miss your target. Get close and kill it quick.
- Be prepared for panic. Small things can lead to big problems; if you are not prepared in your own head, like getting you flipper stuck in a rock, you could panic, struggle and then drown. Or, you could remove your foot from the flipper and swim up with one leg! Stop. Think. Act.
- Have the correct weighting. If you’re hunting in shallows, use more weight. It helps to hold your body low to the ground, so you’re more stealthy. When you’re giving deep, less weight. As you get deeper, you get less buoyant, and it’s easier to swim up.
- I generally use a 110cm speargun around NZ to target most of our species. At Spearo Camp we try to give our divers a foundation to become a competent spear fisherman and free diver, so when they move forward out on their own, they have some good skills to work on developing further.
