[Dan]

Imported post

So do you love congers or hate them.

This year it doesn't seem to matter what hole I poke my head into there is always a 12ft conger staring back at me as if it wants to eat me. Has there been some major conger orgies going on in the sea as of late as there appears to be way more than last year???  

I dont mind them too much from a distance and they can be at times quite cool to watch but when you bump into one in complete darkness and zero viz then its a different story. There was one a few weeks back on a sub that scared me that much that I had to turn around and pretty much call the dive, the term "I sh** a brick" is one that comes to mind

 

[Doug Parker]

Imported post

They're lovely.  If you go into Clives tackle and bait in Exeter st, Plymouth.  They've got a former British record holder of rod caught conger, stuffed and mounted in a case on the wall.  Even though it's a huge specimen, it's tiny compared to some of the brutes i've seen at 60m.  If an angler could get one of them off the wreck i'm sure the current record would get easily smashed.  Conger are ok in their own environment, they only get stroppy when you try and drag them out of their homes and haul them up into a boat with a walloping gert hook in their mouths, wouldn't you be a bit miffed if someone tried the same with you ?. You can stroke them if you are steady enough. And conger steaks taste lovely

.

 

[Finless]

Imported post

Quote[/b] (DougParker @ Aug. 24 2003,13:54)]They're lovely.   Conger are ok in their own environment, they only get stroppy when you try and drag them out of their homes and haul them up into a boat with a walloping gert hook in their mouths, wouldn't you be a bit miffed if someone tried the same with you ?. You can stroke them if you are steady enough. And conger steaks taste lovely

.

I second that. I find them most excellent and usually inquisitive (or maybe apprehensive) and they always SEEM to be interested watching divers.

I always try for a close look (not too invasive of their "space") and they don't seem to mind that much and quite appear to like a bit of a stroke (that is hand on body and not dislike of DIR) - always at the "blunter" end, I might add.

Don't know abt conger stakes, I wouldn't like to try and get one in my goody bag. A friend found a little one (4 foot) curled up in his lobster pot when pulled it in for a check. He let it go - very carefully.

 

[Lou]

Imported post

How can you resist those puppy dog eyes???  Ok, there are some quite pointy teeth immediately below them, but they are so sweet looking.

It took me so much looking to finally find a conger - it seemed that I *always* missed them despite looking hardest.  Perhaps this is why I love them even more?

Lou

 

[Mark Chase]

Imported post

Just you and me then Dan,

They scare the crap out of me

My M8 Pete speared a 40 lb conga with a harpoon tiped podger and sent it up on a lift bag

The skipper of the boat was almost as pissed off as the conga

The one I saw on the Duke last dive would have biten Pete's head off, pulled the podger out and used it as a tooth pic.

ATB

Mark Chase

 

[msssltd]

Imported post

Generally I like congers.

As a nipper I won a fishing contest by catching one which went on to make a nice curry.

When your diving with a buddy of the fairer sex you can introduce them to the inevitable conger in the boiler and leave them oohing and ahhing over those cute puppy eyes whilst you go and note the finer details of the rare and unusual sprangle valve.

I did get concerned on one occassion when I swam a line into a compartment on a wreck only to find a pair of those puppy dog eyes staring at me rather too inquisitively.  I backed out vveerryy slowly.

Regards
Matt

 

[722]

Imported post

Wonderful fish, I always like seeing them. Unfortunately I have only seen one free swimming. The many others have always been skulking in their holes.

Mind you one of our members was bitten by a small one earlier this year. Just put his hand down, never sa the conger. His finger looked like someone had used a Stanley knife down it's length many times. He'll be more careful next time.

Twice this year I have seen dead congers on wrecks. A pair in one case. While this may be natural, I doubt it as fishing boats are often on the same wrecks. I don't know why they fish for such big fish it they don't intend them to be eaten.  

 I don't mind the sport fishing, I do a little myself between dives, but throwing back dead fish is such a waste.

Adrian

PS. Can't vote, pedant Darwinist here  

 

[Doug Parker]

Imported post

Quote[/b] (Adrian Kelland @ Aug. 24 2003,17:35)]
Twice this year I have seen dead congers on wrecks. A pair in one case. While this may be natural, I doubt it as fishing boats are often on the same wrecks.

 I've found them with hooks and traces thick enough to tow cars with trapped by the loose line in the wreck.  I always try and cut the line so they've got half a chance of getting away and recovering.  This is why they let me stroke them, they know that i've saved a few of their kind and are endebted to me.  I hope i haven't just tempted fate with that last statement.

.

 

[MATTBIN]

Imported post

The only evil creatures on God's good Earth is Man.

Matt

 

[Gimbo]

Imported post

<font color='#0000FF'>A couple of years ago I was looking at a wrech when a 3m conga swam out between my legs, it just went on and on! They are great creatures but certainly watch and don't touch type.

 

[John Gulliver]

Imported post

You're quite right, of course, Matt, BUT I find it soooooooo hard to love midges and wasps  

 

[Justin Owen]

Imported post

Don't talk about wasps! I was half an hour late for work the other day cuz a wasp flew into my kitchen while i was making my butties - had to open all the windows and sit outside waiting for it to p1ss off before i could go back in...! Infernal creatures...

I love seeing congers - but I keep a respectful distance from them! Saw four huge monsters on the Segontium yesterday... Hopefully got a good picture of one...

 

[John Gulliver]

Imported post

Show us the picture in due course, Justin.

 

[peter k]

Imported post

We've got a site called Conger Ali. It's full of the animals. They're that tame we can tickle them under the chin and hand feed them with mussles.
There is always the infamous story of Cammy the Conger. He was down with two trainees and a Conger bolted out of it's hole, wrapped fishing line round him and dragged him off. After a massive 'Chopper and boat search there was still no sign. He appeared three days later about 5 miles down the Loch OK. It just so happens (a) The trainees saw nothing of this and (b) He was opening up a new dive-shop and the news reports gave him shedloads of free publicity.(Allegedly)

This was a year or so before he went to Marsielle to do the Beuchat servicing course and was kidnapped by Algerian drug runners.(Allegedly)

Needless to say he's quite a well known character up here.

Peter

 

[Mark Davies]

Imported post

<font color='#000080'>I used to work with a guy much like Cammy the Conger (i.e. a compulsive bull-shitter).

To save his embarrasment we'll call him Geoff (his real name).

According to Geoff he invented the rebreather - not bad considering he's not yet 50 - and once when he was on holiday to Gibraltar he came across a group of US navy seals who had been forced to come ashore because of equipment difficulties. Luckily for them it was the very equipment that Geoff had invented and he was able to show them how to fix it so they could complete their mission!

Then there was the time that he was in the Channel when a British Trident submarine surfaced beneath him, lifting him out of the water. The captain of this top-secret military installation was so upset to have put Geoff to such inconvenience that he invited him inside for an hour long guided tour and some lunch!

Needless to say I was never tempted to go diving with Geoff - I seriously doubt that he knows how!

 

[Diving Dude]

Imported post

Quote[/b] (MATTBIN @ Aug. 24 2003,19:42)]The only evil creatures on God's good Earth is Man.

Matt

Matt.
Was that a typo, should it read Woman?

 

[ANDY 64]

Imported post

there is a wreck off Dover with a lovely 7 foot conger on it ,,, he loves to niBBle pig's liver from ya hand,,, feed him and he leaves ya a lone or the rest of the dive, he may follow you, but is more scared of divers.

 

[Finless]

Imported post

Quote[/b] (msssltd @ Aug. 24 2003,17:15)]As a nipper I won a fishing contest by catching one which went on to make a nice curry.

Curried conger eel - eeeeeyyyuuukkkkk.

 

[Finless]

Imported post

Quote[/b] (Andy the Commie 2 @ Aug. 25 2003,15:01)]there is a wreck off Dover with a lovely 7 foot conger on it ,,, he loves to nipple pig's liver from ya hand,,, feed him and he leaves ya a lone or the rest of the dive, he may follow you, but is more scared of divers.

Andy,

Did you mean nipple or nibble - oh right, I see where you are going with that one.

 

[1373]

Imported post

I guess im the only one on here never to have seen a conger !