Garfish

Latest Articles

Garfish
Page 1, 2, 3 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Fishing

Author

Message

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 11:34 am Post subject: Garfish

Bugs and I have finally managed to go sea fishing, first time ever for Bugs and the first time for me since I was an adult! I know it's a bit late in the year and the weather wasn't the best but we tried a spot of mackerel fishing off a steep sided beach. Our main aim was just to have a bit of practice but we were sure we noticed a few fishes having a nibble at our baits.

Eventually I managed to catch a brightly coloured garfish and a few moments later so did bugs.

Both measured just over 21 inches

although they only weighed around 8 oz each as they are a long thin fish.

Both were well hooked and the garfish have long beaks full or teeth so they had to be dispatched. I ate one last night for supper and they taste rather good, sort of cross a firm cod/mackerel sort of taste. They do have loads of bones though, but they are easy to find as they are bright green!

The other one is in the freezer and a few strips of bait cut from the tail end.

Not a big catch but we learnt plenty, the main thing is to keep the tackle simple and the fish didn't seem too fussy - first nibble was on a home made feather, I caught mine on a strip of mackerel bait and Bugs caught her's on a spinning lure.

Now off to find out how you should weight a small lure so you can cast it a decent distance.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 12:07 pm Post subject:
Well done both! Rick Stein's 'seafood' has an illustrated guide to filleting garfish

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 12:16 pm Post subject:
So it does, I've just dug out the book! I did actually fillet them and did it in a similar way. Looking at the comment about not gutting small fish the ones we had were easy to gut so perhaps were a reasonable size. I just coated my fillets with flour with salt & black pepper added to it and fried lightly for a couple of minutes in olive oil.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 12:19 pm Post subject:
For really fresh fish I think a simple treatment like that is best.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 12:26 pm Post subject:

If Gar Fish grew any bigger, I don't think that anyone would fish for anything else. They are tail walking mini marlin, its a shame that the record for them only stands at a round 2lb.

I caught my first ones many years ago on float in Coverack in Cornwall. They fight in a very spectacular way, almost out of the water as much as they are in it as they try to throw the hook from their boney mouths.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 5:59 pm Post subject:
Before we caught anything Bugs saw something jump out the sea only a few meters from the shore, probably a garfish. The were lively beasts when landed, although having heavy tackle they didn't pose much of a problem thankfully.

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 6:18 pm Post subject:
Garfish - I saw these strange looking fish on the market for the first time last week and they were very popular with the French. I did not know how to cook them but sounds like I should give them a go - especially if I can get the fishmonger to fillet them.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 6:54 pm Post subject:
Worth trying Rosie but even if filleted they have some small bones running down the side that'll be in the fillet. Once cooked they are easy to spot and remove and you're left with what looks like bright green eyelashes as the bones are green.

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 6:58 pm Post subject:
We have friends visiting this week-end so maybe not one to try on them - one is strictly a chicken stir fry man (Groan) - but if they are on the market the following Friday I'll give them a go. As for chicken stir fry friend - I might still get some mussels if only to see his face .... and I did see some frozen garlic escargots in the supermarket

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 7:04 pm Post subject:
Snails are one thing I've yet to get the taste for and I eat a fair few strange things; I've eaten limpets, winkles and seaweed tonight for example. Worth serving snails to your friend though and pretending you'll be so very upset if they don't eat them.

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 7:26 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

Worth serving snails to your friend though and pretending you'll be so very upset if they don't eat them.

We have the same sense of humour there!! I love snails and round here we have loads of the large Roman Snails which I have seen people collecting to eat. Need to look up what you have to do to make them palatable - I vaguely remember something about feeding them lettuce and then starving them - or I might have dreamt that ...

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 7:32 pm Post subject:

We get large plump and probably tastey Roman snails near us as well, but sadly they seem to be protected. Anyway, processing snails has cropped up once or twice here. Purge by feeding them lettuce for a few days (I'm sure the ones I've done know what's going to happen as they seem to refuse to eat the lettuce), starve for a day and then cook. Some old threads:

https://forum.downsizer.net/about3621.html
https://forum.downsizer.net/about12945.html

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 7:41 pm Post subject:
I am not sure the French understand what a protection order is, especially if it can be shot and/or eaten!! Mind you the snails ae really common round here so may well not be protected. I will investigate for my own interest. Where I lived in Kent, I worked on a few wildlife sites where they existed and got really excited if we saw one because they were so rare. How different it is here!

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 7:56 pm Post subject:
I very much doubt they are protected over there and I'm rather surprised they are here considering they are non-native. Anyway, they are fun to see and quite common on the Surrey part of the North Downs round here - you have to take care not to tread on them when it's been raining during the warm months.

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 07 7:58 pm Post subject:
We also have the largest slugs here that I have ever seen - some are bright orange and others are best described as brindle. Hopefully they only eat dead plant material and not the live stuff I have recently planted in my new veg patch

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Fishing	All times are GMT Page 1, 2, 3 Next
Page 1 of 3

View Latest Posts