subject: Catching Your Supper from the Sea [print this page] Catching Your Supper from the Sea Catching Your Supper from the Sea
Nothing can be more satisfying than catching your own supper. Whether it is a pair of mackerel or a crab, nothing tastes finer than fresh fish or crustaceans straight from the sea.
To catch mackerel, all you need are a pair of mackerel lines, some suitable weights and hooks
plus some appetising bait such as bacon or a strip from a small mackerel from an earlier catch. Alternatively, you can use feathers or sparkly lures on the lines. Mackerel swim in shoals, so the first sign of activity is often a localised "fizzing" of the water as the mackerel come to the surface.
Try trawling the lines inshore on a flood tide and near where sea birds are diving. If further off the coast, only put out the lines if you are making 4 knots or less. Any faster and you won't catch anything. Take care not to foul the propeller when bringing your lines in-board.
Next is the unpleasant part killing the fish. There are several approaches:
Let the fish expire naturally [this is considered cruel by many]
Hit it over the head with a hammer or winch handle [gory and messy]
Pour vodka or gin into the gills [sounds like a nice way to go but in practice not very effective]
Place your thumb behind the head and place your index finger inside the mouth. The teeth cannot hurt you so you are safe doing this. You now pull the head back towards its body. You will snap its neck which in almost all cases will instantly kill it. You will notice a few nerves twitching every now and then but that's normal. [takes some nerve to do but is quick].
Then you need to gut the fish and remove its head and tail using a very sharp knife. This is best carried out in the cockpit to stop the galley smelling too fishy and the discarded parts disposed of over the sides as soon as possible.
For a reasonable sized starter grilled and served on wholemeal toast or as a salad - one large mackerel between two people is sufficient. For a main meal, aim for one per person. A simple way to prepare the fish is to sprinkle with black pepper and a little fresh lime juice, wrap in tin foil and bake for about 20 minutes.
