Anyone around Torbay at the weekend - possibly a surfeit of Mackerel. Any tips ?

[Andy Bav]

We are heading to Torquay tomorrow evening and one thing we would like to do during the week is catch some Mackerel and BBQ them - hopefully around Elberry Cove.

2 weeks ago we stumbled across a shoal of Mackerel "worrying" some Whitebait, cut the engines and managed to catch about 15 of them within 5minutes only to realise we had left our disposable BBQs back at the lodge, so we returned to the Marina and gave them to the the grateful Dockmasters. We also caught a Red Gurnard (?) - looked very strange indeed. Never seen one before and had to use Google images extensively but put him back !

We now have a couple of disposable BBQs at the ready and hope to be as successful, so if you see us anchored off the Cove and some smoke coming from the shore - we may well have some surplus stock. That said, with Dartmouth Regatta looming and a wife who is slightly queasy about watching #2 son decapitating and gutting fish (definitely not on the swim deck I hasten to add) our plans may change.

We have heard that you can't beat the taste of feshly caught and cooked Mackerel so do you have any tips as we have never done it before ?

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Jar of horseradish and a bag of green salad, and you're all set! Because they are so easy to catch on feathers, I debarb the hooks so you don't have to rip the fish to shreds just to get your hook back out. It doesn't matter if a few get away, you'll always catch some more.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[countvonc]

If you are going to cook them straight away, you could just fillet them and slap the fillets on the Barbie. Slightly less messy than gutting.

I'll keep an eye out on the cove. As for cooking my preference is for garlic butter, thyme and lemon.

 

[Andy Bav]

Jar of horseradish and a bag of green salad, and you're all set! Because they are so easy to catch on feathers, I debarb the hooks so you don't have to rip the fish to shreds just to get your hook back out. It doesn't matter if a few get away, you'll always catch some more.

Cheers
Jimmy

Thanks. We found out the hard way about de-barbing ......... very messy lesson

 

[Bilgediver]

We have heard that you can't beat the taste of feshly caught and cooked Mackerel so do you have any tips as we have never done it before ?

It is a delicacy. When our kids were small we would buy mackerel from the kids fishing on the piers or Dartmouth Promenade and then take them out into the country and cook them over a wee bar BQ we had bought back from Canada. Better still if you catch your own and should be no end around the coast from Elberry Cove to the Dart and beyond. Just do not over cook if using a disposable BBQ.

 

[Griffin Marine]

I like them carpaccio with brown bread if not gutted and fried in garlic butter
Pictures please
Tim

 

[rbcoomer]

Hi Andy, working some of weekend, but aiming to try and get out Sunday so will keep and eye out for you! We have a few mechanical gremlins (no reverse gear!), but nothing to stop us I hope!

 

[Andy Bav]

Hi Andy, working some of weekend, but aiming to try and get out Sunday so will keep and eye out for you! We have a few mechanical gremlins (no reverse gear!), but nothing to stop us I hope!

Nothing to stop you in more than one sense ! Hope its not too serious though.

We never plan more than 2 hours ahead to be honest so keep an eye out for us - but Sunday afternoon looks sunny if not a bit windy. Sods law says we wont catch anything and well have to revert to burgers, but the beer should be chilled either way.

 

[Jurgen]

Nothing to stop you in more than one sense ! Hope its not too serious though.

We never plan more than 2 hours ahead to be honest so keep an eye out for us - but Sunday afternoon looks sunny if not a bit windy. Sods law says we wont catch anything and well have to revert to burgers, but the beer should be chilled either way.

Hi Andy,

We're around fro Thursday night so may see you around the Bay, thinking of heading off to Salcome and fetching up on the Bag if you fancy a cruise in company.

Either way enjoy the Mackerel and the weekend

Andy & Alison

 

[Andy Bav]

Hi Andy,

We're around fro Thursday night so may see you around the Bay, thinking of heading off to Salcome and fetching up on the Bag if you fancy a cruise in company.

Either way enjoy the Mackerel and the weekend

Andy & Alison

Hi Andy,

Salcombe - excellent idea, and thanks.

With the trains from Cannon Street behaving and a clear M25 we will be down around 10.30 ish tonight.

I'll PM you as there is a fly in the ointment though !

 

[Jurgen]

Hi Andy,

Salcombe - excellent idea, and thanks.

With the trains from Cannon Street behaving and a clear M25 we will be down around 10.30 ish tonight.

I'll PM you as there is a fly in the ointment though !

Hi Andy, good luck on the M25!

If you end up in Elbury we may join you there or pop over to Brixham for a few cold ones

 

[tom52]

Royal Torbay Regatta starts this weekend. Fireworks Monday, Red Arrows Wednesday. Racing in the Bay all week.

 

[rbcoomer]

...and Cowes-Torquay-Cowes powerboats on the 1st if you're still about! (Planning to be out there for that day as they are doing as two legs from now on and including a stopover / cup presentation etc for the Cowes-Torquay leg I believe )

 

[fisherman]

Slit the skin and insert slivers of garlic then grill or bbq, my mate swears by boiled in sea water.

 

[simon barefoot]

If you are going to release any do not touch them with your skin, it introduces a fungus into the mackerel skin and kills them a few days later. So long as they are fresh any herby garlicky addition is a delight!

 

[longjohnsilver]

Fillet them, on the BBQ for a few minutes and then into a buttered bap. Heaven!

 

[Andy Bav]

If you are going to release any do not touch them with your skin, it introduces a fungus into the mackerel skin and kills them a few days later. So long as they are fresh any herby garlicky addition is a delight!

Thanks for that. I had thought I had read that somewhere so when I unhook them I wear a surgical glove ! Looks a bit strange but you have confirmed my suspicions.....

 

[fisherman]

Thanks for that. I had thought I had read that somewhere so when I unhook them I wear a surgical glove ! Looks a bit strange but you have confirmed my suspicions.....

Not sure it helps. The research was initiated when dead mackerel kept coming up in bottom trawls, gill nets and crab pots during the industrial mackerel fishing in the 70s. The purse seiners maintained that they were conservative because they slipped any hauls that were small fish, but the fish suffer just from being confined, and die within two days. They were caught with barbless hooks and not handled at all, then kept in tanks in various states of confinement.