Ionian - Fishing.
- Thread starter toad_oftoadhall
- Start date
jimbaerselman
Well-Known Member
Quite a useful source of information is the local Greek fishmonger - though you'd need to know your Greek lettering to find the 'local' names for the fish. But the really useful information is the price per kilo. Over €8 per kilo, and this is going to be a tasty number. Under €4 and it's going to be fiddly (sardine), small ('gavros') or not so tasty.
One difficulty is that the fishmonger is only likely to know the popular English fish names, so it'll either be called Sea Bass, Bream or Mackerel . . . the latter being any of the cheaper fish, and the first, any of the 'class A fish'.
Restaurants are also a source of information (but pricy to buy at!). They divide fish into 2 categories 'Class A' and 'Class B'. Class A is nice tasting, as above. Top of the bunch is 'Sinagrida' - Dentex Dentex - but you're unlikely to catch him, since he's a deeper water guy who wanders around rocky cliffs under water. Usually speared. If you're spearing it is completely forbidden to use SCUBA (heavy fines) even to the extent that it is illegal to carry both spear equipment and SCUBA on the same boat. Free dive only . . . and the locals police this firmly!
Oh, and in Greek waters it's usually forbidden to fish by any means during May - and that includes yachts with a line over the stern.
One difficulty is that the fishmonger is only likely to know the popular English fish names, so it'll either be called Sea Bass, Bream or Mackerel . . . the latter being any of the cheaper fish, and the first, any of the 'class A fish'.
Restaurants are also a source of information (but pricy to buy at!). They divide fish into 2 categories 'Class A' and 'Class B'. Class A is nice tasting, as above. Top of the bunch is 'Sinagrida' - Dentex Dentex - but you're unlikely to catch him, since he's a deeper water guy who wanders around rocky cliffs under water. Usually speared. If you're spearing it is completely forbidden to use SCUBA (heavy fines) even to the extent that it is illegal to carry both spear equipment and SCUBA on the same boat. Free dive only . . . and the locals police this firmly!
Oh, and in Greek waters it's usually forbidden to fish by any means during May - and that includes yachts with a line over the stern.
PuffTheMagicDragon
Well-Known Member
Instant first aid for a weever sting. messy but truly effective and always available:
PISS on it as quickly as you can yank your pants down! It really works. Same applies to rays, skates, wasps.
Note that this is ONLY first aid and serves to ease the pain; proceed to nearest medical assistance for proper treatment.
If you want to keep any weever fish that you catch (e.g. for use in fish soup), by far the safest approach is to hold the fish jaws with a pair of old pliers and then to chop off the head with a sharp knife. Watch out for the spikes on the gill covers and on the top of the head.
Dispose of the head thoughtfully as the spikes can still inflict a nasty wound, even when the fish is dead.
PISS on it as quickly as you can yank your pants down! It really works. Same applies to rays, skates, wasps.
Note that this is ONLY first aid and serves to ease the pain; proceed to nearest medical assistance for proper treatment.
If you want to keep any weever fish that you catch (e.g. for use in fish soup), by far the safest approach is to hold the fish jaws with a pair of old pliers and then to chop off the head with a sharp knife. Watch out for the spikes on the gill covers and on the top of the head.
Dispose of the head thoughtfully as the spikes can still inflict a nasty wound, even when the fish is dead.
BrianH
Well-Known Member
Puff, you are really the fish oracle, thanks for that. I read later that another first aid for such toxins is to immerse the affected part into very hot water (naturally below scalding temperature) as it is protein based and will break down at over 40C. However, by the time the kettle has gone on and heated I would expect the poison to have done its work - the urine solution would be much more swift and had I known that would have immediately deployed the necessary tackle.
But personally, I now get all my fish from either a tin or restaurant - sad but true.
As for that Weever, well I didn't have the appetite for it. My benefactor, the commercial fisherman who had ferried me for treatment, was delighted to get it for his family's supper, as well as a monetary token for his services and fuel costs slipped discreetly to him as we left his home where we had all retired to for a celebratory Slivovitz.
But personally, I now get all my fish from either a tin or restaurant - sad but true.
As for that Weever, well I didn't have the appetite for it. My benefactor, the commercial fisherman who had ferried me for treatment, was delighted to get it for his family's supper, as well as a monetary token for his services and fuel costs slipped discreetly to him as we left his home where we had all retired to for a celebratory Slivovitz.
jimbaerselman
Well-Known Member
Pissing on stings is very commonly advocated, and individuals have often quoted instant relief. However, no controlled investigation supports these observations, which have largely been explained by the probability that the stings were relatively trivial, quickly diminishing in their effect anyway.
This is not the case with a weever fish sting, which is always severe and lasts some 24 hours. Immersion in hot water is the recommended treatment, since the poison deteriorates in heat. There is a risk of anaphylactic shock for some people - who should carry suitable treatments with them.
Pain is the problem. Analgesics otherwise the solution. Pissing is a myth - even dangerous for some types of jellyfish stings, since it spreads the problem.
A reference to some of these points may be found in the BMJ BMJ article on weever fish stings
This is not the case with a weever fish sting, which is always severe and lasts some 24 hours. Immersion in hot water is the recommended treatment, since the poison deteriorates in heat. There is a risk of anaphylactic shock for some people - who should carry suitable treatments with them.
Pain is the problem. Analgesics otherwise the solution. Pissing is a myth - even dangerous for some types of jellyfish stings, since it spreads the problem.
A reference to some of these points may be found in the BMJ BMJ article on weever fish stings
PuffTheMagicDragon
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Pissing is a myth - even dangerous for some types of jellyfish stings, since it spreads the problem.
A reference to some of these points may be found in the BMJ BMJ article on weever fish stings
[/ QUOTE ]
Pissing on stings in the cases that I mentioned are not a myth. Please note that I emphasised (1) FIRST aid, (2) instant availability and (3) proceeding to proper medical attention immediately after. I do not think that a victim is likely to have a hypodermic ready charged with 2ml of 2% lignocaine handy. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
If anyone is interested in knowing more about similar fish try this site: Hazardous fishes of the Mediterranean
Pissing is a myth - even dangerous for some types of jellyfish stings, since it spreads the problem.
A reference to some of these points may be found in the BMJ BMJ article on weever fish stings
[/ QUOTE ]
Pissing on stings in the cases that I mentioned are not a myth. Please note that I emphasised (1) FIRST aid, (2) instant availability and (3) proceeding to proper medical attention immediately after. I do not think that a victim is likely to have a hypodermic ready charged with 2ml of 2% lignocaine handy. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
If anyone is interested in knowing more about similar fish try this site: Hazardous fishes of the Mediterranean
Cariadco
Well-Known Member
Many years ago, netting overnight, my father picked a weaver up from the net. It promptly stung him in the thumb. Eventually, days later we persuaded him to visit the quack. Whilst he was there the doctor wasted little time, quick jab of local, all around his thumb. Out with the plyers, off with his thumb nail and proceeded to scrape away all the dead skin etc, right down to the bone. My dad was fascinated, feeling no pain at all. His fav bit in this little story is the suprise, both he and the doctor had, when the nurse that was holding my dad's thumb passed out!!
Beware what might be flapping around in the dark!!!
Beware what might be flapping around in the dark!!!
jimbaerselman
Well-Known Member
During my time as a tour operator offering waterports, we had to brief our staff on handling common hazards. Ignoring those who fell off motorbikes and scooters (ugh, gravel tatoos!) top of the injury list were sea urchins, followed a long way further down the line by jellyfish and weever fish stings.
So, we had to research the subject to get it right. Outside the medical profession, almost every piece of advice we received was 'piss on it'.
From the medical profession, the advice was 'if you don't know immediately what caused the pain (jellyfish/weaver fish) do not immediately flush the area affected with water (including piss), since if jellyfish is the cause, that will cause more nematodes {stings} to fire off.
The medics also noted that while vinegar or some fruit juices may disable jellyfish stings, they have no effect on already injected poisons.
For both stings, the first aid advice was:
1. Ask if the patient was allergic to wasp or other stings.
2. If yes, ask if they had an injection to hand. If they do, be ready to administer it on the first signs of distress. If they don't, be prepared for the possibility of anaphylactic shock by giving an antihistamine tablet (kept in the first aid box).
3. If not allergic, find out what did it . . . often, it's obvious.
4. If jellyfish, carefully identify and pick off the stinging threads with a stick.
5. If weever fish, obtain hot water as soon as possible and immerse the affected part. Give an analgesic. Arrange for any remaining spines to be removed by a professional medic.
6. Any sign of heart or breathing distress in either case is a medical emergency. Call the mergency services.
Would you agree with that briefing?
So, we had to research the subject to get it right. Outside the medical profession, almost every piece of advice we received was 'piss on it'.
From the medical profession, the advice was 'if you don't know immediately what caused the pain (jellyfish/weaver fish) do not immediately flush the area affected with water (including piss), since if jellyfish is the cause, that will cause more nematodes {stings} to fire off.
The medics also noted that while vinegar or some fruit juices may disable jellyfish stings, they have no effect on already injected poisons.
For both stings, the first aid advice was:
1. Ask if the patient was allergic to wasp or other stings.
2. If yes, ask if they had an injection to hand. If they do, be ready to administer it on the first signs of distress. If they don't, be prepared for the possibility of anaphylactic shock by giving an antihistamine tablet (kept in the first aid box).
3. If not allergic, find out what did it . . . often, it's obvious.
4. If jellyfish, carefully identify and pick off the stinging threads with a stick.
5. If weever fish, obtain hot water as soon as possible and immerse the affected part. Give an analgesic. Arrange for any remaining spines to be removed by a professional medic.
6. Any sign of heart or breathing distress in either case is a medical emergency. Call the mergency services.
Would you agree with that briefing?
PuffTheMagicDragon
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Would you agree with that briefing?
[/ QUOTE ]
Absolutely! I was not arguing with you then, and I am not arguing with you now.
I repeat: what I was suggesting was FIRST Aid; something that could well be self-administered without any delay. What you have described is primary <u>treatment</u> - which is not quite the same thing.
Re jellyfish: I never included them in my list of 'pissable' misadventures. The immediate treatment for their stings is vinegar; picking off the remaining threads - assuming that one can see them - comes later, after flushing copiously with vinegar.
Incidentally, a bit of advice to anyone about to swim in warm seas. NEVER dive in for your first dip. Make sure that there are no jellyfish, or their detached tentacles / spores, often entangles within little green or dark brown tufts of brush-like seaweed, commonly seen floating around, especially after a summer storm. Diving into a patch of such contaminated weed often results in severe stings to the face and are especially dangerous around the eyes.
Would you agree with that briefing?
[/ QUOTE ]
Absolutely! I was not arguing with you then, and I am not arguing with you now.
I repeat: what I was suggesting was FIRST Aid; something that could well be self-administered without any delay. What you have described is primary <u>treatment</u> - which is not quite the same thing.
Re jellyfish: I never included them in my list of 'pissable' misadventures. The immediate treatment for their stings is vinegar; picking off the remaining threads - assuming that one can see them - comes later, after flushing copiously with vinegar.
Incidentally, a bit of advice to anyone about to swim in warm seas. NEVER dive in for your first dip. Make sure that there are no jellyfish, or their detached tentacles / spores, often entangles within little green or dark brown tufts of brush-like seaweed, commonly seen floating around, especially after a summer storm. Diving into a patch of such contaminated weed often results in severe stings to the face and are especially dangerous around the eyes.