Fish of coarse

[Roving Rich]

So are UK freshwater fish edible ?
From what i have heard fishing is one of the most reliable methods of procuring food on the move. But other than Salmon and Trout, Pike is
the only other fish i know to be edible. Can we eat/survive off course fish whilst travelling across the UK.
This stems from a journey I'am thinking of taking, walking across Britain, carrying the minimum of kit and living off natural resources.
Sounds like snares will do me no good, as they takes a few days to loose the human scent.(no good on the move) So a Lurcher was suggested, but then there are 2 mouths to feed. Next an air rifle, it would have to be small,light and easy to conceal. But then by the time its unpacked any quarry will be gone, and they're still quite a weight.
Well thats the scenario, any suggestions. I know you lot will have some good advice.
Cheers
Rich

 

[Stuart]

Snares are still an option if you drive game into them making loud noises etc (they dont stop to check the strange smell then), also stainless steel snares do not hold as much scent as brass ones do

there are ways of removing or masking your scent on the snare, I have been told hanging snares over the fire in the smoke works for this though i have never tried it

I belive that their are no poisionus freshwater fish in the UK (some may simply tast bad or be inedible) but I may be wrong, is their anyone who can confirm this

 

[sargey]

Snares are still an option if you drive game into them making loud noises etc (they dont stop to check the strange smell then),

i can vouch for this technique!

apparently lot's of fish caught from silty rivers taste like mud. normally i eat both kinds of fish, that is, fingers and burgers. i only eat the real thing under duress, usually on survival courses. :-?

i have heard of people keeping them alive in clean water to improve the taste.

cheers, and.

 

[Ed]

Right, Fish I know that are edible (I have recipies with them in) are salmon, trout, pike, carp, perch and roach. These seem to taste the best... oh and don't forget eels.
Coarse fish can taste muddy though they will taste 'fresher' if caught from running water as opposed to lake or reservoir.

Ed

 

[1987_uk]

hello 2 the answer to your question you can also eat eels (snig) which are very tasty iv caught them my self as a fisherman.

 

[Tony]

Yep, Eels are good food. They often suffer from the mud taste though. I used to eat them a lot when I was younger. Not had them for years.....Umm, maybe it is time to put some on the plate! ):

 

[MartiniDave]

I tried a zander over the christmas break. The meat looked fantastic, quite like cod. Sadly when cooked it was rather chewy and had a definite muddy taste, even though I'd soaked the fillets for a day, changing the water frequently.

Dave

 

[Roving Rich]

Hmmm Any hints on fish identification?
Rich

 

[Gary]

If its got fins and swims in water if probably a fish Rich - if its got fur and a flat tail its a beaver and if its biting your bottom its a crocodile.

ID enough for you? :-D

 

[Roving Rich]

And that one with the pointy fin coming this way f.......

 

[martin]

Perch is the best tasting coarse fish, just gut it, head it, tail it and scale it
(not necessarily in that order). To cook it just bung it under the grill or over a fire. They are dead easy to catch with spinners (had one take a home made lure 1/2 inch shorter than its self) or with bait, big old lob worms (nightcrawlers to our friends in the U.S of A)out of your garden are the number one, nip the end of the tail off when you hook it up. The best spinner to use is a silver Ondex number 5.

 

[Roving Rich]

Thanks Martin, My friend was raving about his crisp packet lure the other day. A piece of one ot those silver type crisp packets, dark one side silver the other. He claims some success. But he's one of those guys, I fancy fish for supper, back twenty minutes later with a pair of trout.
Cheers Rich

 

[1987_uk]

The most sucsessful spinner i have ever made was out of a spoon. Cut the head off the spoon drill a hole in either end add links and then the treble hooks in one end in the swivel in the other. Iv caught lots of pike with this spinner its best to use on a sunny say when it will flutter under the water and reflect light....


wayne

 

[Ed]

the spoon lure/spinner works a treat ;-) a poachers classic.
Gary pm'd me a great way of taking pike using a tampon.... open it up put worms inside and sew it up and attach to a line (you can use a small piece of red flannel for a lure) .... the cotton fibers get caught and entangled in the pikes teeth and you haul it in...

Ed

 

[Gary]

Ed the cotton wool and worms is for EELS!

 

[Ed]

Ah... my mistake... thanks for clearing that up gary ;-)

Ed

 

[Gary]

no worries - might work on Pike too never tried it.

 

[Dave Barker]

Not to forget, bream, tench and the freshwater cryfish.

It doesn't need to tate good to keep you alive guys. Just hold you nose and taste..... NOTHING!

 

[Roving Rich]

So nufink poisonous then?

 

[the naughty boy]

no nothing poisonous m8.some are more bony than others,but the easiest caught are the perch.they are ravenous and will take anything you throw at them.if you have a hook and some line ,try feeding a v,small feather in when you tie your hook on.jig it about and they cant resist,also they will usually be in near the reeds so not out of reach.roach and rudd can be tentative biters .dont go for pike unless you have a suitable rod or very high breaking strain line,you may get something bigger than you bargained for.