Flat fish preperation.

[Bushmaster]

Now I have done the normal stuff with trout etc but I have never prepared a flat fish. A friend of mine told me the innards are all located elsewhere.): lol Or so he thought .anyone got any advice please.
Geoff

 

[Tantalus]

lolol @ elsewhere

yes the innards are at one side of the fish

actually what you think of as top and bottom sides of a flatfish are not really top and bottom :shock:

with a little careful prodding you can find the gut cavity

now place this on the bottom so that the fish is sticking up in the air and you may be able to see that top and bottom are in fact left and right sides

one eye actually migrates across the fishes head as it develops so that both eyes end up on the "upper" surface

and what appear to be left and right fins are actually upper and lower fins

there are some amazing pics of this developing, let me see if i can find any

Tant

 

[Bushmaster]

Up down, left right, my spacial awareness has just gone tilt:shock: lol.
I will wait for a picture mate.Thanks for the reply.
Geoff

 

[Tantalus]

it is a slow download but worth the wait

http://www.ciwemb.edu/labs/schreiber/FlatfishMetamorph.mov

at first it looks like a normal fish fry

and you can watch it change into a flatfish

no this is not some kind of april fool honest

Tant

 

[Bushmaster]

Cheers mate,I will have to look at it later as my daughter is home from school and is msm messengering the entire planet.:yikes: and I thought it was my computer.
LOL Geoff

 

[tenbears10]

I really don't think that much of flat fish it just seems to be full of bones to me. I suppose I wouldn't turn down a freshly caught one if there was nothing else. Just IMO.

Bill

 

[Bushmaster]

Thanks tenbears,I was thinking about skate in particular as they are meant to be quite nice.
Geoff

 

[Bushmaster]

Nope.Tant I can not get the bloomin link to run.I get about 3 seconds and then nothing.

Geoff

Thanks anyway mate.

 

[Tony]

Hi Guys, I've just put up ( in the gallery) a few flat fish pics that might be useful http://www.bushcraftuk.net/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5

They're like this one...

A good day with the spear!

 

[Paganwolf]

Nice ! :biggthump explain the technique Tone

 

[gillmacca]

And where you did this. I have never been able to catch that many fish in a day

 

[den]

Wow what a catch.


Tell us more Tone
:chill:

 

[Bushmaster]

Wow thanks Tony:You_Rock_
Geoff

 

[hootchi]

Nice ! :biggthump explain the technique Tone

Can you explain the spearing technique aswell. Is it a spear gun or a standard spear? I cant make it out in the picture. :biggthump

 

[Tantalus]

a few metamorphosis pics here if that helps, but i couldn't find any sequences

http://www.ciwemb.edu/labs/schreiber/homepage/feature.html

Tant

 

[Tony]

I’m not going to say where I go for my fishing as I promised the guy that showed me I wouldn’t.

The way these fish were caught was to wade up the estuary towards the river mouth. You need to have bare feet as you trap the fish under them and you would not be able to feel them if you had any shoes on. Once they’re pinned you can reach down and pick them up if possible or you can let the spear point (doesn’t have to be all that sharp) slide between your toes and skewer the fish.

Sometimes when you tread on a fish you get shrugged off as they can be quite powerful creatures, other times you pin one under a foot and the sand is shifting and your leg gets locked straight and you can’t bend down to get it!! Sometimes the water is really clear and you can see them feeding, the last time I went it was bad weather and everything was by feel.

The spear in the picture is just a length of metal rod. You could make one out of natural materials, the key would be to keep the diameter of it as minimal as possible.

I have to say though that unless you know what you’re doing and what to look out for it can be a deadly dangerous thing to do. Fast flowing water, quicksand and tides that came in faster than you can run…Oh, and the fish can cut you up as well!

Easting freshly caught fish, sitting in a cave, in a cliff face, looking out to sea while you talk with your mates….that’s what it’s about :biggthump

 

[hootchi]

I’m not going to say where I go for my fishing

Ah, a true fisherman thats what i like to hear.
Thanks Tone

 

[stuart f]

If your gonna try this with bare feet remember about Weever fish,these fish have got a nasty habit of burying themselves into the sand with their dorsal fin sticking out,the spines on the dorsal fin of this fish carries poison which can inflict a rather painful wound when trodden on,it is said that even when dead the spines can still sting. So do be careful.

 

[Tantalus]

any useful tips on how to avoid weever fish stuart?

apart from steel toe capped wellies :shock:

which would prolly make flounder fishing quite difficult anyway

Tant

 

[stuart f]

Hi Tant apart from wearing footwear i really don,t know any other way to avoid them,i tend just to fish for flatties,you dont need anything to fancy for flatties,a small telescopic rod is fine with a 1 ounce weight,hooks should be size1 Aberdeen pattern as they have a nice long shank to aid unhooking, just give a gentle cast into the surf and the bait will roll around covering alot of ground thus giving the bait some life,Flatties love movement and nail the bait with great zeal.As for bait i usually use lug worm cut up into small lenghts,remember the old saying big baits catch only big fish where as small baits catch all sizes of fish,so you don,t need alot of worms as a little will go a long way.

Sorry if this is no help whatsoever.