Monday, January 11, 2010

In the making

Ally & the kids came up for a quick overnighter on Saturday. I wasn't that quick that I couldn't take the boys out in the boat for a fish yesterday morning & get some quality bloke time in, or Jude couldnt get some quality sheila time in with the girls doing girly stuff like washing hair & window shopping & stuff that any decent bloke would rather slit his wrists than do. Anyway, we all had a good time. Jude ended up getting rid of some of her "stuff" that has been stockpiled in my garage for years thanks to a chance encounter at our local Seagull shop,(don't ask), & me & the boys caught enough snapper for us all to positively gorge ourselves on beautiful fresh fish for tea.

The Red Shed had a special on plastic bins post Christmas, so I invested the princely sum of $10.00 in a new fish bin. This one is bigger than the one I have been using, has a lid & no drainage holes. So I invested the princely sum of $5.00 in a binful of salt ice. This is good stuff, because it chills your drinks down as well as your fish. Having finally learned how to humanely & quickly kill fish, they arrived home in absolute prime condition, well chilled, which makes for easy filleting & the most beautiful eating. We thoroughly enjoyed.

Anyway, as we were coming in on the high tide we were motoring up the channel to the boat ramp. To one side was a mum with 3 kids & light fishing gear having a lovely time catching fish. Very considerate they were too, hauling in their lines as boats came through so as not to foul there gear in our props. As we drew level with them, the oldest, a lad of maybe 6 or 7 holds up his latest catch, a wopping 6 incher & calls out, "How many did yer get?" I answered, "Oh, 6 or 7." (8 actually) He yells back, "Ohh , we got more than THAT !" Nice to see a whole new generation of fisho's coming on. Especially ones who are prepared to boast about their catch. Good on Mum too, for being prepared to stand on a steep river bank in the hot sun while her kids had the time of their lives. You deserve a medal.

4 comments:

Kathy said...

Ah, fresh fish. Could there BE anything tastier?

My favorite words in your blog today: "Having finally learned how to humanely & quickly kill fish..." Some folks might have a giggle at that, but I am presently on a chicken strike due to my having recently seen an 18-wheeler carrying a load of 'em. Many (maybe even most) of them appeared to be dead, and they were stuffed into their cages so tightly, I'm sure it was nothing short of torture for them.

Folks can laugh at me if they like (I'm used to it), but as I see it, if we're going to kill 'em and eat 'em, the least we can do is honor them in some way for their sacrifice.

Good on ya, mate!

K

Flattie said...

Trust me, I know what you're saying. I used to do deliveries to a major chicken processing plant & I have seen those trucks come in. I've also done deliveries to the factories, cant call 'em farms, where those poor chooks are bred. They never see the light of day until they are stuffed into those cages & loaded by forklift on to said 18 wheelers. There is also an egg & poultry place on the way over to Whitianga where hundreds of chooks scratch happily around in the dust & such in an old orchard, with plenty of shade from the trees... Would have to be the closest thing to Hen Heaven I have ever seen..

Anonymous said...

Understand your comments guys.
We got four, rescue chooks from a chicken farm that couldn't stand upright.
They had been born and bred in a cage and only knew how to grip their claws around the wires to stand upright.
It was a mission to prop them up and try and straighten out their claws.
Hugs Muna

Flattie said...

Terrible innit? We only buy "Henergy" eggs these days. All free range with nesting boxes...