Sea fish id needed

artieanna

Hi
Caught this fish this evening and I don't know what it is????
Can it be eaten?

He's not the usual pollack, mackerel or coaly that I normally catch

Pj!

Mullet.

It can be eaten. Not as popular as others but plenty of recipes online.

dodderangler

Hhmmmmm
Another fish killed by someone who hasn't a clue what it is. Seems to be the big thing this week.
Out of curiosity what did you catch it on?

catastrophy

It's a mullet op.

Without judging the op, can I just say that I really dislike pics of fish taken in kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms etc. At least when you take a pic by the sea it gives the impression that it may have been released to fight another day.

Now it's time to judge the op

There seems to be more and more anglers ago couldn't give a flying **** about their quarry and don't bother to educate themselves either. Maybe the op wanted to catch and eat a mullet, bass, tope or whatever, but at least do a bit of research first. That mullet could have been a really rare fish and has ended up on a kitchen sink regardless.

fisherking

Mullet
Be careful eating they eat sewage
Could make you sick....

artieanna wrote: »

Hi
Caught this fish this evening and I don't know what it is????
Can it be eaten?

He's not the usual pollack, mackerel or coaly that I normally catch

artieanna

Yes we thought it was a mullet but some fella on the pier called it some other local name and said it wasn't a mullet, we had a book but the books images were poor for mullet...Just to be sure I posted here
For the record I wanted to catch a mullet just to try it out as it has mixed reviews depending who you are talking to....I could have caught 20 or more if I wanted to be greedy or just silly, but just caught the one as that was all we wanted....

When we fish also we catch max of 6 fish (less if large) as that's all we need fresh and then head home!

Some would empty the ocean if they could!!!

I also make a point of picking up line others dispose on the pier because poor birds get caught up in it....

I'm not very familiar with sea fish as we catch the same ones usually, would love to get a good book on Identifing fish.. Have looked on wikipedia many times but the list of fish is staggering, so please forgive!!!

syboit

Hi,

Here's a link to a couple of books I use

http://stevecrow74.webs.com/downloads.htm

dodderangler

artieanna wrote: »

I'm not very familiar with sea fish as we catch the same ones usually, would love to get a good book on Identifing fish.. Have looked on wikipedia many times but the list of fish is staggering, so please forgive!!!

This is the problem
Your going fishing and Havint a clue what species you'll catch.
You said you could've caught 20 or so.
Mullet aren't easy fish to catch. To catch mullet you need to know what your doing. Be honest you knew the species but decided to show off a 4-5lb mullet.

artieanna

Thanks for the link to the books Syboit, I am going to look at them when I post here

Gosh, yer fierce quick to judge folk here!!!

See it was the fella we met that made us think it wasn't a Mullet, as we've watch shoals of them often swimming by but we never really tried to catch one!!

I wasn't showing off at all, most mullet on the coast here are that size, there was a whole shoal of them in the sea. which was very rough, and they were feeding right beside us and we had lugworm to hand, I didn't catch it my bro did and he was lucky to get him, what a fighter and headed straight for rocks it was marvelous!! (I am a fisher woman and love fishing even if I catch nothing, just love it) I have been fishing a few years, my bros way longer.... The sea is usually predictable enough , where we fish. As I said previously we catch mackerel in season, pollack and coally, occasionally you catch something different, we caught a gurnard once we didn't know what he was, we released it and looked it up when we got home, also did same with dogfish....
How much fish does the big fishing trawlers return alive????
How else are you supposed to learn??? You won't learn anything sitting at home! There are no classes on fishing here, you go, you fish, you learn and local fellas fishing all their lives help you out along the way!!

The mullet was eaten this evening and you know what???
It wasn't bad at all oh and I learned how to fillet it on Youtube!!!

Happy Fishing;)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dodderangler wrote: »

This is the problem
Your going fishing and Havint a clue what species you'll catch.
You said you could've caught 20 or so.
Mullet aren't easy fish to catch. To catch mullet you need to know what your doing. Be honest you knew the species but decided to show off a 4-5lb mullet.

That's a bit harsh and overly presumptuous of you. You have no idea what the OPs intentions were.
We all have to learn and all started somewhere. You'd probably begrudge someone taking home their first Bass as well.
The OP has been around for a while and is clearly not one of those who are fleecing our fish stocks from our sea, rivers or lakes. Or one of those packing freezers with mackerel they will never eat.

dodderangler

Elyse Wonderful Treason wrote: »

You'd probably begrudge someone taking home their first Bass as well.
.

Couldn't care less.ive no problem with anyone keeping a fish. But My biggest problem is someone keeping a fish that they have no clue what it is.
Seems to be happening alot in this section.

gumbo1

I agree totally with dodder, we don't have a very wide variety of fish in this country so it's not going to take up a lot of brain space to familiarise yourself with what fish stocks we do have, a picture on the bank or shore of your catch would be good enough to ask people what it is rather than killing it and taking a pic as your about to gut and clean it!!

Guest0000

Guy will you give the lassie a break,it's a mullet, hardly a prized specimen at that, the main thing is the fish was not wasted,
unlike most fishing trips that occur around the country day in day out, on charter boats with most being threw back with swim bladder bursted and little or no chance of survival.
Same would apply to the fresh water brigade, with plenty of mackerel, herrings and the likes, Used for bait, being left behind surplus to requirement.
Would the humble mackerel not afford the same grace, with everyone wanting or willing to fill buckets of them if and when supply allowed, with all the excuses of the day for not stopping fishing after a dozen or two, the freezer, the neighbours the pike, even the cat....think back to the good old days of no web or phones, has nobody done something similar......

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Here here. Let he with no sin......

Some of the criticism is coming from a person who shoots, ferrets etc.

Hypocrisy of the highest order for any of us to complain about anybody else killing a fish of any kind. We have all done it; be it intentionally or not. And many take huge numbers of so called common, or plentiful, species - although they complain about commercial activities doing likewise. Sorry, rambling now but it just gets my goat to read posts giving out to people for doing no harm - after all it was (as OP suspected) only a mullet.

dodderangler

Elyse Wonderful Treason wrote: »

Here here. Let he with no sin......

Some of the criticism is coming from a person who shoots, ferrets etc.

Hypocrisy of the highest order for any of us to complain about anybody else killing a fish of any kind. We have all done it; be it intentionally or not. And many take huge numbers of so called common, or plentiful, species - although they complain about commercial activities doing likewise. Sorry, rambling now but it just gets my goat to read posts giving out to people for doing no harm - after all it was (as OP suspected) only a mullet.

I am the same with shooting. I wouldn't shoot something if I didn't know what it was.
The op didn't know the fish. So killed it and kept it and took a pic of it asking what it was while it was dead on his table.
If someone caught a salmon out of season and took a pic of it on his kitchen table and aske what it was he'd be fcuking destroyed.
The fact of the matter is the op hadn't the knowledge of the specie but kept it anyway!!

.red.

gumbo1 wrote: »

I agree totally with dodder, we don't have a very wide variety of fish in this country so it's not going to take up a lot of brain space to familiarise yourself with what fish stocks we do have, a picture on the bank or shore of your catch would be good enough to ask people what it is rather than killing it and taking a pic as your about to gut and clean it!!

You would be surprised at the amount of species available in irish waters. A guy in england has racked up 100 species of salt water fish in british and irish waters. Id imagine nearly all of them are available in ireland.
The only fish i would say people NEED to know is the weever fish. Nasty little things that can have you in hospital.

Bizzum

Guest0000 wrote: »

Would the humble mackerel not afford the same grace, with everyone wanting or willing to fill buckets of them if and when supply allowed, with all the excuses of the day for not stopping fishing after a dozen or two.

I know a lot of lads go over the top when there's Mackerel about, but on the other hand many don't. I fished maybe ten timed this year for Mackerel, several times I could have filled the boat. The most I brought was 12 when I had family staying with me. Usually I take 6.

On the topic at hand: I've nothing against any man (or women) lawfully taking fish for the table. But it seems to becoming a trend here with people taking fish when they've no idea whether its lawful or edible.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Look, among anglers, and shooters there are of course responsible people but there are always those who are not. I - in a previous incarnation from which I have now retired - encountered gun clubs responsible for poisoning birds of prey and trapping them. I have seen cormorants shot by "accident" because the shooter thought it was a duck! Anglers take undersize trout, ignore c&r rules, and mishandle fish causing eventual death. Certain individuals would strip a lake of all coarse fish if not stopped.
BUT most are responsible and play by the rules. The OP was unsure of this fish but suspected it to be a mullet. No harm has been done by this individual who does not deserve to be vilified. As said, we all have to learn and anybody who never made a mistake never made anything.

Mr Bumble

Elyse Wonderful Treason wrote: »

Look, among anglers, and shooters there are of course responsible people but there are always those who are not. I - in a previous incarnation from which I have now retired - encountered gun clubs responsible for poisoning birds of prey and trapping them. I have seen cormorants shot by "accident" because the shooter thought it was a duck! Anglers take undersize trout, ignore c&r rules, and mishandle fish causing eventual death. Certain individuals would strip a lake of all coarse fish if not stopped.
BUT most are responsible and play by the rules. The OP was unsure of this fish but suspected it to be a mullet. No harm has been done by this individual who does not deserve to be vilified. As said, we all have to learn and anybody who never made a mistake never made anything.

Have to agree although personally, i'd prefer if more duck shooters hit cormorants by accident. Too many of them. And a few seals while they're at it.
I'm a bit baffled by the response to this. When did lack of knowledge become a mortal sin? and committed by someone who is a passionate angler!
Comparing salmon and mullet is not really valid. Mullet are everywhere, salmon are not.
Like pike, they have a reputation as a fish that will eat anything and unlike pike, are left alone. Hence the numbers around our shores. There was no question of this person loading up the freezer with mullet.
Many people load their freezers with salmon, legally and illegally and if it keeps happening, we won't have any more slamon. But we'll still have mullet.
If it's a principle you're getting at, fair enough but poorly explained and in a remarkably intolerant tone.......
I caught a garfish when i was six and thought it was a knitting needle. I'll never fish again.

artieanna

dodderangler wrote: »

I am the same with shooting. I wouldn't shoot something if I didn't know what it was.
The op didn't know the fish. So killed it and kept it and took a pic of it asking what it was while it was dead on his table.
If someone caught a salmon out of season and took a pic of it on his kitchen table and aske what it was he'd be fcuking destroyed.
The fact of the matter is the op hadn't the knowledge of the specie but kept it anyway!!

I'm sorry mate but you are just a perfect human being!! How did you learn to hunt and fish? you must have done a special course...
A black and white line drawing in a book (this is how mine and a lot of books show fish diagrams, see also the links shared on page 1 of this thread) is not much use if you are faced with a fish with colour and patterns.....

Salmon vs Mullet, please! :-D I'll say no more...

The sea is low on certain fish stocks not because someone like me is catching the odd couple of fish and learning as I go.... the sea is empty because factory ships are over-fishing and dumping small and excess fish back in dead..
I think it's terrible too that there are people out there that when they start catching fish have to keep catching until the last bite even though they may only want a few or not want them at all...

Its quite strange getting preached to in this thread, if the majority of people in Ireland had half the respect I have for wildlife and nature, we'd be living in a much better place!!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

artieanna wrote: »

I'm sorry mate but you are just a perfect human being!! How did you learn to hunt and fish? you must have done a special course...
A black and white line drawing in a book (this is how mine and a lot of books show fish diagrams, see also the links shared on page 1 of this thread) is not much use if you are faced with a fish with colour and patterns.....

Salmon vs Mullet, please! :-D I'll say no more...

The sea is low on certain fish stocks not because someone like me is catching the odd couple of fish and learning as I go.... the sea is empty because factory ships are over-fishing and dumping small and excess fish back in dead..
I think it's terrible too that there are people out there that when they start catching fish have to keep catching until the last bite even though they may only want a few or not want them at all...

Its quite strange getting preached to in this thread, if the majority of people in Ireland had half the respect I have for wildlife and nature, we'd be living in a much better place!!

Don't take it personally because some people have a bee in their bonnet. You did nothing wrong and you obviously want to do the right thing and to learn, otherwise you'd wouldn't have asked in the first place.
Anybody who is familiar with your contributions to Boards.ie is well aware of your sincerity and care for Nature.

johnner1

.red. wrote: »

You would be surprised at the amount of species available in irish waters. A guy in england has racked up 100 species of salt water fish in british and irish waters..

could you post a link and name to this guy, thanks.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

johnner1 wrote: »

could you post a link and name to this guy, thanks.

http://fishingfanatic2012.blogspot.ie
A quick Google - 10 seconds - found this.

Apologies Mods for replying to off-topic.

madred006

Caught 3 of those on fly 4 weeks ago in Connemara while fishing for sea trout seemed to be hundreds of them about great fighting fish didn't know they could be eaten ,fail to see what all the fuss is about everybody has to learn somewhere .

.red.

Elyse Wonderful Treason wrote: »

http://fishingfanatic2012.blogspot.ie
A quick Google - 10 seconds - found this.

Apologies Mods for replying to off-topic.

The guy i was on about is mike thrussell. I think his 100th was a bluemouth out of kerry.

Mr Bumble

madred006 wrote: »

Caught 3 of those on fly 4 weeks ago in Connemara while fishing for sea trout seemed to be hundreds of them about great fighting fish didn't know they could be eaten ,fail to see what all the fuss is about everybody has to learn somewhere .

put it this way, i'd be slow about eating one from a shoal that feeds across mudflats or small estuaries....any of the shoals that feed along the coast should be fine to eat....had it once.....mild enough flavour if i remember right.......

..interested to know what fly they took and we're you in the sea or a sea pool??? fool's pool below maumeen is an unbelievable place after a flood....salmon sea trout mullet....all v hard to get tho....the shoal in and out through a channel the width of a small gate...spent hours there one day and not a touch....jumpin fish everywhere..drive ya mad.....only ever managed a few mullet on the fly....small bit of polystyrene on a hook....

madred006

Mr Bumble wrote: »

put it this way, i'd be slow about eating one from a shoal that feeds across mudflats or small estuaries....any of the shoals that feed along the coast should be fine to eat....had it once.....mild enough flavour if i remember right.......

..interested to know what fly they took and we're you in the sea or a sea pool??? fool's pool below maumeen is an unbelievable place after a flood....salmon sea trout mullet....all v hard to get tho....the shoal in and out through a channel the width of a small gate...spent hours there one day and not a touch....jumpin fish everywhere..drive ya mad.....only ever managed a few mullet on the fly....small bit of polystyrene on a hook....

Hi ya started out to fish for sea trout on the Doohulla estuary just outside ballyconneely and seen them in shoals just topping on the water was fishing shrimp pattern foxford shrimp and got lots of intrest and hooked a few but had lots of misses great sport. Was fishing just after sea flows under bridge .At first I thought they were sea trout lol but they are great sport and best fighting fish I have encountered by a mile .

Mr Bumble

madred006 wrote: »

Hi ya started out to fish for sea trout on the Doohulla estuary just outside ballyconneely and seen them in shoals just topping on the water was fishing shrimp pattern foxford shrimp and got lots of intrest and hooked a few but had lots of misses great sport. Was fishing just after sea flows under bridge .At first I thought they were sea trout lol but they are great sport and best fighting fish I have encountered by a mile .

that's the spot all right.........try a bit of white polystyrene whipped to a size 10/12 and a bite indicator........i don't have delicacy or patience to be good at it but i've watched a man catch fish after fish with it in the channel under the ship house on derrynane beach ....the first one a i got took a lump out of my finger on the first run.....gettin more popular i'd say...and there's buckets of them