Greystones! (wrasse for the table) 16/9

People: me and the bosses

Duration:3 and half hrs

Tide:last hour of rise, 2 of the ebb

Weather: mild

Bait: peeler

Rigs: pulley, single hook wrasse rig

Results[/b codling, coalie, ballan wrasse



[b]Report: Just a short report, fished greystones this morning, lost some gear. caught some fish. Had a good take close to the rocks that turned up a beautiful ballan, close to 3lbs, I would be a catch and release person with these lovely powerful fish but sadly this fellow was deeply hooked and bleeding so made the decision to dispatch him quickly and take him home for the table.

Ive always been curious as to how they would be for the table, so to send him off properly and in style we made a Thai yellow curry paste from scratch and while it simmered gently i filleted the fish. Ive read lots of different views on them being very bony and not great eating but i can categorically say he was delicious!! a delicate finely flaking flesh that was a perfect accompaniment to the soft sweet potato and lime juice of the curry.

This said, id be reluctant to take another home. Just didnt feel right

Maybe it was the way you cooked it that made it so delicious.

Maybe it was the way you cooked it that made it so delicious.

cant of hurt

Must have tried to swallow the crab whole

Must have tried to swallow the crab whole

i was touch ledgering, he hammered the bait, wolfed whole

Sounds like a good few hours fishing!
The wrasse sounds lovely.
Were you fishing the rocks or the north or south beach? How big were the codling and coalfish? Just wanted to know the average size of the fish in the area as the fish im catching in Dun Laoghaire are a bit on the small side

I would be a catch and release person with these lovely powerful fish but sadly this fellow was deeply hooked and bleeding so made the decision to dispatch him quickly and take him home for the table.


I never knew they made good eating.... Used to catch a lot of Wrasse and always put them back but if I knew that I might have tried one myself............

so you made the thai yellow curry paste but how exactly did you cook the fish in it?
i'd say that that type of curry paste would be great for all white fish
i take it that you just fried it in the paste until done? how much paste is in the pan..?

i know somebody who swears that wrasse tastes great. i tried it one time without adding flavouring and found it quite bland.
but i would defo consider making that paste to go with it some time.
have you tried doggie with this paste?? i have also heard a guy say that doggie meat in a curry can be great

also, btw,... i might be a bit apprehensive about killing wrasse. there was a topic on here a while back about wrasse being territorial and slow growing, and that once killed then the local ecosystem is knocked out of balance. apparently the same fish return to the same place year-round.
in particular, there was also mention of certain people killing a pile of them from an area somewhere and years later the numbers still havent recovered - thats after years of there being plenty in that particular place/mark year-in-year-out until this happened

but anyway, thanks for posting. very interesting would love to hear how you would compare it to doggie in the same paste would be quicker to kill one of them as they are everywhere up this way

so you made the thai yellow curry paste but how exactly did you cook the fish in it?
i'd say that that type of curry paste would be great for all white fish
i take it that you just fried it in the paste until done? how much paste is in the pan..?

i know somebody who swears that wrasse tastes great. i tried it one time without adding flavouring and found it quite bland.
but i would defo consider making that paste to go with it some time.
have you tried doggie with this paste?? i have also heard a guy say that doggie meat in a curry can be great

also, btw,... i might be a bit apprehensive about killing wrasse. there was a topic on here a while back about wrasse being territorial and slow growing, and that once killed then the local ecosystem is knocked out of balance. apparently the same fish return to the same place year-round.
in particular, there was also mention of certain people killing a pile of them from an area somewhere and years later the numbers still havent recovered - thats after years of there being plenty in that particular place/mark year-in-year-out until this happened

That being the case I will make sure to stick them back so. Used to catch lots of them again and again at the same marks and always put em back. Considering what you said I remember going to one mark and catching none one year and being confounded. Couldn't understand it. Perhaps exactly what you said had happened in the intervening years. Pity.........

but anyway, thanks for posting. very interesting would love to hear how you would compare it to doggie in the same paste would be quicker to kill one of them as they are everywhere up this way

so you made the thai yellow curry paste but how exactly did you cook the fish in it?
i'd say that that type of curry paste would be great for all white fish
i take it that you just fried it in the paste until done? how much paste is in the pan..?

i know somebody who swears that wrasse tastes great. i tried it one time without adding flavouring and found it quite bland.
but i would defo consider making that paste to go with it some time.
have you tried doggie with this paste?? i have also heard a guy say that doggie meat in a curry can be great

also, btw,... i might be a bit apprehensive about killing wrasse. there was a topic on here a while back about wrasse being territorial and slow growing, and that once killed then the local ecosystem is knocked out of balance. apparently the same fish return to the same place year-round.
in particular, there was also mention of certain people killing a pile of them from an area somewhere and years later the numbers still havent recovered - thats after years of there being plenty in that particular place/mark year-in-year-out until this happened

but anyway, thanks for posting. very interesting would love to hear how you would compare it to doggie in the same paste would be quicker to kill one of them as they are everywhere up this way

I was in Cadiz in Spain during the summer and I had Dogfish tapas. It was beautiful! It was fried in a curried batter, delicious!!!

we used to catch plenty at brandon creek (pier and over the top), we turned up one day to see a fisherman at the pier standing in his fishing boat, up to his knees in ballans and pollack up to 3 to 4 pound, that he'd caught gill netting, all apparently destined for the freezers for pot bait, consequently, there were virtually no pollack or wrasse left to angle for, we returned for a couple of years after to fish for them with, unfortunately the same results.

poor wrasse, got to keep rod in hand for wrasse so ya he dont suck the bait down deep, still happens but far less, i dont think blood mean the fish is dead ive got wrasse with blood out the mouth and still no bother when returned to sea, i just take my time and work the hook out even when deep u can get them out with some patience and finesse i ve got some serious deep hooks out, heres great info i got from a fello angler about the WRASSE
certin species that visit our shores like wrasse are very slow growing and find a territory at the start of the summer and stay there for the duration of the year. a ballan wrasse that weighs 2lb can be as old as 8 years and still not mature enough to breed yet. the taking of too many of these fish from a set area has left a lot of good wrasse marks destroyed this past few summers to a lot of peoples anger. i've seen the same thing happen to a few of our favourite conger marks. these guys find an area that holds a few eels then hammer them until they have killed them all . showing little or no respect for species like this really gets under other angler's skin and sadly it's only gonna be a matter of time before anglers come to blows over these incidents. i've seen verbal arguments break out and a lot of threats getting thrown around in the past. if you do intend to take a few fish for the table or bait just remember to take only what you need and put the small fish back.

Id say there isn't much that wouldn't taste great in a home made Thai curry! poor wrasse indeed, I had no intention of catching one to take and eat, I have a real soft spot for them, and despite the fact that I treat all my catches with respect it seemed wrong to be taking one home. I am aware of the environmental implications of removing a slow maturing territorial fish such as wrasse from their "patch" I'm also keen to avoid the kind of reaction from fellow anglers that might be expected on returning these fish belly up from a 10ft pier. Ive been reading the posts on angler behavior that's an active topic at the moment and we all have our own views, I believe is up to all of us to have a responsible and respectful angling practice and to make decisions we can stand behind, whether that is to keep or return fish and as such, I stand behind mine.

i might be a bit apprehensive about killing wrasse. there was a topic on here a while back about wrasse being territorial and slow growing, and that once killed then the local ecosystem is knocked out of balance. apparently the same fish return to the same place year-round.

I had no intention of catching one to take and eat, I have a real soft spot for them, and despite the fact that I treat all my catches with respect it seemed wrong to be taking one home. I am aware of the environmental implications of removing a slow maturing territorial fish such as wrasse from their "patch" I'm also keen to avoid the kind of reaction from fellow anglers that might be expected on returning these fish belly up from a 10ft pier. Ive been reading the posts on angler behavior that's an active topic at the moment and we all have our own views, I believe is up to all of us to have a responsible and respectful angling practice and to make decisions we can stand behind, whether that is to keep or return fish and as such, I stand behind mine.

in my post earlier i was just stating a 'matter-of-fact'.. no dramas. i fully respect your approach Liam.
but you didnt answer my question about exactly how to cook it in the sauce.. ? wud still greatly appreciate this as i have white fish to cook! particularly, how much sauce in the pan/pot, thats all

i go by a rule of thumb that when people say that a particular fish is "nice in a curry" translates as not nice to eat on its own. any takers?

a green curry will pre digest your food if its made right
although i must admitt to seeing alot of wrasse floating on top of the water getting hammered by gulls whilst out boat fishing and find that alot more of a tear jerker than anyone taking one for their supper

i go by a rule of thumb that when people say that a particular fish is "nice in a curry" translates as not nice to eat on its own. any takers?

im a taker on that, no doubt
but a thai yellow curry paste wont smother the flavour of the fish as much as a full-blown smothering of chinese, indian, or red/green thai curry sauce
depends how much curry sauce/paste you wish to add and exactly what way/method you wish to prepare and cook it
but anway