New Year's Eve in Newlyn

 Scillonian III Still wrapped for Christmas..........

 pebbles decorate the prom.......

 and the Wherry Town river has been temporarily re-routed.......

 brand new fenders adorn the ice works berth........

 and the Algrie has a new ice hatch.......

 a moment's contemplation on 2011 for Crystal Sea II skipper David Stevens........

 all set for the off on the Sapphire.........

 and its time for more chillin crystals......

 aboard the Harvest Reaper..........

 all in a day's work for a couple of old hands.......

while in master butchers Lenterns, it's seasonal sausage time to herald in the New Year.

Fish on the move.

Riddlers bringing fish to a fish counter near you.

Let go the ends!

 After checking out the forecast the Crystal Sea has decided to give this week a miss......

 unlike the green team who appear to have been led astray by a haggis lover, aboard the St Georges, Kevin's a safe pair of hands as the heaving line comes ashore.......

 and the ice wagon fills up........

 after heaving anchor the Trinity boat, Patricia heads out to sea again......

and a few hours later about twenty miles off the Dodman........

 the lights are on and raring to go.......

 with another main engine fired up.........

 it's time to take more ice.......

 there's been no stopping the crabbers over the break.......

 still a valid message for this year........

last one up the slip for the year.

Season's greeting from Newlyn.

Nedelik Lowen ha Blydhen Nowydh da

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year

 Joyeux Noël et une bonne et heureuse année

Bloavez Mad

The night before Christmas Eve - Tom Bawcock night - fishy supper.

East meets West - a fusion meal for Tom Bawcock's night this year - fish courtesy of the Elisabeth Veronique - have a good'un guys!

 Putting together the tandoori mix (thanks to Floyd on India).........

 take one large plaice, score both sides and liberally coat with tandoori mix, especially the score marks......

 for the cuttlefish, make up a Piri Piri sauce, thanks for that go to Sanjay Kumar........

 chillies, red onion and tomato.........

 prep the flavouring for the Chana Dal (which might need soaking - your local Asian shop should stock the correct chana dal lentils, if not Asda do, even in Cornwall) , bay leaf, fried red onion, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric, fried cumin seeds, three chopped tomatoes can be added at this stage....... 

simmer in chicken stock till tender.........

the main course gets a pat on the back, in a baking tin, bury a tub gurnard in soaked sea salt........

trying something different, a mulled cider..........

no wonder they call it Gurnard's Head, a cliff headland near Pendeen on the North coast of Cornwall......

after baking for around 40 minutes you can serve by cracking off the hard crust......

one beetroot raita.......

main dish number two, tandoori plaice is now out of the oven and grill......

with the wonderfully moist slightly flavoured flesh lifted carefully off from the bones.

Fishing vessel, Heather Anne lost off Mevagissey.

Heather Ann - photo courtesy of Martin Johns.

Two men were rescued from the water last night around 11pm off Mevagissey by Falmouth lifeboat, after transferring from local fishing boat Lauren Kate before an SAR helicopter flew one man to Treliske Hospital, where he later died.


The ring netter, Heather Anne normally fishes for Cornish Sardines and had already landed one haul earlier in the evening when she went back out for another shot.


The incident happened at the same time as BBC1 was showing a repeat of the documentary programme made five years ago to commemorate the loss of the Penlee lifeboat in 1991. Thirty nine minutes and 25 seconds into the programme you can hear lifeboat cox'n Trevelyan Richards begin what was to be his last VHF radio conversation with Falmouth Coastguard - in the recorded soundtrack that follows, you can sense from the coastguard's tone that he knows he isn't going to hear that particular voice again.


Ring netting involves a huge net that encircles a shoal of fish as seen in this short video of three boats working just outside Newlyn Harbour in Mount's Bay for sardines.

Christmas preparations - Octopus and Gravadlax.

 Destined for a Sicilian style cold salad dish, the octopus needs prepping, this will make for a very tender eight legged dish.........

 carefully peel of the outer membrane or skin from the body and remove the contents, including the beak and eyes from around the base of the tentacles..............

 cut into one inch squares and steep in salt water for 30 minutes before popping in boiling water for 30 minutes, save a cup of the resultant broth.........

 then into the slow cooker along with a sauce, chopped parsley, 3/4 cup olly oil, hot red chili flakes to taste, juice of one lemon, salt and pepper (try ground white)  to season, on high for an hour then give it a good 6-8 more on low, serve with a chickpea salad to follow tradition.......

 meanwhile the gravadlax needs doing, assemble the ingredients, salt, crushed pepper corns, sugar, dill and a big dash of brandy.........

 first fillet the fish (thank you once again Sue!)........

 to check for the line of bones. run the finger tip back from the head end 

 and using some proper fish tweezers (or small pliers if you must) pull out the bones one by one, about a dozen a side will be found.......

 sprinkle over the curing mix.......

 cover with dill before wrapping (getting some practise in) in cling film........

and placing in the fridge or somewhere chilly with a heavy weight, like a piece of slate - turn every day - ready from day three onwards.

Hot seller - hake!

Good to see this tweet from Sienna's the fish restaurant in Dorset to top Padstow chef Adrian Oliver in the restaurant Adrian Margot - 

SiennaDorset @Adrian_Margots@ajaxah32 followed! Selling loads of Hake at the moment.8 hours ago · reply · retweet · favoritek


keep up the good work guys!

Penultimate fish market for 2011 at Newlyn.

In contrast to previous mornings, almost a flat calm in the harbour this morning.......

on the penultimate market of the year with fish boxes stretching end-to-end.......

even some head-on monk........

in customary work pose, Mr Munson surveys the busy auction floor......

a good run of big white fish........

and hake from the netter Ajax........

Cornish sardines tub by tub........

head for Ocean Fish's waiting transport.......

while Andrew eventually gives in and lends a hand to his hard-pressed harbour staff team as they flounder under the huge number of boxes to be washed and put back aboard the boats......

time to scrub down after landing, the Sapphire's last 2011 trip.......

while the ring netter Asthore should get a few more landing in before the new years she has plenty of fish on her quota left.......

much to auctioneer Ryan's amusement, look like local butchers McFaddens are now joining the fish game.......

only top quality fish for these guys......

with the brightest of red gurnards to keep them in good company.......

down to the last boat's fish......

eye's down, and this time it's Buttons who provides the humour content......

two shining examples of top quality Cornish fish for local fish merchants and purveyors of fine food, Wings of St Mawes, Rob Wing will be looking forward to dressing the shop window with this cracking black bream and grey mullet.......

the recent weather has piled the shore with more lost gear.