Monday morning in Newlyn - but who stole the sun?!

Cloudy sea, cloudy sky...

after a long night chasing fish, Danny brings the Golden Harvest in...

just a few hundred kilos of sardines...

inside the market there are plenty of fish species to choose from on this morning's auction, John Dory...

and red mullet are just a few of the very best in inshore fish...

catches of ray...

are still strong...

while the hake boats camew back awith reasonable trips of big white fish from the far west like these hake...

and pollack...

also landing line caught pollack, the Maverick...

adding to the best in fish, monk cheeks...

seriously fresh blood-red gurnard...

more red mullet...

and still the Mediterranean octopus find a way in to the pots...

the bass boys have been busy...

as have the cray net boats...

just in to land is the Rachel of Ladram...

skipper Ed, supervising proceedings fro atop the shelterdeck...

as the boys swing their 220 boxes of hake ashore - for the past few months the hake netters working well west of the Scillys have seen a dozen or so Spanish long liners also fishing for hake...

the ever-smiling Jimbo, happy with life aboard the Annie May...

the long and the short of it...

and still they come.

 

Fish of the week 34 - Pollack.

 

Pollack are closely related to cod, and they can grow very big! Their flesh is not as white in colour but is very similar in taste and texture to cod. 

They live near to the sea bed around rocky reefs and wrecks. Straight out of the water with all their scales intact they appear this amazing green-gold colour!

Pollack is becoming increasingly popular, and prices can be high, partly due to the irregular supplies of this popular fish which is not easy to catch. 

Look out for handline caught pollack caught by boats that keep the catch in perfect condition using slush ice in insulated tubs...

Line caught pollack which is the highest quality and most sustainable option available....

and can be readily identified by the SW Handline Association's line caught tag - not that not all line caught fish are tagged in this way as each tag costs!..

Boats that catch pollack on lines keep their catch in slush ice in insulated tubs. Handlining using hook and line is a very selective method, with virtually zero by catch. Pollack landed by handline fishermen in Southwest England are tagged by members of the SW handline fishermens association so that there is full traceability. Handlining is relatively inefficient so is unlikely to have a large impact on stocks, there is very little impact on the wider environment and no problems with accidental by catch. Fuel consumption is low so there is a low carbon footprint. Fishermen are also using automated jigging equipment to modernise their fishing but this method is just as sustainable as handline.

Cooking pollack.

Pollack have a firm flesh with large flakes. It will do justice in any recipe that says cod or white fish  - it also makes a great base for a fish stew or fish cakes.

'Tiz a fully foggy #FishyFriday in Newlyn

Much of the harbour seems hidden first thing this morning...

but inside the market it's clear as a bell that there are plenty of fish to keep the online buyers happy...

like these John Dory...

and ray wings...

a rare landing of a bonito tuna...

along with Dover sole...

monk tails...

and more Dory...

overnight the sardine boats were busy...

and a few scallopers are still finding shells to the south west...

handliners picked up a few bass in the fine weather...

and the Maverick was able to work well offshore for some prime line caught pollack...

scad...

and mackerel made up the rest of the inshore landings...

the biggest scalloper in the UK was barely visible across the harbour...

though getting closer revealed the smiling face of young Will Gillespie, having spent many years beam trawling from Newlyn his more nomadic existence on the Albion rarely seems him grace the port with his presence...

looks like the fuel and grub...

 have just arrived for his next trip...

looking out to sea the fog is beginning to move eastwards...

the back of the South Pier scouring from the shellfish tank outlet reveals a heavy build up of shingle...

IFCA boat, St. Piran, barely visible in the fog...

clears the gaps...

and heads off into the fog, unusual as the boat normally gets to go to sea on a Wednesday so a combination of a Friday outing and thick fog inshore might just bring a surprise or two!..

Penzance is kind of half in and half out of the sea fog...

another day on the slip should see the work completed on the Lily Grace...

passengers on the Scillonian III are treated to a view of the Mount seldom seen...

all but the top of the castle obscured by fog!

ships seemingly sailing into oblivion!

Plenty of sunshine, no clouds and virtually no fish!

Promising start to the day...

just as well the weather is fine and all the boats are at sea, which explains why there weren't more than a couple of dozen boxes on the auction this morning, a handful of grey mullet...

handline mackerel...

and a decent run too...

in the meantime the Ygraine takes ice....

before heading for the gaps...

it will be a day or three before this tidy tosher does the same...

good to see British Fish Ambassador, Mike Warner on the quay talking Cornish hake and all things quality fish in Newlyn...

as another classic tosher, Britannia IV heads for the gaps...

looks like some serious trawl work will be underway later today...