Have a fish feed this week end !

Hello Fishies!

What could be better for your Memorial Day week end bbq than seafood? Most fisheries are in full swing and there is a good variety of fresh, wild caught fish available for you.

Your more reliable stores, such as Costco have a good selection of Copper River salmon and fresh halibut fillets. The salmon is skin on, the halibut is skinless. Both were at $12.99 per lb. at my last check. There are of course many more markets out there. If you live anywhere near Seattle visiting the fish mongers at Pike Place is a lot of fun. If you have never been there you need to go even if only for the entertainment.

Caught this bit in last weeks Pacific Fishing Magazine’s Daily Fish Wrap:

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer went shopping for Copper River salmon at Pike Place Market. They found a nice Chinook, weighing 45 pounds at only $26.67 a pound, or only $1,200!

Fortunately that price was for the first fish off the plane and not what you will find in all markets.

There is other wild caught salmon on the market that in my opinion is every bit as good as Copper River. There are salmon fisheries open on the Pacific Ocean and runs coming into almost every bay and tributary along the west coast and Alaska. You may see it as troll caught which means it was caught on the ocean with a hook and line. Some of the names you might see are Chinook, silver, Coho, sockeye and king.

It is very easy to tell the difference between the wild caught fish and that which is farm raised. The “good” stuff is much darker in color and usually thicker. Some is almost blood red while the farmed fish is a pale, washed out peach color. There is a white meated salmon that is wild caught also and while you don’t see a lot of it on the market it is a very good fish.

Yes, there is a dramatic price difference between the farmed and wild varieties of salmon. But the superior quality of the wild caught fish is so extreme that once you have tried it you will never go back to the other.

I do need to remind you that there have been quite a few places that put the wild caught label on farmed fish. If you inspect it closely, you will be able to see the difference.

At times fishermen will sell directly to the public and will put up signs directing you to them. The sign will have the name of the vessel and is usually located near the port docks. Please, only contact those boats that are actively advertising. Keep a firm grip on your child's hand and leave Fluffy at home.

Stay tuned!

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