Jersey Kayak Adventures

Low water fishing for Lobster

On every big low tide all around Jersey people go in search of their dinner.

You need to head well offshore to the lowest tidal areas where the search for Lobster begins.

Anyone who has been low water fishing for a long time will have their favourite spots or holes. In the past these were guarded with great secrecy. Today, few people take the time to forage for their dinner. Those that do tend to plan their days off around the big low tides in Jersey. The rewards can be a nice fresh Lobster and an afternoon spent wandering about in an amazing low water area where you may see only one or two other people.

On an island with nearly 100,000 people this is a chance to re-connect with nature and become a hunter-gatherer.

Using a long hook to catch Lobster

I recall watching one low water fishermen waiting until he thought we were not looking before he wriggled his body far into a Lobster hole. After a lot of wriggling and waving of Wellington boots in the air he re emerged clutching a large Lobster.

Some head down with long bamboo sticks with hooks tied onto the end. With this they can reach under large rocks in search of Lobster.

Local laws are quite strict on the minimum size of Lobster you can catch. Unless you are licensed as a commercial fisherman you cannot sell your catch.

On our guided Moonwalks in the low tide zone around the south-east coast of Jersey we often bump into low water fishermen. It’s a great way to get your supper and there is something special about eating what you have caught instead of buying it ready packed in the supermarket.

I prefer to leave these elegant creatures on the ocean floor and just catch photos of them.

Find the fish

The big low tides this week seems to have confused a few fish.

On our Karame walk Keith heard a strange flapping sound. Closer investigation revealed a Ballan Wrasse (or Rockfish – Labrus bergylta) in a bit of a flap among the rocks having been left high and dry by the rapidly dropping tide.

Unfortunately we were not very good trying to get Mr Fish to understand that we were trying to help him (or her -I am not to good on spotting the difference). Instead the Rockfish was intent to try and flap up a narrow gap in the rocks until Keith managed to retrieve Mr Fish and pop him back into the ocean to swim another day.

Time to put Mr Rock-fish back into the ocean

My Father enjoyed catching Rockfish while kayak fishing in the 1970′s with an ancient canvas Klepper kayak. I recall the meat was quite crumbly and a bit dry. Rock-fish are not regarded locally as one of the best tasting fish around our coast but they do make good fish cakes and fish pie.

Some local catch and release fishermen reckon the are superb fish to catch and call them “Pig fish” because they fight like pigs.

I love the fantastic array of colours which vary around different areas of our coast.

Discarded nets continue to catch fish

A cold sunny days walk to Icho and Seymour Tower, or as I prefer to call it The Two Towers walk. Just a great days walk to explore the area.

Nearing Seymour Tower we came across the remains of a discarded gill net which though abandoned continues to catch fish.

Considering someone must have gone to the trouble of buying, setting and checking the net it’s a shame they could not be bothered to remove it.

This is a good example of how not to low water fish. Unfortunately all around the coast of the UK and Europe discarded nets continue to catch fish. It is also surprising just how much of the junk washed up onto beaches is connected with the fishing industry.

Looks like I may have to head out with the wheelbarrow to retrieve this bit of fishing junk. A shame as this does not represent the actions of most low water fishermen I know who are very responsible.

Freshly picked Dulse

It was mainly Prannie Rhatigan’s fascinating modern cookery book “Irish Seaweed Kitchen“ which got us going. The receipes are just too tempting. So we thought let’s start with something easy and tasty – dulse (known to the marine biologists as Palmaria palmata), found in the mid intertidal zone.

Scissors are our new equipment, when heading for the beach!

We found some lovely dark purple dulse off La Rocque Harbour halfway to Seymour Tower. Close to its holdfast was some beautiful frosted seamat growing, a stunning colony of minute moss animals. Those we left behind, as you should only take part of the fronds, in this case we cut them lengthwise, so the plant can regenerate.

Dulse after drying

After quickly rinsing the dulse at home, we spread it on grease proof paper on a tray from the oven and let it dry for a day in the sunny conservatory. To get it really crispy we then placed the tray overnight on the kitchen radiator. The last step: store in an air-tight jar or in sealed bags.

Crumbled up, dulse is a lovely condiment, but you can also use it fresh, cut in small pieces in vegetable soup. Delicious.

Our next experiment will be using it in home made bread.

We have added guided walks to Seymour tower in November.

See the walk dates page.

Private booking on other dates are possible. Call to discuss.