Spearfishing Safely

There are many things to consider when discussing Diver Safety. Not only are there the technical aspects of being a safe diver, but there is also the whole concept of understanding and developing a correct safe attitude and culture. The articles and content within this Diver Safety Section aim to inform as well as encourage all forms of best practice when it comes to the safety of yourself and your dive buddies.

Please ensure that SAFETY ALWAYS COMES FIRST. No fish or deep dive is worth your life. Don’t put your life on the line.

Watch this ‘Spearfishing Safely’ Video which explains the basic essential knowledge.

A guide to safe underwater fishing, from the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW and Underwater Skindivers and Fisherman’s Association.

This video was produced with the support of:
NSW Recreational Fishing Saltwater Trust Expenditure Committee
NSW Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing
Industry & Investment NSW
Communities NSW

The production of this video would not have been possible without the assistance of many individuals:
Erez Beatus, Alex Lewis, Andrew Harvey, Garth Byron, Paul Roso, Ian Puckeridge, Jason Montes de Oca, Brett Vercoe, Shane Fitzmaurice, Tim Wilson, Matthew Okkanen, Chris Cuthbertson, Andrew Davis, Rick Trippe, Simon Trippe, Alan Forbes, Tom Holland, Ben Elliot, Emily Gleeson, James Sakker, Peter Saunders, Peter Walsh

Additional footage and materials were generously provided by:
Jason Montes de Oca – Huffy productions
Brett Vercoe – Liquid Focus
Shane Fitzmaurice – Breathtaking films
Tim Wilson
Wilso Films

Special thanks to Erez Beatus. For more info on freediving technique and safety contact: Apnea Australia http:// apneaaustralia.com.au

Boat Safety

Launching a boat and the general area around a boat ramp can be a very hazardous place.  You have risks of slips and falls, being run over by cars and boats, getting squashed or crushed, being struck or just plain old manual handling lifting your gear and catch in and out of the boat.

Caution and safe practice is not only important launching or retrieving a boat, considerable care and safe practice must also be used whilst travelling in the boat and at sea in general.

The following Boat Safety Guide was put together by the Central Coast Sea Lions Club and details a lot of the risks and controls to be considered and managed whilst working with boats.

Please take the time to look through this quality document and then go to our Training page to sit the quiz.

USFA_Boating_Guide.pdf

Hot Smoked Fish

Hot Smoked Fish – Chi Lo

This recipe would be applicable for any nice oily fish: Mullet, Tailor, Kingy, Trev and many more.

In a tub mix:
 1L of water
 1/4 cup of soya sauce
 1/4 cup (brown or caster) sugar
 1/4 cup salt
Add any aromatics you feel like eg. Coriander seeds, pepper, fennel seeds, bay leaves, garlic cloves or chili. Ensure salt and sugar are dissolved.

Take a nice chunk/fillet of skinned fish and trim any bloodline off.

Brine the fish in the fridge for about 4 hours, ensuring it’s submerged.

Remove the fish from the fridge, pat dry with kitchen paper and lay on a cake rack above a plate in the fridge overnight. The purpose of this is to dry the surface of the fillet out. This forms a great protective layer that the smoke can permeate, but also keeps the moisture inside the fillet. When you remove it from the fridge it will have a slightly tacky surface and a nice sheen.

Set up your smoker – I use a foil lined wok with a round cake rack and a lid. I place this on a camp burner on moderate heat.

Use any wood you like (I used mesquite). I recommend using sawdust to ensure a lot of smoke quickly, given the short smoking period.

Smoke for 10 minutes for a thin fillet, 15-20 for a thick chunk (eg. kingy).

The fillet will be a beautiful mahogany colour and should be beautifully juicy inside. It took me some tries to refine the quantities in the brine so it’s not too salty, not too sweet. The drying out process overnight really helped the overall product for me.

Smoked fish can be used in a number of ways and keeps for quite awhile if you have a vac packer. Some ways of use would be smoked fish dip, thai betel leaves, smoked fish sandwiches, smoked fish and eggs, croquettes (as a substitute for spanish salted cod) and even smoked fishcakes.

Blue Swimmer Crab Linguine

Blue Swimmer Crab Linguine – Andy Wilson

Ingedients:

  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • 1 Medium Chilli chpped minus the seeds
  • 3 Tablespoons of Chopped Parsely
  • 6 Tablespoons of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 350gms Linguine
  • 4 Blue Swimmer Crabs boiled for 8-10mins in salt water
  • Salt and Pepper

 

  1. Cook the crabs and pick all the meat out of them and place in a bowl. I left the meat in the claws but its not essential.
  2. Chop the Garlic, Chilli and Parsely
  3. When the pasta is almost al dente warm a pan and put 6 tablespoons of olive oil in.
  4. Once warm place in the garlic and chilli in and infuse the flavours into the oil.
  5. After a minute or so throw in the Parsely and Crab meat plus any juices from the crab meat. Mix the whole lot while warming it. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Pasta should be done now. Drain and place in a bowl.
  7. Add the crab and mix it through.
  8. A generous pour of olive oil on top. Sprinkle some fresh parsely in and squeeze a half lemon over the lot.

 

Enjoy!

Fish with Creamy Green Peppercorn

Fish with Creamy Green Peppercorn Sauce – Matt Poulton

 Recipe is very simple
 half a small tub of cream
 half a can of green peppercorns squashed roughly with a fork and add a pinch of salt
 gently heat in pan
 done

Meant to be even better with some butter added. Gently heat in pan. Done

I often make it in the same pan as was used to cook the fish or venison so you get some added flavour.

Thai Fish Cakes

Thai Fish Cakes – Matt Poulton

 600gms of fish
 1 egg
 2Tbsp red curry paste
 2Tbsp fish sauce
 Small bunch or coriander
 1tsp brown sugar
 3 or 4 kaffir lime leaves sliced finely
 3 spring onions sliced

Combine all ingredients except spring onions in food processor until smooth.

Mix in spring onions.

Form into cakes with wet hands and drop into hot oil.

So easy and so tasty.

 

Sydney Sashimi

Sydney sashimi – Alex Taffs

You will need some boned and skinned fillets of bonito (or your choice of fish)
Wrap fish pieces tightly in glad wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours this helps to firm and set the flesh
Remove fish from glad wrap and slice thinly across the grain (I like 2-3mm thick)
Arrange the sliced fish appealing to the eye on your choice of platter
Add a generous blob of wasabi
Add a neat twirl of pickled ginger
A bowl of 75% ketchup manis and 25% soy sauce mixed
Some fresh herbs as garnish
Enjoy with a ice cold beer or white wine on a hot day – Sydney sashimi at its best.

Lime Coconut Fish Curry

Lime Coconut Fish Curry – Tim Wilson

Hey guys give this a go if you are looking for something different. Works well with most fish

Ingredients
3 limes
1 can coconut cream or milk
1heaped Tb cumin powder and the same of corriander seed
2-3Tb soy sauce
1Tb fish sauce
2Tb brown sugar
3-4 chopped red chilis
Skinned Fillets from a 3kgish fish
Fresh corriander
Optional – 3-5 kaffir lime Leaves Torn up

Combine all ingredients except for lime fresh corriander and fish in a bowl. Add the rind of a line to the mix and then add the fish (chopped into portions)

Marinate for as long as you have 10minutes works 2hours or more is better

Remove the fish bits and cook on a frypan. While this is happening pour the liquid into a saucepan, add the juice of 2 limes to it and heat on high reducing to a thick sauce. Taste and balance flavours as you go.

To serve place fish on a bed of steamed rice and place fish pieces on top. Pour over plenty of the sauce and top with a handful of chopped fresh corriander. Serve with a wedge of lime and enjoy!

Filleting Fish

After a great day in the ocean the laststep is to clean and prepare your catch ready for the table.

To do this, you can gut and gill your fish then scale it if cooking whole, or youcan fillet and debone your fish to be used in other recipes bone free.

In the following video put together by The Gourmet Hunters Team, Alex and Andy, you will see Andy process a nice sized Black Drummer ready for dinner.  Enjoy!

More instructional videos are coming soon!

 

 

How to Fillet a Fish
Gourmet Hunters