Gilders.R.us: Eat to live or live to eat or Kill to eat.

Waiting for fishing trip, with Carshalton Beeches fishing hat.

Eat to live or live to eat or

Kill to eat.

We were staying at a lovely motel in Kaikoura and decided to book a fishing trip. The weather looked ok but overcast. We arrived at the harbour and waited for the boat to come in. As we waited we saw a duck that we thought had committed suicide. We saw it duck under the water this we have seen many times in the UK before. We waited and waited but he did not reappear. I was looking for the harbour master to report the matter and we spoke to a man who told us it was not a duck it was a shag and that they duck under and can come up again about 100 metres from where they go under. So we were very relieved and quite glad I had not reported it !!! [ Nothing worse than being seen as a towny.]

Our boat arrived and we all went aboard, there was Tommo the skipper and Blacky his mate, Maria and I plus three others were the paying customers. The boat was set for six to fish.

We set off and suddenly I was aware how high the swell was as the boat lurched up and down as it started out to sea. After about 10 mins we stopped at a cray fish pot buoy and pulled up the basket that was about 80 mtrs down. The catch was 6 large Cray fish 4 males and 2 females. They were all measured and were found to be above the legal size to keep. We then continued to the fishing area that was 160 mtrs deep, due to the tide we launched a large parachute that would act as an anchor. We cast out our lines that each had 2 large hooks and released the weight and bait to the bottom. Our Maria had a bite straight away and bought up two golden perch that were about 2 lb. I was beginning to wonder how long it was before i was going to be sick ,eventually it happened I informed the captain that I was going to be sick, he said do it over the side. I felt awful but as I had not eaten it was just a dry wrench that I did. I felt a bit better and then caught a shark that was donated to a man who was making a sea water show tank display. While we were out at sea we saw seals and a large albatross. Once back at the harbour we were all given one Cray fish and some filleted fish, when I got home I went to be bed for an hour.

We had been told that you have to put the Cray fish in fresh water that would drown it before cooking. Maria filled the sink and put the Cray fish in it, the power was unbelievable, it wrecked the place as it tried to get out of the water, we were told it would take 15 mins before it drowned.

Maria eventually managed to get a saucepan lid on it as it continued to fight. We were then wondering if the people who told us this were pulling our legs as they live in water. However after 15 mins it appeared not to move. But I kept thinking about that film fatal attraction when that lady appeared dead in the bath and then she came back to life.

Maria went to the motel office and was told we could not cook it in the cottage as the smell would linger for weeks. They brought over a large pot and outdoor electric ring and we boiled it for 7 mins.

I then cut it in half to reveal all the meat that Maria removed, but due to the trauma of the day I could not eat, it.

So could I kill to eat?? No not again. The End