Hugh's three hungry boys

[Spiderman]

Some interesting fishing on here!

Hugh's Three Hungry Boys - Channel 4

Last week they caught a couple of undersized mullet with a net and a handline. Then they lost a spear shooting a big mullet from a boat.
This week they shot a wrasse and three tiny pollack. They ate the wrasse as sashimi and apparantly it was good. Maybe we need to look again at wrasse???

 

[manalive!]

Yeh, I saw that. The pollock where definitely undersize. I too was surprised by the wrasse sashimi, though a few minutes earlier these guys were rummaging through bins for food, so their judgement is questionable. Given that the programme was under the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall banner and the campaigning he's done for fish stocks etc you'd expect the programme to be a little more informed.

 

[bobdonny]

Wrasse is fine fish as long as your stocks are healthy... the size they got was ok too.
The pollock were a bit disgraceful... but plenty of people catch them in that size on the rod and keep'em.
Nize to show spearing all the same.

 

[foxfish]

Poor old sea wrasse!!
There she was looking for a little attention, a stroke across the back or just a little cuddle perhaps even a photo shoot but, what does she get....

 

[Spearo Si]

I thought it could be good for spearing but then seeing him walk around the boat with a loaded gun made me think it was probably for the best that he lost his spear!

I was surprised about the catch too. Shame as the programme had potential, but all in all I would regrettably give it 0 out of 10

 

[winky]

Yeah saw that and I agree...I initiall was excited & thought great it might show some good spearfishing and improve our PR but then felt a bit ashamed seeing him take those pollock! I would have thought that someone like HFW would have more of a vested interest in MLS etc.

 

[Spiderman]

Poor old sea wrasse!!
There she was looking for a little attention, a stroke across the back or just a little cuddle perhaps even a photo shoot but, what does she get....

At least the (sea!)wrasse was a decent size. I personally have no problem with people taking wrasse now and then but it's not the greatest PR considering that many scuba divers already think we are primarily wrasse murderers.

I was genuinely interested in how they ate it though. Not something that had ever occurred to me as an option.

 

[sharper]

I have to say i find the concept of three upper middle class ipad hippies, getting in touch with themselves in a milkfloat and shooting baby pollack, nausiating. In any case won't their mates camping outside St Pauls be missing them?

 

[misterlizard]

I really like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's programmes and his approach to food and foraging. So I was really looking forward to this one starting. However, like most of you, I have found the whole thing bl**dy annoying.
Firstly they have done barely any foraging at all, they seem to be doing far too much blagging and not enough searching. At one point they were bemoaning their lack of food while they were at Axmouth where there are excellent rockpools for all manner of Crustaceans and there is a lot of Sea Beet growing around there, not to mention excellent fishing, spearfishing, and hedgerow food.
Secondly, and more importantly, they have been mucking about with spearguns and making a right hash of it. There was the incident with the mullet and the spear not being tied on. Then they went out and shot a wrasse (not that I'm totally against that even though I dont' shoot them any more myself) and two very undersize pollack. I'm surprised they were allowed to broadcast that - surely they should comply with minimum size regs? Also, when they got out of the water after also loosing that poor little tiny gurnard, they were moaning about it not being a good time for spearfishing despite the fact that it wasn't even dusk yet so it was around sunset - one of the best times for spearfishing!
Overall a very disappointing program which I am very surprised that Hugh FW has put his name to. What a shame.

 

[foxfish]

Pretty good summarise mate - what a shame as huge has been an inspiration..

 

[speerolee]

I too was very disappointed; somewhat of an anti climax! the TV advert showed a clip of spearfishing and portrayed the programme a three 'normal' eco friendly guys living of the land by foraging for food around the coast whilst using sustainable/green energy to do so.

Once a year my friends and I embark on a 4 day survival trip on the river wye in Canadian canoes, we take a sleeping bag, tarp, line/hooks, 1 change of clothes, a flint and Steele, bottle of whiskey and one set of clothes. We canoe anywhere from 9-14 hours a day, sleep under the stars, boil river water for drinking and hunt or forage our food. We eat like kings! well medieval ones anyway. if all fails there are always the tips of stinging nettles, packed with vitamins and iron, carb s and a high protein content, you can also have it as tea. So yes for me hoping to learn new survival skills and to watch some decent spearfishing,,,,,,it was crap.:waterwork

 

[manalive!]

What a great idea, 4 days in the wilderness. I'm afraid I'd starve as I have no clue about survival. I need to do some reading, any recommendations?

 

[apneaboy]

What a great idea, 4 days in the wilderness. I'm afraid I'd starve as I have no clue about survival. I need to do some reading, any recommendations?

I've got a brochure from the 24 hour Tesco near you, its easy enough, you can do it

And Foxy, poor old Wrasse, they just need a poke in the eye to get out of the way when looking for tasty fish

 

[manalive!]

Apneaboy, thanks for your always helpful input.

 

[Mr. X]

...The pollock were definitely undersize. I too was surprised by the wrasse sashimi...

All the fish were small. I was interested to see Wrasse sashimi - I've considered doing this with bass but not wrasse. The flesh of bigger ones (5-7lb) can be very firm and meaty - the skin is often peppery (ammonia?)...

At least the (sea!)wrasse was a decent size.

...really, the wrasse looked very small to me (for a Ballan - but perhaps it was a smaller species?).

I thought it could be good for spearing but then seeing him walk around the boat with a loaded gun made me think it was probably for the best that he lost his spear!...

I missed that:naughty I was unimpressed by their axe handling - looked like an accident waiting to happen - and their productivity (3 of them only managed to half fill the back of a small pick-up -- lightweights ).

I quite enjoyed the program though. I like the idea. Fortunately, what the spearing coverage lacked in quality it also lacked in duration (i.e. it didn't last long ). I would have liked to see more spearfishing - but in view of the catch, was relieved that they didn't show much of it.

I just saw the hard back book for the series on sale in Tesco (yuk) for £8. TV books are usually disappointingly bland in content, glossy in appearance and vacuous but I took a v. quick glance at the spearfishing section and it looked ok (basic equipment guide). Might be a good book for somebody that enjoyed the series and/or Ray Mears? And it's £6 cheaper than Hugh's Veg book

I have to say i find the concept of three upper middle class ipad hippies, getting in touch with themselves in a milkfloat and shooting baby pollack, nauseating. In any case won't their mates camping outside St Paul's be missing them?

Seems a little harsh. They "stuck their heads above the parapet" going on TV.

Apparently the tents in St. Paul's square were all empty bar one. I think we've all been frustrated by having to pick up the bill caused by deep-pocketed, insanely incompetent and negligent bankers, who continue to walk away with multi-million pound bonuses when their companies should be bankrupt and they should be in prison for a very long time (...or worse?).

 

[Mr. X]

...
Once a year my friends and I embark on a 4 day survival trip on the river wye in Canadian canoes, we take a sleeping bag, tarp, line/hooks, 1 change of clothes, a flint and Steele, bottle of whiskey and one set of clothes. We canoe anywhere from 9-14 hours a day, sleep under the stars, boil river water for drinking and hunt or forage our food. We eat like kings! well medieval ones anyway. if all fails there are always the tips of stinging nettles, packed with vitamins and iron, carb s and a high protein content, you can also have it as tea. So yes for me hoping to learn new survival skills and to watch some decent spearfishing,,,,,,it was crap.:waterwork

Did you hear about the chap that just died up in Scotland (click this link) on such an adventure (reminds me of that young guy in America that was influenced by Henry David Thoreau and ended up dead in an old abandoned school bus in Alaska ).

 

[sharper]

Seems a little harsh. They "stuck their heads above the parapet" going on TV. Apparently the tents in St. Paul's square were all empty bar one. I think we've all been frustrated by having to pick up the bill caused by deep-pocketed, insanely incompetent and negligent bankers, who continue to walk away with multi-million pound bonuses when their companies should be bankrupt and they should be in prison for a very long time (or shot/hung in chains/burnt in a Wicker Man/hung drawn and quartered/...).

Hmmm not that harsh. If you go round shooting undersize fish, be it through ignorance or lack of respect, you are no better than a banker in my eyes! Perhaps all the tents in St Pauls square are empty because their all in Devon terrorising our baby pollack.

Whilst footing the bill for the inept bankers winds me up, the thought of the tax payer footing the bill for the clean up operation after the hippies have left seems even more short sighted. We had a few of the idiots camping out in Plymouth city centre for a while. They have trashed the new garden they camped on.

Incidently I learnt the collective noun for a group of bankers the other day........a wunch!

rant over back to spearfishing

 

[misterlizard]

if all fails there are always the tips of stinging nettles, packed with vitamins and iron, carb s and a high protein content, you can also have it as tea. So yes for me hoping to learn new survival skills and to watch some decent spearfishing,,,,,,it was crap.:waterwork

Totally agree about nettles. In the spring I go out picking young nettles and wild garlic and it makes very tasty soup.
In the program, there was one point when they were moaning about their larder being empty, and the camera angle was through woodland which was full of young nettles, wild garlic, and mushrooms! A feast!

 

[speerolee]

What a great idea, 4 days in the wilderness. I'm afraid I'd starve as I have no clue about survival. I need to do some reading, any recommendations?

My favourite, yet 'simple' book has to be my appropriately named 'pocket gem'; food for free. It's a little mini book that I take with me whenever out out such adventures and thus always have a quick reference to hand. You'll be amazed just how many plants that are edible.

One thing I would say though- leave the fungi unless you really know what you are doing. I used to eat shaggy ink caps as they where very easy to distinguish from others, however I stopped eating them after I realised my secret patch was growing with the aid of human excrement spilling out from an overflow/run off from an underground poo pit of a residential care home.:yack

 

[manalive!]

I suppose the program may have set out with the intention of having the guys living a little more off the land, but then realsied that to suggest that you can eat plants may be misinterpreted as "you can eat ALL plants". So, they may have had the finger pointed at them when some kids run off in to the woods and poison themselves. Hence the diluting down to the work for food scenario.

Maybe....



Lee, I'll check out that book, thanks. Now get back to bobbing for turds at your local care home