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South Devon 2017

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Yes there is a fair bit of meat if you bother with all the edible bits , but as Foxfish says they are difficult to cook right , in other words rubbery unless lightly cooked . I heard on the local news recently that there is a bonanza of them around here at the moment and in 1 day recently at Brixham fish market £700.ooo worth was traded ( at £5 per kilo ) , however the vast majority is exported , in fact I have never noticed them on sale in fishmongers etc or on restaurant menus .....sadly I expect they will be plundered to virtual extinction like most things have and then something else will be targeted .... not sure what is left to be honest !
 
Reactions: little sarge and foxfish
I was in Japan earlier in the month for a work trip and had octopus cooked in front of me on a street stall. There were a few small ones on a skewer which the lady dunked 3-4 times in boiling water then BBQ'd them on a seriously hot BBQ. I've tried cooking them in a similar way at home but dunked in boiling water a few times then flash fried and it can be nice and tender. To be honest I prefer them slow cooked though, cooked in a dry pan on a really low heat for an hour until their pink juices come out and the pieces are pretty tender then cooked int a stew with tomatoes/red wine etc for another decent length of time until rich. I think the acid in the tomatoes and wine helps to make them all the more tender.
 
Reactions: Sunflowerbadger
Sunflowerbadger said:
I tried to pry out some razor clams today at Babbacombe. I'm still learning the knack so no clams. I saw a small octopus today too. I didn't realize we got them here.
Click to expand...
Have you tried salting (check youtube)? Octopus - interesting.
 
Mr. X said:
Have you tried salting (check youtube)? Octopus - interesting.
Click to expand...
I will retry salting. I've mostly been trying pinning them to the side of their burrow with a finger before wrestling them out. The few I've had were very tasty.

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Sunflowerbadger said:
I will retry salting. I've mostly been trying pinning them to the side of their burrow with a finger before wrestling them out. The few I've had were very tasty.

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Salting is the way to go .... finding them can be a bit awkward at times as there are a few other creatures with twin siphons to confuse them with , but once you have got your eye in and get in a rhythm it can be quite productive , there really is a lot of them in the Torbay , Teignmouth area and beyond , they can be a bit chewy if overcooked , but get them right and they are very tasty , I personally only eat the foot (lower half ) and always find ones of a decent size ...approx 8" long ... and can be found in a couple of metres at low tide ...
 
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Reactions: Mr. X
There are some brilliant American made videos on youtube on how to clean the whole clam and get ALL the meat. It's pretty simple and you get lots more to eat. Compared the the information produced over here, even by professional chefs (who seem totally on board with eating a load of sandy crap), the Americans have a much more elegant and productive approach.

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Reactions: Mr. X
Different clams in the US , but the principle is the same , it is a fair bit of fiddly work though .....However the main reason I eat only the foot is because most recommendations for eating shellfish ( bi-valves ) is not to eat in the summer months ( when I dive ) due to potential poisoning , by only eating the foot ( muscle part ) I avoid the potential problem ... a bit like only eating the white meat of a Scallop compared to a whole Mussel / Cockle etc , They are plentiful enough for me to have no guilt about being wasteful !
 
One of the last spearfishing trips of 2017 turned up a nice winter lobster ready for Christmas.
The sky was overcast, drizzle was in the air and a chilly breeze was blowing. The water was warmer than the air, and a respectable 2-3m viz allowed some good bug hunting. I only found two, and one was in a deep hole that he was not prepared to leave.
No silver seen, but I did find a big bullhuss sharing a cave with an bigger conger eel.
 
Reactions: Bernie, SJBatts, westcoaster and 1 other person
So is it 15 or 16? By my count you wrote 15 with 16 Scallops.
 
Reactions: SubSub
Aside from my confusion regarding Scallop quantities (previous post), I'm new to diving here in South Devon. I've lived in Exmouth for 20+ years now but never ventured out to harvest from the sea despite wanting to so many times. I seem to have timed my return to the sport (of spearfishing) after 30-odd years just perfectly as Bass are now a no-take species. Awesome.

No doubt there's plenty of other species to feed my family and me with, from Flounder and Plaice to Cod, Whiting and Pollack, not to mention the "crusted" foods of Scallops, Crabs, Lobster and, (not for me thanks) Mussels.

The problem I have at the moment is lack of a dive buddy. On holidays I mostly dive alone out of necessity, but would welcome a buddy or two diving local waters for the first few times at least. I know the risks and I dive WELL within my limits when alone. I know the risks, and I'll often tell people "Dive alone, die alone", even though I know that I might one day suffer that fate. I don't condone it and I'm not proud of it, but needs must at time.

Wow, that was a long way of asking for a buddy or an invite to join you on a dive.

I have a car, willing to travel reasonable distances, and a (one-man) SOT kayak for paddling to less accessible spots. Please PM me if you're also looking for a buddy, know someone who is, or are willing to have an old man (nearly 50) tag along.
 
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