Gar

[Newt]

The UK evidently does not have fresh water gar. Do the sea going ones come round your way?

 

I spotted a few of these fellas lazing around last weekend when I was catfishing and intend to try and catch one or two this weekend - along with catfish if they are still biting. Last week the cats were willing to bit anything you threw at them as long as it was an uncooked shrimp.

 

 

The pic isn't me though, darn the luck.

 

[ 30. April 2004, 09:34 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[H.A.]

The UK S Coast gars only go up to just over 2lbs.

 

1lb is about average. They are prolific in Spring and Summer from East Anglia and throughout the English Channel.

 

I have caught 'houndfish'(Tylosurus raphidoma/acus) in Bermuda which grow to the size in your picture.

 

They're all sporty fish if caught on the right gear.

 

In B'da we called them Poor man's Marlin.

[boybilly]

Holy polony, That,s what you call a garfish.

[macky]

sure is a nice gar

 

were was that caught then newt?

[Newt]

Florida lake - about half way between Orlando and the Gulf side of the Panhandle.

[Dan]

How come our sea fish live in your fresh water? Bass and Gar?!

Do you eat yours Newt? our sea Gar have bright green bones when cooked but taste good , a bit like a mild Mackeral, I try to put them back but as they have a habit of attacking my big bass lures they are sometimes too difficult to unhook, even though I always use barbless hooks. They sure smell funny too!

Icidentially after listening to everyones advice about outboard some time ago, Ive just bought a honda 4 Stroke outboard, what a dream! Also bought a Lowrance combined fishfinder and GPS for £200.... go one tell me how much they are in the US of A?!

 

Dan

 

[ 02. May 2004, 09:18 PM: Message edited by: Dan ]

[JONNYX]

best recipe i know for gar is what the french call "en colere" (angry).

 

its as simple as stuffing the gut cavity with fennel and lemon and pushing its beak through a hole made just above the wrist of the tail so it forms a ring. shake some rock salt over its back and grill it slowly. its done. i find it more flavoursome than mackerel, especially early in the year.

[spasor]

Newt.

That`s not a Gar! It`s a flaming duck-billed pike?

Paul.

[Newt]

Dan - gar is great if cooked just right. Otherwise the meat is try and not very good. Some great recipes Here. OK, so the first few are for pike and walleye but they have some great ones for gar as well. One caution though, the roe is poisonous to humans, animals and birds.

 

spasor - that bill is the reason that a popular style of 'lure' for gar is a piece of white nylon rope that has been unraveled. The way their teeth are shaped, if they bite on the rope it usually doesn't come loose. Hooks OTOH are difficult to get into the bill. If you are willing to wait and to kill the fish, they will take a bait and run with it then stop to swollow. Wait until the 2nd run and you almost always have a hooked fish but always deep hooked.

 

It occurs to me that maybe This would be a lure idea that would work on your salt water garfish too.