queensland Hairtail

[Kenne]

Caught a Hairtail last week for the first time. What a funny looking fish. He proberly thought that about me as well when i tried to grab him and he turned and tried to bite me. He had the hook well down him so i cut him off and let him go. I read that they are good eating. Has anyone eaten one? If so how do you clean them. Do you fillet them ? They look more like you would cut them into steaks.

[kmcrosby78]

Where did you catch it @Kenne? Reason for asking is that pike eel are often confused for them - hairtail are very silvery (well they are on TV and in magazines ..... I've never actually caught one). Yes they are meant to be good eating but I haven't eaten them so can't help sorry.

[Kenne]

I caught it in the broadwater half way between soveriegn island and tipplers. He was about 80cm long and was as silver as silver. Had a big redish brown fin down the full length of his body and I couldnt get my hand around him he was that fat. Took a pic of him in the water but not clear. He put up a good fight.

[marty]

There was a run of Hairtail in the Broadwater a few years ago - in fact once the word got out they got smashed and were thinned out pretty quickly.

Yes they are good eating - which is probably why they got fished so heavily. Such a pretty fish - and a very unique swimming action.

Congrats on the capture - and release.

[Kenne]

Thanks Marty  Don't know if i would eat one. Just out of interest do you know how they prep them. Would you fillet them or cut them into steaks?

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey Kenne

Good work. I've read heaps about how highly regarded Hairtail are.

Cheers Hamish

[Old Scaley]

I remember a few of them launching themselves out of the water straight into the windscreen of my father-in-law’s Haines way back in the eighties in Hervey Bay late in the afternoon. Apparently they get attracted to the sunlight glinting off the screen. Nasty looking teeth from memory.

[Kenne]

1 minute ago, Old Scaley said:

Nasty looking teeth from memory.

Yes thats why I cut him off after he tried to bite me.

[kmcrosby78]

1 hour ago, Old Scaley said:

I remember a few of them launching themselves out of the water straight into the windscreen of my father-in-law’s Haines way back in the eighties in Hervey Bay late in the afternoon. Apparently they get attracted to the sunlight glinting off the screen. Nasty looking teeth from memory.

An already weird fish just got a whole lot weirder ....... 

[Volvo]

On 18/01/2021 at 9:09 PM, Kenne said:

Yes thats why I cut him off after he tried to bite me.

Think ide have a go at bighting you too if you pulled me out of the water with a hook hanging out of my moosh lol.

And yes they are very nice eating either filletted or as small steaks though i would prefer filleted .

They used to run in large Schools of Coniston or Northern Breakwall south of Wollongong or Port Kembla Harbour near every year once upon a long time ago and so easy to catch so long as you arranged your bait to float down slowly and if Yakkas were easy at hand , they made the ideal bait.