THE SARDINES ARE BACK !

[Deleted User]

In today's Oregonian "must read" Fooday section (I'm sure you caught the article CS), it accurately states that the sardines are back in great numbers for the first time in 50 years! Another sign of the turned around ocean conditions. Even some seafood resturants are trying new sardine dishes. Salmon feed on lots of different baitfish and crustacians, but with sardines being dinned on out there perhaps the 'Nooks are going to be a little more dialed into that scent this year? Remember for some of your egg curing to put sardine filets into the chem'd up egg juice during the curing process. Some of the oilyness will get absorded thru the tiny egg sack pores to enhance the eggs and also the filets will take on a redish egg cure scent to enhance them for Kwikfish wrapping. Try this with fresh albacore tuna filets too. Marie, if you get any fresh ones please reserve a dozen for me and send me an e-mail if you have time. Thanks. Fish on! - RT

[Pilar]

Yes they are! One of our tuna yarked up a few when he met old hickory on the deck. We saw a shrimper dumping them over the side after he hauled his net. Food 4 less is selling them 4 or 5 to a flat. They smell like they got that not so fresh feeling though.

The bend is your friend!

[Gone Fishin]

WOW!
You mean we might not have to pay a dollar per sardine this year! That's great! http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Swami]

RT tried your egg cure for some Chinook in the Samish. Didn't use all of the manufactured components, I did add the Sardine. Found it to work very good but they didn,t last long on the hook. Cured different eggs found the ones with Sardines had more bites about 3 to 1. Thank you again.

[Deleted User]

Glad to hear that Swami. I've found that the condition of egg skeins from the fish to be a bigger factor in how long they'll stay on the hook/loop than the curing factors. However, if the eggs clusters fall apart too easily or are too gooey, try drying those type eggs out a little longer and roll them in borax to toughen them some. Also, get some fresh albacore filets to try (don't BBQ all of it), then compare that with the sardine egg enhancement and let me know the results. Thanks much. - RT

[Gizmo Man]

Does anyone know a source of fresher sardines other than those 3 for $4.00 freezer burned packages in Fishermans or Gi Joes?

thanks, Giz...

[smilesforu]

I got lucky at the Safeway fish counter. They got fresh sardines in and nobody would buy them http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
So he sold me the counter at cost.....hehe

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Marty M
Steelheader.net (http://www.steelheader.net/)

[Deleted User]

Check with seafood markets or dept's and ask when they got them. If they smell OK, buy 'em. The article says 2 new Astoria processing plants are getting them in off returning commercial boats. Be there at the right time! Try to score some fresh albacore too. And if they are in call or e-mail me!

[This message has been edited by RT (edited 09-20-2000).]