Tops feeds in Sydney

[horrie hastings]

The goat fish I catch are very closely related to the red mullet or barbounia and after tasting the Australian equivalent I know why they are the premier fish of Greece. The fish being marketed as barbounia I saw at Marrickville Metro last week were so tiny, it was actually upsetting seeing fish so small being sold.

Bait for leatherjackets I either use black mussels or prawns or a mix of both, I have found the more recent times I had been fishing for jackets the mussels were the better bait but both have great results.

[Guest]

I love eating fish and usually catch most of mine, I hate paying overs for fish I can catch for peanuts, unfortunately have not done much fishing over the last few years, I hope to remedy that again soon, the good thing about the leatherjackets most trips would catch between 4-12, sometimes more, then a couple of bream and /or flathead and you could put some in the freezer and have fish at least once a week during the winter months when the fishing slows down.Need to get my fishing mojo back, used to enjoy a nice half day out on the water and getting the bonus of a nice meal from it also.

I'm hearing ya..

[Guest]

The goat fish I catch are very closely related to the red mullet or barbounia and after tasting the Australian equivalent I know why they are the premier fish of Greece. The fish being marketed as barbounia I saw at Marrickville Metro last week were so tiny, it was actually upsetting seeing fish so small being sold.

Bait for leatherjackets I either use black mussels or prawns or a mix of both, I have found the more recent times I had been fishing for jackets the mussels were the better bait but both have great results.

Thanks for the tip mate..

[SConcierge]

The goat fish I catch are very closely related to the red mullet or barbounia and after tasting the Australian equivalent I know why they are the premier fish of Greece. The fish being marketed as barbounia I saw at Marrickville Metro last week were so tiny, it was actually upsetting seeing fish so small being sold.

Bait for leatherjackets I either use black mussels or prawns or a mix of both, I have found the more recent times I had been fishing for jackets the mussels were the better bait but both have great results.

Where do leather jacks usually hang out as silly as it sounds and does anyone know how to catch a black fish? I thiny they are vegetarian.

[horrie hastings]

Where do leather jacks usually hang out as silly as it sounds and does anyone know how to catch a black fish? I thiny they are vegetarian.

Leatherjackets usually hang around wharf pylons or just off the rocky shoreline where the kelp beds end.Yep you are right about black fish being vegetarian, I would love to learn how to catch them properly, you have to float fish for them and use weed, there is a couple of kinds of weed you can use, one is found up the estuaries around drains and the other is called cabbage which you can find around the ocean rocks. I have caught a few black fish but it was when fishing with prawns and yabbies, they will sometime take these baits but the only sure fire way is weed. An old work mate of my father fished down at Rose Bay for black fish and he catches some thumpers down there, I also have a customer who brings in some black fish for me at work that they catch around Bare Island, they are a very good fish to eat, I rate them highly.

[SConcierge]

Leatherjackets usually hang around wharf pylons or just off the rocky shoreline where the kelp beds end.Yep you are right about black fish being vegetarian, I would love to learn how to catch them properly, you have to float fish for them and use weed, there is a couple of kinds of weed you can use, one is found up the estuaries around drains and the other is called cabbage which you can find around the ocean rocks. I have caught a few black fish but it was when fishing with prawns and yabbies, they will sometime take these baits but the only sure fire way is weed. An old work mate of my father fished down at Rose Bay for black fish and he catches some thumpers down there, I also have a customer who brings in some black fish for me at work that they catch around Bare Island, they are a very good fish to eat, I rate them highly.

I always see blokes fishing for black fish, I sat with an old guy at Nelson bay and he baited his hook with the cabbage and had some mulled up in a bucket with sand and would throw it over the float he said it clouds the hook they come for the small bits and hit the hook.
We gotta go for a fish one day mate

[milanja]

Overall I think the south coast produce the best Sydney rock oysters, the ones from Merimbula are just exquisite, northcoast the Nambucca ones are good.Got a very good deal last time when I was at the markets, bought some prawns and in the end didn't get charged for 2 dozens oysters, I really enjoyed those slippery little suckers that day

Hey horrie,

I'm heading down to either Merimbula or Eden in two weeks, haven't been to either, do you recommend one over the other?

Was thinking Eden, more so for the whales, but might be a bit early for that, so will just concentrate on a foodie trip.

[horrie hastings]

Hey horrie,

I'm heading down to either Merimbula or Eden in two weeks, haven't been to either, do you recommend one over the other?

Was thinking Eden, more so for the whales, but might be a bit early for that, so will just concentrate on a foodie trip.

Hey Milanja, I haven't actually been to either place, the furthest south I have been is Bermagui, I have had the Merimbula oysters from the Sydney Fish Markets and a French restaurant in Leichhhardt, also the Burrill Lake fish and chip shop sometimes have them, they are just so lovely and salty.I also forgot to mention the oysters from Greenwall Point in the Shoalhaven are some of the best too.
Merimbula has an aquarium which is suppose to be good.
Are you driving from Canberra ? if so are you taking the road down to Cooma then across to the coast where it pops out near Bega ? I have always wanted to do that drive. You could do the round trip and head back up the coast from down there and pop back over from Batemans Bay.

[horrie hastings]

I always see blokes fishing for black fish, I sat with an old guy at Nelson bay and he baited his hook with the cabbage and had some mulled up in a bucket with sand and would throw it over the float he said it clouds the hook they come for the small bits and hit the hook.
We gotta go for a fish one day mate

Yep, I have seen plenty of people fishing for black fish using chopped up weed mixed with the sand and they throw it out around the float. Fishing for black fish really intrigues me, I would love to learn from an expert how to do it properly, I wonder if my fathers old work mate still fishes because he would be a good one to learn from.

[milanja]

Hey Milanja, I haven't actually been to either place, the furthest south I have been is Bermagui, I have had the Merimbula oysters from the Sydney Fish Markets and a French restaurant in Leichhhardt, also the Burrill Lake fish and chip shop sometimes have them, they are just so lovely and salty.I also forgot to mention the oysters from Greenwall Point in the Shoalhaven are some of the best too.
Merimbula has an aquarium which is suppose to be good.
Are you driving from Canberra ? if so are you taking the road down to Cooma then across to the coast where it pops out near Bega ? I have always wanted to do that drive. You could do the round trip and head back up the coast from down there and pop back over from Batemans Bay.

Yeah mate, will go the bega way, ill see how I go for time, because I would like to head back past Bermagui, Tilba and Narooma(favourite golf course that I have played), but only staying two nights, so may go back the same way.

Haven't been to south coast(from Batemans Bay south) for years now. fav place has been jervis bay for the last 7 years.

This will be a test trip if there is no whales anyway, so will look to come back late September.

[horrie hastings]

Yeah mate, will go the bega way, ill see how I go for time, because I would like to head back past Bermagui, Tilba and Narooma(favourite golf course that I have played), but only staying two nights, so may go back the same way.

Haven't been to south coast(from Batemans Bay south) for years now. fav place has been jervis bay for the last 7 years.

This will be a test trip if there is no whales anyway, so will look to come back late September.

When I was staying down at Mollymook a few years ago the weather was crap so went for a drive as far as Narooma, wish I would have gone as far as Tilba as I have not been there since 1978, actually had not been south of Batemans Bay since 1978 till that trip. Was so surprised Bodalla had turned almost into a ghost town since the 70's but still got some nice cheeses from there, Narooma had not changed much from what I can remember of it.
Speaking of whales quite a few years ago was staying at Bannisters Point in Mollymook, it was either late October or early November, was splashing around in the pool and looked out to the ocean and saw a tail breach, it was so windy with lots of whitecaps so kept watching and it happened again so I said to the people around the pool that there was a whale off shore, no one believed me till one by one they saw it too, eventually the whale passed right in front of the headland only about a 100metres off shore and it was mother with its calf, it was the most awesome sight I have ever seen, such a majestic animal only metres away, some of the people nearby were crying because it was so amazing.

[milanja]

When I was staying down at Mollymook a few years ago the weather was crap so went for a drive as far as Narooma, wish I would have gone as far as Tilba as I have not been there since 1978, actually had not been south of Batemans Bay since 1978 till that trip. Was so surprised Bodalla had turned almost into a ghost town since the 70's but still got some nice cheeses from there, Narooma had not changed much from what I can remember of it.
Speaking of whales quite a few years ago was staying at Bannisters Point in Mollymook, it was either late October or early November, was splashing around in the pool and looked out to the ocean and saw a tail breach, it was so windy with lots of whitecaps so kept watching and it happened again so I said to the people around the pool that there was a whale off shore, no one believed me till one by one they saw it too, eventually the whale passed right in front of the headland only about a 100metres off shore and it was mother with its calf, it was the most awesome sight I have ever seen, such a majestic animal only metres away, some of the people nearby were crying because it was so amazing.

Yep pretty amazing creatures, apparently Eden is one of the best viewing places for the in nsw. The whale museum lets off a siren whenever they are in two fold bay so that no one misses out. Clever idea.

[horrie hastings]

Yep pretty amazing creatures, apparently Eden is one of the best viewing places for the in nsw. The whale museum lets off a siren whenever they are in two fold bay so that no one misses out. Clever idea.

It is amazing that even in our life time they were hunted and slaughtered to near extinction but now protected and thriving in our waters. Mollymook is the closest I have been to one and it is the most amazing experience, I have seen them from a distance at Nelson Bay, Manly and even not long ago off the National Park but the Mollymook experience is one that sticks in my mind. The time I saw them at Manly two pods of dolphins came in and were amazing to watch, the pods were large 20-30 in each, haven't seen so many dolphins all at once , that was amazing.
Have wanted to go the whaling museum in Eden, have visited the one in Albany which was amazing even with it sad history of the whales killed.

[horrie hastings]

Went to the truffle festival in Canberra cant recommend it enough.

Went to a place called Sage won best restaurant in 2013 they grow all their produce. Had a 3 course lunch for $75 Scotch egg on truffle mash, Puccini mushroom truffle risotto, truffled bread and butter pudding, it was a bargain and maybe the best lunch I ever had.

Just went to check out Sage but there website isn't working great reviews on tripadvisor though. Will try and get down to Canberra soon again once the weather warms up a bit.

[SConcierge]

Just went to check out Sage but there website isn't working great reviews on tripadvisor though. Will try and get down to Canberra soon again once the weather warms up a bit.

not fancy but it is great value for lunch and quality.

Going to a 50th Birthday party at the hunter this weekend, can anyone suggest a good place for lunch!