Whitebait

For two weeks each spring the whitebait are running.  Whitebait is a juvenile small freshwater fish.  The larvae of these little fish wash down the river and into the ocean where they hatch and then move back up the river as whitebait.  The eggs are laid in the fall during the flood season in the river bank grasses.  The next spring tide causes the eggs to hatch into larvae and then are flushed out into the sea.  For 6 months they live in the ocean as part of the plankton mass.  The developed juveniles then return to rivers and move upstream to live in freshwater.  

As I ran along the river this morning, the men were parked and sitting on the docks fishing for whitebait.  Some fish alone and others in groups.   Jogging along it is mainly still with the men quietly enjoying putting their nets down and letting them skim the river for the fish.  Every once in a while I pass a car with the door open and the radio playing.  I turn and head into town and I see an elderly man from dancing class.  He tells me how it wasn't a good morning of fishing, he only got a handful of whitebait. 

I was given a container of whitebait this weekend.  We all looked though the plastic at all the little eyes.  They were small and looked like slimy little worms.  Everyone has been talking about fritters so I give it a go.  Basically a whitebait fritter is an omelet with fish in it.  After a few bites, we got over the eating of the whole fish thing.  They weren't too bad, but I can't say I will be ordering it next time I see it on a menu!

No Worries - Kris