January, 29th 2003

This is the first edition of the AVA's weekly fishing report for Mendocino and Humboldt counties. The Editor invited me to fill the space and I gladly accepted. Every week I'll cover what's left of our fishing opportunities, pretend I know something about marine biology, toss in a few recipes and discuss some of the environmental threats to our public trust resources.

Last week, Bob Humphrey, the legislative director of the Central California Council of Diving Clubs (CENCAL) stopped by Ft. Bragg. He was discussing the unprecedented closure of almost all sport rockfishing in California until July 1st with the owner of Sub-Surface Progression dive shop. Just then, three recreational spearfishing divers, unaware of the virtually complete closure of recreational fishing on the coast, came into the shop after a long drive up from the Bay Area. After learning the bitter truth, they turned around and drove back home.

Commercial rockfishing, including trawling, remains open. My blood boiled when I read the last week's Foodie section in the Chron regarding fish soups and bouillabaisse. All the recipes called for store-bought rockfish, with the usual admonitions to the gourmet chef to patronize "sustainable" fishmongers.

In a related note, the 2700-member Coastside Fishing Club filed a lawsuit on January 22 against the Department of Fish and Game and the Fish and Game Commission. The club is seeking an injunction against the arbitrary and capricious restrictions on recreational rockfishing. Represented on a pro bono basis by the high-powered San Francisco law firm, Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, Coastside contends that DFG lacks any scientific data, stock assessments and common sense. Lead attorney Jim Miller, fresh off a rare victory against Microsoft, made no predictions about the outcome of the case. Off the record, Coastside Fishing Club insiders promised that their legal-eagle squad would "make Department bureaucrats' lives a living hell."

The state of California is going to have to stop picking on recreational anglers and divers. The recent abolition of the California Coastal Commission resulted from a lawsuit brought by a small but feisty group of divers in southern California who wanted to build artificial reefs to restore fish populations. The vaguely corrupt and overreaching Coastal Commission quashed their privately funded effort. The rest is history. In particular, the State should tread cautiously on skindivers.

The next few days will feature low minus tides in the late afternoon, making it a perfect opportunity to collect California mussels from the exposed rocks along the coast. All you'll need is a fishing license, a pocketknife and a pail. Mussels are attached to rocks by strong threads, or "beards." I use a knife to cut the threads and pick the mussels. The legal limit is ten pounds, in the shell. A good place to find them is along the old haul road just north of Ft. Bragg, where rocky outcroppings poke up in the surf zone. Don't get too engrossed with the task; keep an eye out for breakers. Leave the larger mussels for their larger seed production. The smaller ones are more tender anyway.

I leave the shellfish in a bucket filled with seawater for an hour or so to purge the grit. Some people add a handful of cornmeal with seems to speed up the process. To prepare, scrub the mussels under cold running water and remove the beards. Pour a cup of white wine in a stainless steel kettle, toss in a few minced garlic cloves, a handful of fresh chopped parsley, a dollop of butter and the mussels. Bring the covered pot to a boil and steam the mussels for 20 minutes until they open. Discard any that don't open - they were dead. Remove the steamed mussels to a platter, and pour off the juices into a bowl for dipping with some crusty french bread.

Mussel season runs from November through April. During the rest of the year a mussel quarantine is in effect. A bioluminescent dinoflagellate, Gonyaulax, can render the mussels toxic when the water warms up. This causes paralytic shellfish poisoning, which can ruin your whole outlook on life. The state's shellfish Quarantine Hotline is 1-800-553-4133. Pick your mussels away from obvious sources of effluent run-off. The City of Ft. Bragg's sewage outflow pipes, located behind the mill, would be a poor choice. The steaming process pasteurizes the flesh, so don't worry too much about this. The only reason I bring it up is because talk of dinoflagellates and intestinal disease really thins out the crowds on the beach.