Thanks for your encouraging feedback Andy.

Thanks antonyjh. I know of two local truffle growers. My understanding is that trained dogs and pigs are used/needed to sniff-them-out (from underground). In my own experience - after experimenting with a number of whole ones - I don't consider them to be a food at all. I made a video about them at the time but chose not to publish any of it - so as not to upset any growers. They exude a definite pungent, sulphurous gas. Given the choice, I would choose the Kilo of supermarket button mushrooms.

​@@DiarmuidNZbingo bango

Cut and paste from the internet but who knew uh ? Yarrow styptic is also anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antimicrobial, and wound healing so it is a good choice for shaving cuts, skinned knees, bleeding mosquito bites, and other minor wounds. For thousands of years, yarrow was used to staunch the bleeding from wounds inflicted during wartime. Deep wounds were packed with yarrow powder to disinfect, relieve pain, and stop the profuse bleeding. In times of war, yarrow was a lifesaver. One of its other names is Soldiers’ Woundwort (Grieves). A piece of information to keep in the back of your mind, if you are lost in the woods, and wounded. Stopping a bleeding wound is your first priority. Summer is the time of year to make natural yarrow styptic powder when the yarrow is thriving. Keep harvested and dried leaves in a small jar for when it’s needed. When you harvest it for herbal remedies cut it off and leave 2/3rds of the plant to regrow for next year. To make an herbal styptic you are just going to use the leaves. There are two kinds of leaves. At the base of the plant, you’ll find long fernlike leaves. Whereas growing up the stalk there are tiny fern-like leaves. To make styptic powder, you want to harvest the long fernlike leaves growing from the base of the plant. The leaves on the stem work, too, but it’s more work to harvest them. Gather a generous handful of these longer leaves, but don’t take more than 1/3rd from any one plant. The plant needs these remaining leaves to feed the root system and store up food for winter.

@@antonyjh1234 yes ...An old Chinese guy I used to work for, bound up my finger with yarrow, when I cut it badly...it certainly stopped the bleeding.

Indeed Alice, being out there in a peaceful natural environment harvesting fresh wild healthy food is very rewarding in so many ways.

Yes indeed Mervyn, they are wonderful creatures, very well behaved, very polite when you hand-feed them and very trusting when you treat them kindly.

Good on you: they are perfectly good eating fish. I have way more than 3 in my freezer - all filleted and ready for curries, soups, stir-fry's.....

@@DiarmuidNZ I love it smoked

@@meatavoreNana Of course most any fish species smoked tastes great, but I'm trying to stay healthy, avoiding all the carcinogens. ( refer www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8645718/ )

Indeed I do, usually by nicking the gills, then removing the gut - over the side of the boat. It doesn't make good viewing so I don't show that step. I also have a big freezer bottle in the catch bag and with the fillets - to keep them well chilled.

Glad you appreciated it Bob.

Good on you antonyjh: I've visited Rakaia, Winchester and Temuka many times in the last few months (working in Timaru): all four of these wee towns are looking great. I could live in Temuka; it's just so quiet and traditional kiwi - like Waimate. Great rivers around them also.

Jack Mackerel are indeed tasty fish, especially when they are fat and oily: happy fishing aranha.

Thanks aranha: here is a link to some info about possibly who, and possibly when, and the possible wherefore concerning the creation of the original melody and words: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrickfergus_(song) : and to some proper musicians playing and singing it : kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iLB9msqpuODcfWg.html

Good on you harryh: whoever it was that invented that powerful melody and wrote the poignant words to this ancient Irish Ballad deserves all the credit.

See my recent Kahawai Winter Broth video. They can also be boiled (to tenderize) then used to garnish/decorate a salad or any meal really - especially the bright green/red/purple seaweeds. I tend to incorporate them in the soup, curry, stir-fry and use edible flowers to garnish salads.

Thanks Anthony: as someone who only ever buys and uses good old Kiwi-harvested Natural Sea Salt, and someone who understands that the element Iodine - like many other wonderful natural elements and minerals - is beneficial in small/moderate doses and detrimental in excess, I eat these wonderful wild seaweeds regularly but in moderation - like most of the wonderful foods and drinks that I treasure. If the label says anything 'added' then it is not natural; not nature's natural combo. I always try to stick to nature's natural symphony of organic and mineral components, and avoid anything pretending to be a food that has been patented (no one can patent a natural veggie; herb; fungus; algae; berry; spice; mineral; element; oil; fruit; nut; protein; fat; grain; meat; creature....nature 'owns' these so-called 'patents' - as I understand it). Good Health, and happy foraging - for the 'real deal'.

Glad you appreciated the experience Alice.

Do checkout my recent (recorded last week) Kahawai Fishing Video: I'm in excellent health and in top form - as usual :) .

Another dudd wild salmon season this year in these waters: I didn't see a single salmon - caught or swimming - all season.

Glad you appreciate them.

Thanks Yoda: indeed they do fight well and often escape.

Glad you appreciated the video antonyjh: I plan to upload a new foraging vid shortly (within days hopefully). 12 likes out of the first 78 views is most encouraging: makes the effort seem worthwhile. Thanks.

For some yes, for others no: I can now confidently state that they were all quite edible, interesting, nutritious and delightful to experience. Each species deserves the development of an understanding of how to best deal with their texture e.g. gentle cooking; longer cooking; slicing thinly or thickly. As with Fungi, these Algae are an excellent, nutritious and different food group - from veggies/fruits/meats/etc. I now rarely cook without some Seaweed(s) in the dish.

Yes Logan I have been busy fishing since September and have the freezer well stocked with Whitebait; Kahawai and Flounder - for the winter. I have had a few flicks for Salmon but there are too few around to be worth the time or effort. Kahawai Curry is excellent!

Just a humble fisherman and forager and wine-maker, but thank you for the positive feedback.

Thanks marco: it's a wonderful world out there.

Thanks man: the smaller trout love smelt but the bigger ones prefer other natural baits or spinners: tight lines.

No worries man, I've made very drinkable Saki with just rice, raisins, sugar and baking yeast, in a bucket (with lid). Alcohol level is probably higher and more consistent with commercial wine yeasts, but flavours can always be enhanced by adding some sweet things like molasses/vanilla pods/sweet herbs/sweet spices/sweet fruits (pineapples/dates/raisins). Making your own brew is awesome: best wishes.

Thanks Greg: it was certainly a very challenging two-to-four years of bombardment back then. Thankfully things have settled down to just the occasional bump-in-the-night.

Not sure what you mean by 'blackfish' Denis, but Butterfish certainly are seaweed-eaters and taste excellent. I add a combo of these nutritious algae (seaweeds) to nearly every dish that I cook-up. They freeze really well and can be sliced and added directly from frozen. Happy fishing and foraging.

See my email to you Eve.

Thanks Indosurf: I have seen 4 caught this season, which is way better than the 1 I witnessed last season. I've switched to targeting Kahawai of late, to help conserve the wild salmon and to make wonderful fish curries. My freezers are well stocked with Whitebait; Kahawai; Twizel trout & salmon, and Porcini, so I don't miss wild salmon suppers during the cold winter months. Tight lines.

Yes Duncan, you certainly may ask, and you no doubt understand that I also may choose not to disclose any secrets to you. The South Island of NZ has them, and so does Wellington. Happy foraging.

@@DiarmuidNZ thanks for the reply. I translated the comments on your videos from Thai to English to reveal the locations you’ve disclosed on your other videos. Thanks!

@@duncannewzealand6508 Yes Duncan, I recall giving a few helpful hints to a commenter from down Dunedin way. Happy hunting: it's a wonderful experience when you latch onto a productive Oak/Pine/Birch/Poplar/.. tree.

Thanks for that: glad you appreciate the fish and the humble video.

No worries Aranha: they are called 'sea lice'. Very common, voracious, tough, strong whitish parasites. They are one of the reasons why Kahawai enter fresh-water - to loose these clingy little critters. They are no issue to humans eating the fish. Open wounds on the fish, or skinny fish, or fish that put up no fight are good reasons to let that one go. Post mortem, check the liver for any abnormalities (same with wild Rabbits). A quick look at the internals tells you a lot about the condition, and edibility, of the animal. Tight lines.

@@DiarmuidNZ Oh thanks for that, much appreciated!

Glad you enjoy the vids.

That step was blocked by the boat pontoons, so I didn't show it. But yes, I do nick the gills to bleed them, and open the belly and remove the guts and kidney before putting in the catch bag with ice.

@@DiarmuidNZ great! Hope you are well

@@DiarmuidNZ I love kahawai, some people get surprised when hear that I eat them. I kill the brain, cut the gills and tail, let it bleed out in the water for 5 minutes or so, and then ike jime ( feed a wire through the spine), clean out all the spinal cord, a second quick rinse, more blood comes out, then ice/water 50/50. Give a try on the ike jime wire if you haven't, it really improves the flavor. Thanks for your videos sir.

@@aranha9365 Good on you. I usually bop them on the head to kill them, then cut the gills to bleed them: not usually shown on my vids (as many viewers are not familiar with handling wild food). A much underrated, tasty and healthy eating fish.

Thanks for that yoda. I've also eaten them many times as sashimi, especially when they are fat and oily. A much underrated catch and underrated source of excellent wild nutrition.

Thanks Maurice: glad you appreciated it.