sandsharks/dogfish

[Jimbo]

I mentioned in another post I was at the Chatham fish pier this week. Over the past several years I've stopped by a number of times and when the commercial guys unload, the fist bins are full of what looks like sand sharks or I guess maybe non-spiny dogfish. So I have a few questions about that. I had read in other posts that to eat them you need to bleed or skin them soon after catching or they go bad because [rumor has it] they pee through their skin. So if they're unhooked and thrown in a bin as is and it takes a while to get back to the dock aren't they going bad the whole ride in? Next question, they all seem to be about the same size give or take a couple inches. Hardly any really bigger or smaller, boat after boat after boat. Is there just one size they take back? Or why is it such a uniform catch? And if anyone knows, what happens to them from Chatham? Do they end up in the fried fish platter at the local restaurant or are they exported somewhere?

[Slipknot]

I have seen the same in Scituate, I think they go to England for fish and chips dinner.

I wish they'd kill more of those spiny dogfish, there seems to be no shortage of them at all in most places around here.

[EarnedStripes44]

slip got it right. They end up in England in fish & chips platters. They have nearly wiped them out over on the other side of the Atlantic.

Last summer, I fed some smooth dogfish to some in-laws. I bled and gutted it immediately so that when I arrived the next morning all I had were the fillets. Soaked them in milk for a couple hours and fried it up for dinner. It was kind of bland, but it was white meat. They devoured it. I prefer fried fluke though, it don't even compare.

[ThomCat]

Originally Posted by EarnedStripes44

slip got it right. They end up in England in fish & chips platters. They have nearly wiped them out over on the other side of the Atlantic.

When can they start over here?!?