Black Bass Fishing in the Algarve

The black bass is a predatory fish that was introduced to Europe from America in the late 19th Century, and to mainland Portugal in 1952. They are known as black bass, largemouth bass, Micropterus Salmaides (Latin name), and the Portuguese name achiga.

Where
The largemouth bass live in freshwater, usually lakes and barragems. They like to hide among lily pads, fallen trees and weed.

Barragem Bravura - I fish here for black bass

When

They are most active in the summer and harder to catch in winter. You are not allowed to fish for them from the 15th March to the 15th May. This is because it is spawning season.

Technique
The tackle you should use is light rods and small reels, probably rods that cast about 5-20g or 7-28g matched up with 2500 size reels. The black bass will take a live or dead bait but are easier caught on a lure. Here are some examples of good black bass lures.

You need to be very stealthy when targeting black bass. Any sudden movements and you will spook them.

Prepare for the table
The first step is to get a sharp knife, preferably a fileting knife like this one.



Then as on the picture, slit from the bum through the pectoral fins to the gills, then cut out the gills. Next remove the intestines. After that is done, start taking off the scales. Put the blade at a 90 degree angle and scrape against the grain of the scales and they should start coming off.

Finally
Please do not leave bits of line everywhere and do not take home fish that are too small or too big.

My personal best black bass

              

Wild Asparagus Hunting

WHEN
The wild asparagus start coming up around late Winter early Spring.

WHERE
The wild asparagus prefer shrublands, windswept plains, and hill tops. They like full sun.

Hill top near our house

WHY
It is a fun way to make your dinner and a good reason to go for a walk!
                             

Enough for dinner!

IDENTIFY
The prickly bush that the asparagus grow from looks like this:

Prickly wild asparagus bush

HARVESTING
To differentiate woody tough spiky asparagus and to know which ones to eat, look for fleshy stalks underneath the bushes. The good asparagus look like this:

Wild asparagus near our home

COOKING
The first step for all asparagus is to feel where they snap easily (this is the bit you eat). I think the three best ways to cook them are: fry in garlic and butter, cook in a risotto, steam and season.

Ready to cook 

Haiku

A Haiku is a Japanese poem.

It has 3 lines, with 17 syllables in the format of 5-7-5.





It is Autumn time

Pike lies beneath lily pads

Waiting for her prey





Small frog hops on leaf

Pleased because he caught a fly

A fat blue bottle





Snake slithers through grass

Watching always for danger

By the river bank