Wild Game

Fisherman - totally agree with your sentiments - however am surprised that you are having to pay for your pheasants!  Most shoots around here couldn't give them away since the supply chain to Europe collapsed.  I was given a sackful at the end of the season and needless to say they are now in the freezer where they will provide delicious meals for some time to come.

Your comment about people being squeemish with food made me smile.  My wife bought a whole salmon in the supermarket recently and although it was in a large plastic bag, checkout assistant refused to handle it because it had eyes and was looking at her!

Don't mind gutting and cleaning and agree with you, F, that venison should be from the UK, same as Rose Veal. Can't see why we import Lamb or Venison. 

I love trout but not farmed trout. Sea Trout for me so a rare treat.

RandR we had something similar happen when we bought some squid and check out person nearly fainted. Wouldn't handle it. I actually swiped it through her machine.

I don't think that I have had more than a couple of trout since I used to catch brown trout in a local brook. Those I bought in were no comparison. I find the same with sea bass and to some extent mackerel

,Unfortunately wild salmon and sea trout are now a rarity. Even river trout are in huge decline. Number of reasons but predation by Cormorants and Sawbill ducks are a major factor here in our rivers. I am lucky that I have access to a number of mountain lakes that  still have a healthy  head of wild brownies. I will retain perhaps half a dozen per season for my own consumption. Farmed rainbows are for someone else. Those interested may like to read my letter in April "Trout and Salmon" and the article on Bugeilyn lake, one of my favourites.

Not to mention the predation by the ever increasing population of seals in our coastal waters. I regularly fish the Welsh Dee (amonst others) and the seals are seen as far up river as Chester.

Wild salmon and sea-trout, for those that have tasted them, sadly are going to become a delicacy of the past. The new bye-laws which are being proposed will no doubt ban the taking of the species from our rivers, for the forseeable future. There are so many arguments, for and against and it's not something I want to introduce to this thread, but it's an argument which has been raging for 20 years or more. 

I share your sentiments entirely Fish and don't even bother to pack the rods anymore when we go touring, nor do I buy venison from New Zealand, or indeed, their lamb. 

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I've been brought up eating quality venison shot on the local estate. Much better taste that the farmed variety. Brown trout caught in the local river tastes every bit as good as it did years ago.. Local Pork, Lamb and Game birds are just the same.

Yes we pay slightly more at the local farm shops, but quality has it's own value. 

K 

Wot have you not managed to bag a Haggis,oh forgot they are Cumbrian 

A man of taste and discernment.

With the disfunctioning FSA we also buy locally where we know the provenance and the price differential is minute when compared to quality.