[Guest]

hi i recently fished over in the north east ie: sunderland
the venue was roker pier where we fished for coal fish codling and whiteing
havin got a good bag or whiteing we called it a day however upon openin
the fish i found they where full of worms only way i can describe these worms
is as follows they are white thread like critures and seem to bury themselves into the flesh of the fish :huh: is this common in whiteing or any other sea fish in general
we also bagged a decent codling but no trace of worms where pressent
any information on these things would be apreciated as none of the whitin where consumed i just see it a shame to dispatch them, then later find they are unedible because of worms

reagards and tight lines

garry

 

[fudd]

i also found worms simular to these in a cod , but these were black i asumed they were some type of parasite the fish picked up due to its bottom dwelling nature, how ever as it had been killed i ate it anyway and im still here a year later(to the disapointment of many) how ever if in doubt dont eat it !maybe worth visiting a marine biology site you may find an id on your worms there,hope this helps

 

[Scrudgy]

I was told a long time ago, that if you find worms in the intestines of white fish like cod and whiting, then it is ok to eat the fish. When the worms are found in the flesh, you should throw them away.

I was also told that these worms are present in most white fish, and this is why they should be gutted as soon as practicable. (When the fish dies, these worms will start to burrow through into the flesh).

Oily fish like Mackeral etc, do not have this problem, and do not need to be gutted for a considerable time.

 

[fudd]

had a look around and found this web site www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/c772-w.htm this explaines all the worms and parasites that are common in european fish stocks just copy and paste into web browser good little site with picture refference just for the record your fish were fine,( bet your sick now&#33it also states that a sick fish will not take a hook (worth remembering) hope this helps

 

[Guest]

I bought some herrings, in norfolk last year, straight of the boat, went to clean them at home and worms were coming through the flesh, cause didnt eat them, actualy started frying one before realizing what they were, they survived the frying and were so tough like wire. since ive been very careful, i to fish sunderland and some of the whiting do look thin but i remember as a kid fishing dungeness there were always the sickly ones.

 

[fish force]

Check out my last Dubar report in the Scottish section. I think the increase in worms is related to the seal population and it's wrong to say that mackerel are not affected. I've had loads of mackerel over the last two seasons which have been riddled with the small creamy coloured worms. Fished down near the Mull of Galloway earlier on this year and the same was evident there.

 

[poacher]

u get a lot of these worms in cod. they r white and very thin. wriggly also. but i were told they were fine 2 eat, so i always eat them. i have been seeing them in some fish for the past 15 years at a guess. i am still around thanks b to god.. i take a bit of time and try 2 get them all out. but your fish should be fine m8.....

 

[dicky]

i caught a nice cod from the bristol channel a couple of weeks ago.when i filleted it it had about 20 worms in the flesh.i just flicked them out with a knife and ate the fish.they are only protien and won't do you any harm.

 

[fish force]

I Can't recommend eating worms in fish. They can live inside you and I have seen an extreme case where they migrated to a mans brain! I'm not being sensationlist here, this does happen. I don't know if it's the same type of worm but I wont be taking chances.

 

[Allen]

I don't agree with Lewisteh - I have found worms in Makrel flesh but I think these were not intestinal. Always a good idea to gut fish (& eat them) soon

Tight lines.

 

[Guest]

just like to say thanks guys for the replies ..........i was out fishing on the solway coast the venue was dunmill point caught a cod of 2 1/2 lb was clean of parasites and enjoyed it for my supper
solway seems to be picking up for cod and whiteing also some small ling to be had
i advise onshore conditions and a decent tide also advice to get down early to stand a chance of fishin the venue im also going out this evening to fish the venue again all fish where caught using local harbour lug, and tip with rag please note there are not many reliable tackle shops that stock live bait in this region for some reason <_<
i have to dig localy for bait, better of diggin from the region itself however would`nt like to sea anyone come unstuck the solway is a unpredictable and dangerous area so it would also be advised you speak to some locals before venturing out on a digg good luck and tight lines guys, will do another post later to update on tonights trip

 

[swelleyman]

Paraphrased from a booklet issued by the MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
The &#39;cod worm&#39;, which is often found in cod, is also found in many other species They’re parasitic worms which start life in the stomachs of Sea mammals (Seals) Eggs of the parasite pass into the sea with the mammal&#39;s excreta, and when the eggs hatch the microscopic larvae invade a small shrimplike crustacean that lives on the sea bed.
These are eaten by a fish and the larval worms are released into its stomach. They then bore through the stomach wall and eventually become encased in the guts or in the flesh of the host fish. The life cycle of the parasite is completed when an infested fish is eaten by a suitable marine mammal. (We don’t qualify) Large fish tend to be more heavily infested by round worms than small fish of the same species. This is because large fish eat more (not when I’m fishing though&#33 There have been cases of illness but only in places where fish is eaten raw. Because we cook or hot smoke we kill the parasite. Most seem to congregate in the abdominal flaps so if your worried cut them off before you fry.

Was interested in statement that the worms were still alive after frying which seems to conflict with the above. Science is obviously like fishing, nothing that you read is true because fish don&#39;t read&#33;

 

[Ian]

Hi All,

a couple of things worth observing. Firstly that you can't gut mackerel quickly enough for kitchen use. I'm surprised to see one of your contributors recommending that they don't need to be cleaned sharpish.

Mackerel are well known to deteriorate faster than white fleshed fish like cod/pollack. I'm only referring here to Mackerel (Scomber Scombrous) as found in the cold waters around the UK. Not Horse Mackerel or any other species. So if you want your mackerel to be in good order for personal use, clean it and keep it as cool as possible till you get home.

To achieve this myself, I've gone fishing with a cool box full of crushed ice and another empty one to which fish are added, with some ice over them as needed from the other box. Fish kept like this are far better eating than ones allowed to slop around in a fish box in the bottom of the boat, where they get plastered in $h1t, blood and mess. Sunshine dries them out and makes them sour too.

Right now, the only mackerel we're catching (and we've had hundreds these last three/four trips) are absolutely infested with at least dozens - but more commonly - hundreds of small coiled-up flesh-coloured parasitic worms in the body cavity and internal organs.

The notion of eating these fish is not an attractive one, so they've gone for lobster bait instead.

Apparently this has been noted by the fishing industry too, and has caused an article to be published in Fishing News, which I've not seen myself. Such is harbour gossip.

I sometimes fillet my fish outside the harbour and bring home only a bag of fillets; so there's no messy/smelly kitchen session when I get home.

Is anyone seeing any dolphins or whales right now? We've been looking out for these in the current fairly calm sea conditions, but so far this year no sightings. Our home grounds are from the Isle of May to the Tay bar.

Tight lines, all.
Ian

 

[dab hand]

If I intend to eat cod / pollack, I fillet them and leave in the fridge on a glass plate. in the morning all the worms have left the fillets and are gathered round the rim of the plate, easily removed / destroyed. not in the kitchen fridge, the wife would kill me, but in my bait fridge freezer in the shed.

 

[proper job]

ive had worms in the stomach of a dogfish before they didnt deem to be feeding on the fish but more on the digesting contents of it stomach so i only think they sart eating the fish itself if they run out of food and gert hungry

 

[sharpshooter]

The cod is not only renowned for smelling like sh1te, but being full of worms. Turbot also are very commonly packed full of them. Monkfish tails often have little "ring worms" which have burrowed in to the flesh and are visible from the outside.
The worst fish for worms IMHO is the broadbill swordfish. Proper mingin.
All the worms etc are killed by cooking the fish, not a good for advert for sashimi though ay??

SS

 

[Codhead Bob]

After you've filleted your fish just put the fillets in lightly salted water overnight and the worms are all lying in the bottom of the bowl in the morning.Doesn't look too appetising,but at least they're out.