Q. When is a fish not a fish? A. When its a shellfish

Lucky me. I get to take you fishing for fin fish and when I'm not doing that I'm either fishing for them myself or hauling my Lobster pots in the hunt for something wonderfully tasty! Under current legislation anyone can 'fish' five Lobster pots on a hobby basis (i.e. you do not sell your catch). The rules are that you must have a 'hobby' licence from the Sea Fisheries people and you should not land more than two legal size Lobsters a day. Your buoy's should be clearly marked with your issued hobby licence number and as a courtesy to other boat users leaded buoy lines are necessary. After that its up to you to chuck 'em in somewhere good and hope!

This summer I fished four lobster pots for fun and for food. I would have fished five but my stock had diminished and I felt too tight to spend £60 on new ones. A problem I have now solved by salvaging four perfect storm blown pots off a local beach recently. Five pots next year! The game is so simple I find it endlessly surprising that more people don't do it. Add its simplicity (bait, drop, leave, pick up again) to the fact that its great fun and I'm even more amazed. Maybe its the fear of eating something that needs some preparation. Lets face it buying a pre boiled frozen thing from a discount supermarket that was caught in Canada probably a year ago seems so much easier. It comes in a nice clean package probably complete with instructions!

But then I'm a hunter gatherer and like all of my ilk, I enjoy both the hunt and then I enjoy the proceeds. Cooking is a part of the process. A spicy fragrant salad of lime, garlic, palm sugar and fish sauce and salad leave tossed into still warm lobster takes some beating. Here as well as on a south Asian beach! By the way the stunning Spiny Lobster that I found on a beach yesterday was under size and returned to the sea. If the miracle happens and I catch it again in a few years time it will still be returned. Too beautiful even for this hunter gatherer.