Big Narra Lake Jewie

[mrmoshe]

Restaurateur can’t serve fish he caught

HE may have caught the largest mulloway ever landed in Narrabeen Lagoon but Limani’s Seafood Restaurant owner Peter Kritsotakis isn’t allowed to sell the fine catch in his own restaurant on the lagoon’s edge.

Despite the 18kg mulloway being as fresh as could be, the law says he can only sell fish bought from licensed fish suppliers.

“It’s fresher than anything I could get from a supplier but that’s the law,” Mr Kritsotakis said.

Instead the giant mulloway, also known as jewfish, has been cut into about 50 fillets and given to family, friends and staff.

And despite the disappointment of not being able to sell the fish in his own restaurant within sight and sound of where it was caught, there’s no hiding Mr Kritsotakis’s pride in the monster catch.

The giant mulloway was landed on Easter Monday using small fillets of tailor he caught the previous night.

And he said he was lucky - he used a 15-pound line to land the 18kg fish.

“There were about 30 or 40 people crowding around when I landed it,” Mr Kritsotakis said.

“They were clapping and so on, although at first a few people thought it was plastic.”

Narrabeen Bait and Tackle owner Mark Ternen said the catch was “an exceptional fish and by far the biggest caught from the lake this season”.

Debbie Taranto, who was picnicking nearby with her family, said that when the bell on Mr Kritsotakis’s rod rang, they went to watch.

“We knew there was something big but didn’t know what it was,” she said.

“It took Peter about 15 minutes to land it. By that time, a decent crowd had gathered and cheered him when he finally pulled it in.

“Once he had caught it, more and more people came to have a look and congratulate him on his catch.”

Mr Kritsotakis said he got the bug five years ago when he was fishing with a friend who landed a 35kg mulloway in the Hawkesbury.

“I’ve been trying to catch a fish like this for a couple of years,” he said.

Peter Kritsotakis with the giant mulloway he caught in Narrabeen Lagoon on Easter Monday

[Stealthmission]

Normally I am a bit uss on the accuracy of the Manly Daily, however in this case the report and varifications are spot on.

The amount number of hours I have spent out there hunting flatties... if only t'was me! Ripper of a fish that one (no wonder the prawns were slow this year!)

[arpie]

Terrific jewie there - shame he couldn't feed his customers with it! Maybe he could have sold it to the markets for $1 & pay $1 to get it back!!? His family & friends were certainly in the right spot at the right time!!

Roberta

[framedtrash]

couldnt he just give the fish away for free

and charge a fee for corkage

[davegroves68]

couldnt he just give the fish away for free

and charge a fee for corkage

I think the free publicity his restaurant is getting after this catch covers a bit of "corkage" and bait.

[crunch]

the law says he can only sell fish bought from licensed fish suppliers.

Try telling the Avoca rock gang that!

Still, great fish. I'm in two minds about fish that big... If you've got to distribute between so many people, then I'd be grabbing my photo and sending it back. but then, I've caught half a dozen 60+ Bonnies in one session and given two to my boss, two to my parents, and donated two to the BBQ, and everyone appreciated it.

I don't have a problem with people doing what they want with their (legal) catch, just my train of thought on stonking fish. I suppose I have a deep respect for something that can test me to my limits!

[IVZ350]

theres more were he came from i'd say, the lake has its mysteries lurking beneath!!

[cheder]

personally i would have released the fish, it wouldnt have tasted that good being so big, and its an old fish i reckon its earned the right to live on in my book.