SF Bay Herring

<Leafcutter rumination>

The herring came in close enough to net! 

A herring spawn is a magical thing. The fish disappear as quickly as they arrive, en masse, to spawn in sheltered waters up and down San Francisco bay.  You would never know it, driving on the congested bridges that crisscross the Bay Area, that the cycle of life and death, the frenzy of group sex, and the wildlife feast of the season, are happening right below our slow moving vehicles.

For a few hours, usually in the early part of the year, they come in close to lay their eggs and release their milt on the rocky, kelpy shores. When they're done, they disappear back into the bay, leaving behind milky water and a sticky mess of eggs that cling to shore, not to mention the legions of satisfied seagulls and harbor seals rubbing their bellies.

   

If you time it just right and you catch the herring "in the act," it's possible to catch these little tasty fish from shore with a cast net. Cast netting is as ancient and low-tech as it gets, and with a little practice, it's pretty effective, too.

In a couple hours, we had filled up a five-gallon bucket full of herring. 

 

 

 And in another couple hours, it was time to eat!