Fishing Tourism Ischia: A FISH EVERYTHING GOLD!

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Fishing Tourism: A FISH … EVERYTHING GOLD! The Lampuga

Inhoming Fishing tourism and boat trip with sport fishing tests in Ischia

Edited by Salvatore Cuzzocrea

Before talking about fishing tourism, we talk about the Lampuga, a wonderful inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea, who also populates a good number of the surrounding waters of the island of Ischia.

And truly gold-colored is often its splendid livery, when a lucky fisherman or sport fisherman, on a boat trip from Ischia, sails from the sea a specimen of this species.

Its color in fact, under the sun’s reflections, may vary from a live yellow to almost electric blue, often its sides come with a yellow background with small blue spots, or yellow spots on a blue metallic background.

Inhoming fishing tourism: Lampuga a fish all over gold

The Lampuga (coryphaena hippurus) is a pelagic migratory sea fish, present in all the oceans of the globe.

In Italy it is called (rarely) corifene or capone, in some regions of the south, for the typical rounded and protruding shape of the forehead, especially in males.

English is called the dolphin, perhaps because of its strong tendency to jump out of the water, which in the past has generated more than one misunderstanding for those who would have to translate into Italian.

Now famous in this regard, the mistake in the original translation of Fernanda Pivano of “The Old and the Sea”, from which it turns out that, during the fight with the giant marlin, at a line left in the water, bend a dolphin and then come caught (what’s unlikely) and then packed and eaten raw by old Santiago, always during the epic fight.

In Spanish it is also called “Dorado” always for its characteristic predominant yellow gold color that disappears after a few minutes of being fished to become silvery gray.

the characteristic yellow Lampuga gold color

The lampuga prefers tropical and subtropical waters, but also penetrates the Mediterranean, where in autumn it approaches coastal areas around Ischia Island.

And here, as soon as the season begins, fishermen, both professional and amateur, or sport fishing are waiting for it.

In particular, in Ischia, this fish is the subject of a traditional fishing method, whose origins, probably Sicilian, are lost over the centuries: fishing with “cannizzi”.

This system is based on deep-sea positioning of palm frond beams, bonded to each other and secured to the bottom from a top end with a proper ballast, called “dead body”.

These palm fronds, held on the surface by means of special floats, create a shadow area that for Lampughe is an irresistible reminder.

Lampuga is in fact a predatory fish from the gregarious habitats, which mainly focuses on surface water, and is attracted to everything floating and has a sufficient surface to constitute a shade of shaded area.

Small wrecks, floating trunks, even a dripping fruit can occasionally accommodate Lampughe underneath it.

Below the palms placed by the fishermen, instead, it comes to constitute in short a real small ecosystem.

Microrganisms, plankton, small fish, and various forms of animal life do not delay colonizing these small structures, which, however artificial, become a real landmark in the sea for its inhabitants.

F.A.D., meaning Fish Aggregation Device

In Anglo-Saxon countries Cannizzi and other such artefacts are commonly used, and are defined by the term F.A.D., meaning Fish Aggregation Device.

In addition to the Lampughe, other species, especially those of the so-called pilot fish, tend to be permanently attending the F.A.D.

Often, tuna can also be found in their vicinity.

Sometimes, just under the fronds you can find a small grouper. In Sicily they are called “grouper shadows“.

Returning to the Lampughe, some professional fishermen, who know all this, have at their disposal every summer a number of cannizzi, which then return systematically to visit.

Vessels use seine nets, so-called “cianciole”, to surround and pick up Lampughe’s flocks, after they are located near Cannizzo.

Sport fishing

Lampuga, besides being a kind of commercial interest for the quality of its meat, is also a fish much appreciated by sport fishermen. During these periods, from August to November, the sport fishermen of Ischia gather on small boats and organize boat trips with sport fishing tackle, often adopting the “catch and release” technique.

Samples of size

The Lampuga is a classic prey of high- trolling fishing, but it can also be restricted to ligth drifting, not to mention spinning in the sea, for which it is one of the most sought after and fun.

It can be undermined by various types of artificial, primarily feathered heads, small jigs and silicone bait (very good old raglou).

At first, it swallows almost everything, but the herd quickly becomes accustomed to recognizing the artificial ones that pass before it, and then it becomes necessary to vary the bait to resume the pace of the catch.

Of course, even for the sport fishing of this species, which is practiced in ninety-nine per cent of the cases from the boat, it is essential to know the position in the sea of ​​some cannizzo, otherwise, even in the good season, it can be quite problematic to cross a pack of Lampughe wandering more or less at random for the sea.

However, having identified water-bearing palm fronds, which are also recognizable at a distance from support floats (almost always empty plastic cans), the fisherman has nothing but to turn around the cannery, keeping it to a dozen meters away, and wait for the bubbles.

Lampuga at Ischia

Those who want to strain the Lampuga to spinning will do well to get over the wind, a few dozen meters away, turn off the engine and let the boat fly to the Cannizzi, throwing as soon as they shoot in the vicinity of them.

Lampuga’s reaction after capture is one of the most fun that exists: jump and spectacular acrobatics out of the water alternating with angry escapades, triggering adrenaline rivers in the fishermen coronaries.

Fishing tourism in Ischia

Lampuga is a very voracious fish, from the almost prodigious growing times, and the young specimens that in August weigh a few hectograms, in October / November can reach and exceed the two Kilos of weight, making it so much fun, if you are fishing with medium-light equipment as favorite to Ischia’s sport fishermen.

Repeated jumps and sudden leaks make you fear until the last instant that the fish can slip and leave, as it is said, “with full eyes and empty hands.”

In deep-sea fishing, it is always possible, though not frequent, to encounter an adult specimen, with a weight varying from four to five kilograms up to ten and beyond.

If we add to that, in the category of so-called blue fish, Corifena is the one that has the most delicate meat, we can understand why its catch is considered so prestigious among fishermen for delight.

Not to mention that her herd habits allow us the possibility of multiple catches.

In this regard, a small trick that is good to apply when you are in two or more people to fish on the same boat is to not catch the fish recovered until at least one other is caught.

This is because the herd tends to follow the specimen clinging to the line, always remaining in the immediate vicinity and thus giving the possibility, especially in the case of spinning fishing, to catch other members of the herd.

School of Dorado

On the contrary, if the fish caught can get rid of it, it will run away behind the whole group, and hardly at that point we can make other catches.

The Lampuga in the kitchen

Finally, in the kitchen, the Lampuga is well suited to almost all types of cooking: it is excellent either in grilled, baked or damp.

From the fillets you can also get an exquisite carpaccio.

Lampuga marinated with lemon and sour sauce with pomegranate

A classic however is the wet cooking, for which we provide a typical Ischitan recipe below:

LIGHT IN HUMIDITY

Ingredients

1 kg of clean and translucent lampshades;

500 grams of cut tomatoes cut into cubes;

2 cloves of garlic;

half onion;

a tuft of parsley;

Salt and Pepper To Taste.;

half a glass of white wine;

extra virgin olive oil;

Procedure to follow

1. Begin by choosing a large pan; one of those that can be covered during cooking.
2. Put some oil in it and fry the onion and the garlic (both in small pieces).
3. After a while add the fish and blend the whole with the wine.
4. At the end of shade (it will take a few minutes) put the tomatoes peeled inside the pan and do not forget to always add a teaspoon of sugar to mitigate its acidity.
5. Then “chop into the pot” also chopped parsley and cover. Cook. You will understand when it is time to serve the fish by helping you with a fork to test its consistency.

Finally, the Lampuga must be seasoned with other chopped parsley or capers or pitted green olives.

Other recipes are equally delicious: The fillet of the lampuga at Sant’Angiolese, the marinated lampuga, and the baked lampuga with potatoes in ponzese.

Lampuga Fish on the grill

TOURISM FISHING AND SPORTS FISHING IN ISCHIA

All of these experiences and news can be taken in detail and lived directly by the people concerned. Contact our Inhoming team of sport fishermen in Ischia, who are at your disposal to organize a boat trip with personalized sport fishing tests according to your needs.

Inhoming also organizes boat trips with sport fishing with Ischia’s day-to-day tasting in the home-restaurant or directly in a typical Ischitan restaurant.

For information Inhoming Srl tel. +39 3713455013