Fresh Mackerel

Mackerel come in many different forms and are found in waters all around the world. The particular species featured on this page are Atlantic mackerel, found chiefly in the North Atlantic and in the North Sea. Sadly, mackerel are often under-rated as an eating fish but the good news in this respect is that this factor does affect their price and they can often be purchased at a fraction of the cost of more popular eating fish, on a pound for pound (weight) basis.

Mackerel are a type of fish which are commonly referred to simply as an, "Oily fish." This means that they are high in the fish oil containing Omega-3 Fatty Acid which many scientists and nutritionists recommend for good heart health. For those seeking or interested in obtaining in-depth details of the nutritional benefits and qualities of fresh mackerel, a full breakdown can be found via the link below:

Health Benefits and Nutritional Value of Mackerel

There are two simple and obvious ways in which it is possible to obtain fresh mackerel. The first is to actually go fishing for them and the second is to purchase them from a fishmonger or supermarket. Both of these means of obtaining fresh mackerel require some advance knowledge if the process is to be conducted with the greatest levels of success.

Fishing for Mackerel

Mackerel - like almost any other type of fish or food - are best found fresh by obtaining them oneself from their natural habitat. Fishing for mackerel does not necessarily involve going out in a boat as there are many places where mackerel can very successfully be caught from shore, particularly where one can access a pier, breakwater, or other artifical structure which allows safe and easy access to slightly deeper water.

There are many serious saltwater and sea fishermen who will scoff at the idea of deliberately fishing for mackerel, other than to thereafter use them as fresh bait for other species of fish. This is because mackerel are one of the easiest of all sea fish to catch, provided they can be found, and thus do not afford the sport and thrill of the hunt which many seek. Mackerel generally swim in shoals and are attracted most often to hooks or lures by their colour and the glint of same in the water, rather than by scent. Fresh bait for mackerel fishing is therefore unnecessary and, although mackerel will go for fresh bait including other mackerel, the best way to catch them is often by using colourful lures, such as the ones featured above right.

The video below shows mackerel fishing from a boat and the fisherman using a technique which is known as, "Jigging," or, "Pirking." This simply involves using a paternoster rig, containing usually three to five hooks, with a weight on the end and allowing it to fall to the sea bed. As soon as the weight touches the sea bed, the reel clutch is engaged and the rod is moved up and down in a fluid motion, thereby causing the attractants down below to move around in the water, emulating the actions of smaller fish, and hopefully attracting the attention of the mackerel.

Purchasing Fresh Mackerel

Fresh mackerel are most commonly bought either whole and uncleaned, whole for the most part but with the guts and innards removed (occasionally the head and perhaps tail as well,) or filleted. If mackerel - in whatever form - are to be bought and enjoyed at their best, it is important that one know precisely what to look for in order to ensure that they are indeed as fresh as they are deemed to be. This is neither a time consuming nor complicated process and will make a huge difference to the quality of the mackerel dish being prepared and served.

1. Smell the mackerel. If they are fresh, they will smell faintly of the sea from which they came. If they smell what one would normally deem to be, "Fishy," then they are almost certainly past their best and should not be purchased.
2. Touch the fish. The flesh should be firm and not spongy. If the flesh is excessively soft, this is most likely a sign that the mackerel have been frozen and are not indeed fresh.
3. Look in to the mackerel's eyes. The eyes should be clear and not cloudy and discoloured.
4. Look in to the mackerel's gills. They should be a rich, deep red in colour.
5. If purchasing mackerel fillets, as opposed to whole mackerel, pay heed as above to the smell and the texture.