UKC

Did anyone catch last nights episode of the Deadliest Catch on Discovery?

One of scariest episodes on TV I have witnessed ....... crewman lashing pots in 8m seas in the middle of the Bering Seas on another boats. The captain of the boat with the TV crew is obviously nervous watching the antics of the other crew, keeps an eye on him then notices suddenly the crewman disapears overboard. The captain immediately sounds the alarm and the entire crew go into hyperdrive to keep an eye on the man (dressed in waterproofs only .... in those seas you are lucky to survive five minutes without a survival suit) and then skulldrag him out of the water (hyperthermic, but alive and incredibly grateful).

Quite apart from the weird fascination of watching men work in the most horrendous and dangerous conditions; it was refreshing to the immediate and selfless reaction of the crew to a fellow seaman in distress and makes you realise the risk that is involved in putting that battered haddock on your plate!

Been on Discovery the series will be repeated ad infinitum .... look out for it!

In reply to grumpytramp: I think it would be unliklely that haddock would be caught in pots. Crab, lobster, cray Norwegian prawn perhaps...But what you describe is 'standard' procedure on fishing boats - or any commercial working boat.
Lifetime expectancy for those immersed in the Bering/North Atlantic is roughly 20 minutes- not five minutes, though probably as with Mark Twain's death, was 'greatly exaggerated' for the sake of rivetting TV.
Trust me, I spent 25 years of my working life aboard a trawler in the Arctic Ocean.

In reply to bergalia:


Hardcore. Met a guy who'd done 15 years down the pit the other day. Things like this put my piss easy office job into perspective when I think I'm having a bad day!

In reply to bergalia:

I was referring to the general danger and hazard of all fishermen ....... but the pots they used are also adapted and used very succesfully for Cod in the Bering Sea

In reply to grumpytramp:
.......the pots they used are also adapted and used very succesfully for Cod in the Bering Sea.

I'll accept your word for it Grumpytramp. No criticism intended against you.
But it's a sad fact that in my day we could fish for the cod in shoals. Now alas it's a sign of our greed combined with pollution, that the fish are now 'caught' singly, and in traps.

In reply to grumpytramp:

Cod in pots!? Seems unlikely...

A former trawlerman.

In reply to grumpytramp:

I stant corrected...

http://www.neptunemarineproducts.com/traps/traps-info-fish.html

What will they think of next? Not really suitable for a bulk fishing but the selectivity of the gear (fewer immature fish) is an attractive aspect.

In reply to grumpytramp: I've watched quite a few episodes of it on Sky, I was brought up in a fishing village and the weather that the boats in my old village went out in was nothing compared to the conditions these guys go out in. I remember the one where one of the younger crew was hauled overboard and fell into the icy water, my heart just about stopped but they got him out just in time before he died. He was blue with the cold and couldnt even speak. They earn massive amounts of money from the crab and cod fishing but I'm not sure I would be brave enough to venture out there for any amount of money