I have eaten both coming from Greek Island heritage , , , , and are OK , , , , a bit of a delicacy rather than a meal. Either of them cooked whole (gutted) over charcoals with Greek Thyme or Oregano and Lemon & Olive Oil.
Don and I prefer food grade Pilchards, when we can get them, for bait, they are firmer we found. We get them frozen (loose, which their frozen tails get knocked about and half gone) and we keep stock in our bait freezers, for convenience. But oddly enough, the Fishmonger that we go to, has said after we wouldn't buy Sardines when they didn't have Pilchards, that people buy Pilchards if their are no Sardines but won't buy Sardines if their are no Pilchards. That must say something about Sardine or Pilchard , , , , we only buy Pilchards.
GusG wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:50 am
That reminds me of a condition I used to suffer from which my mate and I called 'pilchardus tracksuitis'
It is when you fish with pilchards and constantly wipe your hands on your tracksuit pants. By the end of the day's fishing your trackies are that badly crusted in pilchards that they can stand up on their own. And the smell...oh the smell.....
Probably could have used the trackies as berley
I only wash/rinse my hands in seawater either over the side of the boat OR a bucket while fishing on a Jetty. Keeps the bait not smelling of lavender/musk etc. That being said, I also suffer from "Pilchardus Tracksuitis" , , , , a good wipe before grabbing the Rod/Reel to cast, instead of washing/rinsing every-time.
BUT
So when snacking while fishing , , , ,
Pilchardus Fingerbunus is an acquired taste :oops: as this one was on my last fishing trip
Cheers, Bugattius Minimus