When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

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Bugalugs
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When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by Bugalugs » Mon Jul 11, 2016 9:11 pm

Hi folks,
I recently bought some fillets at one of those roadside trucks that have the blackboards out advertising their fish and prices etc, so I thought I'd buy some "flatty tails" at the bargain basement price of $22kg. My partner hasn't ever had them and I thought she'd like to try them.
Anyway - I asked him if they were local and he said - "yep, they're from Lakes Entrance".
They were frozen in bags and when I first saw them I thought to myself "Hmm they look a bit different", but I didn't worry too much.
On getting home I had a close look and I reckon they're not good old Lakes Entrance Flatty Tails.
I should have known that at that price, it was too good to be true, seeing as they are normally around $49kg at the moment.

What would any of you folks do? Go back and see him and tell him I wont ever buy anything again from him, that I know they aren't flathead from Lakes and that I'll spread the word?? Contact some type of govt body that regulates false naming of fish species etc? Name and Shame? Or just know for myself that the fish tasted good, but it wasn't what they said it was?

I still have a couple of fillets in the freezer.
I'll try to attach a pic of a few in the frypan, and you can see how I think they aren't flathead. Sorry about the photo quality (or does anyone think they're actually flatty tails?)

Cheers
Neil
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crumpet_avenger
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Re: When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by crumpet_avenger » Mon Jul 11, 2016 9:23 pm

They definitely arent flatty tails. I dunno mate. I reckon park ya car around the corner and go and flog him for lieing. Then help yaself to some of his real flatty tails. If you dont get caught you have had a massive win

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Re: When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by Scraglor » Mon Jul 11, 2016 9:27 pm

TBH, they do look like flatty tails to me, albeit, poorly filleted ones. Im surprised that they sell them with so much trimmed off. I suppose, they might be frozen for a length of time, hence the low price, with the fishmongers wanting to off load them before they are no good. Im not sure why they woud have just chopped off the end of the fillet

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Re: When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by ducky » Mon Jul 11, 2016 9:46 pm

You can generally tell flatty tails at a glance. They have a silver skin that stays on the fillets even when skinned. It goes a darker colour when cooked. If it's missing this it ain't flatty

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Re: When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by Tackleberry » Mon Jul 11, 2016 9:58 pm

ducky wrote:You can generally tell flatty tails at a glance. They have a silver skin that stays on the fillets even when skinned. It goes a darker colour when cooked. If it's missing this it ain't flatty
flathead tails.jpg
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Re: When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by Bugalugs » Tue Jul 12, 2016 12:03 am

Yep Tackleberry and Ducky - I was going to say the ones I got were skinless and they definitely didn't have that silvery skin that makes them easily recognisable. They were also too flat (no pun intended) and too wide and not the sort of triangular shape of your regular flatty tails that I know. Also do you see the slight split/cut at each end of the fillet? I think that's to remove the fine gut cavity bones, which shouldn't be there if you are buying flatty tails as the bones don't go that far down the fillet (make sense?) They weren't like the pic Tackleberry has supplied and they don't end up in a point at the tail (thanks mate - I was looking for one of those pics to post as a comparison) I should get out the ones from the freezer and take more pics from all angles to show the difference.
Crumpet_Avenger - great idea - he also says he has Craytails and the good woman LOVES a cray - so I should knick them before anything else (and just quietly - he's not far from you ... ssshhhh)
Scraglor - that's also a good explanation - as they did look like they had a slightly yellowish tinge that fish can get when nearing the end of their frozen shelf life. But the shape and lack of silvery skin does make me wonder.
Tomorrow I'll take more pics and post them .... the investigation continues.

Thanks again
Neil

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Re: When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by re-tyred » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:16 am

They will probably be latchet fillets. Very similar taste to flathead. Common by catch for lakes entrance trawlers. Slits are to take out a few fine bones down the centre.
There are two types One has all silver and red other has the green colours as well. They are a type of Flying Gurnard.
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latchet fillets.jpg
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There's nothing . . . absolutely nothing . . . half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats.
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Re: When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by cobby » Tue Jul 12, 2016 9:40 am

re-tyred wrote:They will probably be latchet fillets. Very similar taste to flathead. Common by catch for lakes entrance trawlers. Slits are to take out a few fine bones down the centre.
There are two types One has all silver and red other has the green colours as well. They are a type of Flying Gurnard.
That's most likely what they were

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Re: When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by barra mick » Tue Jul 12, 2016 10:19 am

Were was the bloke selling them...on the hume hwy?
you gotta hav a crack even if yr just pissin in the wind

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crumpet_avenger
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Re: When Flatty Tails aren't Flatty Tails

Post by crumpet_avenger » Tue Jul 12, 2016 11:03 am

Id say stud rd in rowville. I often see people stop off there... i actually thought bout stopping after a shocking trip on the bay. Glad i didnt.
Worse than springvale and dandenong markets. Some of what they claim to be selling is so far from the truth its not funny..

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