Gar along?

[Morgan]

Well, me and tater finally got a gar landed that is big enough to maybe skin back a bow. Now, this ain’t a how to, it is just a document of my attempt in case it actually works. The scales will be integral. The skin is grown to them all the way to the tip of the scale. This starts out like cleaning a gar for the table. I Cut the tail off with hatchet to bleed, then took snips or pruners whichever is cleanest and cut through the skin down center of back and from back to belly along gill bone. Then I work the skin off the meat.

[Morgan]

I then removed the fillets. Now uncharted territory, i removed the carcass from the belly side of the skin. Fleshed with a wedge of wood and cut the fins out. Scrubbed the tar out of inside and out with dish soap and a plastic scrubber.  Cut down the middle and liberally salted flesh and scale side. I’ll rinse tomorrow and apply a gob of borax. I may soak in glycerine and alcohol, haven’t decided yet. Fish was 4’ from nose to tail and wound up with a 28” skin if it is stretched out. Gar skin will cut you to pieces.

[Pat B]

Nice skins but don't soak them in glycerin and alcohol. The glycerin will prevent glues from adhering to it. Just dry the skins by tacking them to a board and put them in the sun or freeze until ready to use. You don't need to tan the skins.

[Morgan]

Thanks pat! I was thinking the glycerine might tame that hard stuff a bit, but I’ll not do it for sure now

[BowEd]

Nice pictures of your project and a nice sized gar there.Caught just a few myself while cat fishing the river.Excellent tasting fish.Pretty thick hide on those guys.I've seen a gar quiver once.Pretty cool.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Id bet the skins are thick and strong enough to protect nearly as well as rawhide does. You did a nice job keeping them clean and flat.

[Ryan Jacob]

How are you gonna get those scales of though?

[Morgan]

How are you gonna get those scales of though?

I don’t think you can.
Pearl, I thought the skin would be thick too, but it isn’t very thick at all. After it dried it’s kinda brittle. I’m gonna glue a test piece to a slat and see if it holds up to lots of bending

[Hawkdancer]

Never thought of gar as a "table" fish, but then I ain't much of a fish eater!  Well, shrimp and lobster, and once in a while catfish, if I can find it!  Plent of butter and barbecue sauce and beer will help!
Hawkdancer

[Morgan]

Never thought of gar as a "table" fish, but then I ain't much of a fish eater!  Well, shrimp and lobster, and once in a while catfish, if I can find it!  Plent of butter and barbecue sauce and beer will help!
Hawkdancer

You ought to try it. Sure ain’t like eating fish. Smaller ones are better eating. I think the short nose and spotted are better than the longnose. Never had gator gar. Meat is white and chewy, don’t have a clue why some folks claim they ain’t fit for eating, I’d wager most that say that haven’t had any. Just get all that red meat off the outside.

[thomas h]

catch em, outa the  Mississippi, and smoke em , makes some fine cuisine  ,with homemade wine.

[Ryan Jacob]

Well, this went straight to the cooking forum