I catch fish, I cook fish, I eat fish, I sell fish, I sing about fish, I poeticize about fish, and now I write about fish.

As I said, the fish available off the coast these days include broadbill swordfish, albacore, redfish, bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, lobster, halibut and, on occasion, Chinook salmon.
 

The first step to great fish is preservation (how it is cared for after being caught).  The fish must first be eviscerated (gutted) and bled. This keeps the wonderful taste intact. Second the fish must be kept cold, packed in ice or refrigerated.

Caught and handled this way, the fish will please the most discriminating palate. Unbelievable as it may sound, however, the final product can be further enhanced. In fact, fish does not have to be consumed on the day it is caught, or as soon as possible. Aging can improve it.

"Aging" simply involves submerging the fish in crushed ice for three or four days. Provide adequate drainage and add ice daily as needed. The chemical action refines the fish, just as aging meat, cheese and wine enhance those products. The flavor is heightened, the texture becomes more pleasing, cutting and filleting is easier, and cooking is simplified. However, unless properly processed as soon as the fish hits the deck, aging will prove detrimental.