It's midnight or close to it. The waves of high tide are reaching further and further up the sandy beach. There's no moon to be seen and the only light sources, besides the glow of the city, are the headlamp I'm wearing and the flashlights of the other dozen or so people who have gathered on the beach this evening. The cool ocean mist is blowing in my face and picking up the light of my LED's making it difficult to focus through the haze. As a wave retreats back to the sea I scan around and see a flicker of light reflecting from something wriggling about in the sand. My heart rate accelerates and I sprint toward the source and in a rush I start grabbing for the sand. In my hand is the quarry for the evening and why I've been standing around for the last hour, the California Grunion, and what I've just done is better known as "Grunion Hunting."
The California Grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) is a small fish similar to a smelt. The grunion has a greenish/blue upper with a silvery bottom and dark blue stripe running the length of the fish along the lateral line. Grunions grow to about 7 inches and spend most of the time just off-shore around 15 to 40 feet deep. The unique characteristic of the grunion and the subsequent method of take is their spawning behavior. The California Grunion are the only fish in California known to spawn completely out of water. Spawning runs from March to September for 3 to 4 nights at a time following the full moon at high tide. The spawning occurs with such regularity, that runs can be forecast well into the future and with a great deal of accuracy. On nights of the spawning run, the female fish comes ashore with one wave, digs herself into the wet sand to lay her eggs while the male fish attempts to wrap himself around her to fertilize the eggs. With the next wave they are gone just as soon as they appeared. The Grunion Run is unique to Southern California (south of Morro Bay) and Northern Baja, Mexico. On nights of the run people flock to Southern California beaches to gather the fish in buckets, bags and anything else that will hold a fish. You are only allowed to catch the fish by hand (no nets, spears or any other aid) and there is currently no limit on how many you take, but responsibility to our fisheries dictates that we only take what we truly need. All you need is a California fishing license, a bucket or bag to store them, a bright flashlight and a little fortitude to make it through a late night on the beach, although there are worse places to spend a late night. The thrill of chasing after these little fish is without compare in my opinion. Sometimes you'll see them a good 20 yards away and make a sprint to try a beat the next wave only to have the fish wiggle out of your grasp when you finally get it. Other times there might be anywhere from 5 to 15 fish flopping around right a your feet as if waving a white flag in surrender.
The Grunion are a bony fish but a tasty fish nevertheless. To prepare them, start by removing the head and entrails and rinse with some fresh water. Dip the fish in some beaten eggs and them roll in flour with a little salt and pepper. Fry them in olive oil for a few minutes per side and you've got a pretty good meal. One women I spoke with on the beach recommended only a little salt and then a quick fry in oil.For more info on the California Grunion and the schedule of runs, visit the California Department of Fish and Game website at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/grunionschedule.asp
