If youโve heard thereโs a new girl in town, then you heard right! Christina Pyle, of Catch-n-Carry, a local Ocean City fileting company, has been passed the metaphorical torch- or fileting knife in this case.
A Baltimore County native, Pyle was given the opportunity to filet the biggest game and billfish in the world at the White Marlin Open. When the Motsko family, along with the WMO reached out, it was an immediate yes.
Catch-n-Carry
Christina and her husband own the popular fileting company, Catch-n-Carry, based right here in Ocean City. โWe process fish mostly from charter boats. We deal with the mess and the time consuming process of cutting and packaging fish.โ A member of their team comes right to the boat and carries it away for you. But thatโs not the only thing Catch-n-Carry offers. Pyle filets the fish into meal sized portions and flash freezes it to -5 degrees. โOur goal is to prolong the freezer life of someoneโs catch.โ With many families on vacation, itโs a unique service that helps get their catch from pier to home.
Passing the Filet Knife
Being her first-time fileting for the WMO and taking over the filet station came with huge responsibility and pressure. Christina stepped into a vacancy at the marina, where dock legend, Rose Stivers had fileted at the WMO for more twenty years. โIโve watched her over the years and canโt believe Iโm attempting to fill in her shoes.โ However much stress it may entail, Christina is no stranger to pressure as she works as a career firefighter when sheโs not slicing through tuna or mahi.
This year has been extra special for Pyle. Catch-n-Carry gets to partner with the Maryland Food Bank and commercial electric contractor, Dvorak LLC. Christina will be assisting with fileting and processing the fish caught during this years 2022 White Marlin Open. Dvorak LLC. offered to sponsor Pyle and Catch-n-Carry to โprovide fresh, flash frozen fish to families in need.
Tricks of the Trade
When asked about a special fileting technique, Pyle explains that itโs more of a combination of several techniques put together. โIโve been taught many different ways to filet and I guess Iโve come to use a technique that works best for me.โ And with a variety of knives at her disposal, making sure to find what makes you most comfortable is key. Being safe with knife skills is crucial and Pyle can tell you that first hand. Sheโs only had a handful of accidents with the knife, even while practicing the best knife etiquette.
While picking the proper knife size for fileting monster bill and game fish is important (Pyle prefers an 8โ blade), her knife size may vary depending on the type of fish. For example, some fish carry more meat in their head while others carry more on the belly. Christina explains, โTuna have a lot of meat. They have a back loin, belly loin, and collar meat. So- we try to capture as most meat as we can when we cut.โ Even though tuna have a thick skin that can make fileting tricky, tuna are her favorite fish to cut and portion.
You Go Girl
Being in a male dominated industry, Pyle can sometimes stand out on the dock with her long blonde hair hanging out of her Catch-n-Carry hat. Yet Christina explains, over the past few years, โthere are a lot more female anglers and female only tournaments. Iโve met a lot of really cool women who share the same passion for fishing as me.โ She believes that a lot of women may have felt intimidated to fish but are now stepping out their comfort zones and trying something new.
Many Thanks
Christina would like to thank all of the boats that have donated fish to the Maryland Food Bank this year along with Dvorak LLC, the WMO, and the Motsko family for the incredible opportunity. If youโd like to know more about Catch-n-Carry, you can follow them on Instagram @catch_n_carry or visit their website www.catch-n-carry.com
