It’s unusual, nowadays – a fisherman that mongers his fish.
But Meredith native Amanda Parks, 24, and Tim Rider, 40, of Manchester arrive at their boat in Portsmouth about 2 a.m. most mornings before going four or five hours into open ocean.
There, listening to hip-hop and ’80s tracks on satellite radio, they use large fishing rods and bait hooks to catch pollock, cusk, haddock, cod and Acadian redfish before returning home, some 16 or 18 hours later.
The next morning, Parks and Rider hop into their white, refrigerated van with their business name, New England Fishmongers, proudly painted on the doors. With energy drinks vibrating in the cup holders, the two bounce from restaurant to restaurant along the New Hampshire Seacoast, plopping whole, gutted fish into chef’s metal trays.
They meet with a handwritten list of established clients and also stop at some new spots, offering free fish samples. Rider and Parks sell their product hard, knowing they’re likely the only ones doing what they’re doing in the entire state.
And even then, Rider said, “We’re hanging on by the skin of our teeth.”
