Hallo, I'm very happy if you want to come with us on the boat to look at the work of fisherman Alessandro. The program starts at 17.30 and Alessandro put the nets in the lake and speaks with you about the fish and the quality of lake. We will return to shore at 19.00 and you can decide if you want to eat in our restaurant for degustation fish. I wait your answer. Thank you. Rosy.

Alessandro and Rosy Sala, licensed fishers at Lake Como in Italy run Ristorante Mella, an eatery at San Giovanni, a fishermen’s borough with picturesque cobbled streets.

The couple offers an opportunity for visitors to experience il pesce dalla rete alla padella (from the fishing net to the frying pan) at the foot of the Swiss Alps.

I have been planning for such a trip called ittiturismo or fishing tourism for some time, as it is another form of agriturismo that is gaining popularity in Italy.

Read our post about agriturismo here.

The choices of ittiturismo vary depending on the different territories, ranging from short trips along the coasts and lagoons to lakes and rivers. Visitors observe commercial fishing activities or do some fishing sports. Some enjoy food provided on board or ashore.

Ittiturismo aims at understanding and appreciating the coastal environment that can serve to bring the public closer to the world of professional fishing as well as to provide extra income for the fishers.

Stunning Lake Como, famous for George Clooney’s villa where he entertains his Hollywood friends, boasts a variety of fish species such as whitefish, shad, perch, bleak, burbot, trout, eel, pike, roach and chub.

I was lucky to be there in early September since the main fishing season is in the late summer as fish spawn between the end of July and beginning of September.

Rosy, the only licensed fisher woman in Lake Como smiled warmly when she picked me up at Villa Serbelloni where I was staying, approximately two kilometers away from San Giovanni. “Tomorrow the weather will not be this good,“ she said.

We met Alessandro at San Giovanni’s small port and went directly to his boat. I was expecting the Salas to show me how they cast the fishing nets, instead Alessandro drove the fishing boat expertly towards the promontory separating the Como Lake in two branches and started showing magnificent villas and their lovely gardens surrounding Lake Como.

Villa La Cassianella an exclusive full service private estate consists of 30,000 square meters of garden area on which sits four houses, a tennis court, a heated swimming pool, gym and cinema. Villa del Balbianello was the movie set for Casino Royale and the Star Wars while Villa Serbelloni is home to the Bellagio Center of the Rockefeller Foundation.

After viewing the gorgeous villas from afar, Rosa said "Now it's time to work." Alessandro  took us to the quiet parts of the lake and began casting his nets while Rosy controlled the boat. “We have fishing rules including the lengths of the nets and the types of fish to be catch. Fishing police supervised our activities,” he explained.

Allesandro usually leaves the nets for a few hours and will return in the middle of the night to get the fish.

After almost two hours on the boat we went ashore and visited the Salas’ workshop where fish caught during the days are processed. Regulars come to buy fish and sometimes trade different types of their catch.

Alessandro keeps the traditions of Mella’s previous owners, offering a good link between professional lake fishing and its cuisines.

He catches fresh-water fish daily, while Rosy proposes the day’s menu based on what Alessandro brings for the restaurant and their shop.

Although not a very big restaurant it is a cozy place where guests have the opportunity to taste the typical cuisine based mainly on fish from the lake. Those who do not like fresh water fish will also find a good selection of dishes to choose from.

I decided to try the degustation menu and never before seen and tasted so many soft, succulent and juicy fish dishes in my life.

Four starter: fish pate with rustic bread, fish and bread fried with sauce, fish eggs, marinated fillet lavarello (white fish).

First course: lake fish lasagnette

Main course: grilled lavarello with salad

Desert: sorbet lemon followed by tea.

A visit here, as promoted by Ristorante Mella, is not just about admiring the natural beauty of Lake Como: it is also about savoring the different flavors of its cuisine, relishing its aromas, and giving your taste buds a treat.

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Images: Omar Niode Foundation