[rocnesmonsta]

Just wondering how many fisherman out there like to harvest trout every once in a blue moon. Now that I got into fly fishing years ago it seems that my consumption has gone down. I don't mind eating trout and I always get into trouble each summer on our family camp-out because I release everything. I do believe in conservation but if i need to get something into my tummy there is always those beaver ponds with thousands of brookies in them. I have read articles about high elevation beaver ponds that hold thousands of brookies and they inform us that its ok to harvest them to help control some of the population. After reading some of these articles it makes me feel a little better as far as consumming brookies...... or should I. Just wondering what everybody else thinks about the issue. If you do harvest from time to time what recipes do you use.

If I do harvest I would take five brookies no longer than five inches...... gut them, cut the heads off, a little salt, pepper, and lemon. Fry whole and eat them bones and all. ;D

 

[silicone boy]

Unfortunately, I have yet to find a beaver pond with thousands of brookies. I'm a catch and release guy, but if I injure a fish mortally, I think it should go back into the food chain mercifully (by the way, what's the quickest way to humanely kill a fish). I'll either harvest it or leave it for the other fish/birds.

I don't mind harvesting overpopulated brookies, but again I have yet to find a place where I would consider them to be stunted.

 

[fishingkats]

i believe as long as people are catching the legal limit of fish and you have a license you should be able to catch and choose
to return them to the pan or the water its up to you

 

[TimberlineArcher]

I dont mind when guys keep fish for the pan, I personally dont on trout cause I really dont like trout, but bass and panfish go right on the stringer!! lol... what irks me is the guys keeping the biggest fish on the river. Esp the females loaded with eggs. The best eating fish are between 10 and 16 inches. but obviously I cant say anything because it is legal.

 

[Mr. Ed]

The catch & release thing has been debated to death. I keep fish depending on multiple factors including, time before processing, posession/bag limits, water quality (when a lake goes to full bloom in late summer, they don't taste good) and selectively based on size (big lakers are too oily, I like to fillet so depending on the fish, smaller species may go back)

With regard to your recipe question -

Trout that aren't big enough to fillet - gut em and leave the head on. Coat with olive oil, fill the cavity with spices (even a slice of bacon if you want a smokey taste) and throw it right on the grill. When the eye on the bottom turns white, flip it and cook the same way. (don't eat the bacon as it won't be cooked) I used to use foil but got tired of the mushiness. This is the best way I've found.

Walleye - fillet, batter, and fry (they are equally tasty at any size)
Catfish - fillet, batter, and fry
Crappie - fillet, batter, and fry
Bass - cut out the blood line, fillet, batter, and fry

(I like my fish n' chips with Guinness) ;D

 

[TimberlineArcher]

I would have to agree with you on that one!!!!

 

[rocnesmonsta]

I could go for some fish and chips right now considering its Lent (friday). Wish I could head up to those beaver ponds and have me a brookie fry with a Guiness (maybe).......... work sucks. Thanks for all the feed back. I'm still kind of new to this board seems like there is a lot of cool fisherman in here. Well, gotta head back to work.

The Rocnesmonsta

 

[pikester01]

Harvest a few!!!..bought some Uncle Buck's fish fry mix from Bass Pro...skin on, skin off-fillets, doesn't matter...a bit of hot oil, dry rub in the Uncle Bucks and $#*&^ Damn good eatin"...TrophyTime..

 

[dryfly09]

I think that maybe eating a brookie every once in awhile is ok but you should never make it a habit to harvset fish. I am a hugh conservationist so I always catch and release my fish. I to get introuble with my fiances family for not bringing any fish home for them. So time and time agian I have to explain why I cattch and release. I look at it the same way Lee Wulff does. "When you catch and relaes a fish that fish becomes a gift for another fisherman from you and that same fish might have be a gift to you from someone else." I will always stand behind that saying. Best of luck to you and Tight Loops.

 

[thumper]

I see nothing wrong with keeping fish for dinner as long as it is done within the limits of the law.

Thumper

 

[Dedbeet bluz]

I like to catch and release. Don't like trout that much. Rather have someone cook it for me. Not a good cook I guess.
Brookies reproduce so fast it is good to take a few.
It may be legal to keep a fish but I would rather return it to the water for someone else to enjoy catching. Plus it would be good for the piscator to be there the next time I go back.
Where they stock fish it is planned for people to keep some so certainly nothing wrong with it. I still put them back.

 

[flybynight]

Brook trout are like the rabbitts of the fish world; that is why the limit is 14...Roll 'em in corn meal with a little salt and pepper and fry. Yum!

 

[TimberlineArcher]

be careful, I do believe its 14 (I thought 10... ) UNDER 8 inches. oh wait... its 10 under 8" and 4 of any size. gotcha...

 

[sgfried]

Generally I only keep fish when I am camping, I know they will be eaten shortly and are very fresh. I generally do not eat browns or cutt ( I catch very few of them and prize them highly) I will keep any size brookie unless I think its on the larger size for the river/lake I am fishing. For rainbows, I usually keepem 10 -13 inches, because that is what fits my camping frying pan best. I don't think its bad to keep fish once in a while, I let all of the larger fish go, just because of the rush I get watching it swim off and wondering how big it will be next year.

 

[yeager]

who needs advise on how to kill a fish? "humanly"- >
I can fillet a minnow, I fillet all my fish even small trout the only fish difficult to fillet is a frozen one (sitting on the ice) or Pike.

 

[farmer ted]

The only freshwater fish I like to eat are rainbows. I keep them every so often. I've found that the best tasting are wild or stockers gone wild which means over about 14" an 18" wild 'bow with red meat is YUMMY!

I 'fillet' them (not boneles) like salmon and grill them (or broil in the winter) with kosher salt, lemon pepper, a dash of lemon juice and black pepper.