Summer Fishing Begins!

As an avid Fisherwoman, it pleases me greatly to spend a little time in some of our fresh water havens seeking out delicious trout! These two were caught at my secret honey hole, a place with no real name, but a lot of great fish. You have to really focus in this place, as the brush makes casting challenging, and the fish are weary of frilly lures. These two beauties were hooked on worms hung off pink beads and a Colorado spinner.

The fish on the left is Oncorhynchus mykiss, our native Rainbow Trout or Steelhead. Though this picture does not show it, this fish was the largest. The fish on the right is Salvelinus fontinalis, or Brook Trout. This fish is not native, but has been established in Pacific waterways from The East Coast.

Indo is not a big fan of fish, but she does enjoy lounging on the bank watching me cast. These two fine finned friends are more than enough for dinner tonight. The joy of harvesting fresh meat from the waters near home are most fulfilling. I’ve been learning the good spots in the area and can now confidently stop by any number of lakes and ponds to procure a tasty meal of fresh trout. Worms are the secret, and I swear by them. I’ve never used a fly or floater, only pink beads and silver sipper with a fat juicy worm. I’m excited about fishing in The Netherlands later this summer with Bernard. We’ll be spending a lot of time in canals, which I’ve not fished before.

We enjoyed these trout with lemon, garlic, butter, and onion. My favorite part of a trout is the cheek meat, little oysters of delicious found below the eye. You have to pull the meat from the bones carefully, with practice, this becomes easy enough as you learn the makeup of a fish. The skin is also very nutritious, and should be baked on as a crispy outer layer to the soft, pink meat. I’m so grateful for the fish and the knowledge to know where and how to catch them. It’s also a great luxury to have all these lakes and streams right in my back yard. Western Washington is truly the place to be for fishing!