What have you caught/cooked lately?

I backpacked into the Wind Rivers in Wyoming last week and stayed for a week. When I was twelve or thirteen I went to the Wind Rivers, or near the Wind Rivers, with Boy Scouts and we stayed in a campground. It was pretty fun as I recall, but I had never really been TO the Wind Rivers, so this was sort of my first trip.

One of the people I was going with told me the fishing was just unbelievable -- 100 fish per day, a fish on every cast, etc. I figured if the fishing was half as good as he said, it would still be a fun trip. Well, it WAS about half as good as my friend said, and it wasn't just fun, it was unreal. We camped on a lake full of brook trout. During the evening rise, even an inexperienced kid could go and limit out within an hour. During the day we hiked to rivers and high lakes, where we found 12- to 16-inch native cutthroat (and occasionally bigger) that needed very little coaxing to take a fly. I never caught 100 fish, but that's because after I took 20 or so fish from a single stream or lake I'd put down my fly rod, shoot some pictures and just take in the sights (which were almost as incredible as the fishing).

I didn't keep any cutthroats, but each evening, when we were back in camp after day hikes, I'd hoof it down to the lake and fish the brookies, which rose predictably every night at dusk. They were on the small side, but I always managed to hook one big enough to eat. One night there was a heavy midge hatch and the water looked like it was boiling in some areas as fish cleared the water in picturesque, vertical jumps. I caught five fish in twenty minutes that night. The main delay was getting the fish off the fly.

I kept and ate one brook trout every night except the first night (didn't have a license for the day we hiked in). We had packed in some tin foil, squeeze bottle margarine, and salt, but I also brought small amounts of cracked pepper and lemon pepper.

The others in my party said the best way to cook the fish was to basically plaster it with margarine and then add some salt, but I found this led to soggy meat that tasted more like salty margarine than fish. I used as little margarine as possible (inside and out) and then rubbed the skin with my seasonings. I'd look for a place in the fire with some not-too-hot coals and let the cook fish slowly. Soon the foil would drip with fat. When the dripping stopped and the foil turned to a bronze color, you knew you were close. The meat of the brookies had a pinkish-orange tint. On the couple nights that I got it just right, the meat flaked away from the bone but stayed very firm and flavorful. I had also brought some Cholula hot sauce, and I'd add a dash of that sometimes -- but not too much.

Given that we were hiking 5 or 6 miles a day and subsisting on dehydrated backpacking food, Punk Ramen, beef jerky, and powdered Gatorade, this nightly "fish fry" was the one time of the day that eating was a pleasure. The biggest brookie I ate was only about 10 inches long, but it was an absolute banquet.

I went out on tuesday to my local small stream that holds some good fish, not a single take, the trout just weren't interested in anything out of eight of us fishing through the course of the day we had no fish between us, however the friday before that i decided to go to a small lake near to my home, with a fly rod of course and hooked a rainbow out of about 4lb on a gold bead Montana nymph on a 12 ft fluoro leader- haven't eaten it yet, but i think i will defrost it and cook it will a little butter and black pepper.

You have my sympathy for being stuck inside and not getting out to the fish!

I help teach kids to fish for the state department of conservation and we had a 'cleaning & cooking' class last Saturday. Having another this Saturday as well. Anyway the instructors had to catch one fish of each verity for demonstration purposes. These bad boys went from the lake to the fillet table to the deep fry in a matter of minutes.

They were pretty tasty.

Normally I do catch and release.

Caught a 42 lb OP or as some say a "nanny cat" and a friend cooked it up in a fish couvion. We fed about 22 people with it and had a great time.Good friends, good food and good beer while the fish was cooking. Life is good.

I went out and done a little cobia fishing for a change of pace a couple days ago. Got a few good sized ones and a ton of shorties. Cobies are some good eatin

Caught my first Brown Trout in Tasmania a month back and it was one of the nicest fish I've eaten, I was very suprised I love catching fish but rarely eat them.

bass fishing in so cal has been a HOT HOT HOT!!!

topwaters are wide open.

been eating real good too.

chicken, pork chops, pizza, hamburgers...

l always release my bass. most of the others too.

did buy some salmon at Vons since that guy that asked a question in alaska never sent me any...

Caught my son trying to sell my fishing lures to his friends, I " Fried" his A$$ for a minute before I went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. Does that count? ; ) ~good luck catchin'.

I caught a limit of crappies and we fried them up for supper a few nights ago. YUM

Spotted tilapia and peacock bass in Florida. The peacock bass was incredible. <drool>