Forum Index > Food & Grub > frying trout in the high country.
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forest gnome
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forest gnome
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PostSun Oct 19, 2003 9:20 pm 
I am usually catch n release, but on a 6-7 day trip I need more food! cooking over the fire will save fuel allso. That trout over the coals thing looks mmmmmm goood!

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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostSun Oct 19, 2003 9:58 pm 
David, where are you at Mr.? Did you get out around these here KasKade's this summer? I was able to make it out for some nice trips. TB

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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hikermike
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hikermike
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PostSun Oct 19, 2003 11:07 pm 
AS to the fish guts, I thought the Fwd had changed their mind and were recommending returning them to the water as feed and not to bury them as animals would just dig them up and spread them around.

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Tom
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Tom
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PostSun Oct 19, 2003 11:16 pm 
I think I'm going to experiment cooking trout via two pop can alcohol stoves next year. The lower heat output and 10 minute burn time would seem ideally suited to foil wrapped trout. I'm less enthusiastic about campfires - flying sparks and embers tend to create holes in expensive lightweight tents and rafts. hmmm.gif

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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostSun Oct 19, 2003 11:41 pm 
Tom, as an education, what was the cause of your swiss cheese raft senario? The cause. TB

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Tom
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Tom
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PostMon Oct 20, 2003 12:11 am 
Walt Curtis commented that it looked like tiny burn holes. At first this didn't make any sense because my raft was 100+' away and 30+' below where I was camped. Then it dawned on me that I briefly lugged the raft up to camp while the campfire was burning (before changing my mind and taking the raft back down to the shore). It couldn't have been closer than 15' from the fire or more than 30 seconds of exposure but apparently enough... The good news is the repair bill is only $20. cool.gif

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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostMon Oct 20, 2003 12:24 am 
Too Shay Mr. Curtis! TB P.S., I have NEVER had my rafts close to F I R E! tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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forest gnome
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Joined: 24 Apr 2003
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Location: north cascades!!
forest gnome
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PostMon Oct 20, 2003 8:28 am 
Hope ya hikers here don't mind me bringing this thread up again, thought new members would enjoy it. Thanks for the thought of what happened to your raft Tom! Yes, when I do cook a fish the guts will go back into the lake.....Pray for snow tongue.gif

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Leafguy
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Leafguy
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PostMon Oct 20, 2003 6:17 pm 
Not trying to sound like Joe Biologist here. I personally feel F & W has done a good job of maintaining high lakes fisheries (at least on the eastside). I'm somewhat surprised the funding has held up since most of the license holders are lowland meat fishermen. One of the agents I have gotten to know (who knows my fly rod goes on all hikes) encourages me to e-mail fishing reports to them so they can keep informed. I generally will report lakes that are overstocked or understocked. I don't feel like I need to tell them where the good ones are so they can tell their buddies. That may sound selfish, but they can go explore too. As far as dealing with fish guts, usually heaving them into the deeper water is the first choice. Trout chow down on guts. If you see eagles, osprey, etc. working your area, just put the guts on a rock across the lake and watch them come and get em. Also, don't harvest the spawners. If your cutts have a red belly and feel flabby, let the go. Rainbows will have gray bellies. Both are tasteless.

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Brian Curtis
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Brian Curtis
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PostMon Oct 20, 2003 10:23 pm 
Leafguy, the funding has held up for high lake fisheries because they cost the WDFW almost nothing at all. Unlike most low lakes the fish are only raised to fry size so that is extremely cheap and most of the stocking is done by volunteers so there is little cost there. The high lake fishery is easily the best and most cost effective fisheries program in the state. I'm really glad to hear you are turning in surveys. They are a very important tool to help the biologists maintain the fishery. I work as a contact person betweent the Trail Blazers and Hi-Lakers and the WDFW biologists so I know all of the biologists very well and I can assure you they take the confidentiality of those surveys very seriously and don't blab them to their buddies. We generally collect over 400 surveys per year. All are kept strictly confidential and are delivered to the appropriate biologist. We have an online survey form available here [watrailblazers.org] for easy reporting.

that elitist from silverdale wanted to tell me that all carnes are bad--Studebaker Hoch
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salish
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salish
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PostTue Oct 21, 2003 8:20 am 
Leafguy, I concur with what Brian is saying here. I'm also a high lakes fisherman, and a member of the Trailblazers & Hi Lakers. Our cooperation with WDFW helps them to keep this fishery going. It is rather unique and has proven to be quite a success. Agree with you on not pestering spawners. As John Gierach once wrote in one of his books, "how would YOU like it" smile.gif Take care, Cliff

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my short-term memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
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forest gnome
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forest gnome
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PostThu Jun 17, 2004 1:25 pm 
Hey salish and others, How do we tell the spawning trout apart from the others, do they generaly do it in the spring or fall? can we get some clarification...thanks.

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Brian Curtis
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Brian Curtis
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PostThu Jun 17, 2004 1:51 pm 
Rainbow, cutthroat, and goldens are spring spawners. Eastern brook, and browns are fall spawners. In most (but not all) lakes where fish successfully reproduce on their own they will overpopulate the lake and spawners should be harassed unmercifully. You'll know these lakes because the fish are small, skinny, often with large heads, and generally plentiful. Where fish are large they are generally stocked and not reproducing on their own so you aren't harming future generations by taking spawners. If you are seeing large fish in a creek or on gravel where a creek enters a lake they should be left alone. The fish that are lousy eating are the dark ones. They get sort of dark grey all over and they turn mushy. If they are bright they'll taste good.

that elitist from silverdale wanted to tell me that all carnes are bad--Studebaker Hoch
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Odonata
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Odonata
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PostThu Jun 17, 2004 7:21 pm 
Here is what westslope cutthroat can look like this time of year. These two were caught on the same day in 99. I have never caught a high lake fish with as much color as this horny fella. Kinda runty but it looks like he was making up for it in color. Generally there will be fish in various stages of spawn well into the summer in many lakes. Well, maybe not this year though... Its hard to avoid some fish in spawn if you visit and fish lakes often. Just use your judgement and the advice given here. Apologist note: If I'm going to put the fish back I generally do not hold them up like this any more.
Interrupted
Interrupted
June Cutthroat 99
June Cutthroat 99

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rogue_hiker
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rogue_hiker
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PostThu Jun 17, 2004 8:19 pm 
For those of you that like to fry your trout, you might try rolling them in either crushed Grape Nuts or Wheat Thins. I usually take Wheat Thins to eat with Gallo dry salami and sharp cheddar for lunches, and inevitably some of the Wheat Thins (though they stand up well) end up crushed. You can use these for breading your trout. Check it out sometime...

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