Peter Kaminsky

Article / Updated 04-18-2023

All things in fishing — from casting to netting a big fish — get easier the more you do them. Although true, this advice assumes you’re learning on your own. Fish with an experienced angler, though, and you can learn a lot about what to do, and even what not to do. This shortens the learning curve. Here are ten things I learned the hard way. Avoid making bad vibes The fish’s lateral line enables it to sense vibrations. When a fish picks up vibrations, it pays attention: Is a predator nearby? A scared fish flees; it doesn’t bite. Whether you’re wading or walking the bank, walk quietly. Rubber boots are good for this. In a boat, avoid dropping anything against the hull — that’s like hitting a bass drum underwater. Put rubber mats over the floor of your boat to dampen vibrations. People often warn against talking while fishing, but your feet are what really get you into trouble. Know gimmick lures when you see them Giving someone a lure shaped like a can of beer might be a funny gag gift, but most lures that require a battery to power their flashing red eyes or special fish call are a waste of money. Stick with proven lures and learn to fish them well. Cast no shadow Like vibrations, shadows falling on the water’s surface often trigger a fleeing instinct in fish. On bright sunny days, and even moonlit nights, avoid letting your shadow hit the water. Stay low and keep the sun in front of you and the element of surprise is yours. Choose clothing that blends in That Motley Crue concert t-shirt may be your lucky shirt, but if it’s too garish, it might not be your luckiest fishing shirt. Wear comfortable clothes while fishing, and try to blend into the background. When wading, dark earth tones will blend into the bank better than day-glo orange. While boating, dark clothes stand out against the sky more than light colors. So, think like a hunter while fishing — try to disappear against whatever background the fish sees. Reuse home items I and co-author Peter are admitted gear hounds. We love acquiring new stuff to make our fishing lives easier. But we’ve learned that a lot of the best items for fishing weren’t made for fishing. Kitchen containers and pill bottles make great waterproof units for medicine, sunglasses, cellphones, you name it. Leather carpenter bags make great sinker carriers. Golf towels work for fish slime. Those funny foam pool noodles can be made into large live bait bobbers. A piece of foam pipe insulation makes a great tool for holding pre-rigged leaders. (Just pop the loop or swivel in the split, wrap the line around the insulation, and sink the hook into the soft foam.) We look for fishing gear wherever we go. Pick a bait cooler If you fish with bait, you need a way to carry it and keep it cool. Coolers come in every shape and size. Buy one that fits the kind of bait you use and label it as your bait cooler. Use it for bait and only bait. Trust me, it makes life easier. After a day’s fishing, rinse out your bait cooler and set it — with the lid open — in the sun to remove most of the odors. Seek out advice There’s a lot to cover — the fishing world is vast — and your particular kind of fishing will lead you to more questions not answered here. Don’t be the stubborn guy who refuses to stop and ask for directions. Most anglers will gladly help a fellow angler. If you see others fishing with success on your home waters, respectfully ask them for advice. Just don’t interrupt their fishing! When at home, use the internet to connect with other anglers. Keep a fishing journal I am in the business of assigning homework, so I know it’s no fun. But this isn’t homework, even though it involves taking notes. Record data about every fishing trip you take: the weather, water conditions, fish caught, and lures used. Over time, this fishing journal becomes an invaluable source of information. If you had great luck fishing Bischoff Reservoir in March 2020 jigging soft plastic crawfish, odds are good that March 2021 could offer the same results. Be open to multispecies angling Don’t be a fish snob. We all have our favorites, but there are so many kinds of fish out there! Branch out and fish for everything. That way, regardless of the season, you’ll have something to pursue. And you’ll find that the more you understand about different species of fish, the more you understand all fish. Take someone along for the trip I like to fish alone a lot of the time. It gives me time to think, ponder, blah blah blah. I’m also a terrible singer, but the kingfishers on the riverbank never complain. Preserve your private time because it’s one of the greatest gifts of angling. Still, bring a non-angler along once in a while. Kids, sure. But what about your neighbor? Introducing more people to the sport you love benefits us all in the long run. The more anglers there are, the more of us there are who are concerned about the resources and habitat fishing requires. When it comes to tasks like spotting polluters or poachers, the more watchdogs on the water, the better. Plus, why keep such a great thing to yourself?

Article / Updated 05-04-2022

Fishing trips should be fun for all involved. Here are some tips to help you make every trip a winner for kids. Kids need to be introduced to fishing the right way. Ever notice that almost every adult has a memory of going fishing as a child? Ever notice how many adults have a single, lone, solitary childhood fishing memory? Why is that? Why do some kids only go fishing one time? There are three big reasons why kids fail to get hooked on fishing: No one has fun! If a trip fails to generate excitement, no one involved will want to repeat the experience. Often, this means no fish were caught. Or maybe the weather ruined the trip, creating unpleasant memories. Kids don’t have access to a place where fishing can occur. Fishing isn’t something to be limited to one place, one time per year. But if kids don’t have a fishy habitat close to their homes, it’s hard to get too interested in it. Some kids don’t get to fish often, even if they are intrigued, simply because there is no one around to take them. Of all the reasons preventing kids from getting hooked on fishing, this is the saddest. Like so many things involving kids, getting them interested in things is often easier said than done. Some of you are no doubt thinking, "The kids I know are more interested in their phones and video games than they are in doing anything outside." But let’s not despair. Boys and girls have been getting excited about fishing since the first cane pole was cut. This hobby will still work for the kids you know today. Although there are some risks — there’s no kid-friendly hook — fishing can be one of the best ways to get youngsters outdoors. What better way to interest kids in biology than to take them somewhere where they can get their feet wet? Fishing can be a kid’s gateway into the natural world and all it has to offer. (The natural world is closer to you than you think, regardless of where you live!) And it’s a great way to create funny and exciting memories. After all, in 20 years, no one wants to tell (or hear) the story about a childhood spent playing video games. Plan (and pack) for success, not failure Let’s face it: Some kid fishing trips are bummers because the adults set the trip up for failure. Watch the weather forecast first! If Saturday’s forecast includes a chance of thunderstorms, and Sunday looks clear, why not fish on Sunday? When kids are just starting to fish, a little patience in planning goes a long way. Make every effort to go when the weather is working for you, not against you. Pack the right clothing. Pack a change of clothes. (Then you can relax if they get the first set dirty and wet.) Throw some snacks and drinks in a cooler. Throw in more than you think they’ll need. No one has fun if they are hungry, cold, or thirsty. Plan on assisting the kids in their fishing efforts, and don’t plan on fishing yourself. You can better help kids if your hands are free. Help form them into anglers now, so you can fish alongside them later. Tap into bluegill mania Bluegills are the universal “first fish.” They are widespread, found in almost every pond in America, and they happen to be willing to bite almost every day. Chances are, there’s a bluegill swimming within a 30-minute drive of where you are right now. Bluegills also school and seem to be attracted to fishing activity. Find a dock or a sunny cove and cast bits of earthworm or wax worms on small hooks. Bluegills love taking baits suspended under floats, which gives kids something to watch, and these small fish tussle quite hard when hooked. Catching one bluegill seldom spooks the others in the area, either. Just watch the sharp dorsal spines after you land them. (With practice, you can hold these spines down with the heel of your hand.) Make bait fun Livebait fishing works for kids because it works for the fish. If fish are around, they’ll take a livebait they are used to eating. Make the act of gathering natural bait part of the adventure. Gathering worms, setting minnow traps, and catching grasshoppers or crayfish might be more enjoyable to kids than the act of fishing. Let it be. The trick is handling the life and death issues connected to livebait. Gage your child’s reaction and respond accordingly. You might need to release one bait (where legal) for every one you use. Usually, though, kids handle this part better than we think they will. If your child is not comfortable at all with using livebait, use store-bought baits instead. Many kinds of fish can be caught on corn, shrimp, or pieces of hot dog. Get gear that works Fishing poles with cartoon characters work great to get kids excited about fishing, but a super short rod makes it tough to set the hook. (If you don’t believe me, try fishing with one yourself.) You want kids to actually catch fish, not just see them bite. Experiment with circle hooks, which eliminate the need to set the hook (you just hold the rod steady until the fish hooks itself). And whether you use circle or J hooks, cast sharp, small hooks that penetrate quickly. And think about replacing that short cartoon rod with one about five feet long. It’s slightly harder to handle, but it makes it easier to hook and land fish. Burn up a spinner My kids quickly became good casters with their small spincast reels and five-foot rods. We practiced in the yard, and then went fishing with worms and bobbers. But the boys didn’t like waiting for the bobber to dip—they wanted to continue casting. They wanted to cast, and they wanted to reel … fast. The solution? I tied Worden’s Rooster Tails on their lines. Developed in the 1950s by Howard Worden, these classic in-line spinners can be cast and retrieved quickly, and the faster you reel, the more the small blade spins and flashes. Bass, crappie, and bluegill love these lures, and the fish usually hook themselves while attacking the spinner. Get a 1/16-or 1/8-ounce Rooster Tail and let your young fishing buddy start casting. (The Mepps Aglia is another fine choice.) Canoe or kayak into the local wilderness For kids old enough to be comfortable in a small boat, there’s no better way to spend a Saturday than to paddle a quiet stretch of the local stream. Even near major metropolitan areas, small rivers and streams tend to remain wild because building is often prohibited in the floodplain. You’ll be amazed at the wildlife you can spot, and you should catch some really nice fish, too. Boredom is seldom an issue because you’re always able to paddle on down the river. You can often rent canoes or kayaks from liveries near small rivers, so check online. Chum up carp Check your local laws, but most states allow you to chum for fish. This practice involves placing an attractant in an area to lure fish. For sharks, chum consists of blood and ground-up fish. For Common carp (not the invasive Asian carp, which are filter feeders), it involves a handful of canned sweet corn. Heat a can of corn in a saucepan over the stove, adding a bit of maple syrup and Kool-Aid (any flavor will do — but red flavors are my favorite). When you get to the lake or stream, toss a handful of corn out as far as you can. Then bait a hook with several kernels of corn and cast into the same area. Hold on! Carp come to the corn and then feed ravenously. Carp fight hard, so don’t let them pull the rod into the water! Carp can tolerate warmer water, even if it’s mildly polluted. While it’s sad that some waters are polluted, this does mean that carp are close to almost every angler in America. Try fish camping Fishing and camping go together like football and tailgating. Too often, fishing time is defined by the trip there and the departure. Setting up camp near a likely fishing spot removes the pressure. Like Nick Adams in Hemingway's “Big Two-Hearted River,” you can relax and enjoy the fishing. For kids, a campsite means a campfire, marshmallows, flashlights, tents, and snuggly sleeping bags. Camping while fishing makes the fishing part of the adventure — not the whole adventure itself. Crank up tourney time It’s quite possible that kids are too competitive these days. Still, catching fish naturally leads to some good-natured competition. Who caught the most fish? The biggest? I see nothing wrong with a little tournament action during an afternoon’s fishing session. After all, unlike sports such as soccer, fishing might favor the quiet, contemplative kids that care less about active sports. Fishing is a great equalizer in that way. Bass pros compete for million-dollar purses — I recommend prizes like a new tackle box or a fishing hat. Go night fishing Night fishing is more challenging, potentially risky, and more frustrating than daytime fishing. Seems like the exact opposite of what a kid needs. True, but night fishing is also absolutely enchanting. The world, quite literally, changes. Exposing experienced kids to night fishing is like opening the door to another world. You should not attempt to take a kid night fishing until you’re an expert yourself, but being outside at night is something a kid never forgets. This might be ideal for a young person who thinks he or she is too cool or jaded for daytime bluegill fishing.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-08-2022

Successful fly fishing starts by finding out if the water temperature is ideal for fishing or if your day is better spent preparing your fly gear for the next outing. Make sure you have the appropriate weighted fly line and rod for the fish you’re trying to catch.

Article / Updated 03-11-2021

The destinations that follow are generally acknowledged among the world’s best for saltwater fly fishing. As the old saying goes, “There are many fish in the sea.” A lot of them are wonderful for fly rodding, and each year we discover more. For the most part, ocean fish are bigger and stronger than their freshwater cousins. This makes sense since trout rarely have to outrun a pursuing shark or a hungry dolphin. This is doubly true for fish that come up on shallow flats to feed. When confronted by a predator, they have to take off like a laser to reach the safety of deeper water. Stalking a bonefish or permit has the same kind of hold-your-breath thrill as casting a dry fly to a feeding brown trout. Often you know you’ll get just one shot, so it can’t be a clumsy one. The Florida Keys: More Than Margaritaville Fly rodders have been fishing the Keys for decades. There is still good fishing here, although the fish are no longer as naïve and eager to bite as they are in some of the globe’s more remote places. Keys bonefish are super-educated and will challenge skilled anglers. You’ll also find healthy numbers of permit. Here, as elsewhere, they can be maddeningly finicky. The tarpon that migrate up and down the coast will get your heart pounding. You can see them coming from very far away, like wolf packs bearing down on you. Somehow the Keys still feel comfortably old timey and slow paced. And then there is the key lime pie! Lands of the Maya: The Yucatan and Belize The shores of the Yucatan and Belize comprise thousands of square miles of white sandy flats where you can stalk bonefish, tarpon, permit, and sometimes snook from a shallow draft boat or, better yet, on foot. To be sure, the condos and resorts that have spread out along the Mayan Riviera have had a not-great effect on the fishing in some spots, but still Boca Paila, Punta Allen, and, in recent years, the relatively unspoiled Holbox park are accessible and productive. Further south, Belize, in many spots, is like the Yucatan minus 50 years. The Bahamas In the years following World War II, when winter-weary anglers began to fly south for their fly fishing, modern flats fishing came of age in the Bahamas. It’s still pretty amazing. South Andros has a well-earned reputation for big bonefish in great numbers. Ditto Mangrove Cay. The legendary Walker’s Cay was decimated by a hurricane, but Mother Nature is nothing if not resilient, and Walker’s is worth a pilgrimage. Rule of thumb: Almost anywhere with white sandy flats will have bones, permit, and probably snook and tarpon as well. Unless you’re a pro, you definitely need a guide to help you play the tides. Cuba, Sí Sixty years ago, baseball immortal Ted Williams caught 71 bonefish in a day’s fishing on The Isle of Pines (since renamed The Isle of Youth). I think that’s a bonefish record that will stand forever. The “good news” (at least for anglers) is that the sorely pressed economy of Cuba has kept the pace of development down. You can still fish mile after mile of undisturbed water and see little that has changed in the five centuries since Columbus first landed here. Sipping a mojito after a day’s fishing is even more fun while being serenaded by a high-energy Cuban combo. The cigars ain’t bad either. Kiritimati: That’s Christmas Island to You Kiritimati is the world’s largest atoll and the first of the remote Pacific bonefishing places to catch the attention of flats fishers. It’s a long, thin island that’s not near anything, right in the middle of the ocean and nearly smack dab on the equator. There are endless wadeable flats with tailing bonefish on every one. By accident I caught my first giant trevally here when it decided to eat the bonefish at the end of my line. The Seychelles: Far Away, and That’s Good It was just a matter of time until the upsurge in fly fishing brought anglers to this string of islands off the East Coast of Africa. There are jaw-dropping numbers of bonefish, Indo-Pacific permit, and giant trevally that can be . . . well . . . giant. There is no more exotic location in the world, and once you have come all this way, a visit to the Serengeti with its teeming wildlife is one of our planet’s great spectacles. Montauk : A Frenzy of Fish (and Fishermen) The East Coast of the United States, from Cape Cod to Sandy Hook, has superb fly fishing. The coastal wetlands are a breeding ground for billions of baitfish, and the Gulf Stream, just offshore, funnels migrating stripers, bluefish, weakfish, false albacore, and tuna into a relatively narrow corridor. Quite often, you will find game fish next to the shore, or close to it, as they pen up schools of bait. If I had to pick just one place along this coast, without question, it would be the waters around Montauk, which is a choke point for everything in the north Atlantic that migrates south. Whether you fish the flats as you would for bonefish or choose to come when the migration is going full-tilt and the surf action is gonzo, Montauk is a world-class destination, yet so close to New York City. The Outer Bank Further south, the Outer Banks of North Carolina offer amazing late fall albacore fishing, a shot at bluefin, and late-season stripers. My favorite place there is Harker’s Island. The signboard on the church across from the Harker’s Island Fishing Center caught my attention on an early visit. It proclaimed, “Jesus first, oysters second!” New Orleans: Reds in Bluesville People are often surprised when I recommend fly fishing on a visit to a big city, but think about it: Many of the world’s great cities are also ports. In other words, they are on the water. I’ve caught fish in Philadelphia, Boston, Brooklyn, Miami, Los Angeles, and Buenos Aires, to name a few. Still, I’d have to say, for the quality of the fishing, the food, and the music, I’m partial to The Crescent City—New Orleans. Outside of town, in bayou country, redfish cruise the shallow mud flats. When they are on the feed, you can see their dorsal fins poking out of the water. Cast a fly about 6 inches in front of their nose and you’re hooked. Cabo San Lucas: Bigger Game Still on my bucket list, the east cape of Baja California—Bahia de los Sueños—is one of the few places where you can catch big roosterfish from shore. Protected from the huge surf and prevailing winds of the west cape (that faces the Pacific), roosterfishing offers the thrills of marlin but is much more nicely matched to fly tackle. Having battled—and lost—one 200-pound tuna on fly tackle, I’d much rather go for something like a rooster in the 30- to 60-pound range. Check out the Yellow Dog Flyfishing site for this destination.

Article / Updated 03-11-2021

The fly rod gets the fly to the fish. It uses the line to do this. The principle of the rod is like a bull whip or a wet towel that you would roll up and snap at your friends during high-school gym class. All seasoned fly fishermen agree that a good fly rod is as light as it can possibly be while still doing its job. The key components of a fly rod are as follows: The reel seat: This part holds the reel to the rod. The grip: Usually made of cork, it allows you to hold the rod in the proper way for the kind of casting you need to do. The hook keeper: A place to hook your fly when the rod is strung up and ready to fish. The butt: The bottom half, or third, of the shaft of the rod. As with the tip, on some rods the butt really bends, while on others it doesn’t. The stripping guide: This is the first guide that your line passes through as it comes off the reel. On most rods, the stripping guide is lined with ceramic to cut down on friction, which can shorten your casting distance. The ferrule: A male-female connection (like, for example, an electric plug) that joins one part of the rod to the other, allowing for a smooth and secure bend. The snake guides: Thin wire guides that help the line run straight and true without the least amount of friction. They basically form a metal squiggle, which is roughly a snake-like shape. If you have a spinning or a bait-casting rod, you will notice that these rods have circular guides the whole way up the rod, but the line that you use with conventional tackle is much thinner and not as prone to friction as the wider fly line is. The tip: The last foot or so of the rod. It can bend a little or a great deal and is critical in determining the action and sensitivity of the rod. The tip top: A round guide that directs the line out into the world and hopefully toward the fish. Most fly rod handles are cork, a very light material that balances well with fly rods. Cork also provides a surface that offers friction for good contact but is comfortable to the human hand. You will find that as a material, cork gives you a touch on the rod that you don’t experience with the foam rubber or plastic grips of spinning and bait-casting rods. You can see some of the standard grips in the following figure. Other grips are available, but they are just variations on these themes. The standard: A nice contoured feel that gives you gripping surface where you need it and curved spaces where your hand fits snugly. The cigar: The cigar grip is a pleasant, hand-filling shape (just like a real cigar), which allows you to raise your forefinger for a tighter loop in short, delicate casting situations. The full wells: The tapered front will allow you to raise your thumb comfortably, making for a more powerful cast with extra punch. This grip also allows for greater force in fighting the fish. No, Butt Seriously . . . Many fly-rod makers now offer what is called a fighting butt for rods 6 weight and up. Basically, it is an extension of the part of the rod below the reel. It allows you to jam the rod against your torso or along your forearm when you are fighting a strong fish. It gives you more leverage. So, yes, you can subdue a salmon with a light rod, but you are going to be a whole lot less tired if that rod has a fighting butt. Spey rods have been around for hundreds of years. First invented for the salmon rivers of Scotland, they have become more and more popular in recent years. There is no question that when fishing huge rivers, lakes, or surf casting, they can help you beat the wind and get off impressively long casts. They also are a godsend when there is a high bank or trees near and in back of you. The rods are longer, and the line is heavier. They all have a distinctive long lower grip that doubles as a fighting butt and lets you get a second hand involved in casting the rod. Although they cast further, no matter how far you cast, you may rely on the law of nature that states, “The fish are always ten feet out of range!” You Have to Cast Your Way When it comes to casting, everyone has a different style. I have a kind of three-quarter, sidearm cast that is miles away from the classic English style of straight up-and-down arm motion where you are taught to keep your elbow snug to the ribs. It’s all a matter of finding a casting style and a rod that works for you. Some rods that more traditional casters love give me a problem. Some rods work for me at short distances, but when I really want to lay some line out there, I feel an unresponsiveness or “dead spot” (just like you’ll find in a golf club or tennis racquet). This has more to do with how I cast than the rod I’m using. So, when someone asks, “What rod is right for me?” I can give a recommendation, but in the end, you are going to have to feel your way into this and get the rod that feels best for you. If no one had said it before in other circumstances, then I am sure that some fly rodder, somewhere, would have come up with the saying, “Different strokes for different folks.” It’s worth pointing out that being big and strong is not that important for good casting. In fact, the two greatest casters—for distance and accuracy—are women: one in her 90s (Joan Wulff) and one in her teens (Maxine McCormick). Touch, feel, and finesse—not brute force—are the name of the game.

Article / Updated 03-11-2021

Show me someone who doesn’t love crispy fried fish, and I’ll show you someone who doesn’t like fish . . . period. But not all fried fish are equal. Some recipes call for so much batter that the fish inside is almost an afterthought. Batter is there for two reasons. First, crisp and crunchy are surefire additions to the pleasure of pretty much any food. Second, a successful batter coats the fish so that it gently steams inside its crispy overcoat. The following recipe is about the lightest batter I have ever come across. It calls for regular all-purpose flour and then rice flour—which is the flour that they use in tempura. Beer has long been used by camp cooks to lighten a batter (something about the bubbles and evaporating alcohol aerate the batter). A splash of vodka (more alcohol) cooks off to make it even lighter. If you don’t have vodka, you can use gin. And if you don’t have gin, then rum will work fine. If you are moved to make a cocktail while you are at it, I’m not going to tell you no. Beer Battered Fish Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 3–5 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1-1/2 pounds fish fillet, divided into 8 portions 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup white rice flour, plus more for dusting 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 heaping teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup vodka (or gin or rum) 3/4 cup lager beer (your brand of choice) 8 cups canola or grapeseed oil Directions Salt the fish to taste and set aside. Mix the remaining dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the vodka and beer, then whisk until smooth. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep fryer. If you don’t have a deep fryer, you can use a deep pot, like a cast-iron kettle. Check the temperature carefully with a thermometer. Dip the fish in the batter. Using tongs (or very carefully with your fingers) lower the battered pieces of fillet about halfway into the hot oil for about 5 seconds (real one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi seconds). Let go and fry until golden, about 2 minutes, a little longer for really thick filets minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish and drain it on a rack or paper towels. If you let the batter sit for a while before you fry up the fish, you may need to add a little more liquid right before you fry it. You want batter that’s a bit thinner than pancake batter. Lowering the battered fish into the oil for 5 seconds before letting it go sets the batter so that when you let go of the whole piece, it doesn’t sink to the bottom or stick to the other pieces.

Article / Updated 03-11-2021

If you ever want something different for a big family meal at Christmas or Easter (or whenever), this is as dramatic a presentation as any turkey or standing rib roast. Encasing the fish in wet salt seals all the moisture in so it’s pretty hard to dry out the fish. If you don’t have an oven big enough to hold the whole fish, you can cut off the tail and/or the head and wrap the ends of the fish in tin foil. Then when you roast the fish, put a large sheet pan under your roasting pan so if the wet salt bubbles over, you won’t get it all over the oven. For a bigger oven, you can put the fish, vegetables, and salt on a large sheet pan and then line the lower oven rack of the oven with tin foil to catch any spill-over. Finally, when it’s all cooked, you crack open the salt crust. Do it right next to the sink. Spread out some newspapers. Put the roasting pan on the newspaper and then crack open the salt and toss it in the sink. You can run the water in the sink from time to time to dissolve the salt. Invite your guests to stand nearby while you de-mummify the fish and vegetables. Watching this happen never fails to delight and amaze folks. All that salt doesn’t affect the flavor of the fish at all. It simply seals in all the moisture and cooks everything evenly. Salt-Baked Big Fish and Vegetables with Fresh Salsa Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: About an hour Yield: 8–10 servings Ingredients Salsa (see the following recipe) 8 carrots, trimmed and peeled Five 3-pound boxes kosher salt 4 cups water 1 cleaned, unscaled 8-pound striped bass (or redfish, salmon, weakfish, or bluefish) 6 medium potatoes 6 medium sweet potatoes Directions Wrap the carrots in foil to make a sealed bundle. Heat the oven to 500 degrees F (or 450 degrees F if that’s as high as your oven goes). Pour all the salt into a very large bowl or the sink. Add 4 cups water and toss the salt to dampen it. The consistency should be like spring snow, slightly wet and lightly clumping. If necessary, add more water. In a large roasting pan, tamp down a 1-inch layer of damp salt. Place the fish on top of the salt, diagonally in the pan. Arrange the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and foil-wrapped carrots snugly around the sides of the fish. Insert an ovenproof (not instant-read) meat thermometer in the thickest part of the fish and leave it there so that you can monitor the temperature of the fish. Add more damp salt to cover everything, making a thick layer over the fish and vegetables. Tamp the salt down just like when you bury someone in sand at the beach. Place a sheet pan in the lower third of the oven and then put the roasting pan on top of it. Bake until a thermometer reaches 140–145 degrees, about 55 minutes. Take the roasting pan from the oven and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Tap the salt crust with a hammer or mallet until it cracks. Discard the salt. Remove the carrots. Brush any remaining salt from the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and fish; then lift off the fish skin. To serve, use two large spoons to lift pieces of fish and transfer to plates. Put some carrot, potato, and sweet potato on each plate. Pour salsa (recipe follows) over the fish, and the vegetables too, if you like. Salsa Ingredients 2 cups olive oil 1 cup chopped parsley 1/2 cup chopped garlic 1/2 cup fresh oregano Zest of two lemons, diced or grated Flaky salt to taste Cracked black pepper to taste Directions Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and set aside until you are ready to serve.

Article / Updated 03-11-2021

A fly reel is one of those things that you think about only if it doesn’t work. Part of the reason for this situation is that, in general, reels are very well designed and, for the most part, very well made. With a minimum of care, a reel can last a long, long time. A few different fly reels are shown here. A spinning reel can have dozens of moving parts; a fly reel has just a handful. The fly reel mounts below the rod. You can configure most reels for winding with either the left hand or the right hand. Because I cast with my right arm, I like to hold the rod in my right hand and the reel with my left. This way, I don’t complicate my life by needing to change hands to fight a fish and can use the strength of my more powerful arm to assist the rod during the fight. On the other side of the equation, some anglers like to reel with their strong arm when fighting big fish. They say that you do more physical work with the reel when fighting a large fish than you do with the rod. Maybe so, but I’ve found that I do better in all situations cranking with my left hand. If you’re unsure how to configure your own fly reel, ask the people in the tackle shop to set it up for you when you buy it. If you buy one online, you can still ask the folks at the tackle shop. They may charge, but often this service costs you nothing. What Does a Fly Reel Do? Sometimes when I go fishing out in the Rockaways (a long barrier island that protects the Brooklyn and Queens shores from the full force of the Atlantic and its storms), I avoid the expressway and drive up the narrow spit of the Rockaways. To my left is a long promenade running along Jamaica Bay, a rich fishing ground. All along that promenade, I see anglers. Never do I see any fly rodders there. Mostly I see bait guys, with their plastic five-gallon buckets of the kind that you find lying around construction sites. I’m in New York City, however, so I’m not surprised to see that the fishermen use shopping carts to transport their gear to the water’s edge. Every now and again, I see a fisherman without any pole. Instead, he has a hand line, swinging it around to get up speed and then letting it go. If a fish hits, he retrieves the line by wrapping it around a soda or, more likely, a beer can. Basically, that can is a reel, or at least a spool, which is the main line-storing part of a reel. The first function of a reel is to store the line. Before reels, the angler fished with a fixed length of line, about one and a half pole lengths (Tenkara rods from Japan, which have recently become popular, are just a high-tech variation on this). The reel—by virtue of the line it stores—enables a caster to get more line out farther than just two pole lengths, and it enables the fish to run great distances, tiring as it goes. The ability to control drag is a significant factor in a fly reel—more so if you’re fighting bigger fish. I can’t say enough by way of praise of adjustable disc drag, which works on the same principle as disc brakes on your car. It was not really available when I started to fish. It is smooth and benefits from not having gears and a lot of moving (breakable) parts. There are just a few choices to make when buying a reel. Although anglers managed fine through a few centuries with the simplest of reels, recent advances make the right reel a valued part of your fishing arsenal. My recommendation is a machined reel, one in which the parts are machined—basically sculpted —out of a piece of metal where unnecessary bulk is removed and critical structure remains. The result is a metal skeleton that is strong and durable, yet lightweight. Machined reels cost a little more, but when you do the math, you’ll find that a good reel can easily last thirty years, which works out to a fraction of a penny per fish. The ABCs of Arbor Reels One of the most important advances in reel technology is the advent of the large arbor reel. “What’s an arbor?” you may ask (I certainly did). It’s the circular part in the middle of the reel that the line winds around. As you can see from the illustration, with a small arbor it takes more cranks of the reel to wind in line than it does with a large arbor. Think of the way it takes more unwinding at the end of a roll of toilet paper than it does at the beginning. This feature comes into play when fighting bigger fish and/or fish that will take a lot of line as they attempt to run. A larger arbor requires less cranking to retrieve line. For smaller fish, a standard smaller arbor is fine and less bulky. While it’s true that it looks better as a match for lighter equipment, if I had to choose just one, I’d go for a large or midsize arbor. Another bonus is that larger arbors wind the line on in larger circles, and since fly line has what is called memory and tends to kink up, there are fewer kinks with a larger arbor. Kind of a Drag When I started fishing, a wonderful American reel called the Pflueger Medalist, which had a very simple drag, was still made. I caught thousands (well, at least hundreds) of fish, including bonefish, with this reel. I still have that reel (on the mantelpiece, not on my rods). It still works, and I’ve never had to replace the drag. But, alas, the day of the classic (and inexpensive) Medalist is gone for most anglers. Nowadays, a most useful innovation is the adjustable disc drag. It is a godsend, especially with larger fish that tend to take off a lot of line as they sprint away from you. Reels with disc drag are useful for fighting big freshwater fish or big saltwater fish because the reels apply drag, or braking, in a smoother, more fluid way, creating a very steady, even tension on the fish, reducing the possibility of line breakage. Plus, they allow you to adjust the drag if more or less is needed to bring a fish under control . . . or maybe it’s better to say “kind of under control.” Using Your Tools to Stop the Fish (Hint: Your Hand is a Piece of Tackle, Too) In fishing for most trout and bass, you can use a combination of the following techniques to apply drag: Use the drag from the reel. Raise the rod tip to flex the rod more. You may be able to cup the spool and use the palm of your hand as a brake Careful, though, to keep your knuckles away from the revolving crank on the reel. I’ve skinned mine a bunch over the years. Note: Not all reels are built to enable this tactic. You should quickly get the hang of the interplay of these forces. At the end of the fight, you may secure the line by simply using the forefinger of your rod hand to press the line against the rod, as shown. This enables you to grab or net the fish more easily. If the fish wants to lunge for another run after you’re in this position, let it go. That way, you still have a chance of getting the fish in again. If you bear down harder and try to prevent the fish from taking that last run, you’ll lose it in almost every case.

Article / Updated 10-08-2020

If people hadn’t started eating fish a long time ago, I doubt that anyone would have had the bright idea of fishing for them just for the fun of it. Now, of course, you know that fighting a good fish thrills you, whether you keep the fish or throw it back. Still, cooking a fish over a fire next to the lake where you caught it will connect you to your ancestors in a way few things can. A well-prepared fish is one of the healthiest, tastiest meals you can eat. Crispy, crunchy, salty. The big trick with frying is hot oil. You want the oil to be between 320 and 360 degrees. Use a thermometer and get it right. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the coating will absorb a lot of grease, and you have yourself a potential stomach ache with some nice heartburn thrown in for good measure. If the oil gets too hot, you’ll notice excessive smoke. With hot oil, the crust is crisp, light, and non-greasy. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a pinch of bread into the oil. With the oil temperature right, the bread should immediately sizzle and jump. I cook a lot with olive oil these days, which takes a fair amount of heat before it smokes. You can also use canola or peanut oil. Traditional Fried Fish: According to coauthor Peter, this is the best pan-fried fish recipe. He learned it from a Florida Keys captain many years ago. This captain also imparted that the best cure for seasickness was to wrap both arms around an oak tree. Reddened Blackfish: Blackening, unless it’s done right, is a perfect way to take good food and use it to fumigate your house with smoke. This alternative recipe results in a quick, clean, beautiful red-gold crust of powerful spices — without a smoky kitchen. You can use any fish for this recipe. Crispy Fish with Asian-Inspired Dipping Sauce: Many anglers relish in the flavor and texture of crispy, freshly fried fish. This recipe is quick and easy to prepare, and you can make the dipping sauce in advance for even more convenience. Any white-fleshed fish works well in this recipe, and the fresher the better. (This recipe is courtesy of Chef Lucia Watson’s In-Fisherman Presents Cooking Freshwater Fish.) If you’re new to the traditional fish fry and want to ease into it, look in your local grocery story for any of a variety of pre-packaged seasoning and breading products for fish. Traditional Fried Fish Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup cornmeal 8 fillets of white fish, trimmed to four inches in length 2 to 4 cups vegetable oil, depending on size of skillet Directions In a straight-sided cast-iron skillet, heat about an inch of oil to around 375 degrees F. If you use a 10-inch skillet, you can fry two or three fillets per batch. While the oil heats, combine flour with salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Put the buttermilk in another shallow dish, and the cornmeal in yet another. Dredge the first two or three fillets (depending on the size of the pan) in the flour mixture. Shake off excess flour, dip the fillets in buttermilk, and dredge in cornmeal. Carefully place the coated fillets in the heated oil and fry for about 2 minutes. Use tongs to turn the fish, and fry another 2 minutes. While the second side fries, set a cooling rack on top of paper towels. When done, the fish will float to the top of the hot oil. Remove the fillets to the cooling rack to drain. Repeat Steps 3 through 6 with the remaining fillets. Per serving: Calories 492 (From Fat 104); Fat 12g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 174mg; Sodium 591mg; Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 66g. Reddened Blackfish Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1 teaspoon onion powder 3⁄4 teaspoon oregano 3⁄4 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons salt 4 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder 2 tablespoons corn, peanut, or olive oil 4 fillets of white-fleshed fish (redfish, blackfish, weakfish, snapper, dolphin, and so on) Lemon wedges Directions Rinse the fillets in cool water, pat dry, and set aside. Combine the first nine ingredients (the seasonings) in a bowl and mix well. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. While the oil is heating, dredge two fillets in seasoning. Fry the fillets for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Repeat Steps 3 through 5 with the remaining fillets. Remove the fillets from the heat, and serve with fresh lemon wedges. Per serving: Calories 290 (From Fat 91); Fat 10g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 80mg; Sodium 1,261mg; Carbohydrate 2g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 45g. Crispy Fish with Asian-Inspired Dipping Sauce Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 8 minutes Yield: 2 servings Ingredients 4 to 6 cups corn, peanut, or olive oil About 12 ounces of your fish of choice, small fillets cut into finger-sized strips 1 cup cornmeal 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour Pinch of salt Pinch of pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper 1 egg 1 tablespoon of water Asian Dipping Sauce (see the following recipe) Directions Before starting the fish, prepare the following Dipping Sauce so it’s cooled and flavorful when the fish is done. On the stovetop, heat 2 inches of oil in a deep, heavy pot to 375 degrees. While the oil is heating, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small dish. In small bowl, lightly beat an egg with a tablespoon of water. Dip the fish in the egg and water mixture; then dredge the fish in the cornmeal mixture. In batches, carefully transfer the fillets to the hot oil and fry until just done and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. The fish will float to the top of the oil when done. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain before serving with dipping sauce. Asian-Inspired Dipping Sauce Prep time: 7 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes Cool: 15 minutes Yield: 2 servings 6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and finely minced 2 tablespoons lime zest (grated lime peel) Juice of 1⁄2 lime 1 small knob ginger, peeled and finely grated 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped In a small saucepan, boil the vinegar and sugar together over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When cooled, transfer vinegar mixture to a small bowl. Stir together with the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Per serving: Calories 475 (From Fat 148); Fat 17g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 80mg; Sodium 498mg; Carbohydrate 49g (Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 32g. An oil thermometer helps keep your eye on the oil in the pan so it stays in the range you want. Don’t let the oil temp dip below 355 degrees F or above 375 degrees F. Keeping it in the range of 360 to 370 degrees F while cooking is ideal for frying fish. Serve with steamed white rice or Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles, and toss with soy sauce and fresh cilantro if you like.

Article / Updated 10-08-2020

Known widely as the quarry of fly fishermen everywhere, trout are usually found in moving, cool water or colder lakes. Popular as both sportfish and table fare, members of this family are held in high esteem by anglers. Similar to the temperate bass family, the trout family has some odd twists in its family tree, as species can cross-breed and might be anadromous — that is, live part of their lives in both salt- and freshwater. The salmonid family is divided into five groups: trouts, including the Atlantic salmon; Pacific salmon; char; grayling; and whitefish. Fish from the first three groups are represented here, as they’re the most pursued by anglers. Don’t worry — you don’t need to understand that to catch a trout. Many states, including those far from the original range of certain species of trout, often raise trout in hatcheries and release them in select locations. There may be an additional license or charge to fish for these trout, but they provide anglers a shot at wonderful-tasting fish. Check with your local DNR to see if trout are either native or stocked within your area. Rainbow trout: High jumpers The colorful rainbow trout is one of the most sought-after gamefish in the world. Rainbows coexist nicely with brown trout in many streams (see the following section for details on the brown trout). Whereas the brown prefers slower water and calmer pools, you can depend on finding the rainbow in the more oxygen-rich and swift-running riffles. This scenario is what you would expect from a fish that predominates in the mountain streams of the Rocky Mountains. As seen in the color section, the rainbow may have spots over the whole body (although in many rivers and lakes, the larger rainbows are more often an overall silver). A much more reliable sign of “rainbowness” is the pink band or line that runs along the flank of the fish from shoulder to tail. But even this indicator is not always 100 percent foolproof because some stream-borne rainbows have a faded, almost invisible band and many spots, as do the brown and brook trout. Brown trout: The champ of the stream The brown trout is a fish designed for the angler. It often feeds on the surface. It rises to a properly presented fly. It fights like the dickens. The brown trout is a cold-water fish that lives in lakes and streams and is most active when the water temperature is in the 60s. A temperature much higher than 80 degrees is liable to kill brown trout. As shown, the brown trout is covered with spots everywhere but its tail. The majority of the spots are deep brown, like coffee beans, with a light yellow halo. Sprinkled around its skin, you also find a few red and yellow spots. Brown trout are long-lived animals and can reach weights up to 40 pounds, but most stream-bred fish average less than a pound each. They say that a few wise browns in every stream usually reach weights of 10 pounds or more. Brook trout: Sentimental favorites The brook trout, or brookie, fills the trout niche in the cooler streams of the northeastern United States, east of the Allegheny Mountains. (They have been introduced elsewhere.) The brook trout is actually a char, which makes it a relative of the lake trout, the Dolly Varden, and the Arctic char. This fish is a sign of pure water and a healthy ecology. Brook trout like cooler water and cannot stand the higher temperatures that the brown and the rainbow can tolerate. Before Europeans cleared the great hardwood forests of the northeastern United States, most streams had the shade and pure water that brook trout need. The brook trout has many red spots that are surrounded by a blue halo. The fins have a telltale black and white tip. The belly and fins have an orange cast that can be quite brilliant and almost crimson in spawning season. The tail of the brook trout is more squared off than that of the brown and rainbow, hence the nickname squaretail. The cutthroat: Yellowstone beauty You may think of the cutthroat — which is really a cousin to the rainbow — as the Rocky Mountain version of the brook trout because in many undisturbed waters, just like the brookie, the cutthroat is the native fish. After ranching, logging, and the introduction of other gamefish takes place, the cutthroat often retreats to unpressured headwaters. The cutthroat is the native trout in the drainage of the Yellowstone River, where it is protected by a complete no-kill policy in all of the flowing water in Yellowstone Park. To fish them at the outlet of Yellowstone Lake is one of the great angling experiences in North America. Lake trout: Big macks The lake trout (or laker) is the largest char. Unlike all the other trout, the laker spawns in lakes, not streams. As shown, the laker, similar to the brook trout, is heavily spotted. It has a forked tail (in contrast to the square tail of the brook trout). The lake trout requires colder water than any other freshwater gamefish, optimally about 50 degrees F, and it will die at 65 degrees F. Right after ice-out in the spring and right before spawning in the autumn, you may be able to take lakers in shallow water. But during the rest of the season, you have to fish deeper, often trolling using downriggers. Pacific salmon: Not just in the Pacific anymore Pacific salmon come upstream to spawn just as Atlantic salmon do. The Pacific salmon’s flesh is pink, just like the flesh of an Atlantic. They even taste the same. But the six species of Pacific salmon are completely different animals than the Atlantic salmon, which is the only true salmon. (The Pacifics are the much larger, mostly ocean-going cousins of the rainbow trout.) The home range of Pacific salmon runs from Northern California up to Alaska and over to Siberia. Some years ago, Pacific salmon were introduced into the Great Lakes to help control the spread of the alewife herring. The alewives were so plentiful and the salmon fed so well on them that the Great Lakes now hold the greatest fishery for both the coho and chinook sportfisherman. In the Great Lakes, Pacific salmon are a favorite among trollers. This method of taking fish, of course, requires a hefty boat and expensive gear. Shallow-water and stream anglers have the most luck when the fish gather at stream mouths and within the streams themselves during their spawning migrations. Fishing when the salmon are still bright, or fresh from the ocean or lake, can be great sport with these brawny, athletic fish. As with many saltwater fish or as with fish that spend a good amount of time in saltwater, the chinook and coho like flashy, bright-colored lures that imitate the smelt and alewives they feed on. The figure shows the coho and chinook salmon. The usually smaller coho has black spots only on the upper part of its tail, although the chinook’s tail is spotted on both top and bottom. The chinook’s dorsal fin is spotted; the coho’s isn’t. The gum in the lower jaw of the coho is grayish, but the same gum in the chinook is black. Atlantic salmon: The leaper The Atlantic salmon, through no fault of its own, is regarded by many as the aristocrat of fishes. Perhaps it has this reputation because you usually have to be an aristocrat to be able to afford a few days on one of the choice salmon rivers. You are generally required to fish for Atlantic salmon with a fly rod; and on many rivers, one also has to hire a guide. Known for its acrobatic jumps, the Atlantic salmon is a cousin to the brown trout but spends most of its time at sea (although a salmon’s infancy is passed in a river, and it is to that river that it returns to spawn). The Atlantic salmon (shown) does not die after spawning once, so you may return a salmon to the stream after catching it and be confident that it may well return to spawn and fight again. Like the Pacific salmon, Atlantic salmon exist in inland bodies of water, too. Known as landlocked salmon, these fish are just like their more-traveled siblings but are a bit smaller. Although many landlocked salmon spend their lives in rivers, some stay in lakes year-round, usually staying in the deepest, coolest water. Wherever they’re found, anglers love to pursue Atlantic salmon for a chance to see their great leaps.