STREAMSIDE TROUT

Streamside Trout

Orange flesh inside matches the outside belly.
Red dots, blue halos, mottled olive, worm-like skin,
disappear in folded foil turned gold by fire.
Sounds of sizzling and splattering,
singe the evening silence.
Like a wildflower blooming in spring,
the folds of tin are opened.
Aromas of wood smoke and fish
rise toward the tops of pines,
faint ghosts caught in the breeze.
Poached opal eyes stare
while dinner is served.

I penned the above poem when I was thinking back on a few streamside meals I have had over the years. I have practiced catch and release for over 20 years or longer, but there was a time when I kept many of my catches. I remember when I was single and doing a lot of solo trips, I would make breakfast, lunch, and dinner almost exclusively out of the trout I caught.

There is nothing better than fresh trout cooked in tinfoil over an open fire. This is especially true when you have spent the best part of a day concentrating on fly fishing without the thought of food or water.

If I know I'm going on a long day trip or over-nighter, I will plan to cook a few streamside trout. I put some folded tinfoil, matches, a fork, and a small container of seasoning in my day-pack. After fishing for a few hours, I will keep a couple of trout, clean them, wrap them in the foil, and then build a small stick fire. It's a quick and delicious streamside meal. The nourishment allows me to continue fishing into the evening.

In the poem, I write about "faint ghosts caught in the breeze." This is in reference to a belief that all creatures have a spirit. I was told by someone years ago that some fish eating native American tribes after catching and cleaning a fish would hang the heads of the fish in the trees along the river so the spirit of the fish could enter back into them, and the waters would always have fish in them. I don't know if this is true or if it was just a story, but I like the idea.

My first real sign that spring is here has always been when the Blue-winged Olive mayflies start to hatch on my local waters. This will happen sometime in March. It is a time of awakening, not only for the mayflies, but for the trout. It's not that far away--still, I can't wait!