Fish Lake Laker Report and the Amazing Liard-Firebox!

July 10, 2006 at 8:20 am

Took off Saturday morning with my four year old, a neighbour and his four year old to try our hand at Fish lake. The plan was to hit the south end of the lake, try to pull in a few Grayling to keep the kids interested, then troll for Lakers on the way back and stop and have a hot dog roast. My guess was that I would get about an hour of good fishing in with the four year olds before they got too bored in my small boat.

It was a bit choppy so I decided to play it safe and head in the general vicinity of the little outcrops and the first peninula. We tried a bit of trolling and the kids were surprisingly interested. They used an unconventional style of trolling involving jigging, jerking, reeling in and then letting line out. Within about an hour we got the expected questions like “when do we start catching fish?“. We all used different lures and fished at different depths. I was pleased with my new fish finder and depth finder this I knew we were fishing between about 20-40 feet. This was a good depth without weights, down-riggers or other depth devices.

I am proud to say that with a Ruby Two-eyed Wiggler I hooked into a nice little 3 pound Laker. It was a team effort and the kids were really excited. We brought it and the kids were all over it. Touching its eyes, gills, tails, mouth, etc.. I love it when they explore and get all slimy like that.

We pulled into shore and processed the fish. My son loves holding the guts in his hand and then throwing them into the lake. I also took the opportunity to test out my new purchase, the Liard Firebox from Whitehorse entrepreneur Michael Pealow. It was a bit confusing to set up initially, but it worked great and generated a hot, controlled flame, perfect for the kids hot dogs and hot chocolate. In fact we were so enamoured by the Fire box that we did not notice the boat had shifted and was getting swamped by the incoming waves. With a little bailing we were ok.

All in all a great day!

Michael also sent a fish recipe in a few weeks ago…thanks Michael.

Grilled Thai-style Fish

Here’s a great little recipe for a Thai marinade that I picked up and tried the other day. This marinade works well with fish that have firm, white flesh. I recommend serving the fish on a bed of jasmine rice and grilled or steamed vegetables. Red pepper, snowpeas, and onions make for a nice, colourful vegetable combination.

Marinade

4 tbsp fish sauce (available at most grocery stores)

3 tbsp lime juice (bottled is fine)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp minced ginger (bottled or fresh, not dried)

1/4 tsp curry paste (Patak’s works nicely)

fresh or packaged coriander for flavouring (optional)

Place the fish in a bowl and cover with marinade, ensuring each piece has a chance to soak.

Tip: Marinate the fish for no more than 15-20 minutes or you might “cook” the fish.

Grilling

- Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat.

- Cleaning and brushing olive oil on the grill will help ensure that the fish doesn’t stick.

- Place the marinated fish on the pre-heated grill.

- Turn only once, if possible, halfway though cooking (some sources claim that the total cooking time will be about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Times will vary based on the heat of your grill and the type of fish you’re cooking, so use your best judgement.)

Tip: Use a flipper (not tongs) and remove the fish BEFORE it becomes too flaky. If the fish is flaky, it’s likely overcooked (and difficult to remove from the grill).

(With thanks to The New Canadian Basics Cookbook by Carol Ferguson.)

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