FISH KEEPERS

While politically correct catch and release has limited one's results only by the angler's imagination and the listener's gullibility, there's something special about nicely cooked fish fresh from the water. That's the reason I prefer to keep enough fish for dinner where possible. Given the size of appetites this may bean a couple of 12-inch long trout or a 2 ½ pound bass or a dozen tiny yellow perch or bluegills. It almost never means a big fish save for a couple of salmon to smoke or, for a special occasion, to plank. So we no longer keep sturgeon and the like.

Note: "Tiddlers" don't have the PCB and other pollution problems of larger fish and normally have better taste and texture.

Keeping fish does require some sort of an aid now I'm past the age where I'd string fish through the gills. In a boat, pier or single bank angling station nothing beats a small cooler full of ice. Quick cleaning, and where warm water fish may collect unpleasant smells and such, skinning fish works. Fillets are okay if you put the fish in plastic bags so they don't get waterlogged.

Stringers, if the water is cool, aren't a bad idea and Europeans use keep nets. The southern version of this is a "gunny-sack" to fill with catfish or brim. Effete Eastern fly flingers sometimes put the odd trout in the rubber-lined back pocket of a fishing vest. It's my belief, however, that adults don't carry fish, or gamebirds, in their clothing. So I subscribe to the European game bag in the latter case and find a small 12-inch by 16-inch camo mesh bag ideal for keeping fish. It rolls up in the vest until needed, and when filled with leaves or grass and the odd tiddler hangs nicely on the shoulder for the trip back to the cooler in the car.

The artful alternative is an old-fashioned whole or split cane creel. I've one of both - each from a grandfather - and use these where I know I'll catch a batch of small panfish or stunted brook trout when we have guests. Add leaves, toss in the dead fish - only cruel and nasty types fail to kill fish when caught, and you're all set. Dunk the bag from time to time. My own bag has a long enough handle to hang below the top of my waders so it "dunks" automatically.

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