We are all here because we enjoy rod building. That being said, we probably loveto both fis, and dine on fish. In many parts of the world, fish, and seafood are traditioal holiday meals. If you want to try something different, look around on the Internet and discover the rich holiday meal preperations of othe nations. You just might find something that looks better, and is healthier than normal U.S. holiday meals. Here's just one link: [www.bing.com]

i encourage you to explore new options for your holiday feasts.

Tight Lies and frisky fish

RJF

Bob,
Thank you.
I can always use more Salmon recipies.
Herb

It took me a while deciding whether or not to respond to the “cuisine” aspect of fish. While all of us rod builders are well aware of the personal preferences involved with crafting a proper rod not to mention the plethora of techniques and terminal tackle, such is also the case with cooking the bounty of our rod building labor. Everyone knows that ANY and EVERY fish tastes better if personally caught, especially if so with personally fabricated equipment!!! But tastes (in more than one respect) differ widely / wildly, hence my hesitation to reply.
There are a multitude of ways to prepare fish for consumption; some simple to exploit and enhance the subtle flavors of (most) fish, and other more extravagant methods to mask or disguise the flavor. In either case, it really boils-down to how much the diners actually like fish in the first place. People’s dislike for fish generally germinated from that wayward bone in their youth, or too mushy / too dry from ill-prepared fish, or simply too strong tasting. All of these examples are justified reasons why one may not like fish and possibly difficult to overcome.
First of all, don’t cook fish for people who do not like fish; you are destined for failure!!! Give ‘em a steak, pork chop, chicken or sausage! For those more acceptive, appreciative or adventurous, keep the seasonings / sauces to a minimum to allow the delicate flavor of the fish to please the palate. Even stronger tasting fish such as bonito, barracuda, yellowtail, even mackerel can benefit from mild seasoning. Soaking strong-tasting fish in milk for a few hours can reduce the strong taste; I have tried it and it works, but rarely have the need.
COOKING; I grill or smoke almost everything (eggs have always been a problem lol). Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, venison, veggies, potatoes, fish = it all goes on the grill or in the smoker! Either way, fish respondes very well to alder wood; other smoking woods produce good results as well, but alder is on the top of my list for fish. I use a minimal amount of seasonings (garlic salt, pepper, possibly some Mrs Dash herbal seasoning). I also really enjoy adding some live rosemary and sage branches into the fire as well. The result is a delicately seasoned fish which enhances the original flavor of the fish. While possibly delicious, fine cuisine sauces simply overpower the subtle flavor of the fish itself.
COOKING - 2; Fish should be grilled HOT AND QUICK! 1/2in filets =2-3 minutes/side. Thicker steaks require additional time. Just remember to not OVERCOOK your fish; you can always put it back on the grill for a few more moments but cannot reverse overcooking it. If nothing else, the moral of the story is to not overcook your fish. Bon appetit!!!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Yes, there is more to rod-building, It reminds me of many years ago I was interviewing a Christmas tree grower for my Son who was looking for a new supplier of Christmas trees. He said when he started to grow them, he thought all you had to do is plant them and harvest them when they were the correct size. He soon learned that you had to worry about water and soil chemical makeup, insect and fungus control among many things including yearly shaping them and straightening the tip.