Northwestern Ontario – an abundance of fish and fishing opportunities. For many that means the ‘great outdoors’ lifestyle all year round.
For many of us who live, work and play here – the ‘play’ can’t come soon enough. Five o’clock or whatever time it is that signals the end of the work day causes the excitement level to rise! The mad dash to get home, grab a quick bite to eat, hitch up the boat and head to your nearby favourite lake to drop a line in the water. The anticipation of the first bite, the initial glimpse of your so-called huge catch from the deep. The landing. Take a picture of your proud moment and then decide whether to keep the lunker or send it back into the water to enjoy another day. What an opportunity and treasure we get to enjoy with family, friends and neighbours!
When I was, as they say, a young lad – my father would take me and sometimes the rest of the family walleye fishing in the Geraldton area – where I grew up. Those were times that created special memories which I still cherish. I remember liking the cooked taste of the walleye as well. That I thought was a bonus.
Spin the clock forward a decade or two to the present.
Ok who am I kidding. Spin the clock forward three or four decades to 2020.
I haven’t been walleye fishing for a very, very long time. Although I do remember one time, a decade or so ago, being out with the brother-in-law in his boat on Gordon Lake. He set me up with a rod and reel because I didn’t have one. It was during either my first or second cast of the day that things ‘unravelled’ so to speak. I think the brother-in-law spent about 30 minutes trying to untangle the mess I had created with his reel. I honestly believe he had handed me a faulty mechanism. He thought otherwise. Also if I remember right, there was some sort of comment made about my fishing talent or lack there of.
To add to the frustration of the day – I later lost my most favourite hat of the time. I watched helplessly, after a gust of wind was created and my hat left my head and slowly sank to the bottom of the lake – never to be seen again. I’m sure the brother-in-law had gunned the boat engine to create the wind. I’m sure it was payback.
Fishing is not my passion since at least the turn of the century. Maybe it’s your passion but not mine. And that’s ok.
Maybe because of my lack of excitement for the art of fishing and consuming the catch, my taste buds were recently left with a ‘nope I don’t like that’ feeling.
I know what you’re thinking. How can anyone not like walleye?!?
Maybe blame the cook from the other night. That would be me. Let’s take it back a couple of days…..
Here’s how the walleye was prepared for dinner……
Oh! First let me thank my neighbor for giving my family a perfectly filleted catch. Much appreciated. Perhaps we should have asked how to cook them but isn’t that what google is for?
It was decided that the fillets would be cooked on the propane barbecue because it was already to warm in the house. No problem.
Cast iron frying pan with oil in the pan. Check. Fillets dipped in egg, then flour and then bread crumbs. Check. (I think that’s how it went.) Then off into the sizzling pan. 350-375 degrees. Three minutes for each side. And that was it. Looks great! Time to eat!!!
First bite! Meh.
Second bite. Meh-meh.
“Honey do we still have that barbecued chicken in the fridge?”
The rest of the family enjoyed the walleye. Thought it was great.
I went for the chicken and eyed up the barbecued wieners as well. You don’t have to fillet a wiener. Heck you don’t even need to cook them either! Right?!?
So was it me? Why did my taste buds repell the taste of walleye? Is there a better way to cook them?
I am open to your suggestions while I sit here typing this and chewing on another tube steak.
