The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Kelly Carrington Staff Writer Anglers in Saskatchewan have already enjoyed a week of casting their rods as fishing season in the northern part of the province started last weekend. Now, this weekend, fishing begins in northern Manitoba. With beautiful weather forecasted, it's the perfect way to spend the long weekend Ð on the shore, or in a boat, fishing the afternoon away. With the sun setting later and later as the days grow longer, it's an even better way to spend the evening. According to Fresh Water Fishing Canada, walleye are the most popular species caught Ð and for good reason. "Not only does the walleye put up a terrific fight, but they are right at home in a frying pan! This is one tasty fish," reads the organization's website. The site went on to define why walleye are so popular and reveal a few secrets about the fish. But walleye aren't the only catch anglers are looking for in the waters. Pike are another popular species. Known for their fierce fight under water, the pike are said to be great fun to catch. As well, Fresh Water Fishing Canada says pike go great on a plate. Also called "water wolves," pike are known for taking out an angler's line more than once during a battle. If you're looking for a big catch, drop your hooks on lake trout. The lake trout, according to the website, put up a big fight that will often test an angler's strength and skill. On record, the biggest lake trout ever caught was from Lake Athabasca, Saskatchewan, in 1961. It weighed in at 102 pounds and was taken in a gillnet. Fillet process Once your fish is out of the water, off the stringer and ready to be taken home, it has to be filleted. For those who haven't quite mastered the fillet process, here are some tips: As a general rule of thumb, make sure you use a sharp filleting knife. Learning how to clean fish is nearly impossible with a dull knife. Spend a little bit of money and buy yourself a good knife. And remember to keep it sharp! Start with the belly toward you and the head to the left. Take your knife and make a cut behind the pectoral fin into the fish up to the spine (halfway through the body). If the fish had a neck, this is basically where you are cutting. Turn your knife and cut parallel to the backbone. Continue the cut toward the bottom of the fish and right through the end of the tail. You will now have one fillet attached to the outer skin. You should be able to see the rib cage attached to the meat. Put that fillet to the side. Turn the fish over and do exactly the same thing on the other side. Cut under the pectoral fin, turning the knife and running the cut all the way through the length of the body and out the tail. This cut might be a little tougher than the first one as you no longer have the "other half of the body" to act as a base. Take your time. The next step is getting the rib cage off the fillet. Take the first fillet and place it on the cutting board skin side up with the top of the fillet to the right. Place your hand on the top of the fillet, pushing your fingers firmly into the skin to give you a good grip (some people push their knuckles into the fish rather than their fingers). This will flatten the ribs to the cutting board. This is what you want and it will ensure you don't waste any meat. See 'Fish-fi...' on pg. 5 Continued from pg. 4 Next, take your thumb and lift the side of the fillet closest to you and slide your knife between the rib cage and the meat. Start at the top of the fillet and cut toward what once was the belly. The key is to put pressure down on your knife as you cut along the rib cage. Make sure you slide your knife all the way through the fillet. You will know you have enough pressure on your knife when the blade "wows" a bit as you make your cut. Take your time with this. Do it slow at first. Once you get the hang of it, you will discover it is the fastest and cleanest way to remove the rib cage. Okay, the tough stuff is over. Next, place the fillet skin down on the table with the tail closest to you. Begin a cut at the tail to remove the meat from the skin. Carefully cut along the length of the fillet toward the top and completely remove the fillet in one piece. Do the same for the second fillet. Lastly we are going to remove the Y bones. This is simple in a walleye fillet and something that can be done without sacrificing much meat. You will notice the fillet has a "centre line" running through it. You will also be able to feel the Y bones by running your fingers on the fillet parallel to the center line". Take your knife and make a cut along the outside of the Y bones. Typically the length of the cut should be about 1/3 of the fillet. Cut through to the cutting board. Secondly make a cut along the center line of the same length. Remove this piece of meat (which is full of Y bones).5/20/2011
