18 March 30 - April 13 , 2018 VOL . 37 • ISS . 08

Not only do beautiful trout like this put up a great fight , when handled properly they also provide the center piece for a memorable dinner !

This is what the successful culmination of a trout fishing adventure looks like , a well-cared for rainbow roasted and ready for eating . Trout taste great and they are good for you !

folks ask me about caring for trout in the field . I don ’ t think I ’ ve gotten that

question twice over the past 10 years and then different guys ask me the same thing on back to back days ….

I figure for every person that asks a question there are several quietly wondering the same thing , so the subject for this week ’ s How To article is caring for trout !

I actually covered this subject in great detail in Chapter 29 of my book , “ Trout Tactics ” … Here ’ s is

Visit any trout lake when the fish are biting and you ’ ll see both bank and boat anglers with trout on stringers . Trollers often tow their stringer of trout off the side of the boat , while the shore guys generally attach a short line to their stringers and toss the trout a few feet off the bank . During the dead of winter when the water is cold keeping trout on a stinger might be okay , but for the rest of the year it just doesn ’ t work if your goal is to have the highest quality trout for the table .

The two most important things an angler can do to enhance the flavor and texture of the trout they keep is to bleed them and keep them cold . Most anglers neglect to bleed their trout and that ’ s a mistake . If a trout isn ’ t bled the blood that is left in the circulatory system will darken the flesh and make the meat softer . It will also impart a strong flavor to the meat .

There are a couple of different ways to bleed trout , but the simplest and most effective that I ’ ve found is to whack them on the head just hard enough to knock them out and then use a knife or scissors to cut their gills . Once the gills are cut , presents

I immediately put the trout in a cooler . If the trout is submerged in the water melting off the ice , the meat can become waterlogged and mushy . If you ’ re going to be out fishing for only a few hours just laying the trout on top the ice will work just fine . If you are planning to be out all day or longer , it pays to place the fish in a plastic bag once they ’ ve bled out . This way they will stay plenty cold without soaking in water .

In general , I don ’ t like to leave the entrails in my trout for more than two or three hours . Fish have strong digestive fluids and the last thing you want these fluids to do is seep into the meat surrounding the abdominal cavity . Fortunately for us trout anglers , trout are one of the easiest game fish to clean .

Certainly , you ’ ve heard the old saying that there is more than one way to skin a cat . Well , I ’ m here to tell you that there is more than one way to gut a trout . My favorite method is to take a razor sharp fillet knife and slit the trout open from the vent to the gills . Then I cut across the back of the trout ’ s neck until I sever the spine . After that I set the knife aside , hold the trout ’ s body in my left hand and pull down on the head with my right . When you pull down on the head the incision you made will continue down behind the pectoral fins , detaching the head . After the head comes off the entrails will still be attached to it . Pull downward toward the tail and all the trout ’ s insides will come out just like that . The final step is to scrape out the blood line that lies along the spine at the top of the abdominal cavity . After that give the trout a quick rinse and the job is finished .

If you prefer to leave the head of your trout attached you still start out by slitting

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