Northwest Reel Life April 2024 Volume 3 Issue 6 - Flipbook - Page 20
second location but again,
coming up sevens at this
new spot. For those without
an interest in throwing
dice at the craps table like
myself, that means I didn't
catch anything here either.
Maybe a bit counter to the
introductory prose, I’m all
for enjoying the experience
of fishing and the
ambiance of the outdoors,
but darn it, I really like
catching fish, too. Especially
with all the work and
background knowledge
I had completed. Not
catching the fish would’ve
been a letdown, surely.
After finding a few
reservoirs in my area and
properly gearing up, the
only thing left to do was hit
the ice. A scenic 20-minute
drive to my first location
yielded no fish. Slightly
concerning, but motivating
at the same time, another
angler told me about
some perch and a small
ling (another name for the
burbot) he released. Good
to know, but after a few
more evenings on the ice
with no fish, it was time to
try somewhere new. How
about 40 minutes away? I
had heard more consistent
information about the fish
being abundant in this
20 | NWFISHING.net
So, perhaps where I
should've started all along,
a trip to White Sulphur
Springs, MT about 1.5 hrs.
away would host my next
attempt. As with most
fishing, the lulls made
for some long hours.
Despite the wait, I had the
opportunity to hook into
my newest fish friends
both jigging for them and
through a stationary rod,
both targeting slightly
off the bottom, about 40
feet. I'll never forget the
sight of my first burbot
as it appeared from the
icy blue depths below.
Examining this new-tome fish, it had greenish,
yellowish, olive covered
spots all along its body.
A catfish like appearance
with a more than normal
amount of fish slime
coating the body, which I
quickly became acquainted
with as it slithered snakelike in my hands. Knowing I
had finally caught one had
me pumped up! All that
was left was to see how it
tasted.
As mentioned, they are
highly regarded for their
table fare. Bringing my
catch home, I had done
my homework as to how I
should prepare my meal.
Simplicity is sometimes the
answer. Boil a little lemon
soda, poach the fish for
a few minutes and dip in
some garlic butter with
lemon on the side. Enjoy,
easy. One thing I hadn’t
accounted for, sharing with
my family. My wife, not as
invested in the pursuit of
this fish, was fine to try it,
compliment me on cooking
it and move on with her
evening. My kid, 2 years old,
however, grabbed this fish
by the fistful. So much so
that I started getting a little
jealous! I put in the legwork
to catch this fish and had
