Welcome to Week XXX of 'Fishing Parkland Shorelines'. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert, In the following weeks I'll attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don't have access a boat a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish for a good summer fry.
What to do on a cold winter's night in December when the significant other is busy make plum puddings and your favourite television series is into seasonal reruns?
Well you might spend an evening at the workbench giving your reels a good cleaning and grease.
One thing which is true about shore fishing is that reels take more abuse than the ones used on a boat.
Now I am one fisherman who believes in using a rod case. A basic case is about 20-bucks, and that's pretty reasonable as protection for a rod and reel combo most of us will sink around the $100 into.
There are of course far cheaper units out there and I have one that cost under $20 which I load with ultra light line (four pound as I recall) for an occasional perch fest, or just for kicks in landing a few fighting pike on light line, but I tend to look to better gear.
That said, I try not to go overboard either. Local shore fishing is not such that you are fighting behemoth fish with every cast, so going for the top-end rods and reels is frankly more gear than you need.
Regardless of how much you spend, look after your gear, and a rod case helps prevent car trunk crushes, or damage from over rock trips and falls on the way to your fishing hole.
But once out of the case reels take abuse.
When you catch a fish the reel gets set down as you take the flopping critter off the line, and that means it bangs off rocks, or is set into mud, or sand over and over.
Add in that it gets wet from line and rain, and a reel's life is a rough one.
Cleaning it is actually rather simple.
Pop off the spool, usually requiring the knob to be removed and then it slips off.
You can use a cotton-tipped stick to clean the area, and then dab on a bit of reel grease, which you can purchase at most places which sell any amount of fishing gear.
The next step is a bit more involved, and you will need a small screwdriver. Check the heads on the side of the reel to see what you need, although most seem to be Phillips screws.
You will need to take out the handle, just remove the head on the opposite side of the reel, the one you likely loosen every trip to fold the handle into the reel so it fits in the case better.
The next step is carefully removing the screws on the side plate of the reel. I say carefully because if you drop one they can be a major pain to find on the floor, unless you step on it in sock-feet and while you find it that way, you will not be pleased about it.
Once the screws are out, lift the plate carefully to expose the small gears which are the heart of the reel's operation.
After a lot of use the grease will likely have broken down to the point of being sort of grayish paste. Again carefully wipe this off the gears, and then use your fingertip to put some new grease on. Don't skimp. You are better with some extra than not enough.
Put the plate back on and replace the screws, and then the handle.
Your reel is now ready for a winter rest in the closet, but is also primed to go the first day of the new season in May.
In the kitchen
And now it's time to head back to the kitchen for a few minutes.
If you are looking for something that works as an appetizer, but can also be the feature main course, then you might want to try pike rolls stuffed with wild rice.
Yes folks this is another little dish yours truly came up with lying in bed one night.
Now I suggest pike for a few reasons.
To start, as mentioned before a lot of people are not too eager to take pike home if they catch them. The more tasty recipes to try the more people might come to appreciate the pike which is such a fun, feisty fish to land.
Secondly, the pike does provide a fillet that has length, an asset in a roll.
It is about as simple a dish as you can get in terms of adding something just a bit fancy to the menu.
You start with a pike fillet. You will want to take a sharp knife and cut a thin slice of pike flesh. Don't go over about a quarter inch thick, and make it as wide and long as possible. This in one dish where a bigger fish is better.
This is a dish where you want to make the extra effort to ensure there are no bones.
You will next need some lean bacon slices, the leaner the better. Or, you could opt for a ham, such as Bruschetta ham.
Lay the bacon/ham out and then place the pike strip on top.
Next comes the wild rice stuffing. You can of course buy the dry wild rice and prepare it, but there is also a canned wild rice which will work nicely.
Mix a few dried cranberries into the rice. While this is another spot in a recipe where you can add to taste, I would not go overboard. The cranberries are here for colour, and just a hint of sweetness.
Make a small ball of the rice and place on one end of the pike, and then roll the bacon and pike around the ball. A few toothpicks will hold the roll in shape.
These go onto a pan and into the oven on the broiler tray. They will cook pretty quickly since the fish is thin cut.
As the rolls broil, you can make a quick condiment to enhance the dish.
Get out the food blender and throw in chuck of white onion and a piece of cucumber. The size required will be determined by how many rolls you are serving.
Toss in a few chili flakes if you like a heat kick, salt and pepper.
Give the processor a quick buzz to get the 'relish' blending.
Now pour in some vinegar. A red wine vinegar is a quick way to give the dish a different 'finishing' flavour.
At this point you can add a bit of red pepper too which gives the 'relish' the same hint of red as the stuffing.
Blend until it gets to the consistency you prefer.
Once the rolls are broiled, remove from oven. Cut in half, it shows off the stuffing. Place on plate, with some of the relish for people to use if they chose.
Oh, and the final step, enjoy!
