My wife and I always look forward to visiting my son and grandchildren. It involves some weird flight times to get from Tucson to Woodbridge, Virginia, but after seeing the kids, the long travel hours disappear in our memory. This trip was particularly close to my heart because my two grandchildren planned on taking us fishing. My wife and I had taken Connor, our grandson, fishing for the first time a couple of years ago and he had caught his first fish. He was particularly determined to show us that he could catch more.
URBAN TROUT FISHING
We had planned on going camping in southern Virginia a few days after arrival and thought that the fishing would begin then. We were surprised when our grandson announced that we would be fishing the same afternoon we arrived. I asked him where we were going fishing and he remarked “We are going to our neighborhood pool”. I surmised that he really meant an urban fishing pond, but I was wrong. In all my years my wife and I had never fished in a swimming pool, but that day we did.
The pool was stocked with rainbow trout and most of them hung out in the 8 foot deep diving end of the pool. We set up our lawn chairs at the pool’s edge and commenced fishing using worms, corn, marshmallows and salmon eggs. The limit was two fish per person and it didn’t take more than an hour and we had caught our limit. The other amazing thing was the people managing the fishing pool derby also cleaned our fish before we left the area. My grandson declared that it was now time to take them home, cook them, eat them and polish the meal off with a trip to the ice cream shop.
TROUT COOKING INGREDIENTS
Whether you grill the fish, bake them or cook them over a campfire, there are some key ingredients that you need. You need some dry white wine, butter, lemon juice, fresh parsley, salt, pepper and tin foil to wrap them in for cooking. In the trout’s body cavity, first add a pat of butter, a sprinkle of wine, a dash of lemon juice, some fresh parsley and then season to your taste with salt and pepper. Next, roll each individual fish in tin foil being careful to seal the ends to keep the liquids in. Grill, bake or place in hot campfire coals for 8 to 10 minutes or until the fish is completely cooked (it will be white and flakey when done).
BEST WINES WITH TROUT
Using a dry white wine to add flavor to the fish is a must, but what wine would be the best to drink when eating the trout? Several sources say select an Anjou, Arbois, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or simply drink your favorite champagne. We selected a Sauvignon Blanc made locally in Virginia. My grandchildren can sometimes be picky eaters, but they really enjoyed the fish as much as we did, even though they drank milk. After the meal, we all did go to the ice cream store. I had a three scoop banana split, which I am now working off since we returned home.
Catching trout is fun. When cooked properly, it is a great fish to eat, especially joined with your favorite wine. I always say buy the wine your like, store it properly until ready to drink and serve it at its optimal temperature. Fishing and wine will make your world better.
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Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers
