Backcountry Fishing

[Jen]

I am just curious about fishing and BC camping. Where would one clean the fish? Do they pack it out? I am not fishing I was just curious about the protocols

[Ear Mountain]

Park policy has varied through the years. Presently the fish entrails are to be disposed of in deep water. I've always cooked and consumed the fish in the food prep area.

Back around 2001 we were asked to pack out the entrails. I carried an interesting bag of stuff for five days from Lake Francis to the foot of Kintla Lake.

[Jen]

I carried an interesting bag of stuff for five days from Lake Francis to the foot of Kintla Lake.

YIKES!

[scott-atl]

for NPS to require/request packing out entrails is absurd. I've always just heaved them out as far as I can.

[llholmes1948]

I suspect they would be great for playing practical jokes on people. Just imagine if you discovered that one of your friends was on a three day hike and had left his car unlocked in the parking lot. (Of course maybe they wouldn't be friends for long - some people just have no sense of humor.)

Lyman

[pitamakan]

Someone remind me to lock my car whenever Lyman and I are in the park at the same time.

[isleroyaleguy]

Catch and release solves all the problems. Use barbless hooks on only artificial lures. No fuss,no muss. But still a lot of fun.
IRG

[Jen]

So you would be cleaning at the lake and not in the food prep, correct?

[Ear Mountain]

So you would be cleaning at the lake and not in the food prep, correct?

Correct.

[elscout198]

Based on what we have seen in other parks some strange things can go on in the food prep area.

(I have been a park host twice (with round three this summer at ROMO starting in July),

Some of the items left behind in the other park I was at in the food area have been interesting to say the least, like how do you forget one new shoe?

Painful hike I guess?

[McNeill78]

Cleaning a trout takes about 30 seconds and I always do it at the waters edge. For backpacking I cut the fish into 4 inch lengths and heavily spice the fish on all sides and in the cavity. I then wrap the pieces in aluminum foil and seal it as tight as I can. I place about 2 inches of stones in a large size jet boil (Sumo) and fill it up with water just covering the rocks. I place the pieces (4-6) on top and finally place a foil top with a pin hole in it held in place by the lid. I let the water boil for 10-12 minutes at the lowest possible setting. I bring flat bread to eat with the fish.

Aluminum foil can be rolled up with alternating sheets of paper towels to keep the aluminum workable and it is handy for the meal. I suggest a really good sealing and odor proof bag (like the freeze dry backpacking meal bags) for the foil, paper and remains.

[Ear Mountain]

Wondering why you would "heavily spice" a fresh caught trout from a mountain lake in Glacier?

[McNeill78]

The effects of the steaming seem to remove alot of natural flavor and sometimes I overcook due to the nature of holding a low boil on a Jetboil. I would not flavor them much if I could pan fry them which is a real challenge when backpacking for me.