Clay and his dad spent hours on the lake together. They'd get up early in the morning and sometimes be back before Sam and I were even awake. I think it was a real treat for them to spend some one-on-one time together. They caught so many fish (five or six altogether, I think) that the whole lot of us were able to have a fish feast one night! The next day we mixed up the leftovers with mayo and dill and ate it on toast triangles.
Sam and I joined them on an afternoon trip. I cast out a line a few
times, but (thankfully!) didn’t get a bite. Most of the time I was trying to keep Sam in the boat! Eventually he fell asleep with the help of a little milk and the gentle rocking of the boat.
I really appreciated the opportunity to see the whole cycle of dinner
from the source to the plate.
I went
with Clay to watch while he gutted the fish, although I did have to avert my
eyes on the boat when he clubbed it. I
know it was the most humane way to end its life, but it was still sad.
The whole thing made me think about people
who settled the west and who had to go through this whole process every time
they wanted fish for dinner. It must have been a much more
precious commodity!
Instead of just a quick trip to Whole Foods, it would have meant time in
a boat or by the river, cleaning and preparing the fish, several hours of work
altogether, plus the emotional element of having to kill it yourself. When you think about that, it seems like meat
ought to be a lot more expensive than it is.
And if we were all responsible for procuring our own meat, we’d likely
eat it much less often, and appreciate it much more.
We definitely all appreciated our delicious trout
dinner. It was so fresh and tasty, a
much more earthy flavor than the ocean fish I’m used to. I swear you could taste the mountains and the
trees...
