Comments on: Fish on Board http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:40:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46176 Doug Noon Sun, 05 Aug 2007 00:36:41 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46176 Ok, the fish that aren't smoked get frozen. It's taken us a while to develop a process that is both simple and effectively ensures the meat doesn't get freezer burned over the course of a year, which is about how long we need it to last. We cut the whole fish in two and vacuum pack them in roast-sized pieces, using a little vacuum packer machine that uses special heavy duty freezer bags they sell here in town. When we want to cook fish, we thaw it and cut it into steaks for the grill. My wife got a barbeque recipe from an Alaska Salmon Bake place down in Juneau when she lived there long ago. We stir melted butter and brown sugar together and season it with garlic and salt. It makes a glaze that we spoon onto the fish while they're cooking. We grill all year. Even when it's cold and dark. Ok, the fish that aren’t smoked get frozen. It’s taken us a while to develop a process that is both simple and effectively ensures the meat doesn’t get freezer burned over the course of a year, which is about how long we need it to last. We cut the whole fish in two and vacuum pack them in roast-sized pieces, using a little vacuum packer machine that uses special heavy duty freezer bags they sell here in town.

When we want to cook fish, we thaw it and cut it into steaks for the grill. My wife got a barbeque recipe from an Alaska Salmon Bake place down in Juneau when she lived there long ago. We stir melted butter and brown sugar together and season it with garlic and salt. It makes a glaze that we spoon onto the fish while they’re cooking.

We grill all year. Even when it’s cold and dark.

]]> By: Ms. Whatsit http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46133 Ms. Whatsit Sat, 04 Aug 2007 12:53:27 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46133 Those are great photos. What a catch! So....how do you like to prepare the fish that you don't smoke? Those are great photos. What a catch!

So….how do you like to prepare the fish that you don’t smoke?

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46084 Doug Noon Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:39:40 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46084 Heh, heh...The reason we use dipnets is that the Copper River is glacial, and full of silt. The river water is murky brown, and the fish can't see a thing, so rod and reel are useless. The fish pass a sonar counter at the mouth, about 80 miles (maybe?) downriver, and that information is published by Fish and Game, so we know when they should be in the canyon, where we're allowed to fish. With tens of thousands of fish moving through, we can stand on the rocks and hope they swim into the net. When the run is strong you stay pretty busy. When the fish aren't there, it's like any other kind of fishing. It's not sport fishing, and the permit is only good for a particular stretch of the river, which is hard to access. It's an Alaskans-only "personal use" fishery, with a limit of 30 fish per family. Some of them do go to the smoker. Heh, heh…The reason we use dipnets is that the Copper River is glacial, and full of silt. The river water is murky brown, and the fish can’t see a thing, so rod and reel are useless. The fish pass a sonar counter at the mouth, about 80 miles (maybe?) downriver, and that information is published by Fish and Game, so we know when they should be in the canyon, where we’re allowed to fish.

With tens of thousands of fish moving through, we can stand on the rocks and hope they swim into the net. When the run is strong you stay pretty busy. When the fish aren’t there, it’s like any other kind of fishing. It’s not sport fishing, and the permit is only good for a particular stretch of the river, which is hard to access. It’s an Alaskans-only “personal use” fishery, with a limit of 30 fish per family.

Some of them do go to the smoker.

]]> By: A. Mercer http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46035 A. Mercer Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:31:49 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46035 Now I'm going to ask the "why" question, about your fishing method. Why not fly fishing, why not rig and tackle, why not poorly aimed buckshot scatter in the river? Now I’m going to ask the “why” question, about your fishing method. Why not fly fishing, why not rig and tackle, why not poorly aimed buckshot scatter in the river?

]]> By: Rebecca http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46019 Rebecca Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:25:10 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/02/fish-on-board/#comment-46019 Lovely salmon! Are you planning to smoke them? Lovely salmon! Are you planning to smoke them?

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