BOO!!

Fishing part II

As Chris says, once you haul the boat out, the work begins. Stop by the launch on the Kilchis River to run the salt water out of the motor; clean the boat; clean the fish; clean the gear; put away the gear; put the boat (still hitched to truck) in the designated slot in the new pole barn; roll up the hose; clean the the cleaning area.

And finally, do something with those beautiful fillets! We took our two fish (4 big fillets) home, and got out the jars, canner, lids and the rest of the parphenalia needed to do some canning. We didn't can tuna this year, it was way expensive - so these salmon were a bonus, and canning part of the catch would make up for the tuna. We tend to use them the same way, in sandwich fillings, with salad, in noodle casseroles, and so on.

So here is step one. Everything all set to cut and stuff.

Of course for a really good job, you must have quality control. And who would know better than a cat? Mom slipped Birdie a generous bite - which, typical of a cat, who never does what you expect, she totally ignored. It was more interesting making sure that knife was being handled correctly...
Salmon skin is surprisingly tough. So the best method of getting the slabs cut into slices is to use a sharp knife to cut through the meat until reaching the skin, then use kitchen shears to cut the skin. A lot easier than sawing through with the knife...
By cutting the slices into jar-tall pieces, the fish packs neatly. We usually have canned salmon in pints, but this time we decided half-pints would work best for just the two of us.

Look how thick that fillet is! Mighty nice - this was the buck Chinook (I'm sorry, but a buck is a deer or a rabbit - I'm still not convinced it applies to FISH), which was the larger of the two.

Once the jars are packed, it's really important to make sure there is no oil or residue of any sort on the lip of the jar, where the rubber seal of the lid must sit. With a quarter teaspoon of good sea salt in each jar, they are ready for lids. NOTE: no, we did NOT get the sea salt mixed up with the epsom salt - in the back, there...someone is sure to notice that!

The canner held 13 jars. Almost ready to load...

And here's the payoff: 26 half-pints of good healthy eating! I also cut and wrapped 13 portions for the freezer, so we will enjoy our salmon in a number of ways, as the winter rains come and go. And we'll remember our perfect adventure with every bite!

The only thing that would make these jars any better is having the color of the raw fish hold through the processing. Once the salmon is canned, it does get pretty pale in comparison...but it is still totally tasty. And in case you're wondering - the skin peels right off when you take it out of the jar; the few bones that are in the fish are completely soft and edible - more calcium!

We saved some nice belly pieces out for dinner. I cooked them in a dab of olive oil, over medium heat, with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper once the fish was plated. Yum-MEE!

Truly fresh fish doesn't smell or taste "fishy"; it is almost sweet. Like eating ocean air - fresh and pure!

A fish in the hand...

See me smile. See me REALLY smile!! This is my first ever salmon, caught all by my big girl self! Well - Chris did man the net to get it in the boat...and it's a good thing he is tall with long arms, I was as tired as the fish by the time I got it close enough to the boat to net it.

Someone asked how much it weighed, I told them at LEAST 50 pounds! That's what it felt like as it was hauling line away and I was trying to hold on! But it was actually 21 1/2 pounds, a nice size male - they are called "bucks", don't ask me why.

Then Chris got the next one on, and handed the pole to mom. She hauled in this nice 13 pound "hen", her umpteenth salmon. But each one is exciting all over again, as you can tell from HER smile! And yes, we are having a hard time holding them up to get a picture, they are heavy!

Here's a nice view of two nice fish. Mine's the BIG one, in case you didn't notice...
I knew it was a male immediately as it came out of the water, because of the hooked nose. They get more and more hooked as they head up-river for spawning. Also notice, the black "lips" - that's a Chinook characteristic. The Silvers, which were literally jumping out of the water all around us, have white lips where the teeth are. Speaking of teeth - take a look at those nasty sharp things, like razors! And not quite apparent are some "fangs" right in front. Scary.
Chris came over Sunday and mentioned he had two empty seats in his boat, if we might be interested in fishing the next morning. All we wanted to know was WHAT TIME!

He's a savvy, patient fisherman, his boat is very comfy, and we had a great time! Up at 4:30 a.m., on the river by 6:45, hovering over the heater until daylight - have to keep those fingers limber, doncha know. It was like Christmas, with all the boats floating gently with colored running lights, waiting for the sky to lighten. Spectacular.

After trolling up the bay a ways, finding where the "bite" was, enjoying our snacks under bright sunny skies with fresh air and beautiful scenery around us - we finally, reluctantly, hauled out about 1:oo p.m.

Back home, Chris showed me how to hose off the scales, and he started filleting. It's an art.
And this is what is left. Chris calls it "fillet and release" (instead of catch and release). The release part is when he takes the bucket of innards and skeletons down to the bay and feeds the seagulls.
This is one of the things we consider a treasure, living on Tillamook Bay.
Here's the payoff, as far as Chris is concerned - he get's the eggs from the hens. He preserves them with his secret recipe, to be used for fishing bait later on.

Small pay, for a wonderful adventure!!

Capturing Cuteness!

A friend's small herd of seven Miniature Horses have been delivering a crop of unexpected foals - the pesky, typical little stallion is an escape artist, doncha know! The mare below is making us all hurt, we are wondering if she is packing twins ...

These babies are only about 17" tall right now. The minis get about the size of St. Bernards, at the most. They actually have shows for them, where they are shown "in hand" with halters and judged on conformation, etc, just like regular horses. They are also sometimes trained to pull carts, and shown driving. They are not really rideable, although I've seen small kids put up on them over the years. Cute as a button, don't eat as much, all the fun of a big horse, for small pastures and small barns!

Can you see his her little tongue sticking out? She just had a drink at the snack bar!

Minis have a separate registry, as HORSES, not ponies. So don't make the mistake of calling them "cute little ponies" - that could earn you a shove on the leg by an indignant mini!

THE END!! (I LOVE those fuzzy little tails!)