03-01-2008, 04:07 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I detached your post from the other thread and started a new one. Might be worth some input from others and some further discussion.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are a lot of factors that contribute to (or detract from) the taste of fish...especially trout. A lot of this is subjective. What one angler likes may gag another one...and vice versa.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have found that trout from alkaline waters, or waters with mud bottoms and lots of weed growth, tend to have a "musty" taste. I prefer trout that live in clean rocky waters and dine mostly on zooplankton, freshwater shrimp, crawdads or other aquatic invertebrates. Their flesh is usually bright pink and much milder in flavor. Fish that eat only fish (like many big macks) develop whiter flesh and it is more likely to have a "fishy" taste.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The next thing that can affect the taste of fish is the basic health of the fish. Trout that have been living in cold, clean water...within their preferred temperature range...will have been active and feeding well. They will be firm and flavorful. Trout taken from warmer waters in late summer can be softer fleshed and not as good on the table. They may also have anchor worms or other warm water parasites that detract from both appearance and quality.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Stress and exhaustion can mess up the taste of fish too. Bringing a fish up from deep water too quickly...or fighting them for a long time...will cause the buildup of lactic acid in the tissues. So will keeping them on a stringer or in a live well with warm surface water for extended periods of time. If you plan to keep such fish, bleed them out and put them in the ice chest as soon as you bring them in.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have no quarrel with your BIL. If he is happy with the results on his fish, no problem. However, the "firmness" he prefers before cleaning his fish is "rigor mortis". That is the natural process that happens to all critters when they die. First the muscles stiffen up and then they begin to loosen up as the process of decay sets in. However, the stiffness should make no difference in the flavor.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The two factors that work against you in determining the quality of the fish you put on the table are TIME and TEMPERATURE. The longer the fish remain unbled or uncleaned, the more the natural processes have time to work on degrading the tissues. And, the higher the temperatures, the faster that degrading process occurs.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I can assure you that if you keep your uncleaned fish on ice overnight, they will not turn gross on you. In fact, I would defy the "average" angler to detect any REAL difference in taste or texture of the fish...if you serve it fairly quickly after cleaning the next day. But, the longer you leave it uncooked (or unfrozen) the more "fishy" your fish will become.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In short, you are the one to make the final determination of what you like best. If you are sensitive enough to detect the subtle differences in texture and flavor on fish treated in different ways, then you go with what you prefer. But, I maintain that a lot of what people THINK they prefer is all in their minds. And, as we all know, fishermen are an opinionated group.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you really like fish, you should make the effort to learn several different ways of preparing your catch...and how different cooking methods and seasonings can help make for a better dining experience. Then, when you bring home a fish that you find is not as firm as you prefer, you know how to best prepare it to have it turn out delicious...instead of just forcing it down to avoid wasting the fish...or worse.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are a lot of factors that contribute to (or detract from) the taste of fish...especially trout. A lot of this is subjective. What one angler likes may gag another one...and vice versa.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have found that trout from alkaline waters, or waters with mud bottoms and lots of weed growth, tend to have a "musty" taste. I prefer trout that live in clean rocky waters and dine mostly on zooplankton, freshwater shrimp, crawdads or other aquatic invertebrates. Their flesh is usually bright pink and much milder in flavor. Fish that eat only fish (like many big macks) develop whiter flesh and it is more likely to have a "fishy" taste.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The next thing that can affect the taste of fish is the basic health of the fish. Trout that have been living in cold, clean water...within their preferred temperature range...will have been active and feeding well. They will be firm and flavorful. Trout taken from warmer waters in late summer can be softer fleshed and not as good on the table. They may also have anchor worms or other warm water parasites that detract from both appearance and quality.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Stress and exhaustion can mess up the taste of fish too. Bringing a fish up from deep water too quickly...or fighting them for a long time...will cause the buildup of lactic acid in the tissues. So will keeping them on a stringer or in a live well with warm surface water for extended periods of time. If you plan to keep such fish, bleed them out and put them in the ice chest as soon as you bring them in.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have no quarrel with your BIL. If he is happy with the results on his fish, no problem. However, the "firmness" he prefers before cleaning his fish is "rigor mortis". That is the natural process that happens to all critters when they die. First the muscles stiffen up and then they begin to loosen up as the process of decay sets in. However, the stiffness should make no difference in the flavor.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The two factors that work against you in determining the quality of the fish you put on the table are TIME and TEMPERATURE. The longer the fish remain unbled or uncleaned, the more the natural processes have time to work on degrading the tissues. And, the higher the temperatures, the faster that degrading process occurs.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I can assure you that if you keep your uncleaned fish on ice overnight, they will not turn gross on you. In fact, I would defy the "average" angler to detect any REAL difference in taste or texture of the fish...if you serve it fairly quickly after cleaning the next day. But, the longer you leave it uncooked (or unfrozen) the more "fishy" your fish will become.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In short, you are the one to make the final determination of what you like best. If you are sensitive enough to detect the subtle differences in texture and flavor on fish treated in different ways, then you go with what you prefer. But, I maintain that a lot of what people THINK they prefer is all in their minds. And, as we all know, fishermen are an opinionated group.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]If you really like fish, you should make the effort to learn several different ways of preparing your catch...and how different cooking methods and seasonings can help make for a better dining experience. Then, when you bring home a fish that you find is not as firm as you prefer, you know how to best prepare it to have it turn out delicious...instead of just forcing it down to avoid wasting the fish...or worse.[/#0000ff]
[signature]