Fish Soldier's Bluff

Well. I didn't follow my own advice and watch Leprechaun, awesome though it is, and I didn't drink any Guinness, annoyingly. But I did go to Soldier's Bluff after Evening Prayer in search of fish.

It was a bust at first and I thought it'd stay that way. Then, as the bright sun started to go down, the fish started nibbling and then biting. Out came 5 Blue Gill and one small Bass in short order. Good result.

Apart from the excitement of catching the small but feisty fish, it was simply good to get out in the open air and enjoy the view of the lake from the bank. 

I gave my left over worms to some kids, I hope they caught something, and you can view excerpts from the adventure at, ahem, Incredible Video!

Fish on,

LSP

I Was Born to Have Adventure

I know what you're like, international readership of this popular mind-blog. There you are, riding big boats and fishing for shark off the flats of Bermuda. But don't scorn me for being a humble bank fisherman on Lake Whitney.

Little Fella

Speaking of which, the lake was up and restless this evening after Mass, with waves crashing against the limestone shore like breakers in the North Sea, or Aberystwyth pier. I didn't have a boat so I cast off from the limestone, with a worm. Who knew what'd turn up? Maybe nothing, that's the way I felt.

Yes Indeed

Wrong. Bass turned up, with the best of four plowing into my hook like Trump on Twitter after midnight. I didn't even have a boat.

Head Home, Fool

Here's the thing. You can sit or stand looking at the news in slack-jawed consternation, or you can get out and catch some fish. 

Be wise, readers, and chose the better option.

LSP

Fish on Friday #2

Farsighted readers of this mind blog will know that it's customary at the compound to eat fish on Fridays, which means go out and catch some fish, then cook them. And that's what happened.

At first the spillway side of the dam was empty and I had that tranquil moment of casting off into the depths of the pool in search of fish. Then a kid turned up with an assortment of rods and started fishing for Gar in earnest. I admired his enthusiasm and wished him luck. He was using baby Shad as bait.

Downriver

Then two gentlemen tipped up and began working the pool. They seemed pretty serious, big nets, battle rods and the grizzled look of experience, which tokens fishing respect. They were using lures and cut bait, going after Striper.

So there it was, a skirmish line of fishermen  competing for the catch of the day. And here's the thing, the lures didn't work, the cut bait didn't work and neither did the Shad. But the Weightless Worm Rig (WWR) did, the fish liked it. Lots of them, to everyone else's washout.

Get The Kid on The Fish

After a while, the grizzled veterans upped stakes and headed off, leaving me and the Gar fisher; I turned him on to the WWR. Excited, he ran off and bought some worms and it wasn't long before he was pulling fish out of the water like a good 'un. I thought that was great and so did he, running around the pier with tremendous gusto. Go for it, kid. A happy moment.

Fillet That Fish, LSP

A crew of fishing technocrats from Vietnam (?) were next to arrive. Massive hyper-rods, long range casting floats, the whole array of fishing technology went into action against the submerged opposition. And... nothing. Meanwhile, the weightless worm riggers were reeling in the fun. There's a moral in that, somewhere.

Eat Your Scoff Like a Warrior

I gave our SE Asian friends the worm tip on the way out, they were grateful, and cooked up a fat Bluegill when I got back to the Compound. The rest of the fish are on ice.

Keep it simple,

LSP

Tranquil

They say that at the Mass, or the Eucharist, please don't say "Yewkrist," time and eternity intersect as the sacrificial act of Calvary breaks through into the present moment, uniting us with the redemptive love of Christ. His Sacrifice becomes our sacrifice, however imperfectly, and finding atonement in Him we glimpse, fleetingly for sure, the peace which passes all understanding.

Just Some Goon With his Hand up a Puppet

Of course that doesn't happen at a Clown Mass, I thought to myself bitterly, casting off in search of Behemoth Bluegill. And there's a whole lot of something that passes all understandng when the liturgical dancers kick off, and some priestess goons around pretending to be something she doesn't even believe in anyway.

Nice Little Fryer!

Then the reverie was broken by a fish plowing into my hook and the fun was on. A nearby kid asked his dad why I was catching fish, "Well, he's got worms!" It's true, I did, and after reeling in Leviathan, I gave them a couple and a hook. "Thank you, sir, you're a gentleman and a scholar," said the Father; he was keen for his boy to get a fish, and so was I. He did, too, with a little patience.

You know, I think there's something pretty good about a Father and his son, or sons, out on the water fishing. 

As the sun set, I headed for the Compound, tranquil. And that was that.

LSP

Threeper Bass Blitz

Don't get me wrong, Bluegill fishing is pretty fun, a lot of fun, even, and they're good for the fry up. But when you've caught a relaxing cooler full you start to wonder if there's more adventure to be had in Seaworld, well, Lakeworld. And there is, Bass Blitz!

There you are, reeling in the ferocious panfish from the limestone bank when off to your left, maybe 100 yards away, there's a sound like frying bacon. But it's not bacon, or the warming noise of a crackling fire, it's fish, leaping up out of the water in a blitzing feeding frenzy.

Look Out! Blitz Starting! Come on You Fish!

If only they were closer! you think as you hoist up another piranalike fighter and, just in case, you rig up a topwater lure on your backup rod. I chose a large Heddon Super Spook, why? Because I wanted the lure to be weighty enough for a long cast.

Ah Ha!

Sure enough, the Blitz came in, as the leaping Bass tore up the water within 30 or 40 yards. So I got on them with the Spook. Bang! and the lure went down. Big fun, I tell you. But here's the thing, the Spook was too big and I'd have caught more with a Tiny Torpedo, still, hindsight's 20/20.

See The Rain?

Then rain came in, the lake grew choppy and the Blitz subsided into the deep, leaving me with no option but to head to a desk, a computer and a printer. Please don't laugh, it's true.

Threeper

For some reason a Threeper Pie seems appropriate.

Blitz on!

LSP

Cast Away

Yesterday was blast, today was cast, and that's what the sporting life is all about, mixing it up, by land, sea and air. Well, lake, in this case.

After a slow start I drove out of the compound to catch fish with GWB. I wanted to show off the fun and success of the Weightless Worm Rig (WWR), so we headed to Lake Whitney by way of buying a couple of boxes of nightcrawlers. These were "imported from Canada," curiously, and I've been told that people in Alberta make a living from this.

Many Limits

Next stop, the lake itself and the limestone banks of Soldier's Bluff. At one point in time, soldiers must have looked down on the Brazos river from the rocky bluffs and before them, Indians. Not that long ago in the scheme of things, but today it was just the team, threading worms onto hooks and dropping the tasty morsels down into the depths.

Across the cove from us a solitary gentleman was sitting on a bucket with a line in the water. Was he a #BlackLivesMatter supporter? No, I doubt it, he was probably after catfish instead of a Soros grant. I watched a few rigs pull up behind him and out poured an army of young people, who clambered their way onto the opposing bluffs. They were going cliff jumping, big fun, but we were after fish, and they were biting.

Well, Well, Well

It started off in a competitive spirit, "Ha! Number 2, we're even," but that soon went by the by as fish after fish ran with the WWRs. I lost count, but GWB estimates a "good cooler full." We certainly caught that, though these Bluegills were put back to fight again another day. And not only Bluegill, I caught a decent little Crappie who was trying his luck in Sunfish territory.

Then the worms were gone and it was time to quit while the going was good. I'd say there's relaxing, innocent enjoyment in bank fishing, though it would've been nice to have some kind of boat to get out to where the Bass were were jumping, about 40 or 50 yards out.

Kindly Old LSP

Fishing wisdom: Go where the fish are and give them what they think they want; you'll catch an abundance. There's a moral in that somewhere, if you care to draw it.

Tight lines,

LSP

How To Fillet A Sunfish

OK, you've set your objective and met it - catch enough fish for a meal. So you've got those Blue Gills in a cooler and, well, what next? Descale and fillet, that's what's next and here's how.

Put your fish on a cutting board and stare at it with respect, the ferocious predator died that you might live. Meditation over, get a knife, a kitchen knife will do, and remove the scales; you don't want to eat them. 

Next step, use a fillet knife to cut around the head, gill and fin of the fish, then work the knife along the the back of the fish, following the bones of the ribcage as a guide. When you're clear of the ribcage you'll feel it; push the knife through the fish and cut through to the tail, being sure to keep as close to the bone as possible.

That done, work the knife over the ribcage, severing the flesh from the bone. Don't be pernickity, cut the fish flesh off the ribcage when it's obvious that you'll have no more flesh. Then cut out the fillet.

Look at that small Sunfish fillet but don't be dismayed, it'll puff up several times when it's deep fried, making for a great snack.

So that's how it's done, at least in LSPland. There are different ways to do this and you can go out and do them, good luck to you, but there's no rule. At the end of the day it's all about catching your own fish, like a Sovereign, then prepping them and having a meal.

Fish On,

LSP

Sun Fishing on Bushcraft Wednesday

Right, I know, it's Bushcraft Wednesday when everyone's supposed to be out in the bush with rare Scandanavian knives, tinder boxes, buckskin clothing and an encyclopedic knowledge of how to live off the bush itself. 

A Typical Bushcraft Scene

All of that, as opposed to trudging about some supermarket in homage to your Overlords in the Nanny State.  Sure, I respect that, but I didn't get out in the bush today, I went to the water instead.

A Fish

Lake Whitney, in fact, where I thought I'd try my chances against the fish and the objective was simple; get enough for a decent meal. To reach that objective I tried the old weightless worm rig (WWR) method, which is just as complex as it sounds.

Kindly Old LSP (Get a Haircut)

Tie a hook on your line, thread a worm around the hook, a real worm, not a plastic one, and throw it in the water without a weight. Then watch the WWR sink into the depths; it will, albeit slowly. If you're fortunate, sunfish will start hitting the WWR on its way down. Be ready for that and set the hook! If they ignore the juicy worm, twitch it about a bit and experiment with different depths. Fishing wisdom.

Monster of the Deep

Well, the old WWR methold certainly worked this afternoon and I lost count of the fish reeled in. To be sure, lots were small and had to be put back, but others were a decent size and worth keeping. 

Mission Accomplished

I ended up with five, which is plenty for me, and would've had six, but he jumped off the hook, flopped into a crack in the limestone and was eaten by a snake. There's a moral in that, somewhere.

I'll fry those fish up tomorrow, beer batter style.

Tight lines,

LSP

Fry 'Em Up!

This site's come under a lot of criticism lately, and why's that? Because I foolishly used frozen, store-bought chips (fries) at the last fish fry. "What kind of LSP are you?!?" commented the shocked punditry, "We expect slices of real potato, fried in lard, and nothing less." OK, I get it, point well made, so to correct the deficiency we went out to the lake and caught some fish, eight fat Bluegill and a small Black Drum.

Clean The Fish

Next step, set up two cleaning stations, yes, two, and fillet those fish like champions. Then later that evening apply beer batter and deep fry until golden brown, but don't forget the chips. Slice up some potatoes and fry them too. Use your memories of fish and chip shops in the UK as a guide, and when the tasty strips of potato look and taste right to chippie standard, take them off the heat, drain, and if necessary keep them warm in the oven while the fish does its thing.

Chips

Serve it all up with tartar sauce (easy to make) and whatever else sounds good, you be the boss of that. After all, it's your choice, not the Government's, not the tasseled loafer Beltway elite's, not the NWO globalist banksters and their Illuminati shills in the media and Hollywood, no, it's up to you. 

A Typical NWO Puppet

Did I use lard? Well, no, vegetable oil was the medium. But look, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Dogs Love a Fish Fry

In other news, the ghost of Lawrence of Arabia has been spotted, or was the "apparition" Tony Blair?

Fish On,

LSP

Cooking With LSP, Fish

I know, I know, it's Bushcraft Wednesday but plans have to evolve to meet a fluid tactical environment. Such as the opportunity to catch fish. We took that opportunity and went down to the lake.

Before too long there was a cooler full of Bluegill; take those fish home and fry 'em up! went the war cry, and that's exactly what happened.

Work Harder!

First things first, descale the fish. Use a regular stainless steel - no need to be fancy - kitchen knife with a serrated edge. Then fillet the fish, leaving the skin on. There's a helpful infovideo here, if you don't know how.

Then make some beer batter. It's not hard. 2/3rds cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and the same again of onion powder.Whisk it up, add around a bottle of beer and fold in a beaten egg white right before you're ready to fry. And maybe you do that with a loaded .45 close to hand. Or maybe you don't, there's no rule. 

Random Fish Photo

Sure, go right ahead and fry up some fish defenseless. That's your call; who knows, maybe your pal, Nanny State, will protect you, and you'll be safer because you're not armed. Your choice. I chose a Beretta PX4 Storm, you might opt for something different. It's up to you. Choose wisely.

Batter mixed, dredge the fillets in flour, put them in the batter and drop the beasts in a cast iron pot with 3/4" of hot vegetable oil. Fry for about 2 minutes a side, then drain on paper towels.

Frying over, admire your handywork, pound the mahogany and grin like a warrior. Fish on. And here's the thing, eating fresh-as-you-like fish gives you energy, health and the satisfaction of Lake to Table and thank you very much.

It's tasty, too. And that's cooking, with,

LSP

Train Hard, Think Positive, Fight Easy

What do you do when you're a recruit in the the DLC (Dallas Light Cavalry, Irreg.) and you're looking to join the Mess? 

You get running.

Attention to detail,

LSP

Swim And Fish

What do you do when the temperature soars and the sun starts to beat down with merciless intensity? Sit and stare in slack-jawed consternation at a screen telling you about a crazed Muslim axeman in Germany? 

Or wonder why a member of the Religion of Peace would stab an English woman in France and her daughters for being "scantily dressed"? I mean to say, how could anyone misunderstand Islam so thoroughly?

No. You don't stare at the screen, you take the Team to the Lake for a Fish 'n Swim, after cunningly stocking up on water, beef jerky and night crawlers. Logistics taken care of, bob those worms near the limestone shore of the lake in hope of Sunfish.

Feel the first aggressive tugs of the predatory fish, and then reel them in. Proper little fighters and big fun to catch, which everyone did. Well done, kids.

Then cool off in the water before heading to the Taco Truck for Chicken Fajita Tacos and a Torta Cubana(!). Cheap, and tasty as you like.

So a good day was had by all, outside, at the lake. Next time we'll ice up the cooler and keep some fish for dinner. But now it's time to fire up the grill for burgers.

Your Pal,

LSP