A giant goldeye

Well, not exactly a giant, but I caught a Goldeye that's 39 cm (15.5 in) long. I'll be applying for a Manitoba Master Angler Award. The minimum length to qualify for an award for Goldeye is 35.5 cm (14 in). This is the first fish I'll be registering. Many years ago I caught a Black Crappy that was 14 inches long. The minimum length for an award is 12 inches. Unfortunately, this fish was caught in Ontario and didn't qualify in Manitoba. I can still prove I caught the fish, because it is hanging on the wall on a plaque in my basement. I'm not having this Goldeye mounted, it is too expensive, but I'm happy to finally have caught a fish I can get an award for. Instead of a mounted fish I'll have a certificate I can hang on the wall. Besides, I can still smoke this one and eat it.

I took a picture of the Goldeye. It has already been gutted and scaled, but it still looks good.

Lockport Dam Festival 2012

This weekend is the Lockport Dam Festival. We took a drive there yesterday afternoon to check it out. We looked at the vintage cars, but didn't go into the fenced-in area where the main stage is and  where the vendors have set up their tables. It cost $15.00 per person. We don't care much for the music anyway and just to look at the vendor's tables doesn't justify spending that kind of money. We went to the Festival 2 years ago and didn't have to pay anything. At first we wanted to go to Stonewall for the Quarry days. They have a parade, vendors, stuff for the kids, and a show, and it doesn't cost anything, but it rained yesterday morning, so we didn't go. People don't like to pay to see these events when there are some that cost nothing. I don't know how well the Lockport Dam Festival was attended, but we didn't see that many people.
We went to see the fireworks in the evening. There were many people there to watch it. That was free. We set up our chairs in the park by the river and enjoyed it.. It didn't last that long, but it was a nice display.
When I read in the paper last week that they charge admission I sent them an email wondering if admission was also charged to watch the fireworks and see the vendors, but I never got a reply. I guess I wasn't important enough to receive an answer.

Goldeye. Goldeye, Goldeye

I went fishing this morning to Lockport. I got there early (for me anyway) at 9:30 am. There were already quite a few guys there. I found a place and threw out my bait. I used pieces of Nightcrawlers. I bought a dozen a couple of weeks ago and didn't use up all of them. You only need a small piece which you cut off with a knife. I use a small scissor. Less messy. I kept the ones I didn't use in the fridge, but today they were all dead. By all I mean the three remaining ones. So I used the dead pieces. They worked. When I ran out I used frozen minnows. They also did the trick.

I didn't catch anything at first, but I got stuck among the rocks at the bottom of the river a few times and lost the hook and the sinker. I managed to retrieve my float though every time. Getting discouraged, I tried  fishing with a jig. My first cast was successful and I caught a nice Sauger (a relative of the Walleye). I got stuck again with my second cast. Lost the jig. The same thing happened the third time and the fourth time. I didn't even get a chance to actually fish. After I lost six jigs in a row I switched back to the small hook with a piece of worm, a small sinker and a float about 4 ft above the hook. I threw the whole thing into the water and let it drift with the current. I didn't have much room to play because of all the other anglers. It is easy to get tangled up with another line.

Well, I finally hooked into my first Goldeye. A nice fat one. The rest is history as the saying goes. I left 11:45 am with 9 Goldeye and 2 descent Saugers. I was happy.

At home I scaled the Goldeye, gutted them, and then we put them into the freezer until I'm ready to smoke them. Apparently, they taste better after they've been frozen for a couple of months. The last four which I sort of smoked on the Bbq didn't really turn out. Now, with all these Goldeye in the freezer I am practically forced to buy a smoker.

The two Sauger I caught have supplied us with a nice meal tonight, together with the two smaller ones I caught the other day. Sauger don't get very big. One fish is usually barely enough for one person. Sauger, like Walleye, have white, flaky meat and taste delicious when lightly dusted with flour and fried in butter. My wife and I we don't care much for breading fish. Walleye are quite pricey to buy in the store. They usually sell for about $27.00 a kg in Manitoba. I've seen them even for around $37.00.  Smoked Goldeye are also considered a delicacy and not cheap to buy. Goldeye are only good when they are smoked. The meat is greasy, soft and too mushy to be used for anything else.

Anyway, it was a good day, especially since I tried to catch some fish yesterday on the other side of the river since the strong north wind made fishing on the side I usually fish difficult. Yesterday I caught only one small Sauger which I released again.

Here is the proof I actually caught some today:

Folklorama 2012

This is the last week of Folklorama in Winnipeg. Last week Monday we went to the Portugal Pavilion. It was a disappointment. The entertainment was amateurish and my great disappointment was the food. We had pork on a bun. 2 thin patties of pork on a bun, no mustard, or anything else. It was dry. A hamburger would have been better. The beer was good.

Wednesday we visited the Chilean Pavilion. The food another disappointment. We ate Chicken Empanadas, which to me are nothing but Pizza puffs. A large pocket of dough filled with chicken pieces in sauce. It was hot (oven-hot). I had been looking forward to a nice dinner, since Monday was such a disappointment. I could have had the dinner, which consisted of three Empanadas. One filled with chicken, the other with pork, and a third one with cheese. I don’t know what I expected, but I thought Chilean food was better than that. At least the entertainment was not disappointing. Besides local performers they also had a group, I believe, from Toronto. We enjoyed that performance. Very professional and entertaining.

Tonight we went to the Cuban Pavilion. We ate Pork loin (a bit tough, unfortunately), rice with beans, and salad. And drank a bottle of beer with that. My wife and I were happy with the food. The best though was the entertainment. None of the entertainers were professionals, but they put on a great show. Such talent! We watched them dance different dances. All of the girls were beautiful and the guys handsome. And the show was quite long. We left the Pavilion happy and felt we received value for our money.

We would have liked to go to more shows, but it can become costly. It cost $6.00 per person to get into one Pavilion. And the food is actually a bit overpriced when compared to fast food restaurants. Years ago it was more affordable.

This weekend is the Lockport Dam Festival here in Lockport, but they are charging an admission of $10.00 to get in. That’s not worth it to us. We were there two years ago and didn't have to pay anything. They even had a free shuttle bus taking people from one side of the river to the other. Now they are charging admission. We may just drive to Stonewall. They have a festival going on this weekend also and it is free.

We might go to watch the Fireworks, though, in Lockport on Saturday. Probably from our car parked on the street. I don’t feel like paying for it. This is supposed to be a community event, not a moneymaker.

Am I a cheapskate?

The Icelandic Festival in Gimli, Manitoba

Last Sunday we drove to Gimli for the Icelandic Festival. We've been going the last couple of years. Walked through the Viking village and talked with the 'Vikings' about life a thousand years ago. It was quite informative and interesting. You have to be dedicated to sleep in those tents for a few nights. The nights are getting cooler now, but, as one of the 'Vikings' there told me, they were quite comfortable with their thick furs they use for bedding. People in those days lived surely primitive, but they were skilled in making their clothing, weapons, and other things they used in their daily lives. The pace was slower and people spent their time making useful things, not spend it yapping on their cell phones and watching TV, or sitting in front of their computer all day long. They didn't spent as much time shopping either, the way we do. They foraged what they needed from nature, or traded with others.

I'm not saying I would like to live like that, but it makes you think about values in our lives.

Like every year we went to the Country Boy Restaurant for lunch. It is still called that, but on the sign outside it says 'Diego's Kitchen. Authentic Latin America Cuisine. Now they serve enchiladas, tortillas, and other Mexican dishes.

We found out they have new owners, which means changes. It seems every time a place changes hands, the new owners have the desire to change things. Why would anyone want to change something that has proved to be good? The place used to be packed, this time it wasn't, while the burger stand next door couldn't handle all the customers. This was the Icelandic Festival. A chance to make money.

We ordered our usual: Pan fried pickerel (or walleye), with fries and salad. $10.95. Not a bad price.
What a disappointment! Instead of 2 filets, they way it used to be, we received 1. The outside was much too dark and crispy. We got less fries and a smaller portion of lettuce. They put pieces of Mango fruit into the lettuce. I like mango, raisins, nuts, cranberries, pineapple, oranges and other fruit. Even jello but not in my lettuce!!

I didn't go to Gimli on Lake Winnipeg to eat Mexican food. I wanted fish. After we finished eating, we checked out what the people next door ate. They did have 2 filets, nice and golden brown. I guess next year we'll go the Chris' Fish and Chips next door. We may have to wait in line but it'll be worth it.

We felt like eating ice-cream, but they wanted over $3.00 for a small cone. We went to Robin's Donuts across the street. I paid $2.39 for a big scoop of strawberry swirl soft ice-cream in a sugar cone.

The secret of making money in any business is not high prices. It is better to sell for less, make less profit on each item, give the customer a little more than he/she expects, and in the long run a business will make more money by selling more items. A savvy businessman knows that. Buyers always love bargains and they will flock to the place where they'll get them.

I smoked my first Goldeye

Yesterday I caught 4 Goldeye in Lockport. I scaled them, gutted them, washed them and put them into the fridge. In the evening I put them into brine and left them overnight in the refrigerator. Some people say that it is best to freeze them for a few months before smoking them. Apparently, it makes the meat firmer and pulls out the oil, but I wanted to try out smoking them before I spent money on a smoker. 

In the morning I soaked roasted oak chips in water for 2 hours. The oak chips come from wine kits. They always include a small bag of oak chips, but I never use them. I’ve saved them over the years.

I took the 4 Goldeye out of the fridge, took them out of the brine, rinsed them, dried them with a paper towel, put them on a rack and left them for about 1 ½ hour in the basement to dry and to glaze over (so they can absorb the smoke but retain moisture).

Then I prepared my 2-burner gas barbeque for the smoking:

1)     I removed the rack from one side. Then I put more briquettes on the side without the rack. I took the oak chips out of the water, squeezed them dry and wrapped them with tinfoil. I punched holes into the top for the smoke to escape; then I put the package with the chips on top of the briquettes.

2)     I lit the burner, using only one. I left it on high with the lid open until the oak chips started smoking a bit. Then I put the fish onto the warming rack on the unlit side.

3)     I turned the gas control knob to its lowest setting. The temperature crept to about 275 F. Then I shut off the burner and let the temperature inside the barbeque cool down to about 180 F. Then I lit the burner again.

4)     After 2 ½ hours I shut off the burner and let the barbeque cool down with the fish still inside.

5)     The barbeque was cool after 1 hour. I used a spatula to loosen the fish from the grill. Some of the skin stayed behind, but that’s okay. We don’t eat the skin anyway. The meat looked good and the fish had a pleasant smoky aroma. We put the fish onto a baking sheet and put them into the fridge.

The problem was to keep the temperature from going above 275 F. Once I had, by mistake, 2 burners going on low for about 10 minutes and the temperature rose to nearly 400 F until I noticed it. Not good.

It was a tedious job. I left the burner on for about 5 minutes, then shut if off for about 10 minutes, and then I lit it again. This I did for the entire 2 ½ hours.

Note: I will buy a smoker. It will make life so much easier. This is actually the first time I smoked anything and I wanted to try it out. I searched the internet for advice and for recipes. I found plenty of both, but nobody advises you how to tell when the fish are done. I cut into the skin of one fish after 2 ½ hours and it separated easily from the flesh, so I figured it was done.

Here is the recipe I used:

1 liter of water

¼ cup pickling salt

¼ plus cup of brown sugar

½ cup of apple juice

¼ cup soy sauce

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. garlic powder

A few splashes of Worcestershire sauce

Evaluation:

We had them for supper. They were not great but edible. The taste was okay, but the meat was still quite soft. Maybe I should have smoked them longer. I think if they would have been smoked in a smoker and not my barbeque they would have been better. The way I did it wasn’t really the way to smoke them, because there was no consistent supply of smoke. Actually, there was probably not much smoke at all, because the oak chips were not even charred. I can use them again. I think I’ll wait until I have a real smoker before I smoke goldeye again. I will use the same recipe.

I went fishing

I took a couple of hours yesterday afternoon and went fishing in the Red River in Lockport. Lockport is only about 3 km away from our place. We fish near the dam. The fish come up from Lake Winnipeg  and are stopped by the dam. They congregate in the turbulent water below the dam in great masses. Many anglers go there every day to try their luck. Sometimes people fish shoulder to shoulder, especially on the weekends and when the weather is nice. Sometimes whole families are there. Not really a place to go if you want to spend a quiet few hours of fishing.

I was lucky and caught 7 Goldeye and 2 Sauger. The Sauger were a bit on the small size. The limit for Goldeye is 10, so I'm still 3 short of my limit. Should I catch more they'll go on my wife's license. I scaled them with a scaler-board I got from my son years ago. I've never used it before. It works great. You just insert the tail of the fish into the clamp at the end of the board and start scaling them fish with a scaling-knife. The fish are slippery and it is hard to hold them.The scaler-board makes it so easy. Once they are scaled I gut them, wash them and put them into a freezer bag filled with water (4 fish in a bag), then I freeze them until it is time to smoke them. Probably in the fall when the weather is cooler.

I used a 6 pound test line on my rod, put a floater about 4 feet above the hook. The hook is small, tipped with a piece of night crawler (a large worm). Then I throw it into the river and let it drift in the current, hoping to catch a fish. Some guys there didn't use a floater. They fish the bottom. I tried it but gave it up. I got hung up between the rocks at the bottom of the river and lost a few hooks and the sinkers, not to mention a few feet of line.

I also caught a carp and a tiny catfish (about 3 inches long). I don't keep the carp. They are too greasy and taste muddy. Some people keep them. They must really spice them up for them to taste like anything I'd want to eat. Obviously, I didn't keep the catfish either.