Read the prelude to Woodsman’s Fish Weave: Trout on a Worm.
There is nothing better than cooking a fish by the waters it was caught in. My trail companion and I gathered materials for a small fire and lit it as fast as we could to smoke out some of the black flies and mosquitoes. I spotted a large flat rock laying in the stream– this would be a perfect woods table for processing the brook trout. After cleaning it out, I began to cut some green alder branches to make my fish weave. Using a larger branch, I made the form by bending one end to touch the other. I then cut a forked stick to place up the center with its top sitting in the fingers– this would allow me to weave in smaller branches to fill the form. I wrapped my fishing line around the bottom ends to hold everything together and once completed, I let it float downstream to give it a thorough soaking.
Restoking the fire, I picked up my fishing pole to reel the basket back in. Laying the trout on one end, I took a few more branches to weave over the fish and hold it in place. It did not take long for the brookie to cook up. When we were done eating, we tossed the bones in the stream’s dead water to watch the minnows pick at what we had missed. The fire was dying down and it was nearing 2 o’clock when we decided to leave. Taking off my hat, I dipped it into the stream to fill with water and put out the hot coals. On cue, the bugs returned and without much delay we hiked out to the truck and headed back to camp to meet up with the rest of our party.
Bradford Angier compiled an abundance of information covering fire making, wild edibles, navigation and more to help campers survive in the woods.
John Ford, retired Maine game warden, comically shares many of his fortunes and misfortunes while working in the field.
Annette Jackson tells us of her experiences living in the north Maine woods as a game warden's wife in the 1930s.
Michelle Souliere covers strange Maine tales and mysteries ranging from witches to the Loup-Garou.
With hunting season in full swing, Delorme's Atlas and Gazetteer will help you plan a trip, or get from here to there.
Gil Gilpatrick outlines basic outdoor skills for anyone looking to increase their knowledge in planning and packing for a wilderness canoe trip.
Joyce Butler writes of the historical Maine fire that raged in 1947 , burning 200,000 acres including many coastal homes and communities.
Paul Fournier shares stories of being a guide and bush pilot, as well as assisting in the failed reintroduction of caribou in Maine.
Donn Fendler shares his story about being lost on Katahdin, Maine's largest mountain, when he was 12 years of age.
February 2012
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I am a bit late seeing this story, we have been on vacation riding our motorcycles along many beautiful rivers throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and we saw many people fishing and it made me think of these great stories, New England is amazingly beautiful. I love the weaving basket idea, so basic and no clean-up
Keep the stories and great pictures coming….
Therese
Therese- It sounds like you had a great vacation. I hope the weather held out for you while riding through the mountains. And thanks for the kind words!
That’s great! I’ve never seen anything like this and am eager to give it a try. Thanks for sharing it.
Robin- It is a great way to cook up a couple of fish. Let me know how it works out for you after you try it.
Nice photo of the fish cooking on the fire, I hope there was enough to share with your companion
Thanks Elizabeth. It was a perfect snack after a morning of fishing.
Another good story. You and your trail companion are the best!
Thank you Steve. It was great seeing you this weekend!