Bluegill Labor Day.

 After saying goodbye to Cheryl for the weekend,  I headed out to the private pond to do a little "trespassing" and fishing.  (Technically,  I do have some sort of permission....It's a gray area.   But better to not get called out!)  I loaded up the inflatable Kayak and headed out. 

It was a little warmer than last weekend, with the sun high in the sky and very few clouds.   And the water was cooler than last time. ( go figure)   Perhaps that is one of the reasons I did not catch as many this time. 

Not that the action was slow!   I caught plenty of the solid 9 inchers.  I even caught a nice Crappie!  ( The last fish of the day, actually...)  I did not bring the fly rod this time.   Instead, i opted for the Ultra light with 4 lbs test.   I would say the trial run was a success!   Plenty of give for the bigger fish on the light line.   And enough stiffness to cast a decent ways.  

The set up I was using was a wooly bugger fly tipped with a small imitation minnow.   I personally thought it would be too big for the bluegill's small mouth.   But the larger ones had no problem inhaling it!  There is something very satisfying about catching Bluegills on artificial baits.    They are notorious for stealing your worms and crickets no matter how deep you bury the hook.   Being able to catch them on a "tougher" plastic lure keeps them from stealing your bait... And gives you a smile when you know you were able to fool them. 

I did not stay on the lake as long as I did last time.   Christina invited me out to the bar for a chat about life and work.  And that is another reason why I might have not caught as many as last time.   Bluegills tend to begin biting just before sunset.  And I was off the lake before then.

No matter,   11 fish was plenty for me to clean.  And I still managed to get a fine mess.  ( Isn't it odd that it is called a "mess" of bluegills?   They certainly make a mess when I have to clean them.) 

Cheryl and I enjoyed a number of Bluegills on Sunday for dinner.   It was a messy ordeal, with limited cooking utensils and facilities.   But we made it work!   And I took notes on some of the things I lack so I would have an easier go of it next time.   

And that was this morning!   I ate what was left of the fish I had thawed out.   With minimal garnishing,   this is what it ended up for a presentation.  

Cheryl suggested  a Bar Basket for next time.   I do think that presenting them as "Pub Food"  has it's own artistic flair.  And would be a lot easier to clean up!

I now have another large ziplock filled with fillets in the freezer.   And there are still a few fillets soaking in the buttermilk in the fridge.  ( to get out any "weedy" flavors)  The cooking experience this afternoon was far cleaner than yesterdays.   But I can only eat so much fish before getting filled!  Perhaps I will save them for the next time Cheryl comes to visit.   Nothing says "Wisconsin" like fish, chips and beer! 

Come to think of it, it is probably more of a midwest thing.   We used to enjoy plenty of fish and chips in Michigan.   And they Grow bluegills for aquaculture in Ohio! So Wisconsin is probably not as unique as I would have you believe.

Well that is all I have at the moment.    I just got back from the Haribo with two more boxes of Gummies.   (Our Monthly Sample/ allotment)  The flavors are "fizzy Cola" and Fruit Salad.   The Fruit Salad is pretty good!  I imagine it will be even better when we can make it fresh here in the plant.   

As for the Fizzy Cola....  Not a fan.   I actually like the regular "Happy Cola" far better.   The fizzy cola is basically a regular cola gummy with sugar on the outside.  ( I think!)   But it seems to taste quite different.  At least that is my opinion.  Perhaps the folks who love the regular cola will find my take on it to be "mistaken."   But that is where I stand at the moment.   

It's going to be a short week this week!   And perhaps I can get back out on the lake and  catch a few more for the freezer.   They can join in on the freezer  fun with the Chanterelles I still have yet to chop up.  In fact,   Cheryl said the Bluegills actually tasted like mushrooms!  ( I did not really get that flavor at all... but it would be cool if I could somehow, accidentally combine the two passions and flavors  I have  for the outdoors.  A mushroom flavored fish dinner actually sounds kind of good.  

But for now... time to sleep.   I want to try to get a full 8 hours ( or more) of sleep each day this week.  Mostly just to see if I can do it.   Because sometimes it is tough to remember that sleep is part of making every second count.