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Can't
you just see the look of surprise and wonder on the face of the "Unlucky Fisherman" in your
life when he opens this unique gift. Whether he cooks or not, you can be
sure he will read this book from cover to cover, everybody does. My
uncle Bob doesn't fish or cook and he read it, probably more for the humor than
the recipes or fishing tips.
The idea for this book came to
us one beautiful bright blue October day as my dad and I were fishing for
flounder and/or cod just off the Gurnet Lighthouse outside of Plymouth
harbor. That's in Massachusetts near where the Pilgrims landed sometime
before the first Thanksgiving day.
A perfect
gift for the person that has everything
We were using sea worms as bait
for the flounder and clams to attract the cod. We fished for both at the
same time on the same rod by using a special rig that let the sea worm lay on
the bottom and the clam float about a foot or so above. The rig had
worked real slick and we had caught just about all the fish we wanted to clean
so, we headed back in. On the way in conversation turned to lunch, which
by my watch, we had missed about three hours before.
The ladies of the household
would all be out shopping when we got in so fixin' something to eat was going to
be up to us. One of us said, "How about a nice clam chowder for
lunch?" Why not use the clams we had brought out as bait? We
were very hungry and so that idea seemed to have merit. That's when the idea for
this cookbook hit us.
Lots of folks go fishing and
never seem to catch anything. My uncle KC, for example, loves to fish yet
never catches anything and that is ok with him. He really enjoys being out
in the fresh air away from the everyday hustle and bustle. He just never
catches any fish. Now, if he were to use for bait something he likes to
eat, perhaps lobster, he could double the enjoyment he gets from his fishing
experience.
Fish eat all
kinds of stuff you generally don't think of as bait.
Smelts, sardines, mackerel and shrimp make fine bait and are a lot
tastier than those plastic and metal lures (more appealing to the fish too).
Some fish will eat just about anything.
Why not choose as bait something you would enjoy eating? Made sense
to us and this book was born.
The
Recipes, cooking hints and tips
Scores
of delicious recipes and cooking hints. To gain an appreciation as to how
extensive the collection of recipes are you should take a look at the Table
of Contents
How
about instructions on how to prepare an authentic New England Clam Bake
without having to dig a hole in the sand, burn a cord of wood or heat a ton of
rocks. We will share with you how we do a backyard Clam Bake that has all
the flavors and aromas of the ocean side version without the mess and
stress.
In
fact, using our method, you can do a clam bake right from your kitchen
stove. That's right, you can prepare an authentic New England Clam Bake
for your family and friends even if you live in an apartment and during
any season of the year. Now you don't have to wait for a summer weekend to
enjoy a delicious clam bake.
Fishing
Tips
Here is one example of the fishing tips found
throughout this cookbook.
When
I was just a boy I remember my dad taking me fishing with an old timer from Nova Scotia. He
was quite a character and a darn good fisherman.
He wouldn't allow a rod in his boat.
No way! Hand lines and hand
lines only. He insisted you couldn't
feel the fish with a rod (he is probably right but don't tell the Shakespeare
Co. I told you).
As
I remember we were out for flounder that day.
We caught more fish than we knew what to do with.
The fishermen in the boats all around us were going crazy.
They couldn't understand why the old timer in his even older wooden boat, a double ended row boat,
using hand lines was catching all the fish
while they in their fancy power boats with all the latest gear were not catching
anything! I remember my dad cleaning
fish well into the night. That old
Novi
fisherman had his secret.
His
secret? Sardines, yes sardines!
Here's how it works. Take a
can of sardines packed in oil. Punch
some holes in the can and lower it to the bottom on a string or in a mesh bag.
As the oil releases it acts as a chum line attracting the fish right
under your boat.
After
he had caught what he needed, up came the can, nice and cool, free of that oily
taste, a perfect snack at the end of a successful day of fishing.
Now
I fish in that same spot with my children. I
still put down a can of sardines. Broken
mussels from off the piers in the harbor and put into an onion bag, possibly
might attract more fish but sardines are still my favorite.
Fishing
Humor
Jokes, stories and yarns are sprinkled amongst the recipes, fishing tips
and secrets. I will leave it for you to determine if the jokes, stories
and yarns are humorous or not. However, I did overhear a person commenting
to my wife that I must be a funny person. Her reply was, "Yes he is
funny but looks aren't everything." How's that for an endorsement?
What people
are saying
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