Sucks to be Whitey
Whitey Saves the Day
There’s only one place in the world where the Rocky Mountain whitefish gets its due. That’s in Idaho, in the Big Lost River drainage, where whitefish are towing the line for listing as an endangered species. Nobody wants the whitefish to be listed because the non-native rainbow fishery might be compromised. Catch a whitefish on the Lost and you better handle it properly.
Elsewhere, Senor Whitey, as some anglers call them, get the shaft, meaning many are pitched to the bank, or cracked over the head with a rock, or sent airborne for an impromptu flight. Even when released to the water, most whitefish endure a harsh handling and hook extraction before gaining their freedom. If they struggle in the shallows, a boot is often implemented as a crude cattle prod. Get your ass on out of here now, ya’ har’ me boy. Compared a trout, which is often sent away with a palm waving over its head and a dozen grapes placed in its maw, whitefish get no respect.
I’m no saint, but most of the whitefish I’ve killed, I’ve eaten. It’s a little known fact that whitefish are some of the tastiest fish that swim. In many areas they are considered delicacies. Some say they are too bony, but there are ways to clean and cook whitefish where the bones melt away with a single pull. Compared to a salmon or a blackcod or a tuna, whitefish is completely mild, which makes it a nice meal for those who aren’t true fish connoisseurs. Basically, those who say walleye is the best fish in the land—uneducated seafood palettes that they harbor—would truly love the whitefish. Whitefish are so treasured, in fact, that even Montana holds a commercial fishery on them—in Flathead Lake where the Lake Superior strain of whitefish is harvested by the thousands and sold to trendy restaurants located on Flathead Lake and around the region.
Whitefish Love.
Chefs aren’t the only ones who appreciate the whitefish; Rocky Mountain fishing guides treasure Whitey. When mismanaged clients can’t cast dry flies to discerning trout, or when a double nymph rig keeps hooking around a strike indicator, guides can take off the tandem rig and tie on a Prince Nymph or Lightening Bug and let their clients slay. Tip possibilities grow with each whitefish captured and released.
Where whitefish get a bad rap is from their propensity to eat everything that floats over their heads or past their snouts, which, in some situations, makes reaching a trout among the whitefish fray, just about impossible. In addition, whitefish are true Nazis when it comes to getting a hook out of their mouths. A trout? Simply turn him on his back and he holds still like a sleeping baby. A whitefish? Hold him in any position and he’ll go into convulsions, spinning circles, spitting bubbles, wrapping itself in an anglers fly line. Two-fly rigs and whitefish are downright dangerous and I’ve lost a shop’s worth of patterns to those angry suckers. Other times I’ve had flies imbedded in my hands and fingers as a whitefish struggles for freedom. Some of those occasions I’ve turned a whitefish into an impromptu version of a Boeing jet.
Whitefish Hate
Still, a whitefish, unlike a brown or a rainbow or a brook trout or, god forbid, a splake, is native to the Rockies and belongs in our streams. I’m not opposed to killing whitefish. In fact, I think more whitefish should be killed, especially in the Big Hole and the Bitterroot and the Clark Fork where those rat-bastards attack in Mongol hoards. I just think that we anglers ought to utilize our whitefish bycatch and get creative in the kitchen. A whitefish is no trout, but it’s a utilizable fish with a place in the world. I still might dispatch one with a heft toward the heavens, but I’ll track it down, gut that sucker and place it in a roasting pan or the Big Chief smoker that night. Believe, me, with the proper care, you might gain a new impression for this lamented fish.
Here are some tips on cleaning and cooking whitefish, if you choose to give it a shot.
In the Field Preparation
Gill immediately.
Allow the blood to drain out
Gut soon.
Gently push blood from the veins with a thumb.
Place on ice. Fill body cavity with a little ice.
(If ice isn’t available, wrap in moist leaves)
In the Kitchen
Recipes courtesy of Mountain Lake Fisheries in Columbia Falls, Mont., 888-809-0826 http://whitefishcaviar.com/
GRILLED POACHED WHITEFISH
(Heart Smart Recipe)
2 lbs. boned whitefish fillets
1 med. onion sliced into rings
1 med. lemon, sliced into disks
salt and pepper
butter Buds
Sprinkle both sides of fillets generously with Butter Buds. Lay
fillets singly on individual sheets of aluminum foil. Cover with onion rings and salt and pepper to taste. Cover onion rings with several full slices of lemon, peel included. Wrap in foil and place on charcoal grill or in broiler oven for 5-6 minutes on each side. Discard cooked lemon slices when foil opened. Decorate plate with fresh lemon slices and fresh parsley.
WHITEFISH ALMONDINE
4 6-8 oz. boned whitefish fillets
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 lb. butter
Juice of one freshly squeezed lemon Make thin batter by adding eggs to milk and beating
thoroughly. Roll fillets in flour, dip in egg batter, and roll in flour a second time. Fry in light
vegetable oil at medium heat for approximately five minutes on each side or until golden
brown. In second smaller skillet, melt 1/4 lb. butter on medium high heat. Add slivered
almonds and stir butter-almond mixture until almonds are golden brown. Remove from heat
and stir in lemon juice, to taste. Put finished fillets on plates and pour almondine sauce over
them. Serve immediately. Serves 2-4.
GT
Comments
Do that to whitefish in
Do that to whitefish in Alberta and you will be charged. Do that to whitefish in front of me and you'll be in a fight.
They are a sportfish and the same rules apply to them in regards to fish handling and care. Killing them out of season, throwing them around, wasting the meat, or abusing them is a form of poaching and you will be charged and treated like all poachers should be.
Even more, Whitefish are an important part of the ecosystem and as they are on a lower trophic level than trout, there needs to be more of them to support healthy trout populations, especially piscivorous trout. Not only are they food for trout, they broadcast their eggs in the late fall providing an excellent source of food for trout right as the winter begins. The more whitefish there are; the better.
Poach this
I wouldn't call myself a poacher of whitefish (not anecdotically or literally) and I don't have a clue what your seasons are like in Alberta, but in Montana you can harvest a lot of whitefish. Our quality biologists insist that we have an abundance of whitefish. Each angler is allowed to capture and kill 20 a day and the possession limit is 40. I don't suggest that anyone should do that, except possibly during winter when whitefish can be smoked at the right temperature and then provided as a treat through the year. Additionally, the season is open, in all districts of the state, all year. Everywhere else, outside of Montana, I agree with you—anglers should check the regulations and comply. The fish photographed in the sucks to be whitey piece, you should know, made a sweet baked dinner.
Regarding whitefish as an important part of the ecosystem, I agree with you completely as stated in the article. They have a place for sure and, as stated in the article, maybe they have a more rightful place than all those introduced browns and rainbows that we fish for in Montana and in Alberta.
gt
Whitefish the Bounty Hunt
"In fact, I think more whitefish should be killed, especially in the Big Hole and the Bitterroot and the Clark Fork where those rat-bastards attack in Mongol hoards."
But wait....why? I thought they deserve the same reverence as other native fish...
Numbers game
If you caught those fish on every cast in those streams you wouldn't question why. If six-inch native cutts dominated in the same way I'm sure biologists would suggest a harvest on them, too. Just a numbers game on specific waters, in particular certain stretches of those waters.
gt
Numbers...
Certain stretches of water where whitefish may school?
Whitefish migrate to spawn (not always far) like most salmonids. At certin times of years, like the fall when they are scooled up to spawn and the winter and spring when they are in the overwintering waters, whitefish will be available to catch in large numbers. These times are the times when most people nymph too and are more likey to catch them. And because they are schooled up you can't use your daily catch at one location to get a representative look at the population in the river.
AND there needs to be more whitefish than trout to support a health ecosystem (especially in a place that is not being stocked with trout).
You may consider them rat bastards that need thinning out, but that is based on your narrow view of the whole system.
BTW, I have nothing against eating fish, especially where the system can support a harvest. I do have an issue with tossing fish around just because you don't know how to handle them.
Joke
I've interviewed the chief biologist for every major stream in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho for 20 straight years. They've never voiced the concern that you demonstrate. And our whitefish populations don't seem to be diminished in any stretch of river throughout the region, excpect the aforementioned Big Lost River. These people I speak with and meet with are competent men and women who work in the field and spend their lives studying fisheries and protecting fisheries. Are you a bench-seat biologist or the real deal? I mean, I would be interested to know your background so we can determine if this is an educated opinion or a rant.
In addition, I don't know about your "narrow view" comment. I think your "fight" comment in your first post is juvenile at best and suggests a lack of credibility. I do release a lot of fish and have done so for, oh, let's see, all of my life. So your "don't know how to handle them" comment is a bit laughable. How would you know? You should have said, "I resent the way that your friend handled that whitefish in the phots that ran with the Sucks to Be Whitey post. So, let us know: Who are you and do you have any credibility?
gt
Personally, I think the
Personally, I think the photos are funny. They, along with Thomas' article demonstrate the love/hate relationship that can exist with respect to whitefish. I believe Thomas "gets it", does not have a narrow view and most certainly knows how to handle fish. Montana's limits suggest that whitefish are not a scarce species so who really cares that a dead whitey was launched in the air for the purpose of a photo? PETA? It tickles me that the article and photos actually boil someone's blood. The magnificent whitey a sportfish? Have at 'em my friend...
No credibility at all...
A narrow view meaning a small section of river in relation to where the whitefish travel, in response to your reply to the other comment. If you took it that I was calling you dumb that was not the intent.
20 years ago biologists had a different opinion, and even now they don't all agree. 50 years ago biologists contributed to the near extinction of many species in western N. America (and the world). There are some (chief biologists as you call them) that promote killing suckers and whitefish to boost stocked trout numbers. That is a pure numbers game based on biomass for stocking, not a good ecological decision. There are many new folks to the field and other folks with lots of experience (myself included with 10yrs gov't fisheries and some years consulting and now the senior biologist of my area) that are noticing declines in whitefish populations.
I don't know what access you have to scientific literature, but a couple of quotes from an Idaho document sum up my point:
"While the status, life history characteristics, and habitat requirements of most native salmonids in western North America have been the subject of much research, comparatively little is known of the mountain whitefish, in large part because they are less appealing to anglers and have therefore received far less attention from fisheries managers and researchers (Northcote and Ennis 1994). In fact, from the 1950s into the 1970s, mountain whitefish removal programs were undertaken by government agencies in some areas of the western United States (Corsi 1956; Erickson 1971; Jeppson 1982) because they were perceived by anglers and biologists to limit trout production via competition for food and space, an assertion that has not been substantiated (Pontius and Parker 1973; Fuller 1981; DosSantos 1985)."
"Even basic estimates of population abundance are lacking except in localized areas. Such information gaps exist in part because mountain whitefish continue to remain an
afterthought for most fisheries research and management programs in western North America. Only through more focused efforts will we gain sufficient knowledge of the status, limiting factors, and life history characteristics of the mountain whitefish to effectively manage this species."
From: Environmental Factors Related to the Distribution, Abundance, and Life History Characteristics of Mountain Whitefish in Idaho, North American Journal of Fisheries Management 29:753–767, 2009
And, this next report from Idaho also indicates changes to whitefish communities, much of which would not be noticed by anglers or fisheries managers not doing detailed biomass sampling. https://research.idfg.idaho.gov/Fisheries%20Research%20Reports/Volume%20... The report shows declines in what would be a tailwater system, but also demonstrates that the whitefish pre-disturbance were 70% of the catch, but only 40% after the dam was done (ignoring shifting baselines which may indicate higher whitefish numbers in the past). Biomass dropped significantly also. What were the regulation changes for whitefish over that time period? It is a limit of 25 right now!! Is that because the managers know about whitefish, or they are low on a priority of management.
*****************
While my "rant" is based on the poor treatment of what should be a respected native sportfish, it is rooted in fact and science (although may not be 100% specific to that stream). No fish should be tossed around in that manner nor should the poaching (wasting meat, killing in or out of season and leaving on the bank, harassment, etc) be accepted, even from a humorous standpoint.
"I resent the way that your friend handled that whitefish in the photos that ran with the Sucks to Be Whitey post"; I said: “if you do that in front of me”, I never said it was you doing that, but my statement stands: You mishandle (tossing in the air) fish in front of me like that, you will be in a fight (verbal at least).
This is what you wrote, maybe not regarding the picture (although it was a planned throw if you got the picture): “Some of those occasions I’ve turned a whitefish into an impromptu version of a Boeing jet.” That is admitting you throw whitefish when they give you a hard time on the release.
Montana Regs:
It Is Unlawful And A Misdemeanor
• To violate any regulations listed in this booklet.
• To leave or dump any dead animal, fish, garbage or litter in or on any state, federal or private property where public recreation is permitted.
• To waste any part of game
WASTE OF FISH OR GAME
To purposely waste any part of a game fish suitable for food by transporting, hanging, or storing the carcass or flesh in a manner that renders it unfit for human consumption; or, to abandon or dispose of, in the field or water, the carcass or flesh of any game fish suitable for food; or, to use the carcass or flesh of any game fish as bait except as authorized in the bait regulations.
Catch–And–Release Angling
Waters designated catch-and-release for one or more species of fish require that those fish be immediately released alive. Use of proper handling techniques will improve the chance of survival for any fish released. A fish that is released may still die from: deep hooking injury; internal organ damage from being squeezed; bacterial infections resulting from loss of slime in the handling process; effects of physical stress from being played too long; low dissolved oxygen in live wells; and heat shock from being held in shallow water or live wells.
Releasing Fish
To ensure a released fish has the best chance for survival:
• Play the fish as rapidly as possible. Do not play it to total exhaustion.
• Keep the fish in water as much as possible when handling and removing the hook.
• Remove the hook gently. Do not squeeze the fish or put your fingers in its gills. There are release devices available from most sporting/fishing stores to assist you and, use of barbless hooks makes releasing fish easier.
• Set the hook quickly to avoid deep hooking the fish. If the fish is deeply hooked, cut the line. Do not yank the hook out. Some fish will survive with hooks left in them.
• Release the fish only after it has gained its equilibrium. If necessary, gently hold the fish upright in the current facing upstream and move it slowly back and forth.
• Release the fish in quiet water close to the area where it was hooked.
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So, after you try to release it, fail, and toss it in the air, do you still plan on releasing it unharmed, do you chase it to keep it as it floats/struggles downstream, or does it just drift away into the current while you re-rig and look for a more deserving species?
Informative
Whitefish/Junk fish
Payback
Wow
In an either or scenario,
In an either or scenario, it's really not a discussion is it? Steelhead far and away.
Thanks for the comment.
greg
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