THE FINE ART OF PIKE COOKING 



its life away on the hot boards of a boat bottom, or 

 strangled to death at the end of a string dangled be- 

 hind the boat. If pike are to be retained for any 

 length of time, they should be put in a live-box or killed 

 at once and placed upon ice. Always remove the 

 gills, eviscerate, and wipe the body cavity clean, using 

 a wisp of grass, or better, a dry cloth. Be sure all the 

 reddish-brown substance from along the spine — "kid- 

 neys" — is removed. Remember, moisture will hasten 

 decomposition. If to be used immediately, then sever 

 the head and wash out the body cavity with as cool 

 water as can be found, drain and wipe dry; then place 

 in the cooking vessel at once. I know of nothing more 

 unappetizing and repulsive than a slimy basket of 

 improperly cared-for fish. 



The pikes will not keep as well after being scaled; 

 but personally, I prefer to scale my fish before leaving 

 the fishing grounds whenever possible. I never take 

 home more than enough for a single mess, at the most 

 two, and nine times out of ten eat them on the shores 

 of the river or lake from which taken. Of course, if I 

 were going to ship any great distance I would leave 

 the scales on. In scaling, one can use an ordinary 

 knife, though one with a serrated back to the blade, 

 like that advertised by the Marble Company, is very 

 convenient, and any of the so-called "fish-scrapers" 

 are efficient and take up but little room in the tackle- 

 box. In a permanent camp nothing is better than a 

 regular currycomb such as horsemen use. At the best, 

 cleaning of scaled fish is a disagreeable job and any aid 

 is very welcome. I have not said that fish scale 

 easily when first taken from the water, a matter which 

 should be emphasized. Of course, a dry fish can be 



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