56 American Fisheries Society 



muskrat, or other fur-bearing animal. Draw the nails, turn 

 the fish over, and repeat the process on the other side. Now 

 cut off the head and tail and remove the entrails. The body 

 of the fish, solid and firm and of a reddish color, much like 

 that of a bullhead catfish, will appear appetizing to you. 

 Next lay it down on the board, belly uppermost, and with 

 your knife separate the ribs from the "backbone," cut the 

 flesh free from this bone and take it entirely out. You will 

 now have all the valuable flesh of the fish in two slabs which, 

 when washed and cut into pieces of the proper size, will be 

 ready for the frying pan. 



In this frying pan have fat enough that these pieces will 

 almost float, and fry them much as you would doughnuts. 

 Have it good and hot when the pieces, first coated with 

 flour or cornmeal, are dropped into it, and keep it thus until 

 they are fried nearly as brown as doughnuts. Then with a 

 fork lift them up, allowing the hot fat to drain from them, 

 and serve. 



I have advised the skinning of a dogfish from the tail 

 toward the head, because the skin of it, which adheres 

 rather tenaciously to the flesh, is more easily removed that 

 way than if pulled from the head downward. The same is 

 true of a pike or a pickerel, on which the skin also sticks 

 hard to the flesh. Neither of these fish should ever be 

 cooked with the skin on it. Bass, crappies, bluegills, sun- 

 fish, and perch may be skinned easily, and the flavor of 

 every one of them will be vastly improved if it be skinned 

 before it is cooked. But whether it be skinned or not, any 

 fish weighing more than a pound should have the backbone 

 removed from it before being fried. 



Now I beg of you that you put away the old prejudice 

 that you have carried with you all your years without rea- 

 son. Give the dogfish a fair and honest trial. If your ver- 

 dict be that his flesh is not good, I will abide by it ; on the 

 other hand, should you agree with me that it should be 

 eaten, much value will be added to our lakes and streams, 



