176 TROUT LORE 



right by the stream, almost lifted from the water 

 into the pan, is no more like the fish carried all 

 day e'en though packed in ice, than a peach from 

 the Italian's stand around the corner is like the 

 fruit fresh plucked beneath California's blue 

 skies. Leaving the environment out of the ques- 

 tion, and there is not the shadow of a doubt but 

 that it adds a certain piquant tang, trout should 

 be cooked by the stream from which taken. In 

 order that we may get at the matter conveniently, 

 we will first talk of cooking trout as accom- 

 plished when the angler is provided with all the 

 requisite tools, and work our way down to the 

 man provided only with fish, a match, and an out- 

 of-door appetite. 



Baked trout: The first requisite for baking, 

 after you have the fish, is the baker. After many 

 experiments I have come to the conclusion that 

 there is no baking contrivance equal to the re- 

 flecting type of oven. (I should say "we" 

 throughout this chapter, for my wife knows more 

 about the matter than I and has carried on most 

 of the experiments.) Somehow the open baker 

 gives the fish a flavor, a tang from the open fire, 

 that the fish baked in a closed oven lacks. Dress 

 the fish carefully, leaving the head on for good 

 measure. Moisten the skin with butter or ba- 



