There is That Leviathan

What would the world be without fishermen? Certainly there would be no Christianity. Of the twelve Apostles, Peter, James and John were all fishermen. My grandfather was a fisherman too. Like them, I love to fish. Even better, I love to catch fish.

My first recollection of a productive day of fishing was with my Grandpa Finley on McAlester Lake No.2. Lake McAlester was the main lake, but Lake No.2 was a smaller secondary reservoir used for the local water supply. I was only about five or six years old. We fished from the bank with a long cane pole, a red and white plastic "bobber," a lead weight and a small hook for red mealworms. I must have caught 50 perch that day, one after another. We threw the really small ones back, but kept the larger ones for dinner. That early experience of success on the lake penetrated my heart and soul. Not unlike a fish, I was "hooked!"

Popo was a bass fisherman. Since we didn't have a boat, our methods were limited to what we could accomplish from the bank. We occasionally fished the public lakes near McAlester , but mainly private ponds on ranch land. My grandfather knew most of the local ranchers from his many years in McAlester and his business dealings with them at the bank and through his insurance business. Because he had helped them all at one time or another, no one would refuse him when he asked if he could bring his grandsons to fish their private ponds.

Needless to say, these ponds were great places to fish. We never got "skunked." Our most productive method was live minnows on a cane pole. This would allow us (from the bank) to reach just outside the weed lines and lily pads.

I would find a rock or stump to sit on and just watch that big red and white plastic bobber dance on top of the water. I knew the minnow was alive and fresh. Then suddenly, wham! The bobber disappeared under the water with a big "pop" and the line went tight. We would fight the fish just enough to tire them, then with one big swoop of the cane pole, land them on the bank.

On my sixteenth birthday, I got an Eagle fly rod, figuring I could reach about as far as a cane pole could reach, but have a lot more fun with the fish in the fight. I know bass-fishing farm ponds in Oklahoma with live minnows on a fly rod sounds bizarre, but it worked and I had a lot of fun with it. These ponds were sometimes full of turtles and snakes that preyed on stringers of fish, so we had to keep an eye on them while in pursuit of the next keeper bass.

The whole fishing experience was a type of journey, from the preparations made the evening before, to setting the alarm, getting up before first light, breakfast in the dark, the drive to the country, stopping on the way for live minnows, parking the car, the walk to the pond, the fishing, the catching, packing up, the drive home, eating a Hershey bar, recalling how each bass took the bait and how it fought, the cleaning process, the cooking and eating.

Popo gutted and skinned the fish, leaving them whole. When I was in high school, though, my next-door neighbor, Bob Brumley, taught me how to fillet fish. I remember one time when he had come home from fishing with another neighbor, and had about 100 crappie taken from the slack water of Lake Eufaula . I watched him begin to clean all these fish. He didn't want them all and told me I could have everything I cleaned. He was using an electric knife to fillet the fish and I was using a fillet knife. Needless to say, with electricity and more experience he was much faster, but I did learn the knack

Mr. Brumley told me to roll the fillets in buttermilk and cornmeal and deep-fat fry them. He also suggested a touch of Louisiana hot sauce as a condiment. I fixed it just the way he described and the whole family loved it.

The next time I went fishing with Popo, I offered to clean the fish when we got home. I showed him my fillet knife and explained to him what Mr. Brumley had taught me. He was concerned that I would lose a lot of meat from the fish, but agreed to let me try it. Not only did I do a good job of cleaning the fish, but I cooked them according to Mr. Brumley's instructions. Popo's response; "Johnny, this is the best fish I ever ate! I guess you're never too old to learn something new." I felt proud that I had made a contribution to our fishing experience and tradition.

For a quick down and dirty method just dip the fillets in buttermilk and then cornmeal. It's really good. But if you're not in a big hurry, try this:

In a deep-fat fryer heat 2 inches of shortening to 350F. Cut fillets into strips no thicker than your index finger, because the coating tends to cook faster than the fish. A large fish fillet may look golden brown on the outside, and not be done (flaky) on the inside.

In a small mixing bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, oil and cornstarch. In a medium mixing bowl combine remaining dry ingredients. Let fish strips soak in the wet mixture for a few minutes, and then coat each strip thoroughly in the dry mixture.

Note: for a thicker, crispier crust, go “dry, wet, dry.” Begin by dipping the strips in the dry mixture first, then in the wet mixture and immediately again in the dry mixture.

Fry a few at a time in order to keep the temperature of the oil relatively constant, turning once. Allow 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with tongs or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges (or malt vinegar), tartar sauce, coleslaw (see index) and hush puppies.

Mix the dry ingredients and the onions together. Blend the egg with the buttermilk and stir into the dry ingredients. You will have a very thick batter, almost like dough. If you substitute milk for buttermilk, add a little more cornmeal. Allow the batter to sit for 1/2 hour, then drop by the tablespoonful (I use a melon baller) into oil at 375-400F. Deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep warm until ready to serve. Just for kicks, try one with a dab of prepared mustard. It tastes like a corn dog without the dog.

[1] If you like to deep-fry, you should invest in a small home unit with a fryer basket. They are much safer, have a built in thermostat and a self-contained unit to secure the hot oil. If you deep-fry in a pot on your stove-top, please follow these safety tips to avoid oil burns:

1) Keep children and pets out of the kitchen.

2) Keep the pot handle turned inward.

3) Use a candy/fryer thermometer to regulate the oil temperature.

4) Do not have any other projects working on the stovetop when deep-frying.

5) Do not move the pot until the oil has completely cooled.