by Jessica A. Tucker

Created on: June 12, 2009   Last Updated: June 30, 2009

When considering why trout are the best freshwater fish to fish for, I am reminded of many memories of my life that involve fish and fishing the lakes and rivers of southern British Columbia. Weekends aboard our small outboard boat, mornings spent relaxing on a big rock on the side of a river somewhere with a fishing rod in hand: this is how I grew up. On a quiet afternoon, I still like to sneak away with to spend and hour or two, or a day, on the side of the lake up in the mountains, away from everything.

In our waters, a few different varieties of fish are most prominently found. Common lake trout, brook trout, small and large mouth bass and perch are the most widely found families of fish. Kokanee, salmon, sturgeon and our friendly Ogopogo can also be found to reside in our lakes. However, trout have to be the best fresh water fish to fish for, for many good reasons. I have found that generally, trout tend to be the meatiest fish of them all, bringing them to the top of my "fish to fish for" list!

The meat of both Perch and bass varies depending on the size of the fish, and how it is fileted and cooked. Both are a fish known to be extremely bony and not the easiest to filet, which makes a boneless filet nearly impossible to cut. Perch and bass are also known to be the largest predators of trout, seeking out their eggs and and destroying hatches. This is one of the largest reasons the lakes in most of the region have to be restocked seasonally.

Another point advancing trout as the one to fish for is that trout are much more versatile in regards to cooking. From barbeque to fire pit to pan, trout can be beautifully and easily finished off with only a few simply ingredients that are usually found in the fridge or cupboard. With a couple of lemon slices, some garlic, and a few dabs of butter, add potatoes and corn, and your trout will quickly simmer into a beautiful meal. In our lakes, trout are usually the larger of the fish you will catch, which always leads to many a good stories over the fresh caught fish and the dinner table. The fight that a trout will give over your fly or lure is much more exciting than our other types of fish here, mainly because of their stamina to keep on fighting.

The best part of all about fishing for trout is, as long as you can see them surfacing, you are guaranteed they will bite at just about anything shiny you throw in the water. For the avid fly fisherman, the family heading out for a Sunday fish, or just you and a couple buddies, nothing beats taking a day or an afternoon to head out to the lake and try you luck with the fish.

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