Spring in Wyoming

added by Bryce under Outdoors

Every year since moving to Wyoming now nearly 4 years ago our family spends 10 days of late Spring at Jackson Lake, in Grand Tetons National Park here Wyoming. Late Spring in Wyoming being the end of June and beginning of July.

Spring is a fickle dame in Wyoming, especially in the higher altitudes. Perusing Facebook over the last couple of weeks, I see more and more comments from friends living around the country talking up Spring. And lets face it, it's "Spring break", even here, where currently it is in the low 30's and snow drifts and ice packs abound.

Spring here in Laramie, doesn't necessarily resemble the season familiar to most. It's cold, though far less cold than last month - when we had several days below -30. The snow is heavy and wet in spring, and persistent, generally through mid June. It seems as thought summer will never arrive, and when it finally does, fall is already in the air.

This cold, and slow moving Spring here in Wyoming is also when I, and many like me in these parts, start thinking about fishing.

Fishing has become an obsession to me the last couple of years, there is no other way to describe it. The trout in Wyoming are extraordinary, there is no other way to describe them. For all the time that I have spent living in places close to the sea, nothing, really nothing compares to fresh caught trout, from the ice cold lakes and streams of the high plains and majestic mountains of this great state.

I have to admit, that while I love the fish, and the fishing - it is as much being out - out in the incredible places, the unreal landscapes with with huge sky, and crisp air that brings me back over and over again. This time of year I find myself frequently driving 40 miles out of my way to visit my favorite spots, looking for tell tale signs, for signs of thaw, for holes in the ice, for any excuse to cast, no matter how hard the wind is blowing.

I can't bring myself to ice fish. I know lots of folks who do. The reality is, bringing home a string of fish isn't enough. I can't abide hunkering down against the wind with a 30 inch pole, a six pack, an auger and numb toes. I don't get out to escape my home life which is why a lot folks go I suspect, I go out to find my home.

Unfortunately it isn't quite time. My favorite spots, which I will share in the next couple of months, are either still in thaw, or are still entirely inaccessible. I find my mind wandering to these places more and more each day, imagining the tastes, the air, the cold of the glacial waters, the scent of sage and pine, and crisp high altitude air. Spring may seem far off, but I can feel it coming our way.

Meyer Lemon & Pepper Smoked Rainbow Trout

I love smoking fish. Small fish like these trout smoke relatively quickly - small trout (9-12 inches) can be smoked in as little as an hour but more time will add extra flavor. Watch the fish to make sure they don't dry out, but you can usually leave them in the smoker for up to 4 hours if you keep the smokers temperature below 145° F. Make sure you use a lighter flavored wood like apple, cherry or pecan with fish like trout, hickory or mesquite are far to strong (in my opinion) and will overpower the delicate flavor of the fish rather than working with it.

Prep Time: 1 to 5 hours

Ingredients:

6 to 12 whole fresh rainbow trout - gutted

For the Brine

juice of 1 lemon
1.5 cups dry white wine
1.5 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly grated black pepper
Zest of 5 lemons (use Meyer lemons if you can get them)

To Store:

about 1 tablespoon of olive oil per fish (if you can find O brand meyer lemon olive oil use it - it is a bit more expensive but it is sooo worth it)
Freshly grated pepper

Directions:

Brining the fish:

combine all the ingredients for the brine and add add to a zip lock or Foodsaver bag (I highly highly recommend getting a Foodsaver - they are great for storage of food, but I have never used anything better for a marinade or brining application like this - the vacuum seems to push the marinade deep into the food) make sure that the salt disolves completely into solution - you can heat the liquid briefly in the microwave if you need to help it along - But Do Not Boil the brine. The solution temperature should always remain comfortable to the touch.
Add trout to brine - working the air held in the fish cavities out, filling the interior of the fish with the brine. I usually help this along by putting the fish in the bag upside down.
Seal bag - removing as much air as possible from the bag and store in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours - Do not brine for more than 4 hours.

Smoking the Fish:

Arrange the fish in your smoker so that smoke will reach the inner cavity of the fish. You can do this using a frame that you "hang" the fish on, or you can spread the fish open and put them on your grate or grill.
Smoke the fish over an indirect pecan wood fire (you can also use apple, cherry, or other light flavored fruit wood)
(Optional) - I cold smoke my trout for an hour or two before I start to "hot smoke" them (add heat to the smoker) this step isn't required, and is something that some smokers don't do well (maintain smoke without adding too much heat) - but the flavor that this step adds is great if you can do it.
After I do my cold smoke I build the smokers temperature to 145° F over about 4 hours. At full heat small trout (about 8 inches) can be completely smoked in as little as an hour but a slower temperature climb from the cold smoke will increase the smoking time and add extra flavor. Watch the fish to make sure they don't dry out, but you can usually leave them in the smoker for up to 4 hours while slowly bringing the temperature of the smoker.

Storing the fish: (optional)

I pack my my fish in Foodsaver bags, one or two at a time with about 2 teaspoons of meyer lemon olive oil and freeze the fish after I have stored them in the fridge overnight. The overnight in the fridge allows the smoke flavor in the fish to "mature" - I don't know how to explain this but smoked foods are always better the next day, and by letting the fish sit overnight before freezing allows this process to take place.
To serve, thaw the fish - and serve cold or hot - about 45 seconds in the microwave should heat the trout (in the bag) perfectly.

Tags: Fishing, Trout, Spring, Wyoming, Tetons, Miracle Mile, Fish

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Spring in Wyoming

Meyer Lemon & Pepper Smoked Rainbow Trout