Getting outdoors wasn’t very appealing last week. Temperatures were just too cold for even an avid angler like me.  There are some great fisheries available in the region, and I am making plans to take advantage of them. Clear and sunny days are in the forecast, and I have the gear to keep myself warm even when it is really cold out.

Really rotten weather and cold temperatures were in the forecast, so what’s guy supposed to do? Well, I had some fresh triploids in the fridge and some sockeye in the freezer, so I got the smoker set up. I used a dusting of Kosher salt over the fillets, then added a generous amount of brown sugar on top of that. I also sprinkled some basil over the fillets. I do this with each layer of fish that I place into a large bowl, cover it, and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day I rinsed the fish and laid it in the trays. It is very important that you put a good dose of cooking oil spray on the trays. This will keep the skins of the fillets from sticking to the tray. I cut it into serving sizes, and let it dry for an hour or so. My wife bought me a Bradley smoker some years ago and that sure cuts down on the time it took in my old tin boxes, not that I didn’t produce some great smoked fish with them. I loaded the alder biscuits into the automatic feeder and got the smoker up to about 150 degrees. I removed the tray that had the smallest pieces, mostly tails, in three hours, and the rest right at four hours. My wife says it’s the best batch ever.

When the fish is done, I put it in my garage to cool, and then transfer it to my refrigerator. I don’t leave it there for very long, as even though it has been cured it will mold, so I vacuum seal the fish and put what I don’t intend to eat right away in the freezer. There is a big difference in vacuum sealers. I was wearing out units in two to three years, until I stepped up and got a Food Saver Titanium. What is different about this unit is that it has an internal fan. The other units would overheat and stop working until they cooled down and this reduced the life of the units. I have been using this model for at least five years now and it is going strong.

I spent some time on Saturday getting the boat cover cleared of snow and making sure that the boat would be ready if I planned a fishing adventure on the water anytime soon. In previous years I had buttoned everything up when I got the first snowstorm in Leavenworth. This often happens in November. Then the weather changes and we have some very nice clear and sunny days, with temperatures that are tolerable. I have some photos showing some terrific fish caught at the net pens on Rufus Woods in late December. This week’s photo is of a fish taken at the net pens at that time.

When the boat was taken care of I put another load of fish through the smoker. It was another batch of a mix of triploid rainbow trout and sockeye. Since I had been on a smoking binge I also did a load of kokanee. So, I am pretty well set for smoked fish now. I do plan to add to my supply of triploids, though. Maybe as soon as early next week I may give the bank fishing a try at Brandts Landing. This federal park above Chief Joseph Dam has produced some nice fish for me in the winter.

If you aren’t familiar with Brandts Landing, it is located six miles past the launch site above Chief Joseph Dam. There are several accesses where the brush has been cleared out from the road to the water’s edge. There are firepits at all of the accesses and some even have picnic tables.
The water is shallow here, so be prepared to make long casts to get your bait well off shore. Even with a long cast your bait is probably in just 10 or 12 feet of water. My favorite bait is a marshmallow and shrimp combo, but most people just use Power Bait.

One of my best tools for staying warm in the winter while fishing is the heated jacket that my wife got me for Christmas a few years ago. There are a bunch of them out there and I just happened to pick the one from Ororo. The jacket has panels in the front and back, with a battery pack that fits into an inside pocket. I am in my fourth season with it and am very happy with its performance.
It is important to know that these jackets are best worn under a layer of either another jacket or a windbreaker. I have been out with people that have bought a heated jacket but weren’t wearing anything over them, and they were freezing. If you are looking for a heated garment you may want to consider getting just a vest.  These will have the same panels as the jacket. My coat has a good hood that seals me up nicely and with a light jacket over it I am very comfortable. There are three setting on mine and at medium temperature it usually gets me through the day.

Another great purchase I have made that keeps my feet warm in the winter is a pair of heated socks. There are a lot of different brands out there and it’s hard to figure which ones are the best. I just lucked out and picked a brand that works great. They are made by Begleri, and I am very pleased with them.

I should mention that you need to do some maintenance with these jacket and sock batteries. It is suggested that you discharge the batteries and recharge them. I do this once a year, in the summer, & it has helped extend the life and performance of the batteries.