Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas with support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

We’re in the midst of the holiday season, and what better way to celebrate than with rainbows – rainbow trout, that is.

13— We do winter stockings when the water temperatures permit it, to provide an opportunity for anglers to catch trout in Texas. It’s a species of fish that anglers wouldn’t catch otherwise, so we stock them, and we intend them all to be caught out during the season.

Carl Kittle is a program director for Inland Fisheries. Last year’s severe drought meant less water and less water meant fewer trout. But this year looks better.

13 – This year, things are pretty well back to normal. It’s very dry out west, but it looks like our normal level of stocking in over 120 sites will happen. In fact, we’re looking to stock about 130 sites this year.

Texas Parks and Wildlife plans to distribute approximately 275,000 rainbow trout amongst the various locations.

07 – We publish a schedule on the Texas parks and Wildlife Department webpage. Look for the winter trout stocking link. We stock rainbows in winter because these fish cannot survive our hot summers. So, when you reel one in this winter, take it home and eat it.

We have a recipe for you to try at www.passporttotexas.org.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and celebrates 75 years of funding diverse conservation projects throughout Texas…

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Trout Amandine
by Chef Cindy Haenel

Ingredients

8 (4-ounce) lake or rainbow trout fillets
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup (about 6 ounces) sliced, blanched almonds
Handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 lemon, wedged

Directions

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Combine egg and milk in a tin pie plate, beat with a fork. Place a cup of flour in a second pie tin and season well with salt and sparingly with pepper. Coat trout fillets in egg and milk, then in seasoned flour. Collect fillets on a plate until all of them are dredged and ready to be cooked.

Add 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to your skillet. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter to the pan. When the butter foams, add trout and gently saute 4 fillets for 2 or 3 minutes on each side, until golden. Transfer trout fillets to warm platter in oven.

Return pan to the stove and add 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. When butter foams, repeat cooking process. When all of the trout is cooked, add last tablespoon of butter to the pan. When the butter melts, add almonds and brown until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove trout from oven and pour almonds over the platter. Garnish platter with chopped parsley, lemon wedges, and serve immediately.

Serves 4

This is Passport to Texas with support from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

If you’re tired of turkey leftovers already, maybe you can find a fishing hole and reel in something tasty during your Thanksgiving break. Chef Cindy Haenel says there’s nothing like catching your own dinner.

09—It’s fabulous. I know exactly how old that fish is, when it came out of the water and how long it’s been dead. And that’s important with fish especially. Fresh is always best.

Cindy is a chef instructor at Central Market in Austin. She and her husband Ken are avid anglers.

08—I love the saltwater as well as freshwater. But the saltwater you have more variety. You never know what you’re going to pull up. It’s exciting – like Christmas morning.

Immediately put your catch on ice, and if there’s a cleaning station on shore, consider doing the dirty work there. Chef Cindy says be careful not to overcook your fresh fish.

22—Most people, if they don’t like the taste of fish, it’s probably because they’ve overcooked it. And, as it cooks, and the oil of the fish starts to come out of the flesh, it burns very, very quickly. So, if you will under cook your fish, or protect that fish with either a salt crust, or even if it just has a little butter, or some kind of fat on the outside it still protecting that fish while it’s cooking.

Find fish recipes from Chef Cindy as well as a link to the Fish Texas e-Newsletter at passporttotexas.org…

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and works to increase fishing and boating opportunities in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Salt Crusted Whole Fish

Ingredients:

3 egg whites
2 cups sea salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup water
1 (2 1/2-pound) fresh whole white fish, such as striped bass
2 tablespoons julienned sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons chopped artichoke hearts
2 slices lemon, sliced in half, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, trimmed to extend 3-inches in diameter around outside of the fish.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg whites, sea salt, flour, parsley and 1/2 cup of water. Mix with your hands until a thick paste forms.

Fill the cavity of the fish with the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and lemon slices. Rub the exterior of the fish with the garlic, then sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground black pepper

Put the fish on the parchment lined baking sheet. Mound the salt paste evenly over the entire fish. Press the mixture firmly down to the baking sheet, being careful to seal any cracks.

Bake the fish until the crust is golden brown and very firm, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Slide the parchment and fish onto serving platter or cutting board and crack the crust with a handle of a large knife. Slide a spoon under the top fillet, over the spine, and lift it to a serving platter. Turn over and repeat. Garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately.

Serves 2

This is Passport to Texas

The freshwater hatchery business is a risky one because it relies on the cooperation of nature—and it can be fickle.

Last year’s heat and drought took a devastating toll on the state’s water supplies, leaving reservoirs dangerously low.

06—This year it looks the Dundee Fish Hatchery may get to that point where we really don’t have enough water to operate.

I spoke with Todd Engeling, Chief of Inland hatcheries for Texas parks and Wildlife, in late February, and by mid-March, operations at the Dundee hatchery near Wichita Falls were suspended due to lack of sufficient water. Although many areas of the state received spring rains, Engeling said the area west of Wichita Falls around Lakes Kemp and Diversion did not.

As the hatchery is one of the state’s primary producers of striped bass and hybrid striped bass fingerlings for stocking into Texas public waters, what now?

20—We will be able to operate on a very limited basis, our spawning operations. So, we will be able to spawn our striped bass and hybrid striped bass as we have traditionally done there, because the systems we use are re-circulating systems. They don’t use a lot of water at all. So, basically the four remaining hatcheries in Texas would receive those fry and put them in their production ponds for grow out.

Find more information on the TPW website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motorboat fuel. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

Fly-fish Texas is a daylong introductory angling event on March 10 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) for those wishing to learn how to fly-fish.

23—You wouldn’t have to have any fishing experience whatsoever. We’re going to have different forums going on through in multiple venues throughout the day. We’ll have a couple of areas where there’ll be speakers that you can just drop in and take a look at what the topic is. We’ll also have some casting classes going on. There’s a BBQ house that will be here serving BBQ as well…so that you can come and just enjoy the day.

James Booker is events coordinator at TFFC. Participants will fish for rainbow trout using loaner equipment (or may bring their own); volunteers from fly-fishing clubs will guide learners through the process…which may result in taking home some fish.

15—You can keep up to five rainbow trout per person, which is the legal limit here in Texas. Wow. What a deal. And, so, is there a cost involved? This event is free with regular admission. And we do honor the State park pass, so that can even further reduce your fee.

It‘s $5.50 for visitors 13 and older, $3.50 for children four to 12, and free for children under four years of age.

Fly Fish Texas at the TFFC in Athens, takes place 9 to 4, March 10. It’s family friendly with activities and food available on site. Find complete details on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

If you put “learn to fly-fish” on your list of New Year’s resolutions, here’s your chance cross it off. On March 10, the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens offers a day of fly-fishing for rainbow trout.

18—it’s completely fine if you’ve never fly fished before. We’re going to have volunteers from fly-fishing clubs from all over Texas. Some 80 to 100 volunteers to work with small groups and one-on-one just to teach everyone who shows up all about the different aspects of fly-fishing.

James Booker is events coordinator for the center. Called Fly-Fish Texas, the daylong event attracts hundreds of eager students and enthusiastic teachers.

32—We have the fly-fishing clubs from all over the state so heavily involved, and so they descend on this site en masse—and are just eager to share their passion or fly-fishing. We also have some of the top fly-fishing equipment makers come and share their latest technologies and their latest poles and rods. We have up to 20 guest fly tiers, and so we convert one whole building of our center into what we call fly-fishing round up. It is basically just a giant fly tying lesson.

Equipment is provided for casting classes, but participants are welcome to bring their own gear.

Fly Fish Texas at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, is from 9 to 4, March 10. It’s family friendly with various activities and food available on site. Find complete details on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.