Sportsman’s report: Thinking of fishing?

Reports of blue fin tuna are encouraging; most are being caught just outside the deep-water line. Fast troll is working best. Call commercial party boat services for over-the-top reports. The experts at Outdoor Pro will give advice on where, when and how to nail these, much sought after, fish. Think big tuna steaks cooked in very hot peanut oil, in a wok on the patio, to keep the odor outside. Season the freshly seared steak with salt and light pepper, add a healthy squeeze of fresh lime, Yum with a capital ‘Y.’ If you are not a fisher or good friends with one, then head to your favorite fish monger and buy an Ahi steak. Be ready to spend $15 per for high quality fillets. Be sure to sear the outside for a crunchy finish and the inside should look raw. Blue fin is safe to eat raw, rare, over cooked it tastes like tuna. Cheaper to buy canned tuna and dump it on your salad.

Albacore tuna are offshore in the most northern part of our state, they will follow the bait south as the sea water gradually cools. All things being on time, expect Albacore in late August. It’s hard to predict due to the odd weather this year. El Nino or El ninja? Global warming or sunspots, you figure it out. Keep abreast of fishing news to track their migration. Albacore tuna is the lowest price in canned fish. Albacores are schooling fish and keep close to one another to avoid predators.

One excellent method for cooking whole albacore is to lightly salt the inside and fill the cavity with dill weed, sliced onion and lemons cut in half. Wrap the tuna in three layers of aluminum foil and cook on the bar-b off direct heat on medium. Check the thickest part, just behind the gills with an instant read thermometer at thirty minutes. Your target is 120 degrees, like a pork loin or beef, the rest period can be an hour or more. Ideally, put the cooked fish, still in its foil, in a cooler. In this case the dry cooler will insulate the fish and slow the heat loss. Don’t worry about precise time or temperature, the fish is done at thirty minutes rest after coming off the heat, but it can stay in the foil for more than an hour. Unwrap the fish and serve with rice and fresh lime. This rest period allows plenty of time for meal prep.

Deer hunters are tuning up their gear, the season opens the second Saturday in August, this is for the ‘A’ zone, coastal black tail. Careful hunters have been to the shooting range several times during the year and have the sighting dialed in and they can make that crucial shot. The experienced hunter has been hiking with a few rocks in his backpack and carries a stick or shovel about the same weight as the rifle. Binoculars are important, water, some food and deer tags with string to tie the tag on the horns are all a part of the hunter’s kit. Coastal deer are like ghosts, they can be still for a long time as they access any threat, in this case, you. Move silently and use cover as much as possible, when you find a spot where you can see the surrounding area well, look for a good hide and sit there for an hour.

Hunting is the love of the harvest and a firm belief in resource management, without all the rules, seasons and hunting zones to control herd populations, we would have European style deer hunting. In Europe, deer are in isolated reserves. Hunters pay through the nose to hunt, the middle-income types (average population) are left out of the hunting picture.

Bill Hanson is a Sonoma County native and a lifelong sportsman. He is the former president of the Sonoma County Mycological Association. Look for his column in The Community Voice each week.

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