I have mentioned before that I want to go fly fishing (didn’t get a chance in Wanaka) so I inquired about it here in Queenstown. I found this fisherman named Stu who took us fishing but we didn’t get a chance to fly fish here either due to the unfavorable conditions and lack of insects so instead we opted to go out and do a little boat fishing on Lake Wakapitu. Queenstown is known for it’s beautiful rainbow trout. I was hoping and praying we would catch some dinner that day. Stu mentioned that we can take our catch to a restaurant in town where the chef prepares the fish for you - now this is an idea I can play with! Not only were we fishing on a beautiful lake for beautiful fish, we were catching dinner and it was going to be fresh and healthy. Can’t beat that.
It was a beautiful afternoon – perfect for fishing. We picked a spot and as soon as I cast my line I got a bite! Stu couldn’t believe it. He said he’s been fishing for 14 years and no one has ever caught a fish that fast. (maybe he was lying to me - who knows but it made me feel special) I reeled it in with the biggest smile on my face - like a fat kid at an unlimited buffet. I knew this would be dinner for the night. I caught a beautiful salmon but trout is what I was really after since I don’t eat salmon. (no worries the salmon did not go to waste) A few minutes later I caught a brown trout. I was getting hungrier by the minute. We ended up having a great trip. After an hour and a half we managed to catch 1 salmon, 1 brown trout and 4 rainbow trout (I let one go – it was a female and I figured she plays an important role out here - we need to preserve these beautiful fish).
We went into town heavy handed with our fresh fish and met Chef Tim at the Pub on the Wharf. He was the man that would be cooking our delicious dinner that night. We quickly discussed the preparation with him and decided to roast them whole stuffed with herbs and citrus. Simple. We shared the wealth and gave some fish to the staff since we had so many. We also put one aside for lunch the next day (which was quite perfect with a beer;).
Tara and I returned that evening and ate like queens. It was so fresh and so delicious. To be able to catch dinner and have a chef prepare it for us that same day was a fantastic experience. Check out some pix…http://gallery.me.com/monicahutchinson/100225
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