Some anglers know the best place to eat a fish

There was one shore lunch, on a rocky point on Great Slave Lake, where the guide filleted a lake trout so fast that the head and skeleton swam away when he tossed it back in the lake. No fooling.

There was another on a mile-long Lake of the Woods sand beach when, as we sat pigging out on fresh walleye and sipping fermented malt beverages, the wind came up and swamped our boats. I don’t remember caring too much at the time.

Most of the other shore lunches, though, have blended into a wonderful, hazy memory of crackling fires, rambunctious gulls and the freshest, tastiest fish possible on earth.

From trout chowder at noon to smallmouth bass for breakfast, walleye in crackers or northern pike in cornflake crumbs, shore lunches are the midday respite in a day of fishing.

If you’ve been on a guided trip to a Canadian lake, you probably know the joys of a shore lunch. But you don’t need to wait until the next big trip to have the next one. Many of the Northland’s larger lakes have vacant islands and public land where a shore lunch is possible.

So at least once this season, take time out from a busy, hectic day of fishing and smell the wild roses on shore. Don’t just bring a ham sandwich. Plan ahead. Get a plastic food box and pack it with the proper gear, everything from a cast-iron frying pan to spatulas, plates and a can opener.

A fire grate is helpful, but not necessary. And a campstove is great if it’s wet or rainy.

And beans. You have to have pork and beans. Potatoes are a must (using canned potatoes or baking them in advance cuts cooking time.) A big white onion is mandatory to fry with the potatoes. Some people like canned corn on the side. Store-bought cookies make a perfect dessert.

It might mean an hour less of actual fishing, but a shore lunch often will be the highlight of the day, and a memory of the trip that will linger long after the campfire smoke smell is gone from your clothes.

Here’s Jackfish Hammy’s (a k a Scott Hamilton) Rainy Lake Pike recipe, which feeds four to five people:

4-pound northern pike, freshly caught and filleted to remove the y-bones

A large plastic bag filled with flour

A jar with a mixture of egg and milk

A large plastic bag with a mixture of cornflake crumbs, a dash of dill and garlic, and a touch of baking powder (it makes the mix crunchier)

Oil for frying

Coat the fillets in flour, dip them in the egg/milk mixture and then shake them in the plastic bag with the coating mix. Get the cooking oil very hot in a cast-iron pan. (Wood fires work better than cookstoves.)

Add the coated fillets to the fry pan and cook for only one minute on each side. (Most people vastly overcook fish, Hamilton says). Serve immediately to someone sitting on a rock.