In Ontario, there are thousands of lakes and rivers that are just loaded full of fish. I believe there are more than 2200 fishing lodges and resorts that are booked most of the time for summer vacations, but has anyone ever had a five-star meal at lakeside or riverside or right on the lake? Well, in this story, I want to share a couple of five-star shore lunches that I have had the opportunity to experience.
One that sticks out in my mind is a day of ice fishing on the Bay of Quinte when Jeff and I were onto the walleye big time and decided to have lunch right on the ice. Jeff brought out his portable BBQ, some beans, and some buns. In the bay, you’re allowed to keep four walleye per person for your limit, but we had kept two that day and were going to have a shore lunch on the ice.
Now, when you clean your fish right on the ice, make sure you keep the skin from the fish in case a conservation officer decides to check you for your license and your limit, because that fish that you eat for lunch will be a part of your limit. It was around noon when Jeff fired up the BBQ, and I cleaned the two fish for lunch. They were about 2 pounds each, just enough for our lunch and what a lunch it was…BBQ walleye and pork and beans—nothing but first class on the ice!
The next shore lunch I will never forget was in Algoma Country, where we were fishing for pike, and our guide said, "Do you guys want a shore lunch today?" Well, that was an easy decision, so we packed up the Pike action and he took us to a spot where we caught our lunch in about 10 minutes. Then we headed for a comfortable area that looked like an outside restaurant with tables and chairs, a great fire pit, and a nice area where you could fish offshore while waiting for lunch to cook.
Well, out come the taters, then the onions, then the beans, and finally the fillets of fish that were as white as snow. The guide made this dry batter that was to die for, and after it was all said and done, there isn't a restaurant in the world that could have made a meal like that... not even for a million dollars. So the next time you head to a lodge or a resort in Ontario, with or without a guide, make sure you have yourself a five-star meal somewhere along a shoreline. It is something you will never forget!
