On Fri, 08 Jul 2005 15:13:59 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

Tom Nakashima wrote:
I plan to eat what I catch and release the other brook trout, but my
question is; how is the best way to kill the fish that I will be eating? I
don't mean to be cruel to the fish in anyway. I've heard that a strike on
the head is one method, then gutting them right away. The other is just
letting them suffocate by keeping them out of the water. Another way is
gutting them alive.
Comments?

I bonk them on the head immediately then put them in
an arctic creel. They'll keep quite a while if you keep
them cool so there's no need to gut them right away. I
don't like to let them die slowly of suffocation.

Nor should you - for more than the obvious reason: prolonged stress releases
all kinds of enzymes that can ruin the flavor and texture of the fish. Better
to whack 'em soonest and then deal with keeping the meat cool.

To that end, a light canvas pouch soaked in water works about as well as
anything without an ice pack in it...

/daytripper