Fish Food: How to Stay Nourished While Fishing

I have a problem. Maybe you have it, too. In spite of my best efforts and most resolute intentions, something happens to me the moment I step aboard my boat for a fishing trip. They say it can’t be a syndrome if it doesn’t have an acronym, but Google and WebMD have failed me in determining the name of my condition.

The symptoms, however, are crystal clear. When I fish, I immediately forego all other interests, bodily requirements, and responsibilities. My hands refuse to grasp anything other than the steering wheel, the throttle or a fishing rod. Food, passengers, hydration and other distractions become a distant noise easily ignored in the single-minded pursuit of that subtle tick or the violent thump of a bite.

Frankly, that’s all well and good as far as I’m concerned except that, like many fishermen, I often spend eight to 12 hours on the water. While I rarely notice the effects of dehydration and caloric deficits on the water, I return home to my wife and children something well south of “useless.” And coming home useless after shirking an entire day’s worth of responsibilities tends to endanger the possibility of future trips.

And so it is that, over the years, I’ve had to figure out how to feed myself — and apparently my crew — with minimal impact to my fishing. I suspect that I am not alone in this affliction, so if you struggle with the same condition, consider this a recipe book for recalcitrant fishermen. 

Before we get into the specific culinary delights themselves, it may be useful to enumerate the critical attributes of good “fish food.” Each angler will have their own tastes, but there are some basic characteristics of fishing-trip-appropriate meals that are common denominators for all.

For example, fish food should be utensil free and lend itself to single-handed consumption to facilitate the other, more important activities going on during the trip. It should have minimal grease or sticky residue that could interfere with gripping a rod, or that might stain a cork handle. 

Doritos and Cheetos, as much as you may adore them, have the unique ability to spread their orange coating from chip to finger, finger to hand, and hand to just about everything in the boat. Similarly, sardines, a seemingly appropriate snack, are a veritable health hazard due to the oil that invariably finds its way to the deck, creating slicks that can result in unplanned ejections from your boat.

Beyond the avoidance of greasy oily, and sticky foods, minimizing food wrappings should be a consideration. What starts as useful packaging eventually becomes trash which, now detached from its anchor, is highly susceptible to even the slightest breezes. A wide-open run from one spot to the next will quickly dislodge any paper or plastic packaging, sending it into ever-higher circular flight around your console, and ultimately launching it into the stratosphere behind you.

Meat sticks, oranges and beef jerky fit this bill very well. Many fishermen consider cold fried chicken a fish food staple, as it can last half a day or more unrefrigerated, especially if kept in a shady dry storage box out of the sun. Whole watermelons are also popular considerations. While their hydrating juiciness may violate the “no-sticky-food” rule, the drippings don’t stain gelcoat and are easily rinsed away.

With the basic attributes of good fish food established, let’s turn our attention to the specific delicacies that might fit the bill. 

The second onerous commitment lies in how they must be consumed. Eating a sandwich in a comfortable chair under a beach umbrella with nothing else to do is one thing. But eating a whole sandwich between casts while the fish are biting simply takes too long, what with all the chewing and biting, and unsticking the soggy bread from the roof of your dried-out mouth. And it’s not like you can eat a portion of a sandwich either. A half-eaten sandwich is just gross, even if you were the original consumer.

After years of experiential research, I’ve come to the conclusion that the root cause of the great-sandwich-disappointment-mystery lies in the bread itself. Its size, texture and condiment-thirsty “breadiness” place the entire sandwich concept into the category of highly impractical fish food. If you eliminate the bread, however, you eliminate the entire sandwich-making process, which means no more excessive ingestion-related time commitment, and no more stuck bread-goo on the roof of your mouth.

Having identified this root cause, I’ve simplified the entire sandwich concept down to the stuff that really matters — the sliced meat and cheese from the (former) middle of the sandwich. Skipping the bread and time-consuming condiment spreading, I roll up a slice of cheese into a slice of deli meat, maybe around a nice pickle spear, and throw it into a Ziplock, usually with a few of its friends.

These breadless sandwiches require nearly zero commitment in their creation or consumption. Each roll can be eaten on the fly — one handed — while driving from spot to spot. A little trickery of holding the sandwich bag between your knees ensures a steady supply of sustenance without interference in the main event.

The aforementioned sandwich roll, while both elegant and practical, sits at the higher end of the culinary spectrum as fish food. After all, even after ditching the bread and condiment spreading, there is still wasted time and effort in the rolling and packaging of these nutritional nuggets. At 4:30 a.m., bleary-eyed and under-caffeinated, I often need something even simpler, and when pre-trip prepping gets that tough, I switch to my “go to” option – meat chunks and cheese cubes.

Often purchased pre-cut by my saintly spouse, these culinary delights can be tossed into a plastic grocery bag with an appropriately-sized icepack, and thrown into the cooler on my way out the door.

In the heat of battle, each chunk of cheese or meat can be consumed individually with only the barest of consideration or thought. Being small in size, they can be eaten at high speeds without blowing past your mouth during to 50 mph runs between spots.

The variety available is nearly endless — pepperoni, summer sausage, smoked sausage, venison chunks, not to mention the vast array of cheeses. The strong flavors and powerful aromas are almost enough to disguise the scent of fish slime that may still be clinging to your unwashed fingers, adding yet another benefit to the nearly perfect boat meal.

Even simpler (and now we’re getting to the truly practical), there is the “gold standard” delicacy for meals on the run: beef jerky. If it worked for cowboys driving cattle over vast, dry distances, it can work for fishermen, who are at least as busy.

Pre-packaged and with expiration dates extending beyond the age of cockroaches, beef jerky can be purchased in large quantities, ensuring its constant availability even for those last-minute, unexpected trips. Combined with string cheese, which seems to have an equally long life-span, you are virtually guaranteed two critical food groups during your fishing forays.

And if it’s summertime, then there are probably Clementines available at the local grocery store, adding yet a third food group — not to mention hydration and vitamin C — to the mix. There’s something about the taste of citrus on a hot, salty day that makes the effort of peeling these little gems worth the energy. Combined with the salty jerky and the sun-softened string cheese, you can often feel a bit guilty about such a quality meal when you are trying to be gritty.

The aforementioned options, of course, all represent full meals. These are the core of the addicted fisherman’s diet, but there are those who may require more sustenance. After all, even the finest culinary creations are offered with a side, and so consider these supplemental options to sustain you:

• Nuts: It doesn’t matter what kind. If they are roasted and salted and easy to eat, nuts pack a lot of punch in protein and can keep you going when the meats and cheeses run out.

• Grapes: Divinely pre-packaged for ease of use, grapes are basically just tiny juice bottles on a stem, providing both hydration and sugars to keep you on your game. Requiring neither pre-planning nor effort, these beauties can be consumed individually or in bunches between casts with minimal impact on your catch rate.

• Bananas: Just kidding. Every fisherman knows never — EVER — to bring a banana on board while fishing. Even if you aren’t superstitious about these demonic fruits, have a little respect for those who are and leave these cursed yellow devils at home where they can do less damage to life and property.

• Granola bars: Offering a sweeter option for mid-morning calorie requirements, these are a staple for those moments when the coffee is still warm in your travel mug, and the fish aren’t biting. Go with the gooey ones, which make less of a mess on your boat than the dry, crumbly ones.

• Snickers bars: They really do satisfy, and are such a standard on my trips that my guests bring them along as tips. I’m sure there are other candy bars out there, but for some reason, these nuggets of chocolate, caramel and nuts are an essential part of my fishing diet.

Out of sensitivity for those readers who pursue their fish with the buggy-whip (and because I also dabble in such dark arts), I feel compelled to provide more complete options that may be more appealing to their palate. Below are some suggestions that represent more efficient options than those regularly suggested in fly fishing related media:

• Steak tartare: Easily consumed between shore lunches, and nicely complimented with a fruity French red during the heat of the day when the fish — and fly fishermen — are less active.

• Grilled coho salmon Florentine: While slightly higher on the “effort” scale, this dish is highly conducive to white-tablecloth, guided river trips, when someone else is manning the grill while you fling your offerings downwind to enjoy the smell of the soon-to-be-served culinary delights.

• Sashimi tuna and seaweed salad: For the saltier, offshore flyfishing crew, this option represents true simplicity due to the fact that it doesn’t require the cooking that most fly fishing-related meals do. Served cold and often complimented by chilled sake, this meal represents the essence of “roughing it” — while maintaining some level of dignity.

Whatever your style of fishing is, finding ways to ingest nutrients with minimal effort will keep you on your game. Focus on simplicity, convenience, ease-of-preparation, and quick consumption. Foods that can be eaten single-handed and in small doses throughout the day are more likely to end up in your stomach and less likely to remain in the cooler at the end of your trip. High-protein meat combined with easily eaten cheeses have long formed the core of on-the-go meals. Supplemented with nuts, fruit, and bars, these meals can ensure you return to your normal-life duties in good spirits and still semi-useful. And for those fly fishermen out there, bon appetit!