Fishing....

Went to the beach to relax a bit, and throw bait at the fish.

Wild waters, throwing high waves, mist in the air. Didn't, of course, expect anything.

WHAM! they acted like food was gonna be banned tomorrow.

Before they figured out there was a hook out there, and got picky and started playing hook games (dragging the bait down the beach, wrapping it around kelp, all the stuff that makes me respect greenling as having a fish sense of humor) -- got two of the biggest girls I ever pulled off the beach. Couple pounds a piece. LOADS of beautiful white meat and a big meaty backbone. And bunches of scraped raw fish from the skins for the cats -- and big livers and roe sacks for the cats, too.

Greenling look like big golden-brown and bright yellow and orange versions of Mr. Limpet.

The males have pretty black-rimmed silver spots, too. Rarely catch males, and they're not very big. I don't think they're as daring as the big girls.

We got more meat than we know what to do with.

How to prepare greenling:

They're kind of mushy and grass-tasting fresh. So -- gut and rinse. Put in 'fridge overnight to firm and dry a bit. When you skin 'em out the next day, they peel easy and look like lingcod. Don't discard the backbones -- they got loads of meat on 'em. Freeze filets and backbones on trays to lose the grassy taste. Glaze 'em individually with cold water, don't freeze 'em in a lump.

Thaw, and dredge in cornmeal batter.

Fry up. Use the left-over batter for hush-puppies. Serve with cold beer.

Oh, Lawdy. Maybe there is a god.