Grilled Trout With Dill and Lemon

I once was the proud owner of a fly reel.

Just the reel mind you. I was 10 years old, and I never did get a fishing rod for that reel. The fishing rod I did have came with its own reel and was the type with which you used a little bobbing float and a hook to attach something wriggly.

Hapless in the fishing department, I eventually gifted my gear to my younger brother and stuck to collecting crawdads, tadpoles, and minnows.

Over the years my brother regularly brought home trout (usually steelhead), salmon, and assorted other fish he caught in the American River, a short walk from our house in Sacramento.

It was only years later, on a trip to western Montana, that I learned that a fly reel is what is used in fly fishing, which is how one fishes for trout.

So now, every time I pass by the fish counter at the market and see beautiful fresh trout staring back at me, I think of fly fishermen standing in their waders in the shallows of either the Madison or American rivers, casting for a bite.

The Best Way To Cook Trout

Trout is, one of the most delicious fish you can eat, and not only is it relatively inexpensive (for fish), it's really easy to cook. It's usually sold deboned and with head and tail.

Trout does have rather delicate skin.

So rather than grilling it directly on the grill grates, the best way to ensure that the fish holds together and results in a beautiful presentation is to create an aluminum "boat" to hold the fish and place that boat on the grill. Keep the boat open and cover the grill so that the trout absorbs some of the smokiness from the grill.