Fly Fishing For Trout in Southeastern OK and Baked Trout Recipes to Celebrate Your Catch

I have some delicious baked trout recipes for you to try (read on!). Did you know that some of the country’s best rainbow and brown trout fishing is in Southeast Oklahoma, less than a gas tank away from Dallas/Fort Worth - the Metroplex?

Trout fishing is available year-round in McCurtain County (in Broken Bow, Oklahoma), and it is one of the most popular activities in the park. You will find deep mountain lakes surrounded by national forests and clear-running rivers. The area offers outstanding fly fishing (if you are a purest), as well as excellent river bank fishing with a spinning rod (I suggest using artificial salmon eggs or spinners if you are not a fly fisherman). Featured bodies of water in McCurtain County include Beaver's Bend, the Mountain Fork River, and the Glover River.

McCurtain County is the perfect fishing destination for weekend getaways. For example, The Lower Mountain Fork River offers 14 miles of trout habitat. The lower Mountain Fork is a tailwaters fishery flowing out of Lake Broken Bow and includes a 3.8 mile Trophy section where boats and barbed hooks are banned. Fly fishermen will have good success using nymphs with the fish taking a black (occasionally red) zebra midges. You can also catch fish on soft hackles, San Juan worms, and of course, the olive wollie bugger.

Anglers on the Mountain Fork are celebrating the fourth consecutive year of the spawn of rainbow trout and the second year of documented reproduction of brown trout in the river. Not long ago, Jason Archie of Broken Bow caught a brown trout that not only surpassed the old record - it nearly doubled it with a catch weighing over 17 pounds, 4 ounces.

McCurtain County is an easy 2-to-4-hour drive from Dallas/Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Tyler, Little Rock and Shreveport.

Once you have caught your trout, try using it in one of these delicious baked trout recipes:
Recipe #1 - Simple Baked Trout Recipe:
This recipe was made available to us by find-a-seafood-recipe.com. It is very simple to prepare and cook, and it uses minimal ingredients.

Ingredients:

* 4 trout - 12-14 oz (350-400g) gutted and heads off (if you prefer)
* black pepper
* butter
* lemon juice
* chopped parsley

Preparation: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry the fish. Oil an ovenproof dish and lay in the fish. Sprinkle the parsley into the cavity of the fish and season with pepper and lemon juice, then dot with butter. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until the fish is cooked through. (Note: if the fish bigger than 1 lb. (500g) each, then give them a little longer in the oven.)

The fish will be firm to the touch. Lift it carefully out of the dish with two spatulas, spoon the juices over it, and serve it with some boiled new potatoes and buttered vegetables or a crispy salad.

Recipe #2 - Baked Trout Romero:

This Italian dish comes to us courtesy of the delicious recipes available on fishingworks.com:

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup Vigo Italian Style Bread Crumbs or regular bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese
* 1/3 cup lemon juice (or more as needed)
* 4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
* 4 Trout Fillets (about 8 ounces each), rinsed, patted dry
* Parchment paper

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, Romano cheese and enough lemon juice to form a paste.

Tear off a piece of parchment paper large enough for the trout to be enclosed loosely. Place a fillet on the parchment paper. Spread the paste evenly on top of the fillet. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parsley. Fold the parchment to enclose the trout loosely. Tuck ends underneath, creating a sealed pocket. Repeat with remaining fillets. Place on a baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the center of the fish is opaque. Serve in the parchment pocket.

The bread crumbs and cheese make the Baked Trout Romero a real treat.

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and are in the mood for some great trout fishing, try McCurtain County in Southeastern Oklahoma. It is less than a 3-hour drive from the Metroplex and yet seems like a world away. Then, bake it using one of these excellent baked trout recipes. Bon appétit!