GUEST POST BY RACHEL RIZZI

If you haven’t eaten alligator, you should really give it a try. You may have heard the old adage that it tastes just like chicken. Not really. It’s actually a lot better. Alligator used for food preparation usually only includes the tail meat so don’t try this with a dead gator you find on the side of the road. Packaged alligator tail meat can be found nationwide. It tends to be a bit pricey, usually at $15 per pound, but a little goes a long way. For those of you with an adventurous streak, here’s a recipe that you’re sure to enjoy.

FRIED ALLIGATOR

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. Louisiana alligator meat (tenderloin or sirloin cuts of tail meat), cut into chunks
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Flour, for dredging
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup hot sauce
1 bottle store bought ranch dressing, for dipping

DIRECTIONS

1.)…

Fly fishing…. it’s been the backbone of my family for many generations. But unlike many fishermen who were reared in the 1950’s, I was taught from an early age the concept of catch and release. Simply put, it is fishing for sport and not for the meat.

That is not to say there’s anything inherently wrong with the catch and kill approach to fishing. There is certainly room for that aspect of fishing as well with some limitations. I’m pretty sure the Native-Americans of the 1700’s and 1800’s weren’t fishing just for sport. However, as the decades have passed, we have learned that nothing is forever and that includes healthy fish populations as well. Fish hatcheries alone can not reclaim healthy fisheries. We all need to do a little of our own share as well. It is largely a question of balance. When I lived in Oregon for example, I…