Fishing picnic

Food for fishermen
hook, line and ... picnic

I don’t need to tell you to forget pretty picnic baskets with tablecloths and cushions and opt instead for a back-pack or even heavy-duty plastic bags, to carry your provisions.

Easy to eat food is essential because you (or your loved one if you’re packing up for him) will be concentrating on casting and retrieving the line (as well as rowing a boat perhaps) and other fishy things!

Something fairly substantial like a pork pie and salad is what’s needed for a fishing picnic and is not difficult to pack up. Fill a margarine or yoghurt pot with a potato or bean salad and wrap up the pie separately.

Add a bread roll or two (maybe with a Cheddar cheese filling) in cling film or foil.

More back-pack lunch ideas for a fishing trip could include cold sausages and mustard in long rolls, chopped lamb mixed with red-currant jelly in a soft bap, cold roast chicken legs, cold fried chicken breasts or chicken Kiev with a wedge of vegetable frittata.

And how about a fisherman's version (sardine?) of traditional Cornish pasties?

Remember to pop in a knife, fork and spoon, as well as bottled water and a flask of tea or coffee.

You may have had breakfast at the crack of dawn, so mid-morning and afternoon snacks are a necessity, as well as lunch and supper – and if the fish aren’t biting maybe you’ll need a little something as comfort food!

Extra food for fishermen might be a container of bite-sized things. Small squares of hard cheese, cocktail sausages, cherry tomatoes, brazil nuts – things like that come in useful for easy eating while walking to the next cast, or watching for the fish to bite.

If you’re out on the water fishing, even in summer, it can get chilly so a hot flask of soup is a good idea, as well as the traditional sandwich or more modern-day wrap.

Choose fillings, which won’t fall apart when you bite into them – you don’t want them to drop into the water.

A healthy dip with some sticks of carrot, celery and fennel will be good for you, especially if you’re diet conscious, and take some dried fruit too (stoned dates or apricots) as they’ll give you instant energy when you need it, to haul in that line!

Then if you catch something scrumptious for supper, you could make a campfire (check out the camping page) and enjoy your fish at its very, very best, straight out of the water. A real fishing picnic.

Every time I eat trout I remember the ones my Dad landed from his favourite loch in Ireland, when we were on holiday in Co. Wicklow. As children, my sister and I were allowed to stay up later than usual to enjoy this fresh fish supper.

These trout were caught at night – the easiest time to catch them – and if you’re doing a spot of night fishing you’ll want a few easy to eat snacks - a fishing picnic which will fit in your pocket or bag. Nuts, dried fruit or flapjacks would fit the bill nicely.

Make sure you have a thermos flask of tea, coffee or hot chocolate back in the car too, to revive your sinking blood-sugar levels before your drive home.

If you're in the United States and are looking for some new Fishing Gear, then I suggest you check out the Camping Gear Outlet because camping and fishing are often related and this is a great store.