A shore lunch worth writing — and shouting — about

As I listened to Theo's voice on the phone, I knew what was coming next.

“How about planning to come up here and we'll do some smallmouth fishing and maybe have a shore lunch or two?” he asked.

I hadn't seen Theo in almost five years, but each adventure with this chap could evoke a passion within me to sit down and write in my journal.

Theo used to own a small tool and die company in Chicago. He inherited the business from his father and spent 35 years making parts for other manufacturers. He decided to call it quits when his wife passed away.

Theo found a piece of land just outside Watersmeet, Mich., nestled in a small forest of white birch. He hired some carpenters to build a two-bedroom home with decks on the front and back of the house. He later added a two-car garage — not for his vehicle, mind you, but rather for his 17-foot fishing boat.

Michigan's U.P. can be a tough taskmaster. Known for its great fishing and hunting as well as its laid back, no-nonsense way of life, to live there one must have a sense of adventure and a will to survive the brutal winters with more than 100 inches of snow in many areas. Snow shoes and snowmobiles are as common up there as hot dog stands are down here.

Theo's invitations come with conditions. He told me I could write about these trips, but I could not name the waters we fished. He also initially requested I not publicize his shore lunch recipes. But he's softened quite a bit now, and told me last winter I could freely write and talk about his campfire cooking.

Now, by a show of hands, how many of you have been “seduced” by the camp fire, the smoke, and shore lunch on your fishing trips? I knew it. I can imagine those hands flying upward.

Theo's masterful, lakeside respite is the kind of stuff that made for great stories in outdoor magazines 50 years ago.

Even though every outing with him was an opportunity to target smallies, we almost always caught a few lake trout for the shore lunch.

Theo doesn't believe in frying a single fish. Like my friend A.J., Theo prefers either broiling or baking the trout in aluminum foil.

The condiments he used involve his special mix of corn meal, a tiny bit of salt, pepper, fresh lemon, oregano, garlic powder, and thyme. He also prepared two small loaves of his homemade bread dough which was wrapped in foil. Tiny red potatoes were gently scored and brushed with margarine. And the final element to this feast was a salad of red leaf lettuce, black olives and artichoke hearts lightly graced with Theo's special dressing.

I've had hundreds of shore lunches in my years afield but nothing ever compared to this.

And yes, some of us would spend upward of $50 to sup on something similar in an area restaurant, but it wouldn't have the constant flavor of wood smoke and evergreen to round out the experience.

Theo saved a bottle of his homemade wine until the end of the day because, like me, he doesn't partake while on the water or even on a break.

And yes, it is worth the trip to the U.P. just to see and fish with this old friend. But it's even better when he takes charge and rustles up a gourmet meal fit for any Chicago area refugee like me.

Ÿ Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@att.net, and catch his radio show 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC 1240-AM.