Ok, when reading a thread here I saw mentioned to use ferns to line a creel to keep fish fresh? Does it have to be ferns? If sow does it have to be a particular kind? And, how does it work and under what conditions and how long? lol I know in the older days ice was not an option yet people spent all day on the water with a creel and came home and ate fish that was not spoiled, unless I’m understanding this wrong…
Oh and one more thing, does the kind of creel make a difference, like the material its made of?
absolutely not! wet grass will also work.
Grubb,
When I was a kid of about 13 and was off to try and catch some trout my dad told me that I had to keep them moist so they’d be fresh and good enough to eat when I got home at the end of the trip. He gave me his wicker creel and told me to line it with ferns from the creek bank and to keep them moist and it would cool the fish and keep them fresh. Said to check occasionally and if they were starting to dry out to simply dip my hand in the water and moisten the ferns and trout some more. Worked just fine way back then and I’d do it again if I decided to creel up again to keep a few for the skillet.
Norm is correct as I used grass when ferns weren’t available.
Most any clean green damp material will work, the creel should be canvas or wicker so evaporation can occur.
Grubb,
What makes this work is the cooling effects of evaporation. You want the stuff you put in the creel with the trout to be kind of a loose, springy type material so that air can circulate. Ferns are great, as are stiff grasses…even the green tips of tree branches, etc…just so the air can flow.
Evaporation requires two things, moving air and water…so the creel needs to allow the air to move…most creels were some kind of wicker or other open weave material to allow the air to move…water should be available to you, just dip the creel in the water if it starts to dry out (or just splash some water into it…whatever keeps the stuff inside moist).
Evaporation like this can cool the inside of the creel down to around twenty degrees, sometimes more, below ambient. That’s usually enough to keep the fish fresh for the day.
You could, also, just use one of those refreezable cooling packs…that works too ;).
Buddy
Did you know that in the morning as the sun comes up the temperature goes down…why…evaporation…experienced this many a time in the duck blind…actually goes down about 2 degrees.
Did you know that in the morning as the sun comes up the temperature goes down…why…evaporation…experienced this many a time in the duck blind…actually goes down about 2 degrees.
Anyone else remember those old canvas water bags occasionally seen hanging on the bumper of 1940’s cars and trucks? Works the same way. Water slowly seeped out the canvas weave and evaporated keeping the remaining contents cool. Worked pretty good.
Ooops. My age is showing again.
We used to get a beer cold in College by putting a can in a wet sock and hanging it out of the window in the sun. It really works!
Buddy,
I was waiting to see if someone would say what you said. I think you nailed it. Some green lofty foliage under the fish, and don’t forget to dunk your wicker creel from time to time. For that reason, it’s good to buy cheap wicker creels and replace them when needed. IMHO, if you have an expensive creel, you would be better off to use it as a wallhanger.
Could be wrong though. That often happens.
Wow folks, thanks for the education…
A cheap canvas creel should work then?
I only saw that mentioned one time…
Cheep canvas creels don’t work as they don’t allow air to circulate around the fish (half is always laying flat on the ground) or hanging against your side. wicker holds the fish out a half inch or so allowing air movement.
If plastic lined (as most I have seen are) they then keep the heat in and don’t allow the fish air circulation.
If you look you should be able to find a cheep plastic “wicker” creel or a real wicker Creel.
Personally I like a good stringer or stick.
Eric
Personally I like a good stringer or stick.
Eric me too, other fish I always did thatgrowing up cause it kept the fish alive and gave me the option of letting them go or keeping them fresh, but not for me with trout cause I don’t like to carry trout from hole to hole, so I wanted to know about a creel, I don’t want to make a big practice of keeping trout but think I would enjoy a meal of one or two here and there.
Thank you all again for the Education…
Thick spongy Moss also works real well.
Being an air head I always forgot where I left the stick with the fish on it.