Catch & Cook Eulachon (Smelt) + Making Fish Candles! Cowlitz River Smelt Fishing

Salmon may get most of the attention in the Pacific Northwest, but Eulachon are easily just as interesting if not moreso! These fish really exemplify the unique relationship between people and fish in the northwest. I had so much fun smelt dipping on the Cowlitz River. Dipnet fishing for smelt (eulachon) is only open for one day (sometimes two days) in years when the returning spawners are super abundant. There's millions of these fish in the rivers when they return in the late winter.

These little fish are super delicious and legend has it, they burn like candles. Smelt candle!!! They were traditionally super important to Native Americans and First Nations peoples as a food source that arrived at the end of winter when food supplies from the previous year were dangerously low. Not only are they a really great source of caloric energy, they also provide a light source! How crazy is that! These fish really are just remarkable.

After we went smelt fishing, we made smoked smelt, tempura fried smelt, and even burned a fish candle.

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