The striped bass was as imposing as I remembered. It had given me fits several weeks ago, testing my nerves, luck and skill. But I had eventually triumphed. Now the reward was at hand.

It’s broad, heavy head and thick, powerful body were still impressive, but instead of trying to smash my lightweight tackle, this striped devil was now crisply browned and stretched across a bed of lettuce and delicately sliced vegetables on a large silver platter.

We were celebrating the past fishing season, and our guest of honor, that delectable rockfish, had been the most memorable fish I had caught while plugging the shallows this past fall. I had kept the fish whole when I cleaned it, envisioning just such a feast.

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