OBSERVER Photo by Gene Pauszek Pictured above are delicious baked walleye filets.

If you intend to have friends and family over for the holidays, here are a few recipes to try, using your fish and game.

Simple steelhead broiled: Take steelhead (rainbow) trout and fillet. If over four pounds, slice filets into thinner strips. If fresh caught, rinse, and pat dry. Place in a shallow pan cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil and apply Old Bay seasoning. Broil for about 12 minutes. Don’t over cook. Optional seasoning can include black pepper, paprika, minced onion, garlic salt.

Try this poached trout: Carmelize some sweet onion in a frying pan with margarine or butter. Then add 1/2 and 1/2 (cup) of water and white wine. Add dill, onion, celery and bring to a boil. Shut off heat and add fish. Cover the frying pan and let the fish simmer until the flesh turns opaque. When it easily flakes, it is done.

Smoked steelhead dip: Add equal parts of smoked steelhead, shredded three cheese and finely chopped sweet onion. Add mayonnaise. Stir the contents and place in a microwave safe bowl and heat until the cheese melts. Add crackers on the side of a serving plate, and receive lots of compliments.

Use walleye filets: Pat dry. Blend panko brand bread crumbs, seasoning, (options: salt, minced onion, Old Bay, garlic salt, pepper, paprika etc.) Add a little melted butter to the bread crumb mix to soften the mix and add flavor. Dip the filets in an egg wash. To reduce the sulfur flavor use egg white only. Roll the bread crumb mix around the dipped fillet, covering it. Place on a cookie sheet. Spray the sheet with a little Pam first so it won’t stick. Cook at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. Don’t over cook. Fish will be done, when the center turns white and flakes easily. Warning! This is delicious and your guests may ask for you to deplete your walleye supply. Enjoy! A tip of the hat to Mr. Coppola and Don Szwejbka for the fish recipes. Merry Christmas from the Sportsmans Journal.

Calendar: The Greater Niagara Falls Fishing and Outdoor Expo will be held on Jan. 18-20. The Lakeshore Longbeards, our local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, will be having their next meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at Liberty Vineyards Winery, located on Route 20 in Sheridan. The agenda will include the introduction of the new Regional Director Brain Gottfried, as well as a look at what will be available for the 2019 membership drive/fundraiser. The banquet date has been set for Saturday, Jan. 19. The meetings are always open to the public. Tickets are on sale, by contacting Rich Lazarczyk, Gary Dudek, Gary Burmaster, Bob Turk, Leroy Franklin, or Scott Dibble. A ticket would make a great Christmas gift for the turkey hunter(s) on your gift list. Tickets must be paid for and turned in by Jan. 12 for early bird prize consideration.

On Saturday, Dec. 29, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., the Erie County Trappers Association will be conducting a free trappers seminar at the Collins Conservation Club located at 2633 Conger Road, Collins, NY. The show will have lots of activities pertaining to how to handle your pelts, furs, and similar activities. There will also be other activities like raffles, games for the kids, fur hats and trapping supplies for sale, and the kitchen will be open. This is a free event. For more information contact Patti at 337-2556.

There will be a pistol course on Sunday, Dec. 30, at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club from 2:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. There is an $85 fee for attending this course. Contact Gary Dudek at 366-3397 for registration and details.

There will be a Gun Show on Jan. 19-20 at 11861 Sportsmans Road, (Off Rt. 18), Conneaut Lake Pennsylvania The show on Saturday will be from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Adult admission is $5, children under 12 years of age free with an adult. For more information go to LRsporting Events.com or call Larry at 792-9972.

Free Monday night fly tying instruction has resumed on Monday nights at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club, located at Mullet Street in Dunkirk. Classes are for all levels of fly tying, but especially for beginners. No equipment is necessary. All participants get to keep their productions. Classes are from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The classes are open to the public. Sometimes they even have homemade cookies! Note that the Monday night fly tyers will be taking a break over the Christmas holiday. Con Club Fly tying will resume on Monday, Jan. 7.

The Children of the Stream Youth Fly Fishing Program will be starting its 18th year of providing weekly free fly tying and fly fishing classes to both youths and adults in our area. Note that classes will switch from Wednesday evenings from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. to Tuesday evenings at the Costello Community Room (P84) in the new addition to the Rockefeller Arts Center at SUNY Fredonia. You do not need any prior experience to attend these classes, and the course is geared towards ages 10 and older. For more information contact Alberto Rey at 410-7003 or alberto@albertorey.com.

If your club or organization is holding a hunter safety training/trapping course or a turkey shoot or any other outdoors event, and would like to see it posted in the calendar, send information to the OBSERVER, 10 East Second Street, Dunkirk, NY 14048, or call the sports department at 366-3000 ext. 5 after 6 p.m.

Note: If you have a big game fishing or trapping success story you would like to share, call 366-1772, or 467-2079 and leave a name, phone number and a time you can be reached. You can also call 366-3000, ext. 5, after 6 p.m. or email sports@observertoday.com.