Lice-covered trout are not what they appear to be

Your rod takes a dive and the battle is on. When you dip your net into the water and net the fish, you wonder what you actually caught.It fought like a fish. It looks like a fish. Trouble is you can't see much of the fish.Especially in the summer months when higher elevation lakes warm up, lice can be a problem with numerous lakes throughout the Sierra, sometimes heavily infecting fish. Some will be so coated on the outside that it's difficult to even see the color of the fish.It is a problem we see with many trout we catch at Lake Almanor. Anglers have told me they've seen the same thing at Lake Davis, and it occurs in most lakes throughout the region.At Lake Almanor, lice only seem to infect the smaller trout. Catch a three to five-pounder and for some reason, it will be completely lice free.Catch any of the numerous king salmon in Lake Almanor and they appear to be lice free, but look inside their gill plate. Instead of massing on the outside of the fish, lice will take up permanent residency in the gill region until the salmon eventually suffocate and die.What must be remembered is that while these lice make a fish look horrible, they will have virtually zero effect on the edibility of the fish. They are an external parasite and have virtually no effect on the flesh of the fish itself.As many anglers already know, you should scale your fish, even trout. Scales are a fish's way of producing oils, which allow them to reduce friction in the water, and that friction is what causes them to move quickly in the water with minimal effort.And, it is that oil that produces strong odors during cooking and makes for a stronger tasting fish, one reason some people actually dislike eating fish.If you want mild tasting fish, be sure to remove the scales from your trout, even the pansize trout you may catch.One of the easiest and quickest ways to remove scales is with a short-handled barbecue brush. Vigorously brush the fish beginning at the tail and working towards the head. The scales will come off quickly and easily and there will be virtually no damage to the fish.And, once the scales are off, even a slimy fish will now be dry and easy to handle and hold onto.Also, if that fish was covered in lice, the brush you used to take the scales off will also remove all the lice that were on the outside.Just go ahead and panfry the fish whole or fillet the fish as you normally would, as it is now lice-free.CURRENT FISHINGCollins Reservoir: They plant the lake extremely heavily in the spring. Trout plants ended some time ago, but the trout fishery has remained decent for those dunking bait in the deeper water around the dam and even for those fishing around the docks. However, with the recent fire in the Dobbins area, it would be a good idea to stay away for now.Folsom Lake: Boats have to be out of the Brown's Ravine Marina this week so reduced water traffic will be the rule, except for the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend. All State Park fees are making a considerable jump so expect to pay more for not only Folsom Lake but all state operated parks. Camping, a popular activity for holidays, will jump from $10 to $21 a night.Loon Lake: The lake has a lot of water in it and trollers are having a field day, mostly on rainbows but some hefty browns are being caught as well. Trick for success is to be on the water before the sun hits and to troll deep. Work the water around the dam with a threaded crawler. Some lures will work but keep changing until you find the one to their liking that day. You can also work the Rubicon River section below the dam and pick up some good browns drifting a crawler but that can also be some tough walking to get in and out of.Any questions, comments or concerns, contact George at GeorgesColumn@AOL.COM.