Traditions worth chewing on. (John Burgoyne/)
The best wild fish or game meal is usually a simple one: meat, fire, and maybe a little salt and pepper. Actually, the best wild-game meal isn’t really a meal at all. It’s a custom that you follow not because it tastes good (even though it does), but because it jolts you right back to the hunt—and all the hunts that came before.
You probably practice some of the following rituals yourself (or at least a version of them). Others might surprise you and make you think twice before partaking. But all serve as a direct link back to the author’s hunting and fishing history. For that, they’re worth chewing on. —Alex Robinson, Editor-in-Chief
An angler who lands a daytime swordfish must use the raw, poked-it-out-of-the-head-fresh eyeball as a celebratory shot glass. (John Burgoyne/)
Eyes Are the Prize
The greatest fish-catching celebration you wish you'd never heard of.
By Gerry Bethge
“You must understand this point: The swordfish’s environment is almost completely unobservable,” says southern Louisiana charter boat captain Peace Marvel. “Think about that for a minute. The water temperature at 1,300 feet—where we fish for these things—is 36 degrees. It’s pitch-black both day and night. And that’s where the most badass fish in the ocean make their living. They find their food with these giant eyeballs that they can actually heat in order to improve their hunting ability in deep water. Oh, and by the way, their eyeballs make for great shot glasses too.”