I love fishing.
I
love cooking and baking and eating.
I also enjoy watching a variety of cooking and fishing shows
on TV and the internet.
So – when I see a combination of food and fishing TV – I get
excited!
This morning, June 28, 2014, while having breakfast, I caught
an episode of “Farmhouse Rules” on Food Network TV.
 |
| Nancy Fuller - Host "Farm House Rules" |
The title was “Fly Fishing”. I was excited!
The cinematography was excellent and the production teased with enough trout/stream footage to keep my interest. They were fishing the Kinderhook Creek in upstate NY.
 |
| Kinderhook Creek upstream of Hankey Mull Road |
While I have not fished the Kinderhook, I
have driven past it many times traveling on holidays spent with family in the
NYC and CT area, and always thought I should fish there some day.
The film footage was excellent and the recipes sounded great. However, one of the things that the star of
the show, Nancy Fuller, said early in the show was something to the effect of -
she hoped that if they didn't catch any trout that she would have time to buy
some trout to cook for her husband David (good name) for dinner.
Well – they all got to the Kinderhook and were all fly
fishing and you could tell that they all – except for Nancy, admittedly – knew what
they were doing.
I was thrilled – fishing and cooking – could it get much
better!!!! Well – a local brew or
vintage would have helped!
Nancy asked for and received fly fishing help and it all
looked very "Real and Honest." TV at its finest.
And, I was happy - until the first trout was hooked.
They pulled it up out of the water and it was
very obvious that the fish was not only NOT fresh caught, but already gilled
and gutted.
Then, they caught a few more – even putting some in a creel
showing the tail wiggling – they did not, however, show the head of the trout being wiggled by
hand. I’ve had some film and video
producing experience and this was a very obvious “special effect” – and the
trout did their own stunts! Honestly!
More trout were caught (uh huh) – and as some were brought to net,
they were spinning in circles – they looked like cut-bait herring being fished for king salmon in the Pacific ocean!
I have never caught a trout that after being
hooked, eviscerated itself and started spinning. Yet – that’s what all the trout did. I was no longer happy.
Now, at this point, Nancy – and Nancy, I love your show –
Nancy could have come clean and admitted that the fishing was TV magic and the
trout were store bought trout and not
caught during filming.
She set it up
early in the show!
It could have been a
highlight of the episode!
But no – not once did Nancy tell us that the trout they
caught on the Kinderhook were actually from her, or Food Network’s fish monger,
or local grocery store.
The honesty
would have been entertaining and refreshing.
Now - all that being said - I am still a fan of Food Network
and Farm House Rules – I just hope that they are more forth-coming with the
facts of the stories (especially the fishy ones) in the future.
Nancy and David – I’d love to see you on the water!
Dave
