Sadly mom passed away about ten years ago. And I’m not ashamed to say I’m a pretty good cook, mom actually taught me a lot as I worked alongside her in a fastfood joint we ran for a few years. And yes I’ve cooked wild fish myself before, it’s a huge job and it’s also a rare event. I no longer live near my original home so I can’t find, buy or even get the same wild fish. And mom made them in the most heavy batter cooked in pure lard. It’s not exactly healthy to make. The thing I miss is the circumstance of it all … I was young, I was kid, I could eat whatever I wanted no matter how unhealthy it was and mom made it a particular way with a particular pan in a very haphazard kitchen with an old propane stove. No matter how much I may try, I’ll never be able to replicate one piece of fish, let alone an entire platter of the stuff. I know most of mom’s recipes now, the easy ones at least … but I’ll never get those same fish I remembered as a kid.