Oh, and regarding cooking the fish ...

On this last trip, I tried doing this to cook a fish sans utensils, and it worked:

Gut the fish, cut off head, tail and fins, and carefully ease out the spine and ribs. Spread the fish.

Cut a long stick, say 18 inches to 24 inches long, and split halfway down, then sharpen the unsplit end.

Cut two smaller sticks for the "crossbeams," and sharpen their ends.

Impale either ends of those sticks into sides of "opened" fish, one at the top and one at the bottom, to hold it open.

Slide that assembly inbetween the split ends of the big stick, with the big stick essentially replacing the spine of the fish.

Tie the ends of the split stick back together, so it squeezes everything together.

You're left with the fish essentially "crucified" (forgive the unintentional blasphemy) on a cross that has two crossbeams.

Then stick the pointed end into the ground with the stick at an angle over some coals.

Spin 180 degrees at the proper time to cook the other side of the thick part of the meat that ran along the spine. (I used a smallmouth).

You then scrape the meat away from the skin to eat.

Having said that, however, I think the guy in this story was one baaad due, and I am filled with admiration and respect.

To never panic, to stay optimistic, to keep on keeping on despite miserable conditions: what a feat.

-- kypaddler