1. In a large, heavy skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until it has rendered all its fat and is brown and crisp. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
2. Wash the fish under cold running water and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Sprinkle them inside and out with salt and a few grindings of black pepper, then dip them in the cornmeal, shaking them gently to remove any excess. Heat the bacon fat in. the skillet over high heat until a light haze forms over it.
3. Add the fish and cook them for about 5 minutes on each side, turning them over carefully with tongs. Regulate the heat so that the trout will brown evenly without burning. Remove them to a heated platter, arrange the bacon strips around them and serve at once.
