$400,000 Tuna Auctioned in Tokyo Fish Market

January 5, 2011

TOKYO (Reuters Life!) – A bluefin tuna, prized by sushi aficionados as a high-end treat, sold on Wednesday for a record price of nearly $400,000 in the year's first auction at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. With the ringing of bells well before dawn, an auctioneer launched into a rapid chant as rubber-boot wearing men signaled […]

“When are we going to Forks?”

January 3, 2011

I'm lucky enough to have a wife that enjoys the outdoors almost as much as I do, so when she asked "When are we going to go to Forks?" I didn't hesitate to hook up the driftboat and get the steelhead gear ready. It was more like a sprint than anything. When your wife demands […]

Giant Burgers on French Bread

December 10, 2010

"You couldn't get Tobeck to come?", asked Mike Meseberg of Mar Don Resort as we shivered out of our skin in our layout blinds/coffins in the midst of four dozen full-body Canada goose decoys on Wednesday. My reply, "Nope, he's a lot smarter than we are."  I was trying to convince myself that I'd much […]

Bogachiel River Brat Festivus

December 3, 2010

  Forks, Washington Guide Mike Zavadlov with a chrome Bogachiel River winter steelhead I've been watching all the coastal steelhead reports lately like a cat staring at a bird. Reports of hammer-time steelhead action were pouring in with regularity. By last weekend my tail was switching back and forth in anticipation of batting some steelhead […]

A Smattering of 2010 Big Game Photos

November 30, 2010

I saute'd my Washington deer tag last night in butter and garlic and while it was a little dry…have to say it didn't taste all that bad. I had my chances and have no regrets about my 2010 hunting season.  I just typed "smattering" and spell check didn't highlight it, soooo here's a smattering of […]

Danner Pronghorn GTX Field Test

November 27, 2010

How do you write a review for a pair of hunting boots? I’ll tell you how. You put them on your feet and wear the hell out of them for three years. I’ve hiked, climbed, side-hilled, walked, stalked, ran, ascended, descended, and slept in these boots. I’ve put my barkin’ dogs (that’s what I call […]

Setting up the J-Hook Decoy Spread

November 21, 2010

You'd think a bird with a brain the size of a tomato seed would find it's way into the decoys no matter how they are arranged, but as we all know that's seldom the case. Ol' "bird brain" isn't as gullible as you'd think. Here's some tips from frequent Outdoor Line guest Robert Strong, owner […]

Rattle Up a Late Blacktail

November 14, 2010

  Gerald Sexton downed this 4×4 blacktail with guide John Koenig in the Skagit valley Big blacktail bucks seldom leave the confines of their worm holes in the jungle on the wet side of the Cascades and when they do most of their movements are nocturnal. They are big because they don't make many mistakes. […]

Fall Salmon Finale in Forks

November 11, 2010

Fishing buddy Steve Maris and I hit the Olympic Peninsula bright and squirrely on Tuesday morning in search of an elk. We drove for three hours in the dark, launched the driftboat on river "X" at sunup in a what-the-hell-are-we-doing-here rain storm and then floated downstream, poking our way into alder bottoms and potential elk […]

Beef vs Venison

November 4, 2010

FROM THE US VENISON COUNCIL- Controversy has long raged about the relative quality and taste of venison and beef as gourmet foods. Some people say venison is tough, with a strong "wild" taste. Others insist venison's flavor is delicate. An independent food research group was retained by the Venison Council to conduct a taste test […]