RED WILD & BLUE SUMMER: Chinook here now, albacore on the way
July 14, 2008

After the longest winter in the history of mankind and the weirdest, most unpredictible early-summer salmon season since Lewis & Clark floated the Columbia River, here, finally, come our favorite "Boys of Summer". And they have fins.

As I write this, tuna are bearing down on Pacific Northwest ports, and the Chinook bite is revving up around some of our favorite summertime haunts. Sekiu and the East Strait of Juan de Fuca are open for kings, with no crippling July quota to worry about. Hot spots have started to flare up along the west coast of Vancouver Island. Possession Bar is set to open for only its second summer Chinook season in two decades. The San Juan Islands have quietly begun to percolate.

Is there any wonder I'm grinning like a damn fool in the photo to the right? Big, thick-bodied Chinook will do that to you, ya know.

With the glory days of the summer season straight ahead of us, the Northwest Wild Country crew is bracing for a ram-and-jam second half of July. Take a look at The Show page for a preview of upcoming shows, guests and Red Wild & Blue promotions.

RED WILD & BLUE SUMMER: Fresh back from ICAST and loaded for bear
July 14, 2008

I look forward to the annual American Sportfishing Association/ICAST convention in Las Vegas for two reasons.

It's not the buffets, and it sure as shootin' isn't the Sin City heatwave (although a brisk 102- to 103-degree cold snap is forecast for next week). Nope, ICAST is all about the following: 1). Checking out cool new gear; 2). Saying "howdy" to buddies in the fishing industry that I don't get to see enough.

ICAST (officially the "International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades") is a tackle freak's freakiest dream come true. It's aisle after endless aisle of the slickest new rods, reels, lines, hooks, lures, and everything fishy under the sun. And for you faithful Wild Country listeners, it's a loading zone for the Northwest Wild Country Prize Cave. I'll touch down back in Seattle late Friday night, and hit the studio on Saturday with an armful of new gear to review and another armful to give away.

GIVEAWAY ALERT! GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Keep these numbers handy and dial in to win in the 7 a.m. hour on this week's show: (800) 829-0959 Toll Free/(206) 286-9595 Seattle local/#950 on the cel.

--J.S.