We love helping bring smiles to the faces of our friends and family when we go out fishing (like the above pic), so why not attempt to do the same during the holidays with these incredible gift ideas specifically with the PNW Fisherman in mind.
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Making hot drinks on the water
Let’s start with the Jetboil. These amazing devices are almost always part of our packing list whether we are going camping, fishing or just taking the boat out. In the PNW, there’s almost no season where a hot drink first thing in the AM on the water isn’t a hit. I love taking kids out on my boat and helping them get into their first fish. Truth be told, often times, the kids remember the cup of hot chocolate they had on my boat, made with the Jetboil more than anything else (and it’s not cause we got skunked! Well…sometimes it is).
Pair your jetboil and fuel, with any number of instant drinks such at hot chocolate or what I think is the best instant coffee in the world (and I am a coffee snob, generally critical of starbucks) and you have a winning recipe. Water sold separately…
Fisherman dry gear storage
One of the biggest enemies to fishing gear is moisture…and I say that as a resident PNW fisherman who fishes in the rain, on the water all the time. If you are still storing your gear in grandpa’s tackle box and discovering your favorite lure sitting in a puddle of water after a rainy fishing trip, then this next gift idea is for you…err for that other person…you get the idea.
The above bag will hold quite a bit of gear, and keep it dry whether you are packing gear into a remote coastal river in the rain, or looking for a dry storage solution for your boat. Here’s one other thing I do with my fishing gear storage that perfectly compliments this bag approach.
I would bet that there are no fisherman who couldn’t use more plano storage boxes, like the above. Keep your gear organized in these boxes at home, and then just throw the ones you need into your dry bag and away you go.
Keeping your hands warm
If you fish year around in the PNW, you will encounter cold weather that will challenge your fingers to reman dextrous enough to tie knots and manipulate fishing gear.
The above bison wool down fingerless gloves are out of stock last I checked, but now that you know what you need, you can wait for them to be in stock or you can find them somewhere else on the internet. These gloves are worth every penny and they are high quality. Don’t mess around with the inferior product, you will just end up coming back to these. Try fishing steelhead in 35 degrees with rain that drenches everything and penetrates all your warm defenses, if you don’t have gloves that keep your hands warm even when soaked, it’s game over.
Make conservation a priority
Winter blackmouth season in Area 10 is coming soon to the Puget Sound (Jan 1st!), you know how many undersized fish you catch while out blackmouth fishing, but did you do your best to protect these fish you released?
The important thing with fishing nets these days is that they are knotless. The old style knotted nets are cheaper, yes, but can remove the critical slime protection from vulnerable salmon. Especially in the saltwater, but even in the river, many fish get released due to not being the right size, having an extra fin, or being too close to spawning. Let’s do our part in 2021 to help these released fish complete a successful journey.
Best headlamp for nighttime fishing / shellfish activities
Are you looking to get some squidding done during what may be the best squidding season ever? What about when razor clams open again and low tide is at night? With the shorter and shorter days we have going during the late fall and winter, you cannot be without a quality headlamp. You don’t want a big heavy battery pack or one where you have to replace batteries constantly either.
The above headlamp is what I use. Bright enough to allow me to navigate my boat (slowly) at night to find nearby squid, and also great to use on the razor clam beach. Re-chargable via USB and comfortable to wear.
More gift ideas…
The above ideas will get you started, but as more pop into my head I will be sure to update this page and add to the list. Feel free to post your ideas in the comments section or on our facebook page too!
