On the List: Coastal Cutthroat, Steelhead and Bigfoot

by Mark McGlothlin on February 20, 2012

in Chi Wulff

Lately She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have been having one of those running ‘fork-in-the-road’ discussions that come up in life now and again.

For those who have been reading Chi Wulff any time over the past couple of years probably know by now that we’re mountain folks who’ve been living in Austin for just under two years to establish a foothold for a business we own in the south. Our hearts have remained in mountain country, and for months we’ve been planning a return late this spring to Montana.

An interesting twist to the story has arisen in the past few weeks – a large retailer that She Who Must Be Obeyed has been working for has offered her a notable move up, which entails a move to their leading district in the country, which just happens to be in western Washington state.

Offering a rare glimpse of candid honesty, my first thoughts were of coastal cutthroat, steelhead and finally having a legitimate chance to see Bigfoot.

As we’ve pondered the nuts and bolts, it appears we can live on the Sound and out of the Seattle metro in a small community; her work looks damned interesting and my business can be done from just about anywhere there’s an internet connection and phone coverage.

The way things are shaping up, she has to make a two year commitment to the new option and I figure that’s enough time to passably learn to manage a two-hand rig and begin to learn the very basics of steelheading.

Coastal cutthroat sound damned intriguing; read a bit about them here on the Western Native Trout Initiative site (that’s their image above by the way).

I’m firing an email off to the Moldy Chum guys today given their obvious interest and expertise in Bigfoot lore (58 entries on a ‘bigfoot’ search);  just maybe, if we’re lucky, they’ll consent to an interview and share some of the their hard-earned, vast store of knowledge with us.

Jake is without a doubt headed back to Bozeman in a matter of a few days / weeks; he’s got some interesting things lined up and has it figured as to how he can fish 5 of 7 days per week. We’re guessing that having a hand in a couple of different environs / fisheries might make for a bit more interesting reading on the blog here as well.

Here’s to new adventures.