All Stories | Page 19 of 28 | The Filson Journal

chad kirkland on sailboat holding a coiled rope in port townsend

Washed Ashore in Port Townsend

Olivier Huin has spent his life amongst salt air and sawdust. A seafarer and wooden boat builder, he has travelled around the world by sailboat, often built by his own hand. Now an instructor at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Townsend, WA, he is passing along his passion, teaching the students the

Field Notes

Soul of a Boat

Over the past four decades, Port Townsend, WA has become an important hub for the building and maintenance of wooden boats on the West Coast. It is there that the history and skills of wooden boatbuilding are still taught, shaping the souls of those that go to sea. Video by Brother for Filson.

3 Min

susie jenkins brito salmon parts and two filets held by blue gloved hands on top of butchering station

Field Notes

Salmon Centric: at the Core of a Life Purposefully Cast

Early in the long days of summer here in Bristol Bay, I constantly feel as if I am holding my breath. Our family’s 32-foot drift boat has sat on blocks all winter, and the anxiety for the moment when my husband will turn the engine over for the first time each spring is incomparable. Commercial

Profiles

Red Gold: The Livelihood of Bristol Bay

The Bristol Bay salmon run attracts people from all over the globe, who work around the clock from late May until the end of July. They harvest sockeye salmon, known as “Red Gold” for the fish’s deep unique color, it’s sought-after flavor, and it’s lucrative value to the men and women who work feverishly in the fishery. Watch Now

3 Min

will kutscher boots standing next to a fish on the ground

How-To's

How to Get on a Fishing Boat

Some are born into it, some stumble upon it, and some, like me, seek it out. The lure of Alaska’s “Red Gold,” the Sockeye salmon run of Bristol Bay, hit me when I was twenty. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I often heard how rewarding a summer spent fishing in Alaska can be, so

3 Min

wolf stands in snowy field in front of pine trees

Profiles

In the Company of Wolves

Look across the valley and you’ll see old fence posts that mark the corners of properties, they collect the bleached skulls of field mice left by hawks who see fence posts not as boundary markers but as windows into a world free from want. You see, mice fuel hawks so that the observant rancher might

wintery homestead and barn stands at the foot of two tall snow-covered mountains

Profiles

A Yellowstone Coexistence

Four generations have lived here. The old schoolhouse stands where it has for nearly a century, a totem of those who came, laid roots, and grew families deep in the heart of the Greater Yellowstone basin. This place, in many ways, has retained a pulse of wildness that once poured across North America. This is

travis gillett in idaho silhouetted duck hunter stands in river at sunrise

Profiles

Knocking on Doors to Find Ducks in Idaho

In Idaho, some things are still done the old way. Hunting in this state is a rite of passage, an important part of conservation and land management in the region, and a valued tradition to pass on to younger generations. The best means of finding land to hunt are through public access points or by

blood covered hands hold knife butchering an animal and removing skin

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Game Meat Start to Finish

While it’s not for everyone to harvest an animal, it certainly opens your eyes to what goes into a respectful hunt, the emotions and efforts that go into being an omnivore. The more knowledge you have, the more informed your personal food choices can be. And as always, the harder you work, the sweeter the reward.

man holding fish in river with snow covered rocks and snowy pine tree forest

Profiles

Alaska Chronicles Part 2: No Roads, AK

With no road in or out of town, the residents of Alaska’s remote city of Cordova live in a land where people and nature thrive together. From a Native fishing village, it grew to become a town created to be the “premier copper port of the world.” For generations, the people of Cordova have relied on unfailing goods and their Alaskan pioneer spirit to preserve their livelihoods and the rich ecosystem that surrounds them.

Two hunters with rifles point and look into the distance in a snowy field

Field Notes

Alaska Chronicles Part 1: North of Wild

Brothers John and James were born and raised in Alaska. Both now in their 30s, John and James are now teachers of the great Alaskan pioneer tradition to their young children. Today is a perfect day to take John’s daughter out for practice and a lesson on how to survive off the wild in the northern tundra.

man in black coat sets linked sausages on large black grill outside in woods

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Jon Wipfli – Cooking from the Bog

Minneapolis-based chef and outdoorsmen Jon Wipfli spends most of his time cooking food around the city, writing or in the woods looking for critters. His passion for hunting and cooking wild game takes him to some unconventional places. On the latest Journal story, Jon shares his experience hosting guests to a locally sourced meal on a Wisconsin cranberry bog.

man walks toward barn door from outside with shotgun and stetson hat

Field Notes

Season Reflection: The Winter Hunt

Nashville-based photographer Yve Assad and writer Will Fulford reflect on the past seasons hunt in anticipation for the next.

two men in orange vests and hardhats and a black dog survey lush green forest

Field Notes

If They Ain’t Wavin’

“There are those who love to get dirty and fix things. They drink coffee at dawn, beer after work. And those who stay clean, just appreciate things. At breakfast they have milk and juice at night. There are those who do both, they drink tea.” ― Gary Snyder There have always been lumberjack poets, dock-worker

Profiles

Working with the Land: Samantha Meldon

3 Min

Man rides white horse in plaid coat and white chaps

Field Notes

Ranchlands: Conservation. Stewardship. Cattle.

For Duke Phillips, it’s not about getting the most beef in a year. It’s about conservation, working in harmony with nature to raise healthy land for a strong herd. For generations. At Ranchlands, his Colorado-based, family-run ranching and land management company, Phillips oversees 300,000 acres of land. Phillips, known as Big Duke, would be a

Smokejumper s enter red and white plane in full gear

Field Notes

The Life of a Smokejumper: Wait. Jump. Fight. Repeat

When it’s fire season, you don’t buy concert tickets. You don’t make dates. You miss your kid’s birthday. When you’re at the top of the jump list, you don’t go out of range of the alarm. You stay on the base. Send friends to pick up your family at the airport. You don’t take your

7 Min

Field Notes

USFS: Fighting Fire With Fire

There’s a wall of fire 12 feet away. Ponderosa pines burn to a roar. Like a jet engine ramping up for takeoff. Flames ignite branches & tufts of needles on their way up the trunks. Hotshots, smokejumpers and other Forest Service employees stand nearby. They’re not here to put the fire out. They started it.

5 Min

fly fisherman standing on river bank wearing filson coat smoking pipe

Field Notes

Region 6: Fly Fishing’s Unlikely Benefit to Children in Need

The Fly Fishing Collaborative may be the new model for social change. Based in Portland, Oregon, the organization uses donated guided trips to build sustainable fish-and-produce farms in developing countries. This Filson Life is part of Filson’s celebration of the Forest Service and the people of the Pacific Northwest Region of the USFS, Region 6. Three

man holds gun while sitting on porch of cabin

Field Notes

Region 6: Understanding the Land Through Hunting

Last fall, Bruce McGlenn started his hunting school in Central Washington. It’s exactly what the sport is in need of: a modern, holistic approach to harvesting wild meat.

5 Min

Field Notes

Region 6: Planting Beavers, Raising Waters

Beaver ponds store a lot of water. Millions of gallons. And scientists are now realizing that reintroducing the animals to struggling streams is a way to buck a drying trend. This Filson Life is part of Filson’s celebration of the Forest Service and the people of the Pacific Northwest Region of the USFS, Region 6.

Pine forest with bisecting river and mountain backdrop

Field Notes

Region 6: Giving Rivers Back to Fish

Traditional Yakama beliefs say the Creator put salmon in the rivers so that humans could live. Today, the tribe is returning the favor with a restoration program that is on the global forefront of salmon recovery. This Filson Life is part of Filson’s celebration of the Forest Service and the people of the Pacific Northwest Region

snow capped peaks with pine trees framed by supports of a firetower

Field Notes

Region 6: The Last of the Fire Watchers

Bill Austin is one of the lucky few to have the job of manning a fire lookout tower. And as a veteran of more than 25 seasons of scanning the horizon, he’s not about to give up his post. This Filson Life is part of Filson’s celebration of the Forest Service and the people of the

waterfall cascades down through pine forest

Field Notes

Region 6: Our Home Since 1897

Mountains, rivers, lakes, streams. Five active volcanoes. Nineteen National Forests. This is Region 6, our home since the day Filson was founded. The U.S. Forest Service oversees 193 million acres of public lands: 36.6 million acres of wilderness, 158,000 miles of trails, and 154 national forests. It divides its charge into nine regions. The Pacific

wooden bridge runs over water toward cabin in the woods

Field Notes

Way of Life: Westcott Bay Shellfish Co.

Erik and Andrea Anderson greet us like old friends as we walk onto their dock stretching out into Westcott Bay off San Juan Island in Washington. As at any family-run farm, their hands-on approach is obvious at first glance. Andrea sets down her pressure washer and takes a break from the farm chores with Erik

river with dense green foliage and scrub forest

Field Notes

Stewards To The Land

Spring brings about the liveliest changing of seasons, from the hibernation periods of winter into new growth for the summer ahead. This time of the year also serves as a reminder to waterfowl hunters that we must commit our own time to the stewardship of nature, which serves to produce those bounties we are so

kiiii-yuyan man in green hat and plaid shirt

Profiles

Trade Stories: Kiliii Yuyan of Seawolf Kayak

Seattle-based kayak-builder and photographer, Kiliii Yuyan, spends much of his time either paddling the waters of the Pacific Northwest or documenting indigenous communities of the North. His skills are helping to return traditional knowledge of the skin-on-frame kayak and umiaq to the first builders. On the latest Filson Journal story, Kiliii Yuyan of Seawolf Kayak shares with us his journey towards preserving Nanai heritage on the water.

5 Min

Food & Recipes

Filson Food: Bringing Fish to the River with Chef Kevin Davis

For Seattle chef Kevin Davis of Steelhead Diner and his crew of charismatic anglers known as the “Good Guys,” catching fish on the river is seen as a plus, but being out in nature with close friends is what really matters.

2 Min

jimmy diresta stands in front of wall with hanging tools

Profiles

Forging Ahead: A Conversation with Jimmy DiResta

On the latest Filson Life, photographer Brian-William Green shares a rare look inside Jimmy DiResta’s workspace located in the Lower East Side. DiResta has been part of the growing neighborhood since 1994. Firsthand seeing the city change as his operation revolved through storefronts around downtown Manhattan. In anticipation of the upcoming Filson NYC: Mallet Making and Whiskey Event with Jimmy DiResta,

Jainee-Wylder leads bridled white horse next to barn

Field Notes

Risk & Resilience: The Language of Horses

Story by Jainee Dial of WYLDER Photography by Abbi and Callen Hearne There is a secret language that exists between horses and humans. Voices hold no value, and there is instead, a palpable yet quiet communication between animal and rider. Volumes of silent dialogue are conveyed through body language. As prey animals, horses are constantly on guard

Washed Ashore in Port Townsend

Soul of a Boat

Salmon Centric: at the Core of a Life Purposefully Cast

Red Gold: The Livelihood of Bristol Bay

How to Get on a Fishing Boat

In the Company of Wolves

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A Yellowstone Coexistence

Knocking on Doors to Find Ducks in Idaho

Filson Food: Game Meat Start to Finish

Alaska Chronicles Part 2: No Roads, AK

Alaska Chronicles Part 1: North of Wild

Filson Food: Jon Wipfli – Cooking from the Bog

Season Reflection: The Winter Hunt

If They Ain’t Wavin’

Working with the Land: Samantha Meldon

Ranchlands: Conservation. Stewardship. Cattle.

The Life of a Smokejumper: Wait. Jump. Fight. Repeat

USFS: Fighting Fire With Fire

Region 6: Fly Fishing’s Unlikely Benefit to Children in Need

Region 6: Understanding the Land Through Hunting

Region 6: Planting Beavers, Raising Waters

Region 6: Giving Rivers Back to Fish

Region 6: The Last of the Fire Watchers

Region 6: Our Home Since 1897

Way of Life: Westcott Bay Shellfish Co.

Stewards To The Land

Trade Stories: Kiliii Yuyan of Seawolf Kayak

Filson Food: Bringing Fish to the River with Chef Kevin Davis

Forging Ahead: A Conversation with Jimmy DiResta

Risk & Resilience: The Language of Horses