GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING

from Alaska Sporting Journal - Dec 2020

MONSTERS, INC. – LAST FRONTIER STYLE

Looking for a holiday gift for the angler in your life? The new Mag Lip 2.0 accounted for trout in lakes and rivers, along with hard-fighting coho last season. The diversity of this plug greatly impressed author Scott Haugen. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

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GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING

PICK THESE GREAT PRESENTS FOR THE SPORTSMEN ON YOUR HOLIDAY LIST

BY SCOTT HAUGEN

Looking for a special Christmas gift for the hunter or angler in your life? Consider these items, which I’ve used in the field and recommend.

MAG LIP 2.0 One of the most versatile plugs I’ve used, the Mag Lip continued to impress me all year. Created by Yakima Bait Company (yakimabait.com), it’s known as one of the best models of plugs ever created, as its skip-beat action entices a range of species to attack. Last spring, summer and fall I fished the tiny 2.0 version and it worked great on trout, Dolly Varden and coho salmon.

Trolled from a boat in a lake or backtrolled in a river, this size Mag Lip is a fish-catcher when focusing on trout and Dollies. When bobber-dogged in a river, it also produced a number of hardfighting silvers.

As with its larger cousins, the 2.0 comes in a range of finishes, allowing you to match what fish are feeding on. These little plugs are active, tough and catch fish.

SOFT BEADS FOR COHO Last fall I fished multiple coho streams in Alaska and had phenomenal success with BnR Tackle’s Soft Beads (bnrtackle .com). I’d done great before with the 16mm and 20mm soft beads, but last season was eager to put the 25mm and 32mm versions to the test.

In my first seven casts with a 32mm cerise-colored soft bead, I landed five coho. It got my attention. A buddy stood

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Alaska, and we had plenty of coho to get us through the winter.

In an effort to make all that fish appealing to my family, I was always experimenting. I’ve had more than my share of recipe failures over the decades, so it’s a great day when an apparent failure turns into a tasty recipe worth repeating, like this one.

Looking to make a low-carb fish patty, I knew my batter was lacking in consistency.

Thinking the patties would come together during the pan fry, I was frustrated when they all fell apart. They were, however, a lovely golden brown and once all flipped, they started to resemble scrambled eggs.

Taking a taste from the pan, I knew my family would love this, especially when topped with the avocado mint cream I had already blended up. What resulted was this fish scramble.

This recipe works great with any smaller bits of salmon, trout, Dollies, sheefish, pike, halibut or cod. The meat can be either fresh or frozen. 1 cup raw fish One egg ¼ cup almond meal/flour 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons minced dill pickle 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil Remove any skin and bones from fish and chop into small chunks. In a medium bowl, mix egg, almond meal/flour, mayonnaise, pickle and mustard. Gently fold in fish and stir until thoroughly combined.

In a large skillet, heat oil on mediumhigh heat. Drop spoonfuls of fish mixture When your salmon begins to fall apart in the pan, don’t stress, as it can make for a delicious, fish-infused scramble menu. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)

SCRAMBLING SALMON TO PERFECTION

BY TIFFANY HAUGEN

Ayear ago we were living in Hyder,

for your weekend brunch into the hot skillet, leaving at least ¼-inch between “cakes.” Once golden brown, flip cakes – and without worrying if they fall apart but trying to keep them bite-sized. Cook the other side until golden brown and serve immediately with avocado mint cream.

AVOCADO MINT CREAM

Two ripe avocados ¼ cup fresh mint 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ to ½ cup cold water Salt and black pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add water to reach desired consistency and immediately serve.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Seafood and other best-selling titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.

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in one spot and landed over 20 coho in two hours on the same bead, and another friend caught 54 coho before having to replace his tattered 32mm bead. Cerise, clown, and mottled pink were the hot colors.

Soft beads are neutrally buoyant so can be fished many ways. My favorite was drifted, often with no weight on the 32mm models. They also work well under a float and can be backbounced in ideal water.

SHIMANO NASCI C3000HG SPINNING REEL Affordable, durable and a great allaround spinning reel – whether spooled with PowerPro or a copolymer – what sets the NASCI apart are sealed gears and bearings at the handle and bottom of the spool shaft, which keep out sand and small debris that are notoriously hard on reels.

I used this reel last year to catch trout, char, four salmon species, and more. The

New this year to the outdoor world, the line of processing equipment from Meat! is worth the investment, based on Haugen’s experiences. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

NASCI is smooth and works in a range of fisheries and water conditions, including saltwater. Learn more at fish.shimano.com.

HOBIE ACCESSORIES Hobie is world-renowned for their fishing

Designed to mimic a cluster of cured eggs, neutrally buoyant 32mm soft beads were a top producer of coho salmon for the author this year. (SCOTT HAUGEN) kayaks, but their fishing glasses rank right up there among the best I’ve used. I put their new El Matador polarized lenses to the test in many situations this year, and I loved their performance.

The rubber pads on the nose and arms are comfortable and result in a good grip. The retractable side shield design is ingenious, making for easy and safe storage. These glasses work perfectly for blocking interfering sidelight and keeping out dust in the wind. They also breathe well, meaning no fogging. There’s no pinching or binding, so the glasses can be worn in comfort all day long. Learn more at hobieeyewear.com.

YETI DOG BOWLS We have two gun dogs and travel a lot with them. Whether it’s on the road or at home, they always have their Yeti dog bowls (yeti.com). For years I searched for the ideal food bowl for my dogs, and Yeti’s is the best I’ve found.

Dubbed Boomer, the Yeti dog bowl is incredibly durable, thanks to its double-wall, noninsulated stainless steel construction. My bowls have many dents and dings in them, but no rust spots or punctures, plus the nonslip ring on the

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bottom is tough and dependable.

It’s a perfect dish for kibble, raw food or even water. It’s simple to clean – wipe it down with a towel or place in the dishwasher.

BOG DEATHGRIP TRIPOD I’m a firm believer in tripod shooting sticks and use them for big game and varmints. This year, Bog (boghunt.com) reached new heights with its DeathGrip Tripod. It comes in both carbon fiber ($257.99) and aluminum ($164.99). Both models are engineered for precision and balance.

The leg design of the DeathGrip decreases flex – thus optimizing stability – and the pan and tilt brakes are solid. The lever-lock leg adjustments are simple to use and quick to handle, as are the pushbottom leg adjustments, which allow you to achieve multiple shooting angles.

The clamp holds your rifle firmly in place and the yoke smoothly pivots, allowing for easy 360-degree rotation and 25 degrees of cant forward and back. They’re great for keeping steady for extended periods, shooting long range or simply making your shot placement more precise.

MEAT! APPLIANCES For decades Tiffany and I have worked with some of the top meat processing manufacturers in the outdoor industry. After this fall, I can say the new line of Meat! products are worth a close look (meatyourmaker.com).

The 1.5-horsepower grinder is the most sturdy, smooth, simple-to-clean grinder I’ve used. The grinding plates yield clean meat and it handles fat and sinew extremely well. It works great on big game and game birds.

Its 10-inch meat slicer is also simple to use. In addition to slicing steaks on it, we love cutting various thicknesses of venison for jerky on the slicer, then cooking it in their dehydrator.

Meat’s 10-tray dehydrator has excellent temperature control and air circulation, resulting in the best jerky we’ve ever had out of a dehydrator. We also dried loads of apples, pears and plums with great results.

The company’s chamber vacuum sealer is also a top-shelf accessory. We used it on fish, game, veggies and much more, and we’re very impressed with the machine, as well as the quality of the company’s bags, which transported and froze without puncture.

Whether searching for a gift, or maybe looking to treat yourself to some new gear, there are lots of options this season. Happy holidays! ASJ

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular DVD, Field Dressing, Skinning & Caping Big Game, send a check for $20 (FREE S&H), to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or order online at scotthaugen.com.