Happy New Year’s Eve! Let’s Run It Back With The Best Stories Of ’24
Happy New Year’s Eve! As we get ready to ring in 2025 tonight at midnight, let’s take a look back at some of our favorite stories of the past year.
JANUARY: HOW TO AVOID GETTING LOST IN THE WILD
I’ve had plenty of time time to reflect on the events of that morning and have come to some conclusions that will serve me well in the future. I think the first and most important thing is realizing that yes, I can get lost even on familiar ground.
The moment you realize you don’t know where you are is the time to act, and that doesn’t mean more blind hiking. That is the time to stop and put your tools to work.
What tools are those? GPS, compass and topo map. Those are absolute must-have items that have to be in your pack every time you head out. Naturally, the GPS is the primary tool because they are easy to use and fast to employ.
The compass and map are insurance for the worst-case scenario. GPS units are electronic devices and they could potentially fail at the worst possible moment. The compass and map always work, no matter what!
Another piece of gear my wife insisted I begin carrying on my solo adventures is a locator beacon. It’s something I’ve come to believe every outdoor enthusiast should carry. As with getting lost, you never know when you might sustain a serious injury, such as a cut or other medical emergency in the field.
Personal locator beacons are a boon for anyone who goes off the beaten path. Let’s say you’ve fallen and can’t move, or you’ve sustained a serious cut and though the bleeding is under control, you need to be evacuated. How are you going to get help? -Cal Kellogg
FEBRUARY: REFLECTIONS ON THE WATERFOWL SEASON
Twice last season I got overconfident. On each hunt ducks poured into the decoys well before shooting light. Both times I told myself, “If I don’t kill a bird today, this moment is worth it.”
On both occasions shooting light came and birds kept piling in. I didn’t want to shoot with so many birds around, fearing they wouldn’t come back. So, I jumped them. None came back either time. I killed one bird the first time, didn’t fire a shot the next. I should have jumped birds sooner, while it was still low light before shooting time, then let them trickle back in during legal hours.
I hunted a flooded field last season that had a small peninsula jutting into the middle of it. It was covered in green grass and perfect to put silhouettes on. Wigeon were thick, so in addition to the two dozen floating wigeon decoys I had out, I put five dozen Big Al’s wigeon silhouettes on the point where birds had been grazing. I shot birds, but none finished.
Three days later I hunted it with a buddy. Again, the wigeon weren’t committing all the way. “Why don’t you move those floaters closer to the silhouettes to make it look like they landed and are swimming to shore
to feed?” he said. I let him rearrange the spread. It worked and created two landing zones I’d inadvertantly been blocking. We shot limits of wigeon that day, including a prized Eurasian, and every bird was locked up. – Scott Haugen
MARCH: THE CASE FOR KAYAK FISHING
During a mild day of trolling, I cover 10 to 12 miles, and I’ve covered 20-plus miles many times. Obviously, pedal kayaks offer the ability to cover a lot of water. Due to the hull design of modern fishing kayaks, pedaling at a medium rate of speed in the 2- to 2.5-mph range requires little energy. Kayaks want to slide through the water, so pedaling them isn’t tiring. Very often when the conditions call for slow trolling, I must mentally force myself to slow down.
With an efficient pedal drive, you’ll be able to cover a small- to medium-sized lake in a single day. Larger lakes typically feature multiple launch ramps. Let’s say you’re up
on the Sac Arm of Lake Shasta but decide you want to check out the area near the dam. No problem; load up your kayak, jump on the freeway and drop back into the water at the other end of the lake.
The question begs: Are pedal-drive kayaks safe to use on large bodies of open water? Absolutely! I have been out on Eagle Lake when 30-plus-mph winds came up unexpectedly and was still able to safely navigate 3 miles back to the Gallatin Launch Ramp despite whitecaps rolling into my kayak’s self-bailing cockpit multiple times.
Of course, you wouldn’t plan a trip when the wind was gusting to 30, but I mention the incident to illustrate just how capable pedal-fishing kayaks can be in adverse conditions. Winds in the 10 to 15 mph range shouldn’t keep you from effectively fishing, and neither will chop and small whitecaps.
Most fishing kayaks with a pedal drive can take on ocean waters, so fishing your local reservoir on a breezy afternoon isn’t a problem.
When the weather is cold, I’ll often wear waders when fishing from my kayaks just to stay warm and dry, but during most of the year I wear water shoes and a pair of cargo shorts. The one thing that both my dog and constant kayak copilot Lucy and I wear on every outing without fail are lifejackets. As I said, I’ve never even come close to falling out of my Hobie, but every time we go out, I assume disaster will strike and we’ll end up in the water. Drowning isn’t part of our retirement plan, so wearing life jackets is nonnegotiable! -Cal Kellogg
When it comes to static fishing, where I set the rod down and wait for a bite, I’ve always been a line watcher. I’ll set the rod down and keep the line slack. If a fish grabs the bait, he’ll swim off with almost zero resistance. I feel like I get more hookups using this lazy technique.
Despite the hot trout bite, Ophelia had yet to catch a fish, let alone get a bite. The adults took turns trying to get her interested in catching her first fish, but she didn’t seem too excited about anything except her juice box and the snacks Grandpa Jeff had given her as soon as they arrived.
As the bite continued, we adults started competing. Jeff was convinced that he had caught the largest trout so far. Since all of our fish were on the same stringer, it was tough to tell for sure, but he’d landed a trout close to 2 pounds shortly after he and Ophelia arrived.
During a slight lull in the action, I walked over to see if Ophelia wanted to reel in a fish I had just hooked. She reluctantly tried to reel the fish in, but she didn’t seem too excited. That is, until she saw the fish splashing at the surface. I watched her eyes get big and she started to smile. After that, she seemed a little more excited to at least sit and fish.
With the bite easing up and Ophelia stating that she was hungry, we decided to call it a day. While we were cleaning up, I remembered that I had cast out Ophelia’s little Disney rod a bit earlier. As I always do, I’d left a bunch of slack in the line when I placed the rod on the dock. The line was now taut and angling to the right. I picked it up and gave it a slight tug and felt angry pressure on the other end.
I called Ophelia over and knelt next to her. I told her she caught a fish. She got excited and started reeling. In no time her trout was in the net. Since we had plenty already, I asked her what she wanted to do with her catch. Without answering, she just pointed into the water. We quickly released the trout and made the short hike back to the parking area with all our gear and fish. -Tim E. Hovey
MAY: MINI-JIGGING FOR SALTY TREATS
I made a good friend fishing that spot in Ensenada, Tom Sales. I was in the bar one day having my catch prepared for lunch after a successful morning of fishing when Tom came up and sat a couple barstools away. I told him I was waiting for my lunch of fresh fish and invited him to join me, our bartender and the cook to eat it. Tom sat down with us and I came to find out that he was as much of a fishaholic as I am.In fact, Tom liked the spot so much that he bought a place there. It was fitting then that the following spring Tom was the first one to make a big score using the mini jig. That halibut ended up being Tom’s biggest one of the year: 33 inches!
And Connor was right: Everything bit the mini jig. Standard fare are the three species of saltwater bass resident there: spotted bay bass, calico bass and barred sand bass. California halibut are always in the mix. The corvina can bite them when they’re around. There’s also a little baitfish species called salema that loves the mini. We would later learn salema are a favorite food of the local shark population, sevengills and leopards.
We discovered bonefish there too. They’re easy to catch when using ghost shrimp as bait. We tried all manner of artificial lures to catch them, but nothing worked as well as the mini jig. -Joe Sarmiento
JUNE: WHERE TROUT FISHING IS “GOLDEN”
As I moved near the creek, I noticed that the ground was spongy. I also noticed that the trout seemed to feel me approaching if I was heavy-footed. Once I saw that, I started creeping up to likely spots, then knelt and waited.
It took me a while to catch one. On more than one occasion I was completely unprepared for how quickly the trout responded to the floating fly. Finally, after refocusing, I made a cast to a wider area of the creek. I quickly took the slack out of the fly line and waited. The fly drifted about 2 feet and I watched a trout dart out from the bank and grab it. I set the hook and lifted my first golden trout out of the creek.
I took a few photos, gently unhooked the fish and placed it back into the water. I heard a yell from upstream and looked up to see Ed hooked up again. Now that I had figured it out, I knew I had some catching up to do.
We spent the next two hours fishing the shallow creek and catching goldens. There were several fly patterns that seemed to work best that day. I fished with a Parachute Adams and an imitation ant pattern. Ed tried several different flies and mentioned that the trout didn’t seem to have a preference.
As the sun dropped a bit, we decided to call it a day. We had worked our way
upstream close to half a mile, and on the walk back we talked about the fish we caught. As expected, Ed caught a lot more golden trout than I had. -Tim E. Hovey
JULY: SHOOTER HEADS BACK TO OLYMPICS, WINS SILVER MEDAL
(USA SHOOTING)
When you want to follow the Olympics in real time, it can be a real challenge when the games are staged several time zones away.Granted, the DVR comes in handy to record live events when we’re supposed to catch our z’s.
But there’s something special about watching sports as they happen; hence, back in the 2021 Covid-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics, I stayed up late one night watching the women’s 50-meter rifle three-positions event on my laptop.Californian Sagen Maddalena, whom I wrote about in our July 2021 issue of California Sportsman, was competing in the final round and right in position for a medal. I recently caught up with Maddalena as she prepares for her second Summer Olympics trip this month in Paris and we talked about her previous experience.
“I had a bit of a missed shot in prone; I think it was one that went out the bottom a bit, so that kind of knocked me down the leaderboard. I think I was sitting around third. But once I got on my feet I wasn’t as proficient,” she says of the standing portion of the event (prone and kneeling represent the other shooting positions).Ultimately, Maddalena finished fifth in the event, but she’ll get another crack in the 50-meter rifle event, plus she also qualified in air rifle, so the sergeant who represents the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit will get two opportunities to bring a medal back home.
“I definitely wanted to podium and there was that tinge of, ‘Oh, you’re so close but not quite,’ but at the same time it kind of lit this fire. The need to go back was just so strong and to have that next opportunity, which I got,” the 30-year-old from Groveland, a Sierra community in Tuolumne County, tells me.Given the shorter gap between most Olympic cycles, the last three years have been a whirlwind of training, mental prep work and self-discovery for Maddalena.Since the near miss in Japan, she’s won a total of four World Championships medals in 2022 and 2023, including a bronze last year in the 50-meter rifle event she also qualified for in Tokyo.“
“Since the (Tokyo) games, I gained a new sense of confidence in myself; not like a cocky confidence but a sense of, ‘I can roll with these guys. I can compete and trust my training plan.’ And so I started seeing a lot more success and a lot closer successes; just being with those top 10 athletes in the world several times,” Maddalena says.
Both of her coaches, Team USA shooting coach Peter Durben, and Sergeant First Class Henry (Hank) Gray, the Army Marksmanship Unit’s assistant team chief in international rifle, like her chances to get that Olympic medal in Paris.
“She performed great at the Tokyo Olympics. We all got a glimpse of her overall talent and abilities, but she was still somewhat ‘new’ to winning on the world stage. Here we are three years later on our way to Paris and I think she is truly ready,” Gray says. “Sergeant Maddalena possesses a unique ability to truly address trouble areas, and not just practice the easy stuff. She has the discipline to keep fighting through the difficult times and tough stuff to make it better. She is ready for this one and we are excited to watch!” -Chris Cocoles
(Editor’s note: Maddalena went onto win the silver medal in her rifle event)
AUGUST: PARALYMPIAN FOUND PURPOSE AFTER COMBAT WOUNDS
CC And did you have an epiphany at any point that steered you back on course?
SSKN At one point, I knew I had to accept my reality and stop feeling sorry for myself. I told myself that it was time to get up and get back to work. So that’s what I did.CC In the process of getting the amputation done and to rehab and get to where you are today as an Army Marksmanship team member and a Paralympian, was the mental rehabilitation just as important as what you had to do from a physical standpoint? How did you find balance between the two on your journey?
SSKN I felt like I was getting back to normal. When I mean normal, I mean I wasn’t fighting any negative self-thoughts; I wasn’t wallowing in my own self-pity. I had goals; I had milestones that I was working towards. And it was a huge morale booster that I had my platoon sergeant (Sergeant First Class Robert Peredo) training with me every single day. He was my battle buddy through it all; he encouraged me, he pushed me to get better, he pushed my physical limits, and he never allowed me to slack off. We were hitting the gym twice a day, we ran, we rucked, we even shared a nutrition regiment together. I owe the majority of my recovery to him. He and I are still close to this very day. In 2022-23, my (then) fiancé and I traveled to his home in Guam for Christmas and New Year’s vacation. He retired as an E8 (master sergeant) after 24 years of service.
Where did I find the balance? Mostly through trial and error. I played around with a lot of workout regiments and plans. I painfully learned that my infantryman fit was not conducive to being shooter fit. I didn’t need to be benching 225 pounds; I didn’t need to be curling 30 pounds; I didn’t need to be (working) triceps at 90 pounds. I learned through lots of failures that I need to focus on medium weight and high reps. As much as I enjoy getting big and lifting heavy, getting big for my sport didn’t always produce the scores. After eight years of trial and error, I got the balance just right, but it also goes without saying I still continually train to maintain and meet the Army physical fitness standard. …
CC Speaking of your days in Southern California, while I think you’re a big inspiration for what you endured, it sounds like your parents inspired you when they left Vietnam after the war. Can you share some of their backstory and how their journey convinced you to join the Army and everything that’s come along with that?
SSKN My father, his brothers and sisters and both of my grandparents fled from Vietnam after the war ended in 1975. And from what I’ve been told, they were on the last few Chinook helicopters out of the U.S. Embassy. They came to the United States in hopes of a better life. For me, joining was my way of repaying them for that freedom and to maintain the freedom that they fought so hard for. My father and I did not see eye to eye when I first told him I was joining the Army. We fought for weeks about the issue, but I joined anyway. He really had a change of heart after I came home from One Station Unit Training. He saw how the Army had changed me and how much better it had made me. So, 13 years later, and to this day he is proud of me for still wearing the uniform.
CC I know you have a passion for skydiving and rock climbing, but have you embraced hunting at all since you’ve become a world-class shooter?
SSKN My first-ever hunting trip was to northwestern Pennsylvania. My now wife took me to her childhood farm to hunt with her family. As a California native and a Georgia resident (at Fort Moore), I’m not a fan of the cold, so she spent months trying to mentally prepare me for the misery of Pennsylvania rifle season in December. She regaled me with stories of standing in the bitter cold for hours on end.
That day, we showed up to the stand about 30 minutes before sunrise, and even before shooting time started we saw what we thought may be a deer only about 30 yards from the stand. About 30 seconds after shooting time officially started, my now sister-in-law fired a shot off in the distance, and when she did, sure enough, a huge doe popped up right in front of our stand. I took the shot as she stood motionless and broadside. By 8:15 a.m, we had her gutted and hanging and we were on our way to breakfast at the local restaurant.
To this day, my wife is still bitter about the experience and says that I had the easiest day of Pennsylvania hunting ever recorded, and that if you don’t almost lose your fingers from frostbite, it doesn’t count! -Chris Cocoles
SEPTEMBER: SHAKING THE SALT IN S.F. BAY
Captain John carefully followed his GPS to a series of waypoints, all the while watching his fish finders for activity. Meanwhile, John the deckhand meticulously prepared the gear.
Being somewhat of a tackle junkie, I was impressed with the gear that Captain John had provided for us. Having high-quality equipment really enhances the experience and makes fishing worry free. From the Avet reels and high-end live bait rods to the Owner hooks, everything was spot on.
After a brief test drift, Captain John instructed us to bait up and lower the gear. It wasn’t more than a few minutes into the drift before Mike was hooked up with a nice fish, a feisty striped bass that had engulfed his anchovy. After a spirited fight, Mike had the fish boatside, where deckhand John quickly netted it.
Even before the excitement of the first fish of the day subsided, it was my turn to get bit. After just a few seconds and from the way the fish was fighting, I knew that I was hooked up with a nice halibut, and I was super excited about it. After several powerful runs, I had the fish in range and with one scoop of the deckhand’s net, the fish was in the boat.
Soon Ian and Paul joined in on the fun too. The action continued, as Captain John made repeated drifts and always adjusted and moved to ensure that we were fishing the best water. This process repeated itself through- out the day. Most of the action came in brief flurries of craziness.When the fish are biting, time just seems to fly by. Before I knew it, we had a nice bunch of fish and were on our way back to Richmond. -Mark Fong
OCTOBER: SERVING COLD BEERS ON THE LOST COAST
TH Your pub’s menu features fresh rockfish for fish and chips, sourced from local fishermen. How did this collaboration come about and why is it important to Gyppo Ale Mill?
JP Our connection to local fishermen is integral to the identity of Gyppo Ale Mill. We work closely with Sam Stebnicki, who provides us with the freshest line-caught fish year-round. Whether we need 200 pounds of rockfish or a smaller catch, Sam is our go-to guy, ensuring that our menu features only the best. During crab season, we turn to Luke Sachs, who delivers fresh, succulent crabs to our kitchen.
These relationships are more than just business transactions; they are partnerships that support local families and sustain traditional livelihoods. For example, Sam bought his boat from Ken Vallotton, a beloved figure in the Shelter Cove community who originally ran Lost Coast Landing.
When Ken passed, Sam took over, and our partnership with him is a way to honor Ken’s legacy while supporting Sam’s young family. This deep-rooted connection to local fishermen not only enhances our menu, but also strengthens our bond with the Shelter Cove community.
TH In addition to working with local fishermen, are there any other local ingredients or partnerships that play a significant role in your brewing process?
JP We collaborate with local farms to bring the freshest ingredients to our kitchen. One of our key partners is Briceland Farms, run by Dan and Taylor, who practice regenerative farming. We source a variety of seasonal produce from them, from vibrant shishito peppers to heirloom tomatoes, ensuring that our dishes are as fresh and flavorful as possible. This partnership is a win for everyone involved – our cooks get to work with top-quality ingredients, our guests enjoy delicious farm-to-table meals and the farmers receive direct support from the community.
Another exciting collaboration is with Trinidad Bay Eatery, where we are working on a barrel-aged Oyster Stout. The oysters were added directly to the brew kettles, resulting in a
smooth, rich stout that is a true taste of the coast. These partnerships reflect our commitment to supporting local businesses and offering our guests an authentic taste of the Lost Coast. -Tiffany Herrington
NOVEMBER: A GOLDEN BEAR FOOTBALL ALUM MEETS AN ALASKAN GRIZZLY BEAR
There’s an old joke among fishing guides: Two fishermen are standing on a river, and they spot an angry grizzly approaching. Immediately, one fisherman starts putting on his running shoes. The other fisherman looks at him and says, “What the hell are you doing? You’re never gonna outrun that bear.” The first fisherman looks up as he finishes tying his second shoe and replies, “Nope. But I am gonna outrun you!”
Bill was the first one out of the blocks. Smart. Just in front of me, on my right, and closer to the raft, Fletch was still hanging in there. His identity as a hardy Alaskan guide would be seriously challenged if he ran first.
The bear had breached that invisible barrier, where all wildlife encounters feel too close, as he dropped to all four and chuffed. “Chuff! Chuff!” We could almost feel his intention, chomping his teeth. “Snap! Snap!” He was looking to intimidate us.
It was working!
My nervous system was at DEFCON 1. Heart pounding and dry-mouthed, I knew my waders were waterproof from the outside, but I was about to test out whether they worked versus an internal leak.
My stomach had bats, not butterflies, and my jaw felt as tight as a snare drum. My breath came shallow and choppy, and I could feel the weight of the world on my chest as the blood pulsated through my ears. My face was hot and flushed, but I could feel the cool breeze across my skin. My body was screaming to do something!
He looked massive and soaking wet. Somehow, that made him look way more menacing. Sister and Mom were nowhere in sight, and he was clearly pissed!
Almost in unison, something triggered Fletcher and I. “Go on, bear!” we commanded, trying to bluff like we were in charge. -Mike Pawlawski
DECEMBER: A SPECIAL ELK HUNT FOR A SPECIAL LITTLE GIRL
After several trips to the gun range, Ella was finally ready for her big hunt in late September. They hunted hard for three days, and while they spotted elk, Ella didn’t see anything she wanted to take. That hunt ended without an elk for Ella.
The following month, the volunteers at Fearless Outdoorsman and Ty planned a return trip to the Owyhees to try again.
After getting up at 4:30 on the first morning, Ella, her dad and the guide glassed spots near their camp. In the opposite canyon, they spotted a bull elk in the perfect position for a shot. They moved closer and got Ella set up. Ty calmed her and advised to take her time. Ella centered the crosshairs on the bull’s vitals and slowly squeezed the trigger. The bull fell 150 yards away. Ella’s elk was on the ground!
Having grown up hunting, Ty was beyond excited to share this hunt with his little girl. After the shot they were both very emotional about her accomplishment. Ty mentioned that he saw a whole new level of grit and determination from his daughter. Between the early-morning start time and the long hikes, Ella put her head down and never quit. She even helped field dress the bull and pack out a backstrap. Way to go, Ella! -Tim E. Hovey
