Saturday, February 8, 2014 • The South Whidbey Record
FREE
Scarf
sophical in there about the journey and destination, but it’s beyond my intelligence.”
Despite living near several fishing hotspots on Whidbey Island, Gallion said he only
EVENING
Wine Shop
Special night, Special wine…
We can help you select from 0ver 1,300 Wines • Wine & Bar Accessories • • Specialty Beers • • We fill Growlers •
Good
Check Out Cheer Our Giftwares and Collectibles Buy Local - Feed Locals
Give a gift that will last a lifetime! Useless Bay G&CC, ”the Club in the Country” is offering very low initiation fees to join. Join us for golf, swimming, tennis, fitness workouts, or indoor games: bridge, mahjong, poker, dance, bingo or just quiet candle light dinners!
USELESS BAY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
360.321.5960 5725 Country Club Dr, Langley
The most beautiful gift is time together Valentine’s Day is a favorite celebration for lovers around the planet. So much more than just another date on the calendar, February 14 is the perfect excuse to devote some time to each other. Be sure to plan an unforgettable activity for you and your beloved, and imagine how fun it will be to escape the hectic pace of everyday life and experience some romantic moments together. If you only have a few hours to spare to be together alone, many spas offer package deals that allow couples to relax with one
another in baths, pools, and saunas. Massages and other body care treatments are also available to lovers who would like to spoil each other. A romantic dinner for two at a good restaurant is another great way to highlight this special day. Chefs usually try to be especially creative for Valentine’s Day in order to offer couples delicious menus featuring aphrodisiacs and gourmet treats that they wouldn’t find at home. Your taste buds will fall in love again too!
If you have a bit more time, a stay at a pretty country inn, a charming bed and breakfast, or a chic hotel is sure to please any couple wanting to treat themselves to the luxury of time together. Relaxation, sharing, happiness, and discovery are all on the program. Combine them with activities that both of you enjoy, such as walks or drives down memory lane, nature walks, or wine and chocolate tastings. No matter how you do it, planning a romantic interlude will allow you to share some cherished
Red Wine & Chocolate Sweet & Savory! Feb. 14, 15, 16, 17 10 - 5 pm Tickets $10 5237 Langley Rd., Langley, 360.221.2040 www.whidbeyislandwinery.com
Happy Valentine’s Day!
ything for y ever nes, Feath our i e an
Check out our gifts!
freelandacehardware.com Mon–Sat 8AM-7PM, Sun 9AM-6PM 331-6799 • 1609 E. Main, Freeland
TOUR
Two Weekends! Feb. 8-9 & 15-17 Venues Include:
Featuring Chocolates created for us by
Sweet Mona’s of Whidbey Island’
moments that you and your loved one will remember for years to come.
s etheart , whe swe or stuck in t red
We have lots of Sweetheart Deals
1609 E. Main Street Freeland 360.221.6111 www.lindsjewelry.com
“Never confuse catching with fishing,” he said. “There’s something philo-
Vino Amore
www.vinoamore.com
Limit one per customer.
This framed collection shows Mike Gallion’s one-time record chum salmon catch from 1998.
Some Romantic 5575 Harbor Ave., Ste 102 Freeland • (360) 331-7661
Receive a free scarf with any $50 clothing purchase at LINDs
Ben Watanabe / The Record
We’ tlemenve got n e G ,C
owns an estimated 60 rods, needs another, so he planned to donate it back to the club so it could be raffled off as a fund-raiser. “Mike, as an angler, is much like Mike in life; he doesn’t take anything too seriously,” Lungren said, adding: “He didn’t name it the ‘Catchin’ Club.’ “ Like all anglers, Gallion has plenty of fishing tales. That’s what happens after a lifetime spent angling in Washington and Alaska, and 25 years running the Fishin’ Club. There’s the story about strapping a 2.5 horsepower Sears, Roebuck & Co. Elgin boat motor to a 10-foot rowboat so he could motor around Mutiny Bay as a young boy. Or the time he set a record for fly fishing in 1998 when he landed a 14 pound, 12-ounce chum salmon in Alaska. Then there was the time he was salmon fishing in Alaska and stopped a charging brown bear in the middle of a river just by loading a shotgun slug. Of course, he says after taking a sip of black coffee at his Bayview home the same one he grew up in as a teenager - his best story is of the fish that got away. Many years ago, he was fly fishing in Juneau, Alaska
went out a few times this past fall during the pink salmon run. Mostly, he came home empty-handed. Gallion, who is legally blind because of presbyopia, is also known as a champion competitive pistol marksman. Using .22-caliber pistols, he has spent more time lately at gun ranges than fishing holes. He drew similarities between his two hobbies in that they require focus, the ability to settle one’s adrenaline and nerves and lots of time. Whereas good shooting takes time on a range, good fishing takes time on the water. “People ask, ‘When’s the best time to go fishing?’ When you can,” Gallion said. With his two businesses in computer repair and commercial equipment repair, he will be plenty busy. But now that the club is in someone else’s hands, Gallion may have time this year for more fishing.
they are La die s, the dirt!
CONTINUED FROM A1
and in a float tube. Something struck his lure in a saltwater lagoon — “fish on,” as anglers holler — and rolled on the surface. The sight of the salmon had him and others with him swearing it to be a 50-pound king salmon. At the mercy of the fish’s strength and will, he floated along the top as the salmon towed him around the lagoon. “You could see the wake of my swim fins,” he said. The fight lasted more than three hours, and in the end the hook wore through the fish’s mouth. Fish off. “Even at the time, I think the fish and I were both glad to be rid of each other,” he laughed. Catching fish has never been the point of the club. Subsistence fishing has its place, he says, but mostly people need to take angling as an outdoor experience: a time to work on a craft, like casting, trying flies, playing a fish.
Page A13
her
GALLION
WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM
Comforts of Whidbey Blooms Winery Taste for Wine Spoiled Dog Winery Holmes Harbor Cellars
www.whidbeyislandvintners.org 20 Advance, $25 Day of
$
www.brownpapertickets.com/event/536821
138 2nd St • Langley • 221-2728
FREE long stem rose with every $25 (or more) purchase Feb 9-14 Gift Certificates Available 3 sizes of Chocolate Hearts