September 16, 2013 — HAMMOND, Ore. — They came, they saw, they had fun with fish.
More than 1,000 people were on hand Saturday for the first day of the Commercial Fishermen’s Festival.
And none went away from the Hammond Marina disappointed, having had the opportunity to eat lots of fish, take part in competitions and meet fishing “celebrities.”
Among the latter were Capt. Rick and Donna Quashnick, of the fishing vessel Maverick. The couple, who appeared in the earliest seasons of Discovery Channel’s “The Deadliest Catch,” were on hand and people flocked to the boat throughout the day. They even conducted cooking demonstrations featuring tuna and crawdads, said Cyndi Mudge, one of the organizers.
“It was awesome to get a ride on the boat,” one visitor, Tina Protsman, posted on Facebook afterward.
Fans of “The Deadliest Catch,” which, while entertaining, has also helped the world learn about the perils of commercial fishers, waited in line throughout the day to meet visiting captains and crew, including Johnathan Hillstrand from the F/V Time Bandit and Bob Perkey from the F/V Seabrooke. Author Spike Walker, who now lives in his hometown of Yacolt, Wash., was also on hand. Walker’s much admired book “Working on the Edge,” about the dangers of commercial fishing in Alaska, helped spawn the TV show.
Read the full story at The Daily Astorian