Tom Nelson

"Well, we kept him off of the water until he was five weeks old" says T.J.'s mother Marie. "Dad was a dentist in Marysville and he set his practice up so he only had to be in the office two days a week in the summer. The rest of the time we were salmon fishing on "Coho" our Steelcraft 26." T.J. grew up thinking that there were two kinds of people in the world: Those that trolled for chinook in the Hope Island slot and those that fished chinook in the Skagit River hog-line style. T.J.'s dad, the late Dr. H.L. Nelson was an early tackle innovator who used his dental tools to cut and drill the fluorescent plastic golf tees of the day so they would fit on the shaft of a Winner Spinner. Thus, the Skagit Special or "Tee Spoon" was born.

Following High School, T.J. attended the University of Washington's School of Fisheries and was subsequently employed by the school's Fisheries Research Institute (F.R.I.) as a Research Assistant for several Alaskan salmon projects. F.R.I.'s projects range from the Nushagak River near Dillingham, inland to Lake Illiamna, out to the Chignik lake system on the Alaskan Peninsula. T.J. was blessed with the opportunity to work in each area. Given this experience in salmonid research it's no wonder that T.J.'s career path has not strayed very far from the water.

After receiving his degree in Fisheries Biology, Nelson applied to the WDFW which at the time was beset by a series of budget cuts. Seeing his dream of becoming a Fisheries Biologist slipping away, T.J. made application to the Seattle Fire Department and became a Firefighter in the early 1990's. Today Nelson is a member of SFD's Marine Emergency Response Team and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot on the 97- foot Fireboat "Chief Seattle" moored at pier 53 in Elliott bay.

Shortly after joining the SFD Nelson started Skagit River Outfitters, a fishing and tour guide service offering overnight accommodations and complete fish processing. In addition T.J. began freelance writing and photography. His words and pictures have appeared in Salmon Trout Steelheader Magazine and Fishing & Hunting News. T.J. is also the Co-Host of KJR AM Sports Radio 950's "Call of the Wild" radio program airing Saturday mornings from 6 to 8am.

The fisheries of Alaska still beckon and T.J. manages an annual 2-week "working vacation" in Sitka, where the abundance of chinook and halibut hones his skills for Puget Sound salmon fishing. When not guiding or fighting fires, T.J. enjoys spending time with his wonderful wife Kathy and their two great kids Matthew and Sophia at their beach house just north of Tulalip Bay.