FISHING/EATING -- You don't have to fly to Alaska to sample a bit of the Hook It, Cook It action I wrote about a few weeks ago. Visit Szmania's Restaurant in Seattle on Saturday (April 20) and taste for yourself.

Hook It, Cook It is a unique event that combines saltwater salmon and halibut fishing out of Sitka followed by a meal each day at the fishing lodge with one of the anglers -- a world-class chef. After being on the water fishing with the group each day, Ludger Szmania returns to the lodge in the late afternoon to share his cooking techniques and generous fresh-fish samples while the group watches and sips wine or beer.

This is great event for any angler who relishes eating a fresh catch, but it's a premier activity for couples who share that love.

This weekend, the captain from Angling Unlimited is joining this top Seattle restaurant to give locals a taste of what they're missing if they don't book a spot in the annual May 17-21 Hook It, Cook It event. 

Read on for details.

Cost: $29. Reservations: (206) 284-7305.

Tom Ohaus, owner of Angling Unlimited, will discuss the fishing opportunities out of Sitka.

Chef Ludger Szmania will prepar a two-course meal featuring seafood that can be caught in the waters around Sitka such as rockfish, salmon and halibut. Fine wines and specialty beers will be selected to compliment each dish.

This event is a preview to a culinary and fishing experience that Angling Unlimited hosts in Sitka. Each year, Szmania visits Sitka to fish and cook with the guests, partly because he loves to go fishing and partly because there's nothing a chef prizes more highly than fish fresh out of the saltwater.

Guests get to catch fish, enjoy excellent dining and return home with fish, a recipe book and the skills to impress your fish-eating family and friends.

Info: Angling Unliminted (800) 297-3380.