killer chef Marty Hogberg with prize walleye photo by Carol Canter
Catch it, kill it, cook it! That was our mantra as well as our morning plan, as we arose for a pre-dawn fishing trip with Spokane’s Killer Chef.
Marty Hogberg (Hoe-Bear), chef-owner of Spokane’s popular Luigi’s Restaurant, is an ace fisherman with a sweet gentle soul. The “Killer” moniker applies only to the unlucky fish that happen to swim within range of his line.
When he’s not at Luigi’s overseeing a kitchen known for dishes like Walleye Cheek Piccata served over linguini (the cheeks taste like lobster, according to our Killer Guru) or Smoked Salmon Lasagne, he might be taking a group on a fishing excursion to the Salmon and Snake Rivers, and then preparing their catch. He’s even known to bring along fresh breakfast biscuits!
Since our group had limited time, Marty took us out fishing on Lake Roosevelt, near the Little Falls Dam, some 45 minutes from Spokane.
Well, if truth be told, our quartet of gals only managed to pull in one walleye, some five pounds and 18 inches long. Disappointing, but the mellow morning on the lake, a bald eagle sighting and Marty’s storytelling --not to mention his gourmet version of an Egg McMuffin, wrapped in foil and kept warm on the engine – dispelled any gloom over our limited catch of the day. 
Oh, yes, and the crawdads that had been accumulating in a trap from the shore … plus some backup walleyes Chef Marty had brought along “just in case” … meant we feasted divinely … outdoors in nature, fresh flowers on the table, crisp Washington wines in our goblets, and plates piled high with steamed crawdads. . . not to mention walleye on the grill, cheeks and all! 
This regal repast began well before noon. "Not to worry," as one of our fishing posse said on our first toast: “It’s 5pm so it's Happy Hour somewhere on the globe!” Cheers!
C. Story and Photos by Carol Canter; youtube video by Ginny Prior
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