"It's education, it's entertainment, it's a performance!"
In the Press, and online…
Here’s where I’ve popped up in the media recently....
Sausalito restaurateur championing local herring
By Vicki Larson
Herring season is in full swing, and the small fish have returned to San Francisco Bay en masse this year, making pelicans and sea lions happy. But the majority of what's caught is shipped to Japan, where its roe is considered a delicacy. That's a travesty to people like Kenny Belov and Kirk Lombard, a San Francisco fisherman who tries to educate people about environmentally sustainable low-tide fishing through his company, Sea Forager, and is working to get a commercial permit to catch herring.…
By Vicki Larson
Herring season is in full swing, and the small fish have returned to San Francisco Bay en masse this year, making pelicans and sea lions happy. But the majority of what's caught is shipped to Japan, where its roe is considered a delicacy. That's a travesty to people like Kenny Belov and Kirk Lombard, a San Francisco fisherman who tries to educate people about environmentally sustainable low-tide fishing through his company, Sea Forager, and is working to get a commercial permit to catch herring.…
Sunset magazine, March 11, 2013
Kirk Lombard would like to introduce you to the final frontier of foraging: the ocean…. Lombard is the founder of Sea Forager Tours. He’s also a musician, actor, commercial fisherman, and former fisheries observer for the California Department of Fish and Game. All of these occupations have helped establish Lombard as “the Sea Forager.” He’s our city champion of lowly invertebrates.…
Kirk Lombard would like to introduce you to the final frontier of foraging: the ocean…. Lombard is the founder of Sea Forager Tours. He’s also a musician, actor, commercial fisherman, and former fisheries observer for the California Department of Fish and Game. All of these occupations have helped establish Lombard as “the Sea Forager.” He’s our city champion of lowly invertebrates.…
Herring on menus of Bay Area restaurants by Maria Finn
The San Francisco Bay is a frenzy of rapturous seagulls, cormorants so gorged they can barely take flight, sea lions bellowing and porpoises spinning. The herring have returned to spawn.…
The San Francisco Bay is a frenzy of rapturous seagulls, cormorants so gorged they can barely take flight, sea lions bellowing and porpoises spinning. The herring have returned to spawn.…
Meet Kirk Lombard, Sea Forager - by Allison McCarthy
Follow your gut, and who knows where you’ll end up. If you’re anything like Kirk Lombard, your happy place might be between the tides in an underwater raw bar of sorts—host to bounties of moon snails, mussels, monkeyface eels, and horse neck, jackknife, and piddock clams, all ripe for the plucking.
Follow your gut, and who knows where you’ll end up. If you’re anything like Kirk Lombard, your happy place might be between the tides in an underwater raw bar of sorts—host to bounties of moon snails, mussels, monkeyface eels, and horse neck, jackknife, and piddock clams, all ripe for the plucking.
"Foraging for gourmet food - in low tide" by Carolyn Jones
For some, low tide is nothing but a smelly expanse of slimy rocks and muck. But for Kirk Lombard and his disciples, it's a gastronomical delight.
Lombard, a commercial fisherman, musician and tour guide, led about two dozen would-be foragers across the San Francisco waterfront Sunday morning, in search of rock crab, mussels, eel and other delicacies wriggling along the shore when the tide ebbs.
For some, low tide is nothing but a smelly expanse of slimy rocks and muck. But for Kirk Lombard and his disciples, it's a gastronomical delight.
Lombard, a commercial fisherman, musician and tour guide, led about two dozen would-be foragers across the San Francisco waterfront Sunday morning, in search of rock crab, mussels, eel and other delicacies wriggling along the shore when the tide ebbs.
Mavea Presents 'My Water. My Life.': Kirk Lombard, Intertidal Sea Forager
Water is the ultimate raw ingredient. It's critical to life, not to mention food, sauces, coffee, tea and cocktails. With this in mind, Mavea went out and talked to some of our favorite chefs, mixologists, baristas and food experts about what water means to them, their work, and their life.
In this episode we talk to San Francisco-based intertidal sea forager, Kirk Lombard, who discusses his love for small-scale, environmentally sustainable fishing and his aspirations to open an artisanal fishery.
Water is the ultimate raw ingredient. It's critical to life, not to mention food, sauces, coffee, tea and cocktails. With this in mind, Mavea went out and talked to some of our favorite chefs, mixologists, baristas and food experts about what water means to them, their work, and their life.
In this episode we talk to San Francisco-based intertidal sea forager, Kirk Lombard, who discusses his love for small-scale, environmentally sustainable fishing and his aspirations to open an artisanal fishery.
Marin waters teem with herring.
"The word has gotten out," said Kirk Lombard, a recreational fisherman and coastal tour leader who hauled 70 pounds of herring out of the water in Sausalito on Monday. "The last time I was out, there were like 100 fisherman throwing nets." Kirk shares his maritime adventures and knowledge of the bay's edible intertidal zone in his popular “Sea Forager Tours.”
"The word has gotten out," said Kirk Lombard, a recreational fisherman and coastal tour leader who hauled 70 pounds of herring out of the water in Sausalito on Monday. "The last time I was out, there were like 100 fisherman throwing nets." Kirk shares his maritime adventures and knowledge of the bay's edible intertidal zone in his popular “Sea Forager Tours.”
Bay Area food and drink events this week…
San Francisco Coastal Fishing/Foraging Tour With Kirk Lombard. Learn the basics of how to “poke pole” for the flavorful monkeyface eel, how to catch rock crabs and throw a “Hawaiian casting net. See also: This 2012 Chronicle story on monkeyface eel and Lombard. 2:30pm. Tickets are $40. More info here.
San Francisco Coastal Fishing/Foraging Tour With Kirk Lombard. Learn the basics of how to “poke pole” for the flavorful monkeyface eel, how to catch rock crabs and throw a “Hawaiian casting net. See also: This 2012 Chronicle story on monkeyface eel and Lombard. 2:30pm. Tickets are $40. More info here.
Over the past few years, foraging has grown into a full fledged movement, led by a cast of colorful characters as varied—and as wild—as the foods they’ll help you find.
Sam Polcer meets Kirk Lombard, the former fisheries observer for the California Department of Fish and Game -- a hybrid of children's entertainer, surfer dude and biologist. Check out some photos of Sam and Kirk.
Sam Polcer meets Kirk Lombard, the former fisheries observer for the California Department of Fish and Game -- a hybrid of children's entertainer, surfer dude and biologist. Check out some photos of Sam and Kirk.
Edible Selby – The New York Times Style magazine
Meet Kirk Lombard, the “Intertidal Harvester.” In his latest film, The Selby follows the San Franciscan forager as he digs for saltwater treasures — horseneck clams, rock pricklebacks and monkeyface eels. His wife and partner in crime Camilla Lombard also plays a mean accordion to his harmonica. Quite the duo!
Meet Kirk Lombard, the “Intertidal Harvester.” In his latest film, The Selby follows the San Franciscan forager as he digs for saltwater treasures — horseneck clams, rock pricklebacks and monkeyface eels. His wife and partner in crime Camilla Lombard also plays a mean accordion to his harmonica. Quite the duo!
With Dick Gordon on NPR
Click the link, and listen to the audio stream from 31:14.
That's Kirk Lombard, chatting about his life in fishing, monkeyface eels, sustainability, and much, much more. Don't miss it!
Click the link, and listen to the audio stream from 31:14.
That's Kirk Lombard, chatting about his life in fishing, monkeyface eels, sustainability, and much, much more. Don't miss it!
Best of the Bay 2012: BEST BAIT BLOG
The deep-sea-ded truth of fisherman Kirk Lombard's angling blog the Monkey Face News is that you need never have hoisted a rod to partake in its charms. Lombard's tales of shad runs and striped bass population numbers are interspersed with musings about German disco quartet Boney M., and complaints regarding weekday sobriety. Aiming to learn how to poke pole the blog's titular monkeyface eels from a hands-on video, or find out whether you can use a jig to catch a rockfish? Find out here — or on Lombard's almost-just-as-good tour site, Kirk Lombard's Sea Forager.
The deep-sea-ded truth of fisherman Kirk Lombard's angling blog the Monkey Face News is that you need never have hoisted a rod to partake in its charms. Lombard's tales of shad runs and striped bass population numbers are interspersed with musings about German disco quartet Boney M., and complaints regarding weekday sobriety. Aiming to learn how to poke pole the blog's titular monkeyface eels from a hands-on video, or find out whether you can use a jig to catch a rockfish? Find out here — or on Lombard's almost-just-as-good tour site, Kirk Lombard's Sea Forager.
If all commercial fishermen used the methods of Kirk Lombard, sustainability would be a non-issue. He goes for lesser know species using the most sporting methods possible. He hand-tosses a net, Hawaiian style, for smelt, he poke-poles for monkeyface eel, and catches red crab with a fishing pole and snare. He shares his maritime adventures and knowledge of the bays edible intertidal zone in his “Sea Forager Tours.”
Fishing, Kayaking and Ocean Fun for Kids
Got kids? Here's what they'll enjoy in S.F.…
Follow the advice of Red Tricycle San Francisco, and head for the water. Try "sea foraging" with master forager Kirk Lombard, publisher of the hilarious Monkey Face News. And don’t be surprised if the kids ask you to go clamming or mussel-ing instead of tide pooling, next time you’re on the coast!
Got kids? Here's what they'll enjoy in S.F.…
Follow the advice of Red Tricycle San Francisco, and head for the water. Try "sea foraging" with master forager Kirk Lombard, publisher of the hilarious Monkey Face News. And don’t be surprised if the kids ask you to go clamming or mussel-ing instead of tide pooling, next time you’re on the coast!
The New York Times’ Food journal “Edible Selby” (Todd Selby, Abby Aguirre) was in town recently, and paid a visit to Lombard of the Intertidal. The result is this sparkling (photos, text, audio) report on local a-fish-ionado power couple, Kirk and Camilla Lombard — both on the water and in the kitchen. Exclusive: Camilla Lombard's secret recipe for (scrumptious) Stuffed Smelt.
TED talk - "The secret life of plankton"
By Tierney Thys, narrated by Kirk Lombard
New videography techniques have opened up the oceans' microscopic ecosystem, revealing it to be both mesmerizingly beautiful and astoundingly complex. Explore this hidden world that underpins our own food chain -- in the first-ever TEDTalk given by... a fish!
By Tierney Thys, narrated by Kirk Lombard
New videography techniques have opened up the oceans' microscopic ecosystem, revealing it to be both mesmerizingly beautiful and astoundingly complex. Explore this hidden world that underpins our own food chain -- in the first-ever TEDTalk given by... a fish!
Welcome to "Off the Grid: The Curious Adventures of Kirk Lombard".
Read (and subscribe to) an online magazine from Whole Foods Market, Dark Rye brings together pioneers of unconventional ideas to explore the edges of the creative life. It’s leisure storytelling steeped in a vision of a sustainable, decadent, and curious life.
Read (and subscribe to) an online magazine from Whole Foods Market, Dark Rye brings together pioneers of unconventional ideas to explore the edges of the creative life. It’s leisure storytelling steeped in a vision of a sustainable, decadent, and curious life.
Field & Stream magazine • March, 2012
By Bill Heavey
Kirk Lombard takes author Bill Heavey for smelt fishing adventure in Half Moon Bay. Priceless!
By Bill Heavey
Kirk Lombard takes author Bill Heavey for smelt fishing adventure in Half Moon Bay. Priceless!
"Monkeyface eel becoming a star on dinner platters", by Carey Sweet • Wed., February 29, 2012.
As chef Mateo Granados sets the platter on the table at his Mateo's Cocina Latina in Healdsburg, the "oohs" and "aahs" roll forth. Plus here and there, "yikes." It's difficult not to react to the star ingredient of this supper. It's monkeyface eel, and as Granados serves it whole, the 3-pound creature stares up at the people who are about to consume it.…
As chef Mateo Granados sets the platter on the table at his Mateo's Cocina Latina in Healdsburg, the "oohs" and "aahs" roll forth. Plus here and there, "yikes." It's difficult not to react to the star ingredient of this supper. It's monkeyface eel, and as Granados serves it whole, the 3-pound creature stares up at the people who are about to consume it.…
Sunset magazine, November, 2011.
Check out page 18, which features me with a "food avant-garde" perspective on Thanksgiving! I am recommending eating monkeyface eels for our national holiday. Bon Appetit!
Check out page 18, which features me with a "food avant-garde" perspective on Thanksgiving! I am recommending eating monkeyface eels for our national holiday. Bon Appetit!
"A Sea Forager Visits Pacifica"
Kirk Lombard leads a group on the hunt for monkeyface eels at Pacifica's Rockaway Beach.
Kirk Lombard leads a group on the hunt for monkeyface eels at Pacifica's Rockaway Beach.
"Going wild for food in San Francisco"
By Brendan Francis Newnam, Special to CNN
"I decided to spend $40 and go on a sea forage with Kirk Lombard, fisherman and raconteur. His sea foraging tour, offered through ForageSF, was recently named "Best Walking Tour" in San Francisco...."
By Brendan Francis Newnam, Special to CNN
"I decided to spend $40 and go on a sea forage with Kirk Lombard, fisherman and raconteur. His sea foraging tour, offered through ForageSF, was recently named "Best Walking Tour" in San Francisco...."
In this week's cover story, "Go Fish," we tag along with local seafood-foraging guru Kirk Lombard as he scours the shores of the Bay Area for night smelt, monkeyface eels, rock cod, surf perch, and more.
The story also examines Lombard's driving ethos of local seafood consumption, and how this applies to San Francisco's embattled commercial fisheries and the much-discussed notion of "sustainable" seafood....”
The story also examines Lombard's driving ethos of local seafood consumption, and how this applies to San Francisco's embattled commercial fisheries and the much-discussed notion of "sustainable" seafood....”
True to his background, Lombard's recreational fishing exploits are sometimes akin to performance art. In March, he treated an SF Weekly reporter and photographer to an unusual spectacle: fishing for surf perch through a storm drain in Mission Bay. Casting his line into the drain, which eventually opened on water flowing in from the bay, Lombard caught three fish in quick succession. "You think you're bad? You ain't shit, man," he cried, reeling furiously as a hooked perch gave him a fight. "You live in a drain." A female passerby, incredulous, stopped to gape: "Is that a fish in that little hole?"
Among Lombard's more entertaining fishing exploits is the spectacle of "drain fishing." Check out the video above, in which he lowers his line into a storm drain in Mission Bay, emerging with a fine rock cod. (The fish was thrown back. Lombard doesn't recommend consuming roc-fish that dwell on the shoreline of the southeastern city, where they are potentially exposed to urban pollution.)
Kirk Lombard on Twitter: @MonkeyFaceNews
The thrilling adventures of an untamed fisheries
technician -- his daily exploits, his wistful reflections,
his piscatorial haiku, …
The thrilling adventures of an untamed fisheries
technician -- his daily exploits, his wistful reflections,
his piscatorial haiku, …
on page 22: “Lombard is a man who wears many hats, including California Department of Fish and Game guy (he’s the one who’ll tell you to throw that fish back if it’s too small, buddy), punk rock tuba player of Mission District cult band Rube Waddell, Wholphin star, storyteller of grand proportions, and holder of the record for the largest monkey-faced eel ever caught on hook and line....”
Episode: Urban Hunter - San Francisco
At Fort Baker Jetty, Kirk Lombard teaches Steven Rinella how to catch the tastiest fish in the world -- monkeyface eel.
At Fort Baker Jetty, Kirk Lombard teaches Steven Rinella how to catch the tastiest fish in the world -- monkeyface eel.
Videographers “Shoot Like a Girl” wins First Place in the 2011 Doc Challenge, with “City Fish”, a short film featuring Kirk Lombard.
Team: Shoot Like a Girl
City/Country: San Francisco, CA USA
Genre: Nature/Environmental
Theme: Movement
Synopsis: An urban fisherman's ode to the natural world of San Francisco.
Awards: Best Editing, Best Music, Best Use of Nature/Environmental Genre.
To view the film, first click the Doc Challenge logo to visit the web page - then click the small photo of Kirk.
Team: Shoot Like a Girl
City/Country: San Francisco, CA USA
Genre: Nature/Environmental
Theme: Movement
Synopsis: An urban fisherman's ode to the natural world of San Francisco.
Awards: Best Editing, Best Music, Best Use of Nature/Environmental Genre.
To view the film, first click the Doc Challenge logo to visit the web page - then click the small photo of Kirk.
Lombard’s class is an example of the utility of local expertise. At the tail end of many years with the Department of Fish and Game surveying the catch of Bay Area fishermen, he is also the creator of a blog [The Monkeyface News, available here] that makes me wish I fished, which I must say has never happened before.”
“We can count on one hand the email newsletters we get that are an actual thrill to see sitting unopened in our inbox, and Kirk Lombard's is one of them. ” [more...]
“We can count on one hand the email newsletters we get that are an actual thrill to see sitting unopened in our inbox, and Kirk Lombard's is one of them. ” [more...]
”Kirk’s knowledge of local fisheries is so extensive, the department [CA. Dept. of Fish and Game] uses his photos and descriptions of the Bay’s fish species for its identification guides. They aren’t exactly magazine centerfolds, but Kirk’s passion for underappreciated fish as a source of sustenance can make even the ugliest set of gills seem attractive....”
How To: Poke Pole a Monkey-Faced Eel
Kirk Lombard demonstrates the technique for which he is well, well known: he holds the record for the argest monkeyface prickleback eel ever caught on hook and line, 6 pounds 1 ounce.
Kirk Lombard demonstrates the technique for which he is well, well known: he holds the record for the argest monkeyface prickleback eel ever caught on hook and line, 6 pounds 1 ounce.