TimeBandit Andy Hillstrand on The Tonight Show this evening–07/08/09!

Andy Hillstrand of the F/V Timebandit (image courtesy Discovery)

That’s right folks!  Captain Andy Hillstrand is scheduled to be on with Conan O’Brien tonight after your late night local news! For those who don’t know, Andy and John are the skippers of the F/V Timebandit and have been featured on ‘Deadliest Catch’ for the last several seasons.  When he’s not out on the Bering Sea, Andy Hillstrand lives in Indiana with his family and puts in a lot time with his horses.  Catch him later tonight!

Hillstrand/Timebandit Recipes from Bonnie Hunt Show

Did you catch Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand on the Bonnie Hunt show today?  They were cooking you know….  And to top it off, Johnathan and Bonnie cooked up his own recipe listed below.  Sounded delicious!  …Deadliest Reports may have to give it a try.

 

 

                              

Johnathan Hillstrand’s Crab Scramble

3T Butter
4 eggs
half & half, 1/3 cup
1 Cup king crab meat
S & P
Chopped chives, 1 Tablespoon

Directions–Heat butter in sauté pan over medium heat until butter bubbles. Mix eggs, half & half , S&P in bowl and pour into heated pan. Stir and cook until eggs start to set (2- 3 minutes). Add crab meat and chives and continue to cook until heated through and eggs set.

Andy Hillstrand’s Crab Sandwich Melt

English Muffins
Shredded Parmesan, 1/3 cup King crab meat, 1 cup
Garlic Salt, ½ teaspoon
Sliced Swiss Cheese
Sliced American cheese
1 medium tomato, sliced

Directions–Toast English muffin In a bowl mix the crab, garlic salt and shredded Parmesan. Assemble the sandwich…English muffin, sliced tomatoes, crabmeat and sliced cheese. Put under broiler and cook until cheese melts.

 Bonnie Hunt website

Hillstrands Interviewed on season 5 of ‘Deadliest Catch’

Novid Parsi of Time Out Chicago just recently sat down with captains Johnathon and Andy Hillstrand of the F/V Timebandit, and got their take on season 5, crab fishing, and what it’s like living on the edge…

Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand of Deadliest Catch

Tonight, the Discovery Channel airs the fifth-season premiere of its cult hit Deadliest Catch. In the Bering Sea, the reality show follows the boats and crewmen engaged in the treacherous, high-stakes profession of crab fishing. Recently, I tracked down two of the series’ salty captains, Johnathan Hillstrand, 46, and his brother Andy, 45—in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Four Seasons Hotel. The brothers sat down on a comfy couch to tell of the adventures they’ve seen on their vessel, Time Bandit.

Time Out Chicago: When you’re at sea under terrible conditions, facing financial and physical risk, there must be times when you say to yourselves, “There’s gotta be an easier way to make a living.”
Johnathan Hillstrand: The wintertime. We don’t need to do it; we could retire and just let the boat make money for us.
Andy Hillstrand: You’re living in the moment, though. When all that bad stuff’s happening, you’re living in that moment. A lot of guys just drink it away. We have short-term memories, fishermen. You can say, “I’ll never do this again,” and when the next season comes around, you’re ready to go.

TOC: You say you don’t have to do it—then why do you do it?
Johnathan: I missed an opie season once, and it was—like, the guys were out there fishing without me, and it killed me. It hurt my soul.
Andy: I’ve done it 29 years; he’s done it 30 years now—crab fishing professionally. We’ve been on boats our whole lives. If you don’t do it—
Johnathan: It just kills you.
Andy: You just feel—it’s like sitting in this hotel.

TOC: It also sounds like, especially you Johnathan, you’re more likely to get into trouble on land than on water.
Andy: Well, you can definitely find more trouble on land.
Johnathan: [Laughs] We take a break when we go fishing.
Andy: You get back into the city, the real world, and you’re like, Whoah. You have to communicate with people normal, instead of, like—you don’t really want to see people.
Johnathan: It’s a culture shock.
Andy: You’re doing ten miles an hour on the water for two to three months. You get out, and you’re doing 55, 75 in a car. You’re freaking out.
Johnathan: “What the hell.”

TOC: Do you still get up to those high-jinks on land? Johnathan, like the time you fought with the bouncers in Rhode Island and they threw you against a Porsche?
Andy: You kinda quit doing that—much.
Johnathan: No, I don’t fight that much. Maybe once or twice a year. I’m getting old.

TOC: Have to cut back, huh?
Johnathan: I don’t back down.

TOC: Commercial fishing has the highest fatality rate of any profession. Even for you guys, with your experience, that’s still a reality?
Andy: You have to really watch it ’cause you don’t get a lot of second chances. There’s not a lot of do-overs out there.

TOC: In the new season, there’s a scene where all you captains are standing around, talking about how not a lot of young guys are entering this line of work. But has the show attracted any crazy adventure-seekers?
Johnathan: Yeah, they come out there, and they don’t realize it’s gonna be minus 40, and you’re stuck on an island.
Andy: On the show, they hire a greenhorn, and then he just melts down. “I put my pant legs on one at a time—”
Johnathan: That guy goes, “I put my pants on just like they do.” Yeah, but your pants have been inside in the galley—
Andy: While these guys are working. Guys want to do it, but it’s also not that many boats. There’s only 70 boats that do it anymore.
Johnathan: Only 420 guys in the world that crab fish. Used to be about 1,200.
Andy: Used to be 240 boats and six guys per each crew…

Make the jump to read the rest

Deadliest Catch Skippers to be on Cash Cab!

This one should be a hoot!  The ‘Cash Cab’ episode with the ‘Deadliest Catch’ skippers is slated to air on April 21st at 6:30 pm eastern.  Not too many details are available however, we should be seeing the Hansens of the Northwestern up against Andy Hillstrand of the Time Bandit and Josh Harris of the Cornelia Marie.  We’ll see which group of fishermen can ‘reel in’ the most correct answers!

In this special episode, the Cash Cab picks up the Alaskan crab boat captains and crew from Deadliest Catch. Watch as they try to haul in as much cash as they can for their favorite charities.

Schedule

Hillstrands to be on Bonnie Hunt Show April 15th

This coming week keeps getting deadlier and deadlier!  First off, we have Alaska Week on the Discovery channel airing all week, then we have the premiere of ‘Deadliest Catch’ season 5 on Tuesday, and now here comes captains Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand cooking on the Bonnie Hunt show on Wednesday!

Did everyone take a week off work like I did?

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Kathy Griffin (“The A-List Awards/She’ll Cut a Bitch”): This hilarious, self-proclaimed D-lister (and two-time Emmy winner) is hosting the A-List awards. She’s also got a new standup show coming out, and if the name of it is any indication… it should be great!

John Hemple: Bonnie is continuing her workout routine with the return of her new personal trainer. What sort of workout tips will he have in store for her to work on this time? Don’t miss these helpful pointers!

Johnathan & Andy Hillstrand (“Deadliest Catch”): These brothers have what’s been called one of the deadliest professions on the planet. As king crab fisherman, these two and their crew have had more brushes with death than most people will have in a lifetime. What do guys out at sea for months on end eat? They’ll prepare one of their crab recipes for Bonnie!

Link

Capt Andy Hillstrand & His Horse Ranch…

Capt Andy Hillstrand of the F/V Time Bandit was just recently interviewed by WagnBrag.com and shared his afinity for animals, his horse ranch, and what its like to juggle two completely different lifestyles…

I imagine that our household is not unique when it comes to our choices in what to watch on TV. My wife and I seldom agree, which means most of the time we’re watching what she wants. There is one big exception to this rule, Tuesday nights at 9pm our television is always tuned to the Discovery Channel as we are completely hooked on the show Deadliest Catch.

Watching these brave men take their lives into their hands on a moment by moment basis in one of the few true reality shows on TV makes for the type of drama only real life can create. So imagine our surprise when we discovered that just a few miles outside of Evansville Indiana one of our favorite captains on the show not only lived, but owns the Hobby Horse Acres ranch.

Andy Hillstrand, co-captain of the F/V Time Bandit, was gracious enough to take some time out of his very busy schedule to answer a few questions for WagNBrag.com. Hillstrand explains what it’s like to go from pulling up king crabs in the Bering Sea to training a horse in the Heartland of America.

WNB: It’s quite a transition from a commercial fisherman to a horse trainer, who introduced you to horses and what is the appeal?

Andy: My wife bought two horses one year when I was out fishing. From there on it was just the pure raw power and gentleness of them that hooked me. Like the ocean, they can be calm one minute and explosive the next which is a fun challenge.

WNB: Your family moved from Alaska to Indiana about 5 years ago, how did the animals react to such a drastic change in climate?

Andy: Like me, they have learned to acclimate, but I’m sure they would love to be by the ocean to smell the salt air again.

WNB: Tell me about the horses you have now.

Andy: I have two dark brown foundation quarter horses, Rio and Midnight, and one quarter horse appaloosa, Snowflake. One yearling paint filly, Buckshot, and a miniature horse, Morning Star. The foundation quarter horses are five and nine years old. Rio is my favorite and he can be seen on my website. Snowflake and Morning Star are on the website too. We board an assortment of other horses too.

WNB: What about riding centers you?

Andy: It is very basic, but not simple. I have to ride the horse without getting in the way of his natural movement which takes all my emotional and mental concentration as well as my physical balance and fitness. The horse provides an instant source of feedback if I am out of balance physically, emotionally or mentally and he lets me know right away; that keeps me very centered.

WNB: What is Natural Horsemanship?

Andy: Natural Horsemanship is the training of horses and humans using communication, understanding, and psychology rather than fear or intimidation or mechanical means.

WNB: Can you apply the same principles to training and interacting with other animals such as dogs and cats?

Andy: You can apply the same principles, but dogs and cats are predators and horses are prey animals. Dogs and Cats operate off praise, reward, and recognition while horses respond to safety, comfort, and play.

WNB: How long have you been training others in Natural Horsemanship?

Andy: Only about three years on a professional level. I’ve been teaching my wife and daughter and friends for about nine years.

WNB: Is Hobby Horse Acres a family affair?

Andy: Yes the ranch is a family affair; my wife and I. Our daughters are grown and on their own.

WNB: What services do you offer at Hobby Horse Acres?

Andy: We board horses, teach riding lessons, train horses, have day camps, host birthday parties and events.

 

 

Make the jump to read the rest here!  (photos and article courtesy of Robert Bennett).

Discovery’s Livechat with Capt. Andy Hillstrand from 06/10/08

Discovery’s Livechat from June 19th, 2008 was held with Capt. Andy Hillstrand of the F/V Time Bandit.  When this skipper’s not out in the Bering sea, he’s on his horse ranch in Indiana–always maintaining a close relationship with Mother Nature!  Read up on what Capt. Andy has to say about crab, fishing, and family.  The Hillstrands have done alot throughout this last season–they created a new Time Bandit website, just completely over-hauled the Time Bandit this summer, and a few months ago–they visited their father’s grave for the first time in six years, and shared that visit with us on ‘Deadliest Catch’.  Check out being a part of livechat for next week as they’re interviewing Capt. Johnathan Hillstrand on July 10th!

Andy Hillstrand: Hey, this is Captain Andy of the Time Bandit. I’m glad to be here. Last year’s chat was awesome, and I can’t wait to hear the questions this year!

Jenn: First, I want to say that I had the pleasure of meeting you at the Philly Deadliest Catch party and you were so great with the fans, thank you! My question is how did you become interested in training horses?

Andy Hillstrand: My daughter got into horses around 7 years old, so I was sort of like the tack dad. I took her to events, and from there I just fell in love with horses: the way they move and look and act.

Shake And Bake: Hey Captain Andy! I read somewhere that you practice Natural Horsemanship – any particular clinician?
Andy Hillstrand: Probably a friend of mine named Barry Cox. Clinton Anderson’s good, and so are Cleve Wells and Craig Cameron – all the guys nowadays are really good.

The Galway Girl: Hi Andy! I have two questions really: I’m a Parelli student and was wondering what level are you on and how, if at all, you work the Parelli games and principles into your Quarter Horse training?

Andy Hillstrand: I’m working on Level 3. I just work the program by being as natural as I can, using my body language, psychology, and having fun. I play with my horses, instead of making it a task.

Mandy: Hi Captain Andy! Was your home in Indiana hit by the floods?

Andy Hillstrand: No, 40 miles north got hit, but we didn’t. Thank God. We’ve had enough rain lately!

Sandi: Other than your wife and family, what do you miss the most while you are at sea?

Andy Hillstrand: My horses And my dogs. I can’t forget my dogs. I have 2 miniature Australian Shepherds: Bait (because if he’s not good, that’s what he’ll be!) and Callie.

The Galway Girl: Which crab season is your favorite and why?

Andy Hillstrand: King crab is my favorite season because they’re just so big and beautiful and I don’t have to worry about being the captain, I can just have fun on deck. Horsing around, no worries.

Bwest: Captain Andy, thanks for chatting with us. Love your show. Could you tell me what caused the crab to die in the onboard tank? Thanks very much.

Andy Hillstrand: They can crack a leg and die in there, or they might be dead when they go in the tank and someone didn’t notice. When they’re dead, they excrete a poison, and that starts killing all the other crabs.

Llama: Hi Andy! I’d like to say thank you for signing the blue shoes my friends Freida brought to the Wiki party. How does living in Indiana compare to Alaska?

Andy Hillstrand: There’s no comparison really. Alaska is like a place out of a storybook. But Indiana has really nice people, and it’s a lot less extreme than Alaska in the weather. It seems to be easier on my horses in the summertime.

Capt Marlena: What’s with John being in the wheel house? Though we love him, we like to have you to ourselves. By the way, my friend Joanie thinks John is hot. Come warm up in Naples, FL.

Andy Hillstrand: (laughing) Well Johnathan will be going down on deck for guest appearances, so stay tuned! But since they downsized the whole fleet, there’s no other boats for us to run. That’s why I work on deck for king crab: he’s just too old to work on deck for king crab! (He won’t be back from Sweden for 10 days, so I’m OK saying that)

Chip2004: What is your favorite place that you have gone on tour?

Andy Hillstrand: I have to say New York City, because there are just so many different places you can go without ever seeing the same thing.

Chip2004: What is your favorite TV show besides Deadliest Catch?

Andy Hillstrand: There’s a horse channel on RFD, but I don’t get it, because it’s only available on satellite. I love Shark Week on Discovery. When we were in New York,I wanted a giant shark from the Discovery building, but they wouldn’t give it to me.

Aroostook: I read somewhere that Neal has 2 sons. Are they interested in fishing at all?

Andy Hillstrand: Yes, Neal has two sons, and no, they’re not.

Lhiiiz: Hi Andy! Whose idea was it to put the new bulbous bow on the Time Bandit, and what purpose does it serve?

Andy Hillstrand: I’ve wanted one ever since we built the boat, but my dad wasn’t going to help us put it on. It adds flotation to the bow, about 20,000 pounds of lift. So when we have our pots on and all of our tanks down, there will be less chance of sinking. It’s very good. We gain speed too, and save fuel. We’re going green!

Scfj654: While you are taking the helm, do you ever get tips from Johnathan on where to place pots?

Andy Hillstrand: Yes, even when I didn’t want ‘em! On the first episode of opilio, we went to where he did good last year. And this year, we went to Magoo and landed on the mother lode. So in 12 hours we were pulling 700 crabs per pot.

Rocket-6: Hey Andy! Will there be more dates added for your book tour?

Andy Hillstrand: Yes, they’re talking about it. If you go to www.timebandit.tv, you can keep informed on all our appearances.

Eraywt: Thank you Captain Andy for spending time with us tonight. Please let us know your best crab season ever. What makes it the best – the most crab or the most $$?

Andy Hillstrand: My best crab season ever was 1999; I caught 1.7 million pounds of opilio in two months and one week. The guys made $72,000. It was one of those years where you couldn’t do anything wrong. I could drop a pot where I wouldn’t normally drop one, and it would be full. I was thinking like a crab That was in open access days, before quotas.

LindaMae: Are you and your brother close the rest of the year too, or just on the boat?

Andy Hillstrand: We’re best friends as far as that goes, but we don’t get to hang out too much in the summertime because I have the horse ranch. And he’s the single ladies’ man.

Munchkin: So if you had no choice and had to do something else, what would it be?

Andy Hillstrand: I would work with horses. I love horses.

Cinarte: If either of your daughters were interested in becoming part of your family crab business, would you let them?

Andy Hillstrand: I’ve had my daughters go out cod fishing with me before, but they like doing other things. My younger daughter is a professional photographer.

Cat9: When Johnathan plays captain, you’re on the deck helping. When you’re driving the boat, he’s playing back seat driver. Why doesn’t he help?

Andy Hillstrand: He’s too old! Opilio is so demanding – they only weigh 1.2 pounds, so we need young guys to do it. That’s why I do king crab – because they’re big and I can still do that job. Russell’s our charity case – he’s 45, and normally we would try to have 25-35 year old guys because you can work them like dogs. (In a good way!) They have strong backs.

Crabluver: My husband and I were wondering why you didn’t use tempered aluminum pots to lighten the load. The only thing he can come up with is that it gets so cold that it might snap under the conditions you work in.

Andy Hillstrand: They need to be heavy because you have 40-60 foot seas that rip through the buoys that are connected to the pots. They would lift an aluminum pot right off the bottom.

McB: Hi Andy! I adore the Time Bandit! Your website rocks, by the way. What do the 3 buoys on the pot mean?

Andy Hillstrand: The 3 buoys is our way of being able to get the pot back in rough weather. We need to be able to grab the pots in 40-60 foot seas, so this just makes it easier.

Carnivalchica28: Hey Andy! Love you guys on the Time Bandit. On to my question – on an average, how long does it take to fill the boat?

Andy Hillstrand: Average for opilio, about 2 days if you’re on hot fishing. King crab is about the same, 2 days if you’re on hot fishing.

Jenn: The scene where you and your brothers and nephew visit your father’s grave was very touching. It was such a personal moment, and I was wondering if you guys are able to tell the cameramen that certain scenes or conversations are off limit, or is it up to the producers to decide what makes the cut?

Andy Hillstrand: That was really tough for us to do. They asked us if we could go to his gravesite and at first we said no. It was too tough for us, so we went back and did it in the most respectful way we could. That was so hard. I hadn’t been back to his grave for 6 years.

Jessiemay: I love to watch your boat in action. Is it difficult to get along sometimes during the season? Also, when are you coming to California for a book signing?

Andy Hillstrand: It can be difficult after a couple of months to get along, because everyone wants to get off the boat. Hopefully soon to California – check our website at www.timebandit.tv for a schedule.

BroncoTrav: Since your father was also a fisherman, did you and your brothers have to work on the boats or did you want to?

Andy Hillstrand: We wanted to ever since we were kids. We cried when he left and didn’t take us.

NHEMT: You guys are the kings at pranks. What’s the next one you’re gonna pull?

Andy Hillstrand: Johnathan has one figured out, but you’ll have to wait until next year. Don’t change that channel!

Tabi: Which job do you prefer, being captain or deck boss and why?

Andy Hillstrand: I guess I prefer being captain, just because I’m so damned good at it, I guess! That’s where I seem to fit in better, because my body’s getting old for the deck job. I can use my mind when I’m captain.

LAl57: Capt. Andy, just finished your book “Time Bandit” and loved it!!!!! Any plans for a sequel?

Andy Hillstrand: Well, a lot of people have been asking. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how well the first book sells. But thank you! Maybe you can buy another copy, and we’ll get a request for a sequel

BroncoTrav: We saw last year how you guys saved that guy from the other boat. How many other times or opportunities have you been able to save lives?

Andy Hillstrand: Johnathan saved 3 other guys’ lives on a little boat, and later one of the men he saved had the name of our other boat, Arctic Nomad, tattooed on his arm. Then we pulled a guy from the water after another boat tried to rescue him. Two hours of CPR, but he took his last breath as we pulled him out of the water.

Raegan123: Hi Andy, my question is does anyone on the boat ever get sea sick and what do you do about it???

Andy Hillstrand: Yes, Johnathan gets seasick on the boat, just when we first go out, then he gets over it. If the other guys get sick, we just tell them to puke in a bait jar. No crybabies.

Turtle: Does your mom watch the show and has she read the book?

Andy Hillstrand: My mom can’t watch the show, because she worries about us too much. She has read the book though and she says now she knows why she woke up at midnight and prayed for us all those years. Those are her exact words.

New ‘Deadliest Catch’ Gear, Mike Rowe, Lobsters, Gloucester…

 Captains Keith Colburn, Andy & Johnathan Hillstrand, along with Mike Rowe pose for an interesting picture while filming ‘After the Catch’ in Gloucester just a few days ago.  Interesting to note– Notice how Mike Rowe is holding his lobster way out away from his body?  Know why?  It’s because lucky Mike Rowe gets to wear brand new ‘Deadliest Catch’ gear before anyone else and he doesnt want to get dirty!!!  He’s sporting a brand new Time Bandit hat and he’s got himself a Wizard hoodie that are both so new, they aren’t even available to fans as of yet!  But If you’re interested in new and available Time Bandit gear, check out their store.  You’ll have to wait just a little while longer for the Wizard hoodie but check out a close up of the logo on flickr!  Mike Rowe gets all the good stuff, doesn’t he?  You can also view other pretty interesting Gloucester ‘Deadliest Catch’ photos at GoodMorning Gloucester right here on wordpress!