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| Will brings in a red |
On the day that 1/4 million sockeye swam home from the ocean to spawn, Dan made the four hour drive to the Kenai R. to dip-net from a boat with a friend. Pouring rain ignored, soaked to the skin ignored, all synapses firing towards one objective-fish, he scooped our quota of 35 reds out of the water before they swam by. In only two hours he had them all, 3 big coolers full, another year of dip-netting quickly chalked off. Dan left around noon of the day he fished for the 4 hour drive to the river, was back on shore with his catch by dinner time and home the next day by 1:00 pm, my planned hiatus of sunning and reading gone before it began, disappeared in the flurry of packing the freezer.
Just a little more than 24 hours for a whole years supply.
I had waved him on his way happy to stay home, cured from dip-netting fever by many cold, wet, wearying experiences. Ice fishing in the cold is more fun if you’re dressed for it and trout fishing is lovely but dip-net fishing is pure hard work. I try never to say I'm getting too oldbut I am getting too old. We use to make it a family outing, camping on the shore of the Kasilof, staying away from the Kenai because of the combat fishing caused by the crowds even though Kenai’s sockeye are bigger. Or we would make the day-long drive to the Copper River to get what is considered the cadillac of reds because they’re suppose to taste the best of all the sockeye. Seattle restaurants get $40./plate for these babies but for me sockeye is delicious no matter what River it comes out of.
Besides fishing the Copper River can be hairy. You have to get to the river the day before so you can camp over night and be first on line for the boat taxi in the morning. Unlike the Kenai or the Kasilof you can’t just wade into the Copper with your dip-net because the Copper will pull you under in a heart beat. The last time we went to the Copper River we were about fifth on line which meant we should get a good spot. I watched the boat captain come along with his clip board checking dip-net permits and fishing licenses and when he got to us I could see the wheels turning in his brain - two senior citizens. After a moment of looking us up and down he finally said “I know a good place for you.” and then he added, “ its nice and safe” which Dan didn’t like the sound of but pleased me immensely. When we got to our spot I was delighted with the nice sandy beach and the relatively calm water. Directly across the river from us dip-netters were precariously perched on boulders leaning way over to get their net into the water. Some tied themselves to trees up on the ridge then let themselves down the cliff, dip-net in hand which some how they had to maneuver back up the cliff with a wriggling fish in the net some of which get away. I was happy not to be there. Up river a bit we could see dip-netters scrambling over a bunch of rocks sticking up in the middle of the river. I was happy not to be there either.
It didn’t take long to notice the rope hangers were netting fish much faster than we were and the boat taxi was showing up at the rocks in the middle of the river to exchange dip-netters about every two hours with quotas quickly met. Meanwhile it had slowly dawned on us that our lovely “safe” dip-netting spot might be pleasant for dip-netting but less than great for actually catching salmon which seemed all to be on the other side of the river. At the end of the day when the boat came buy we were happy to take the ride even 3 fish short of our quota.
Even though dip-netting is done for the year, summer fishing is still on the list. We're just waiting for the silvers to show up. Not that we need silvers with all the reds we have but this is Alaska and catching silvers, needed or not is what we do. Meanwhile Caribou hunting opened 5 days ago and we still haven’t figured out how we will fit that in with visitors arriving, the state fair opening and the garden now producing fast and furiously. Broccoli, cauliflower, kolrhabi, rhubarb, celery all done. Cabbage and beets waving at me every time I go buy. Strawbwerries, raspberries, tomatoes picked everyday. Currents, gooseberries and service berries nagging, dill and basil and sage nagging, and I keep telling the apples wait! wait!.
On a very rainy day last week, trapped in the house, Dan and I dug out the canners, the pressure cooker for Dan to put up salmon, the boiling water bath for me to put up honeyberry jam. Harvest season has arrived and it will be full steam ahead trying to get everything squared away before the first frost arrives. And I almost forgot the potatoes and the honey.
