Decent Days Catch

[wildwillalaska]

Well, July brings upon us Alaskan folk the time for getting our fish to put up for winter--too much work to get done over the next few weeks between job and fishing before moose season starts to get out and shoot too much.

As residents, we get to dip net for sockeye each July. Essentially we hit the mouth of the Kenai River and adjacent beach with oversized landing nets. We are each allowed 25 fish, plus an 10 more for each additional person in your home.

Today was our first trip down to the beach of the year. Between four of us, we landed 94 sockeye in just over 2 hours on one outgoing tide. Still more to get, but need to get these put up first.

Like my Alaskan duds for our scorching July weather?



Here is my future fishing partner, she's got a bit more growing to do first. She's already got her first single action and hunting rifle, just not quite able yet to walk to the safe to get them. Again, love our Alaskan summer gear?

[Mark Terry]

My! A little more than decent, I'd say.

I'll have to try to remember to post some pictures this winter of our deep winter freeze. Today, a brief walk with the dog will leave us soaking wet.

I don't know if I could take your winter, but your summer sure looks inviting.

How do you preserve the salmon?

[zac0419]

That's a good catch all right. I didn't know that about the salmon run and residents, I learn something new that I love about AK every day.

[wildwillalaska]

I'll keep 22 of those in the picture and my buddy will keep the other 23. I will run two canners today to put up 34 pint jars which should use about 7 fish. The remainder I vac-pac and freeze. We have through the end of July to get them--and my fly rod gets a fair amount of use as well. By the time the month is over, it seems like one fish cleaning frenzy of filleting, canning, smoking and vac-pac'ing. But sure is worth it. We have our family, my wife's sisters, fathers, and uncles household all here local that everyone helps out with. Lots of time on the beach next couple weeks.

[robl]

Nice catch. Not making any squaw candy? Dip netting is so fun it feels like your breaking the law.

[Frank V]

Wow!

[cable]

i like your catch....but the picture of that little catch in pink is enough to steal my heart away! what a precious doll! you are very blessed my friend!
just talked with my only child, my son who lives on east coast, with that and now that picture of yours makes my day.

[dougader]

Awesome! I think I'd let everyone else net their salmon while I caught mine with a single line, one at a time! I love Alaska in the summer! We went out on the Deshka river and caught my limit of 3 silvers in 20 minutes with a buddy's home cured eggs, then I hooked and fought 10 chinook after that with my handmade spinners... all released as they had closed the chinook fishing down the day before I got there.

You've a great fishing partner there!

[Snyd]

Nice haul Will! Beautiful big Reds! Three of us dipped at Chitina all day last wednesday and ended up with 69 Reds, it's closed for Kings. It sounds like you hit it right and it was fast and furious. We worked our butts off! It was a supplemental period as well so we could have gotten 105 but the fish didn't cooperate.

For the benefit of those who don't know. It's a little different dipnetting on the Copper River than the Kenai. Here's how we do it, well one way. These pics are from last year when we got a couple kings. Notice the pfd's and safety ropes. If you fall in the Copper you die. In fact, last year, 2 days after these pics were taken, a 25yo young man fell in will no pfd or rope. He went down and never came up, he's gone. It was Fathers Day and his Dad was next to him when he fell in. Horrible tragedy.

[robl]

Tough & dangerous river that Chitina.

[kings6]

Dang it Will! The guys I went to Soldotna with two years go left for there day before yesterday. I had all my deposits in and plane reservations when the trip to Peru came and I had to give up my spot. I still remember watching the human catepillar crawl up the banks of the river at the mouth as folks dip netted for the sockeye. The shore of the river turned into a small city! The tough thing about not going this year is we had reservations for a chartered King trip on the river and a charter out of Homer to go after some of the bigger halibut. Hopefully I can go in a couple of more years and take the wife so she cans see what a beautiful place Alaska is.

Ironically, I found my last package of halibut today as I was transfering stuff to the new freezer in anticipation of this years cow being finished.

[wildwillalaska]

Snyd, we have talked about hitting the Copper some year for dip netting--but always pass since the kenai and beach are right in out lap. By all the accounts I hear about folks near death experiences between the water and 4-wheeling to get there, am usually happy we stayed home too. Our kings are closed this year too. I got one in the upper 50's to low 60's inthe net year before last--for all of about 15 seconds before it ripped my net to shreds.

Our little one had a ball with friends and family around this weekend--she's just 9 months old and really developing her personality--admit its a real kick watching her interact with other little ones.

[Snyd]

Ya, I hear ya Will regarding the Copper. I had'nt been there for about 10-12 years up until last year when I went and had Hemm take us down and drop us off in the canyon. I used to drive my 4x4 back there and climb over the side.

A friend of mine from here is headed to the Kenai this week. After seeing your haul I can see why!

You should be proud, you have one beautiful little one there. That pic is a classic.

On another note. I ordered a .512 sizer die a couple days ago. I might be able to get to some casting next saturday and get some of those 440's headed your way.

[wildwillalaska]

Very cool. No rush on the boolits--between work, fishing and a family wedding the last weekend in July, I will not have a chance to do too much shooting next few weeks. Thankfully this will hopefully be the last July wedding for a while. My wife's dad, step dad and uncle got another 91 fish on this evenings tide. Should just keep getting better through the next week.