Dip*Net

This morning Sam left on a fishing trip with a neighbor. Dipnetting is a privilege--and even a way of life--for Alaskan residents. The season opens for 3 weeks every summer, when the red salmon run thickest through the rivers. Sam and Dan will spend some time on the Kenai River and some time on the Kasilof River--and with the numbers running this year, it looks like they will be able to bring home their maximum catch. For us, that is 45 salmon. Yes, you read that right. 45 Salmon for a family of 3 (but we agreed that we only have room to reasonably store 30 fish). In addition, Sam is doing proxy fishing for an older lady, so he will hope to bring home 25 salmon to fill her freezer as well.

Dipnetting involves a net up to 5 feet in diameter with a long pole attached--maybe 15-20 feet (see photo above). At high tide, the fisherman stands out in the water at the mouth of the river, and when he feels the net wiggle, he walks backwards onto the bank until he lands the catch. Then he does it again and again and again. Until he "limits out." This year seems to be a year with high numbers of salmon running. For instance, for 3 consecutive days last week, 50,000 salmon passed through the mouth of the Kenai River. That makes for some very succesful fishing!

So this is one of the essentials for Alaskan food storage: a freezer full of fish (and for some, rounded off with moose meat). Last year at this time, I was nervous about having a freezer full of Salmon. I have learned to enjoy Salmon over the last 10 years--but having grown up in a land-locked state, the taste is definitely learned. Now I understand the cardinal rule: Never eat seafood unless you can smell the water. The good news is that we can smell lots of water up here, and the Salmon are delicious.

Here is a link to a slideshow with images of this truly Alaskan experience. (warning: a little graphic if you're sensitive to the look of dead fish)

And, just for good measure, here is our star performer while he helped Daddy pack for his fishing trip:
Someday you'll fit into those shoes, buddy. It'll just take a few years.