Moments Worth Carrying
It was the Fourth of July and the sun came out unexpectedly. I hadn't been able to write for a bit and the last time I tried I was interrupted. I hoped most of the nuances were still fresh, but for at least right then I wanted to write and remember three memories that may have happened in a 24-hour span. A truly beautiful day.
The Wild West
To set the scene I have to mention the days before. It had been our biggest day of the season so far. We were 9 strong, and we mainly fished on an estuary. It was large. From the town across the bay to the point where I was it took about 30 minutes in a skiff to cross over.
Sometimes, due to several factors, there was a river nearby that was much smaller and was open for business on rare occasions. What made this special was that there could be many fish or no fish. It was like a gamble to go there because from where we were it was about an hour ride, so it wasn't convenient.
Also on the Nushagak there were set physical locations where each skiff was registered in a very orderly fashion. If you went in the wrong place there was a big fine. In the Wood River it was said to be the Wild West, anyone could take any spot. I had heard rumors of people even using weapons to claim specific locations.
This was important because on that day the Wood River was opened for the first time that season. Since it was the Wild West it was in our best interest to be there all three skiffs strong. Although we had gone a few weeks earlier and set signs to "claim our sites," anyone could have easily removed them and been justified. So we all had to go to be united and strong in order to claim our locations.
We couldn't stay at our place on the point because it was so far away. We had to stay in Dillingham across the bay, so we had to gather our things and move them through the mud into the boats. Imagine gathering your electronics and sleeping supplies and clothes and everything that is important on your back through mud that when you step on it usually sinks to your ankles and sometimes to your knees. It's pretty tough.
We did this because we might have needed to sleep in a locker for a few days if the fish were on the Wood.
As we were traveling to the river it began to rain. The day was long and hard and cold. We barely had a few fish, but we claimed our sites and were able to go back to Dillingham and shower and rest for the next few hours before our next opener on the Nushagak.
The Big Day
The next day was warm on the Nushagak. I woke up at 6 to set with some of the crew, we came back for coffee and then went to pick the fish with everyone. It had been the largest day of the year so far. There was a longer day where we had to fish through the night, but this was a huge day and it was very lucky that we had 9 people. It was a wonderful day to fish, nice and warm and not too sunny. I came back at about 11 PM and during that time in our lone boat we picked a little less than 20,000 pounds of fish. I think for our 3 boats we got close to 40,000 pounds.
There's nothing much to say about that except we were constantly doing something. Picking fish, moving the net, delivering, rinse and repeat all day.
Throughout the night I kept waking up because my forearms kept going numb. They had been worked so hard. That had been happening nightly since the first big day actually. It was such a weird feeling.
Fortune's Wheel
Each day had its nuances and memories. Those were interesting but they were in the hard category, which made the next moments special.
Usually when Lady Fortune spins the wheel we always expect it to land on good fortune and are disappointed when it lands on bad. The good fortune seems deceiving because we expect it to be the norm, but in reality it's the bad fortune that's good for us because it reminds us of the good and is more honest in a way. I didn't know how long I would have that mentality but so far it seemed nice to take the good and the bad with a stoic attitude because they could both be flipped depending on the situation.
Steam Rising from the Mud
The beginning and end of that day were spectacular. Things you keep with you for a lifetime.
The morning after the long day our boats were dry. This meant we had anchored them too close in and the tide went away so we were stuck in the mud or sand and couldn't reach the water.
I was fortunate because it was another sunny rare day. So much so that the sun heated the mud and fog began to rise. It was a beautiful and unusual sight. Steam from the mud had a surreal effect to it. I had seen it before but on that day we were out towards the sand which is past the mud on the low tide, and there was wind. This meant I could sit on the sand and watch this steam flow through me.
It was an incredible experience. Imagine seeing the dark sand with ghosts flying over it from a far direction and then flowing through you with a cool breeze that your senses long for. That happened constantly for about 10 minutes until water reached our boats and we were able to begin fishing.
Sunset on the River
That day was above average for fishing, we did well. It was after that stands out.
It was the last night we would fish as 9 for 2 had to return. Since it was sunny the sunset was marvelous, many shades of blue for the far away mountains and orange from the sunlight. As the sun was setting we put the three boats together, played some chill music, and drank a beer.
It reminded me of the scene in Shawshank Redemption where Andy gets a beer for his pals, and for those moments all is right with the world. There my whole worry was fish, nothing else. And after a long several days, for us to unite and share in the camaraderie with a cold brew on the river with some slow jams and the sky showing off her colors for us, that was the fulfillment most people search for. Those are the moments one carries till the grave.
Almost Overboard
Now that I was able to sit and contemplate on it I couldn't beat what I wrote above. That was too beautiful of a moment. But this one was pretty dope.
The next morning I was still recovering from everything really. Several times on the boat you need to reach over on the water to grab the net with a hook, and usually you can grab it and pull it on the boat. We did this thing called rolling the net to grab the fish from it. Sometimes the net could be heavy or the boat was still moving and it got too heavy. In that particular instance I missed my first swing with the hook and I had to shift my weight to reach the net the second time. That mixed with the boat moving a bit too far over the net made me grabbing it and trying to pull the net over too hard.
I lost my balance and dropped the hook into the water because it was too heavy, and I was falling overboard. As I was falling I was able to twist my body and grab onto the ledge of the boat with both hands. I held on as my body fell into the water. Since I had waders to my chest I was able to stay dry. I then shimmied myself to the side of the boat and climbed back on.
That sequence of hooking and falling and catching maybe took a second and a half, so it was all reactionary. I think picking fish and grabbing lines and anchors had greatly increased my grip strength, which was very useful in that situation. Anyways it was a pretty dope experience and I got mad props from my peers haha.
To whomever reads this, thank you. Maybe only me, maybe not. Like some belly buttons (not mine), I'm outie.