Dip Netting on the Copper River

A mostly overcast day with the sun making a valiant effort to peek out ... the clouds not budging despite the gusty, cold “Chitina Winds.” Our “Wrangell View” here at the campground was hidden all day.

We took it easy this morning. After breakfast I used the wi-fi here at the campground to post yesterday’s footprints. It’s pretty speedy ... as long as you go up by the pay station to use it. Between the wi-fi at the campground and the speedy GCI connection in Chitina — both surprising finds in this remote spot — we’ve managed to stay connected with friends and family.

Our first sightseeing stop today was near the McCarthy Road Bridge to see what dip netting on the Copper River is all about. Available only to Alaska residents as a form of subsistence fishing, each person is allowed 15 fish per family member per year. One Athabascan guy, Alan, said his quota is 45 fish ... he looked like he was well on his way to meeting that number. He also explained that fish caught in this manner cannot be sold. In fact, the tail has to be cut in a specific way before he brings his catch up from the riverbed ... or else he could face big fines.

This method of fishing for salmon makes use of a sack-like net at the end of a very long pole. Anglers push the net off into the river and then walk along the riverbank ... moving the pole alongside ... at times wading into chest-high water. Then, they come ashore, pull the net in, and hope for a salmon or two or three. Though there were a large number of already-caught fish ashore, we never did see more than one or two fish in the nets at any one time.

It was quite fascinating to watch. What I found particularly interesting, though, was that the ten or more bald eagles soaring overhead weren’t fishing or harassing the fishermen for their catch. Perhaps they just wait for the humans to leave. After all, there seems to be a enough salmon in the Copper River to satisfy everyone.Read more