Commercial Fishing AK then vs. Fun Fishing AK now

[Elky Welky]

I worked for 7 summers as a setnetter in Bristol Bay, starting when I was 19 years old. Those memories and the grind-it-out work ethic, spirit of adventure, and comradery of my crew has stuck with me many years since. It's driven me to continue fighting the good fight for causes I care about: be it the evils of the Pebble Mine threatening the salmon fishery, or the evils of unimaginable wealth and influence ruining hunting in my home state of Montana. To this day, I still am in touch with my Alaska crew, and can still see myself back there battling the 30-foot tides in Bristol Bay in years to come.

This last week and a half I returned to Alaska, albeit a different part, and did some fly fishing and halibut chasing with my Dad, uncle, and cousin. The midnight sun even shined on us for some of those days, and I returned with a box full of fish, refreshed and ready to keep fighting the fight.

I'm holding a sockeye salmon in both of these photos. And I couldn't tell you in which one I was happier.

 

[cgasner1]

17 year old me sitting on a pile of fish at the mouth of the king river in Bristol bay on the 4th of july

 

[Elky Welky]

View attachment 37693717 year old me sitting on a pile of fish at the mouth of the king river in Bristol bay on the 4th of july

Yeah buddy!

 

[cgasner1]

Only thing that makes your hands feel better is picking more fish

 

[MTTW]

I have been set netting in Bristol bay off and on since the late 1980s. Unfortunately the price that we receive now is the same price we got when I started. In the 1980s you could make a fair living with a set net permit but now we struggle to make a profit.
We have fished our present sites for 16 years but sadly are selling out and this will be my last season.
I will spend some summers in Mt while I can still get to some mountain lakes and try to catch some fish with a pole for the first time in years.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Commercial fishing was too much work, guiding for 20 years was easier but the season was much longer than the Red Run we commercial fished and I didn’t get to fun fish very much. The wife and I are headed up next week for some fun fishing.

 

[emgarci]

If you’ve never been, Afognak Island has a homesteading family that provides fishing (and hunting). Absolutely beautiful place… and the island almost entirely to yourself. Incredible views and sightseeing. And great great offshore fishing. Plus great food.