Dip Net Fishing

Dip net season has begun! A while back the stores started selling huge fishing nets on very long poles - I figured they were used to bring the king salmon into the boat once you got the line close enough. They were being sold in any and every kind of store, just as is any fishing paraphernalia in this part of Alaska. Then I started hearing about how the numbers of fishermen would swell beyond imagination once the dip net season opened, and how there would be no complaints from the dip netters about the lack of fish this year. The RV park here at the ranch started taking reservations from dip netters by the dozens. I finally could not remain ignorant any longer, ignored the male side of my brain, and asked the question - what is dip netting????

For starters, dip net fishing is open only to Alaskan residents. They don't have to be native Alaskans, but do have to live here full time for at least 8 months out of each year. Once the dip netting season begins, they can hang up their poles and head out to the rivers with their dip nets, which are exactly what their name implies - a large net used for catching fish - without the assistance of a pole, by dipping the large net into the water until a fish happens to swim into it.

This evening Ian and I were coming back from Kenai, crossed the Kenai River and decided to stop and watch the dip netters for a while. It was quite interesting, actually. Men, wearing waders, stood in the water only a few feet from shore, hanging onto the telescopic pole that had been extended to what seemed to be up to about 20feet. Every couple of feet or so on the pole were handles to help the fishermen have control of the pole. On the end of the pole that was in the water was the net, some as small as 3 feet across, some as large as 10-15 feet across. The purpose is to catch the fish as they swim into the net. No bait, no lures, no fishing pole. Once the fishermen feel the fish in the net, they turn it over and pull it to the shore. They can fish this way from 6 am to 10 pm, and only in designated areas of the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers. (I'm sure there are more places they can dip net fish, but the woman I spoke with this evening only mentioned those two.) The limit for dip net fishing varies from area to area in Alaska, but in this area the limit is 65. That's a lot fo fish for one day! There have been articles in the local newspaper asking net dippers not to catch more fish than what they will actually eat in the next year, as the purpose of allowing them to fish in this fashion is for subsistence only. Every year, though, they have people catching way too much which can't be eaten. Then every spring there are people trying to sell it to dog pounds, canneries, etc., all of which is illegal.

For as hard a time as Ian and Don have been having in catching just one fish the old fashioned way, it doesn't seem quite fair to have the dip netters catching so many with so little effort or skill. But then, this is Alaska. They certainly have their own way of doing things here.

Between the dip netters and the regular tourist fishermen, the fish cleaning station on the ranch is being used nearly 24/7 now, and thank goodness the ranch supplies 3 freezers for their guests to store their fish in until they leave. The up-right is an instant (nearly) freezer which can be used for 6 hours, then the fish must be moved to one of the two chest freezers. You'd be surprised at the number of people sending fish home via the U.S. Postal system or UPS. By the time they buy a fishing license, the fishing equipment, sometimes charter fees, then pay to have the meat processed and packaged for mailing, it's pretty expensive meat they're sending home. They could get it much cheaper out of Costco, but it just goes to show you - the experience is priceless.

We're getting quite a few military personnel at the ranch these days. One of my first jobs after we arrived was to send packets of rack cards advertising the Diamond M Ranch to the various military installations in Alaska. The owners and I are real pleased with the response. The military are still getting 10% discount here, even in July when no other discounts are given. If Ronna or Blair, the owners, are in the office when any military arrive, they always thank the soldiers for what they do for our country. It's very nice to hear that. By the way, the discount is given to retired military as well as active duty, which is highly unusual.

We've had military from Kodiak as well as from North Pole, as well as Fairbanks and Anchorage. Right now they come to the Kenai Peninsula for the same reason everyone else does - fishing. That's the name of the game right now. Oh, we had two French-Candadian couples here a few days for fishing, and sightseeing. They were funny in that even though they spoke English with heavy French accents and are from Quebec, they have never been to France, have no intention of going to France, do not like the French people, won't buy French wine (they love wine from Oregon) and kept referring to America as "home." When I was talking with them, they were sitting at one of the picnic tables while drinking a bottle of wine with the Biltmore Estate label. They had been there recently, bought a few of the bottles of wine, and drink it when they are out of Oregon wine! When Ian's nephew was here, his wife Jean and I found a winery in Homer that we both liked really well. They had a kiwi fruit wine that I thoroughly enjoyed, and hope I get the chance get some more before leaving the Peninsula. Speaking of which.....I wonder if I have any in the cabinet....nope, we drank the last of it with our young friends, Chad and Katie, who visited a couple nights ago. They were the young couple who came to our aid on the AlCan Hwy when our hitch broke. They disconnected their own 5th wheel, towed ours to the next rest stop, then had to reconnect theirs. They were on their way to Fairbanks where Katie was to work her practical hours in a clinic to finish up her doctorate degree in physical therapy. She flew back to Michigan last week for graduation, and now they are doing a bit of sightseeing before hitting the road back to MI. So, they spent a couple nights here, Ian took them clamming and Eagle viewing in Nininchik, the guys went fishing a couple times, and little Ian spent time playing with their new little puppy brown lab, Dawson, named for Dawson Creek. They're a nice young couple with a great future, and we sure hope we keep in touch.

Ian and I are working Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, so tomorrow is another day at the office for me. I think Ian is transplanting small trees for the owners. I'm sure we'll see lots of dip netters and pole fishermen tomorrow, coming and going, filleting their catch at the fish station.