We made it to the Copper River. My son, David and I drove for five hours, planning to camp for the night. Instead of camping, the charter boat offered to take us out at 5:30 pm to spend the night dipnetting so we went for it. We fished until 5:30 the next morning, did okay with sixty-five sockeye. David also netted three kings but he had to return them to the river since they are no longer in season.
The area we fished was a slippery rock bluff so we tied ourselves to a tree for much of the time. At about 1:00 am, the natural light diminished to a feeling that dusk had just set in. Within a couple hours, the sun had started to light the area and our exhaustion would vanish with each new catch. Since my strength is reduced due to the transplants, David eventually did all of the catching and I just transported each fish from his location to a set of stringers a few feet away. The challenge was climbing around the rocks without feeling in my feet due to neuropathy. I had to look at each rock ledge and watch each foot placement. A simple slip on the wet rock would have meant a tumble into the river. In the past, many people have fallen and almost none have survived.
Moving around was a challenge but well worth it. Sixty-five salmon will make a lot of meals. It's the one activity that I will truly miss if I ever move out of Alaska.
David at the Copper River
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