Wrapping up smoked sablefish for y'all. Come early to grab some at this weekend's markets - they go real fast. Or drop a line if you want us to hold on to some for you. šš„ā¤
After a long day on the water, sometimes this is the reward.
A driftwood fire on the beach. Wet boots drying out. Salt still on your face. A few quiet minutes before doing it all again tomorrow.
Life at a remote fish camp is busy, cold, messy, and exhausting at times. But Alaska keeps gives you moments that makes the hard parts feel pretty small.
Not every delivery is a big one.
Some days the fish show up heavy.
Some days the entire catch fits in a 5 gallon bucket.
You learn pretty quickly in commercial fishing that you canāt control the run. You just show up, work hard, and keep your sense of humor when the catch isā¦ modest.
Still wild. Still worth doing. Still grateful every time we get to head out on the water together.
Our version of a hardware store run.
Every board, sheet of plywood, screw, and tool has to come across the water by boat before it ever reaches camp.
No roads out here. No delivery trucks. No quick trip to town when something breaks.
If a cabin wall needs repair, this skiff is the supply chain.
Part of running a remote set net site in Alaska is learning to think ahead. Because once the weather turns or the tender leaves, you work with what youāve got.
Fishing season is also construction season, repair season, and improvisation season.
No marina.
No boatyard.
No forklift coming to help.
When something breaks out here, you figure it out yourself.
Our skiff lives on the beach in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. No roads. No docks. No gas-powered vehicles. Just tides, weather, and whatever tools you brought with you.
So when the outboard needs work, you dig a hole beneath it at low tide and get the job done before the water comes back.
Commercial fishing in Alaska is a lot more than catching fish. Itās mechanics, logistics, problem solving, and learning how to work with the place instead of against it.
Remote in every sense of the word.
Not every part of commercial fishing is postcard material.
Some days itās silver salmon in the net.
Some days itās jellyfish slime on your face, sleeves, hair, and somehow behind your ears too, but we're still smiling. :)
This is set net fishing in Alaska. Long days. Cold water. Heavy gear. A lot of cleaning nets so the fish can keep moving.
Most people only see the finished fillet.
We wanted to show a little more of the work behind it.
