Thursday, June 19th

So we arrived and we've been very busy getting ready for the fishing season. We're trying to work out our living situation getting our larger cabin in order. I've been working with my Uncle and Cousin to prepare the new (very old) wooden drift-gill net boat for the upcoming season. Right now I'm covered in red paint after lying on my back paining the underside hull with a four inch brush; it was only after I had spent an hour and a half painting that my Uncle told me he had a paint roller. Thanks Harry. Sarah has been delegating and directing the set-net crew preparing the set-net skiffs. The first two of the four boats have been launched into the water via a crane and were piloted down river to Bristol Bay where Sarah and the intrepid crew set the first outside nets about a fifth of a mile from shore. Once the nets were set they had to drag themselves through the calf deep mud flats all the way to shore. Afterwards we went down to the river sites and put down screw anchors in case we need to fish in the emergency harvest district. We've been working from about 9am to 11pm every day since we arrived. Our first opportunity to fish we caught two Sockeye and our next set that afternoon we caught nine Sockeye. Most of these were eaten by the crew and the few remaining went as gifts to various people who have helped us prepare for the season. That's all for now. It is finally bedtime at five minutes to midnight as the sun is just setting and we are all getting desperate for sleep, more soon.
-David and Sarah Nicol