June 24: The phase of short posts has begun

ADFG told us this morning at 9 that 101,000 salmon made it up the river yesterday for a cumulative escapement of 140,000 so far, when they would typically have 26,000 by this time.

We've entered the steep part of the season.

We had a fishing period this morning starting at 10 am, till 5 pm (though we ran out of water about an hour earlier).

At 3 pm today, just before we picked up the nets, we heard and announcement telling us that 195,000 sockeye had made it up the river so far (well ahead of the projected 42,500 typically seen by this date). So we'll go again tonight from 11 pm to 8 am, and then again from 10:30 am to 6 pm.

The setnets opened ahead of the drift fleet this morning (we opened at 10; they opened at 11). We did pretty darned well for this time in the season - something over 5000 lbs, we think. I believe the fish went by before the drifters had a chance at them.

I do feel for them - one of the big reasons I'm glad I setnet instead of drift is the anxiety and second guessing that I know would come from trying to figure out where to put the net. On the other hand, they are free to move with the fish. And their day will come.

Time for a nap between openers.