Within the fishing community, an incredible amount of diversity exists in boats, captains, and crews.  Take a walk along the docks in Homer and you’ll see boats ranging in size, color, and shape.  Some of them are so beautiful it seems a shame to use them for dirty fishing work, while others appear unable to [...]

What do you do with free time when you’re in a fishing village in the remote bush of Alaska?  Well, when it’s in Chignik prior to the fishing season, the options are limited, but great! The fishing season didn’t begin until June 16th, so for the 2 weeks leading up to it we spent a [...]

This is a basic run through of how we make a set. Purse Seining is one way we commercially catch salmon in Alaska.

I arrived in Chignik less than 2 hours before I became friends with the mayor.  I had just settled onto a bench in the galley of the Kimberly, the boat I was staying on for the next few days and dozed off… when I woke up to the sound of voices and someone standing over [...]

The ferry ride from Homer had been a long one, almost 37 hours.  From the deck of the ferry, the shoreline was barely visible through the heavy fog and mist, so I was glad to know the ride was almost over for me.  The captain had announced that we were arriving at Chignik within the [...]

“There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.” ~Joseph Conrad

In my “Meet the Crew” episode, I hope to give you a glimpse of the dynamic between the ‘character’s’ as well as help you understand each crew members role on the boat. Remember, these positions aren’t necessarily exclusive to each individual. Commercial fishing is a team effort where everyone has to pitch in and work [...]

There are two ways to get to Chignik – on a boat or in a plane. The ferry runs twice a month to Chignik, and I happened to catch it at the right time. Since it fit with my economical mindset, my transportation was set.  A small plane service flies a bush plane to Chignik about [...]

First up on this summer’s itinerary was a boat ride. Mind you, this was no ordinary boat ride. It came with incredible scenery, a nauseating swell, a gazilion cruise ship sightings, and a very very high fuel bill. Our first sea trial was an unfortunate failure do to some engine issues after the F/V Memry [...]

Within a week of being in Anchorage I had good news to call home about.  I answered a Craigslist ad from a fishing boat captain in a town I had never heard of called Chignik, and after a few conversations telling him my previous work experience and assuring him that I could cook, I had [...]