It’s August now and the pinks are running on the West Coast. The GlendaFaye makes a move from the north to Clarence Straits, to the coasts of Dall Island and Noyes Island. A successful or mediocre season hangs in the balance of a few weeks on the coast. Fishing in constant swells and steep seas replaces the comfort and safety of fishing inside waters. Chances are taken . . .
SET OFF ST. JOSEPH'S ISLAND
Fishing the West Coast – Noyes Island
Wind northwest 30
Seas choppy, slapping over the windward rail
Glenda Faye, guards under water,
Salmon spilling over the boards in the hold
One more set; we’ll load her,
In early to unload.
Net swings and billows above the crew,
Skiff hooked to the leeward cleat
George holds the boat steady
Tow line snaps spray in the chop
Bunt bobs in the sea.
Salmon spill over the corks.
Do we brail?
“Naw, let’s pick em
Less time in this slop.”
Faye’s hull leans into the steep sea,
Gear straining, stretched taught.
The bag bulging, filling out
Rolling away from the hull and slamming against it.
We roll into the trough,
The rail underwater
Load shifts in the hold
The hull won’t come back up.
I stand next to the roller stanchion,
Holding the pucker string on the fish bag;
The bunt half straddles the rail,
I hold tight, fish spilling back into the sea
White froth, breaking seas surge over the rail
“Release the skiff” Larry yells from the top of the house.
He takes the wheel
Puts the Faye in gear.
We slouch through the seas
Pushing us from the stern.
Our bottom exposed to staring eyes of other crews.
Around the corner in the lee of St. Jo’s
The hull eases upright
The winch lifts the bag
We spill the fish on deck
They slither and slide from side to side around the hatch,
Larry looks down from the top of the house,
“Hey Mit, you know how big your eyes were?”
A special thanks to Doug Jones for photos used in this post.
To read SALMON SUMMERS, ANOTHER SEASON – click here
