Every seining salmon season has an “Opening Day” when the net slips 
over the stern and splashes into the water at 6:00AM. From that moment, a narrative begins that will 
throughout the following years be expressed in a few words or depending on the story teller and the patience of the listener will continue on and on . . . The brief version takes two words like; “BAD SEASON;” or “AVERAGE SEASON;” or “GOOD SEASON;” and “BIG SEASON.” What distinguishes one season from another differs from story teller to story teller. For some it’s money or maybe how competitive with other boats, or breakdowns, or the crew getting along. Since I was fortunate to have a winter job, I had the luxury of adding, “Was it fun?” Lorelie and I agree that I rarely missed a “bad season” but there were a few others, weren’t there?
I only have a few final SALMON SUMMERS posts left
in me. This one has lots of smiles and yes, I did bring home a few dollars.
To have fun requires a sound boat, quality gear, a cooperative crew, and, yes, a skipper to wrap the seine around some salmon and who puts up with me. I’m the old man on the boat and I don’t move as fast as the young guys but I know a few things I’ve learned over the years – like knots, splicing, mending a net, how to cook and navigating at night.
Yes, to have fun the net 
goes out, the net comes in, the fish splashing and the 
net bulging!
A GOOD DAY'S FISHING
THE BROOM
When I started seining, each day’s catch was counted – one fish at a time. A fisherman and a tenderman would stand peering down into the hold and count each sockeye, humpy and coho as the fishing crew pitched the salmon into a brailer. I have no idea how it started but when 100,000 fish were caught during the season, a broom was secured to the mast. It was a big deal the evening the broom announced to the world, “This boat is having “BIG SEASON.”
HAPPY CREW!
BIG SEASONS BRING BIG SPENDING!
Thanks to special crew 
member Doug Jones for several photographs used in this post!
To read & view Tim’s previous post, SALMON SUMMERS XVI – END OF AN OPENING – click here
Such a great post, Tim! Had me smiling and nodding. And learning – I didn’t know about the broom! You and Lorelie look really gorgeous/handsome in those final pics! Thank you so much for sharing!
Salmon summers always brings good memories. Your comment on the “broom at the masthead” and “where that started”, caught my eye. It started with the British Royal Navy like many of our naval traditions. When a warship returned to port after a complete victory they hoisted a broom to indicate they had swept the seas clean of the enemy. In the days of old, no cell phones and so forth, it was the cause for celebration returning to homeport. The proprietors of pubs knew they would have a good night when the crew came ashore.