Hard to describe what Salmon means…
One of the most exhilarating fish to hook, fight and catch - fantastic table fare - by far the most popular fish for putting butts on my boat, and much needed income for charter & commercial fishermen who depend on it to feed themselves & their families. Yes… absolutely all that.
    But to myself and many others it means more. It is an integral part of our lives. It is a big part of who we are.
    You’d have to be there. The atmosphere in our harbor, even with mere crumbs of a token Salmon season, is nothing short of electric… like being near a lightning strike - pins & needles, the hairs an your arms are standing up, The smell of ozone in the air… might seem cheesy but I swear you can FEEL it.
    With such limited opportunity we’ve opted to do doubles on the days we can fish - 2 trips a day. Full limits of big smokers for both our private charter this morning & our open load trip this afternoon/evening.
    I will never again take for granted this fishery that I have considered standard for most of my life. The closure has been tough for me, my crew, and many others - including the commercial sector that has had NO opportunity !!
It may not ever be exactly the same as it has been for all those years, but I have high hopes (and there ARE indications that point to… at least potentially…) a return to some semblance of a viable season next year.
         🤞🤞🤞