Take a Breath

Salmon is just about over with for this year. It was an odd year, to say the least. The salmon never really hit the beach and ran. It was very spotty and inconsistent, at the start. They would show up at Surgeon Head one day and then three days later at Cape Kuliuk. They would be gone for a couple of days and then show up at Rocky Point.  It took a while, but we finally got the fish "dialed in" and the ball rolling in the correct direction.
The skiff performed flawlessly.  Better than I had expected. One float switch failed, but it was a backup anyway. I'm still having an issue with my refrigeration (high condenser head pressure), but I'll make some changes in the condenser bypass piping size which should give me more adjust-ability.
Having my kids, as crew, was a big learning experience. It was a lot like herding cats. The pluses far outweighed any inconveniences. They were, without question, the best deck I've had in recent years. No drug or alcohol problems, they didn't care how many sets we made or how much we caught in each haul. They could work in weather and they could handle any power-block speed I threw at them. The coolest part is, they're only going to get better and I have them for the next three years!

Catch Up, Again

The Salmon season is over for another year and, as usual, I have neglected to post on a regular schedule.  I left my laptop at home this year, figuring I could post with my phone.  Haha, not! So, I'll try and reconstruct the season from memory.
Our first outing was strait to the "Mainland" and Bird Bluffs searching for Sockeye.  The fishing is pretty good and things are going, relatively, smoothly.  I have switched to a different processor, (Trident Seafoods), after about 15 or 20 years with APS.  I don't remember the dates for sure.  Anyway, on the second day I slip and hit the back of my head on the pipe rail. Nice concussion and I'm out for about ten days.  Great!
Our skiffman had rotator cuff surgery in  January and he's having a little difficulty also. Off to town to recuperate and regroup. Once I felt up to working again we headed out. Second day out and the skiffman's shoulder is going  haywire on him, so back into town we go. He was worried he had reinjured the rotator cuff, but the MRI showed a nice repair, still intact. After the third time he had a problem we decided it might be better if he sat out the season. After the last shoulder incident everything went just fine for the rest of the season. The best of stories.  No breakdowns and steady fishing.  Enough to put a smile on a guys face. I'll put a little more detail in later posts.