Free-time Explorations

The first few weeks before the salmon run started picking up we had a lot of free time around camp, so here’s a few pictures and descriptions to show you some of the ways we’ve been finding to fill our time:

While the weir effectively does the job of stopping the salmon from migrating upstream, it also blocks the passage of fish, such as steelhead, that are trying to leave the lake and head out into the ocean. Releasing the steelhead on the other side of the weir is a task that the boys have been taking very seriously, e.g. by fishing for them every few nights, what a chore! Sometimes Laura and I will join them and they patiently (most of the time) try to teach us casting and reeling techniques that more often then not end up with lures stuck in trees, on rocks and even rod tips flying off into the water. I think it might be time for me to get my own rod… Steelhead are pretty smart/sensitive fish that only fall for the lure a few times, so you usually get only a few casts before they catch on.







In Redoubt Bay (on the ocean side of the outlet) we like to explore the tide pools at low tide and watch the salmon struggle against the falls. When the tide goes down you can see an abundance of sea life, such as crabs, starfish, jellyfish and lots of mussels. Another cool thing to watch is the subsistence fishermen who fish the falls with dip nets from the shore; they’re allowed 10 sockeye a day using this method. (Lots of pictures, I know.)
















































If you haven’t realized yet, the boys REALLY enjoy fishing, so on slow days that’s usually the first thing suggested to fill our time. One day we were able to boat out to Symonds Bay (on the North side of Biorka island) to go halibut fishing. Evidently, this is not my forte and all I managed to catch was little rockfish, but Joe caught a 55-pound halibut that took him about 10 minutes to fight up into the boat. He was very pleased with himself and we were happy because we had wonderful fish tacos that night, fresh off the fish.


We had an exciting addition to our usual routine the other day when we noticed an injured eagle on one of the logs near the weir that seemed unable to fly away even when we approached. Ben and Joe, being the wildlife-loving men they are, decided that we needed to rescue it. So they ran back to the cabin, got a net, and captured it, evidently with very little resistance. Upon closer inspection, the eagle had a ripped beak, wounds to its torso and an injured wing. We think he probably got in a fight with another eagle over a salmon carcass; we have seen eagles knock each other out of the sky before. We spent a good chunk of the night building a cage for it and hand-feeding it herring. It was really amazing to be that close to such a big, wild bird. The next day Joe drove it back to Sitka in the boat and conveniently got stuck there for three days due to weather conditions. To the best of our knowledge it is recovering well.


And of course, there are always things to do around camp to make our living situation more “lush”. Firewood needs to be cut on almost a daily basis (a skill I have yet to master) to feed our little wood stove that heats the cabin; luckily, this is a job that Ben seems to enjoy immensely. Other DIYs around camp have included a new oven handle, handmade by Ben and myself out of driftwood, and a new linoleum counter top for our food prep, compliments of Joe.