Fishing

Orphanage

Looking out 2nd floor window

     

        


                                  

Now that we have lived here for 1 year we can legally subsistence hunt and fish.  Mark was quick to get his license and this past weekend we all got to go on a fantastic fishing trip.  Saturday we went up river toward Kwethluk.  Since it was Mark and I's first time out on the river, our friends took us "touring" before the fishing began.  We stopped at a pretty spooky abandoned orphanage about 3 miles up river from Kwethluk.  The orphanage was built in 1925 by the Moravian church in response to the number of children orphaned by the tuberculosis outbreak.  It was in operation until 1971.  It seemed to me that whatever the reason in 1971 that the orphanage closed people just up and left everything.  There were books scattered throughout the property, a couple rusty tricycles, a pair of ice skates, desks...  I don't think the Moravian church took anything with them when they left.  The whole place just felt eerie.  We didn't stay long, but if there was ever a place that could be haunted this had to be it!

First Catch

Just before the boys were ready to throw the net in and catch some fish Luke announced he had to poop.  In his words exactly "Poop is coming! It's coming!"  We all looked at each other trying to think of the best option as Luke made it clear this was a time sensitive issue.  Our friend found the clearest spot on the closest bank to pull the boat up to.  Shovel in hand Mark jumped off the bow and landed in knee deep mud!  With every move he sank just a little deeper, and poor Luke was standing on the boat shaking.  Mark grabbed Luke and pushed him as high up on the bank as he could reach trying to get him past the mud.  No luck. Luke sank in, although not as deep as Mark.  Probably 30 minutes later Mark and Luke were finally at the top of the bank, out of the mud and Luke tells him his poop is gone.  God love toddlers!

Roasting hot dogs while the dads
clean the fish

Saturday yielded one 23 pound king salmon.  We were all proud of the catch.  It motivated us to go out again on Sunday, and thank God we did.  Sunday we caught 6 kings (the smallest one probably about 20 pounds), 1 red, and 1 chum!  I never realized how many different types of salmon there are till we moved here.  The kings are the biggest and for many the most desirable to get.  They also only run for a short couple of weeks after the river breaks up.  The chums are the least desirable, they are what is sold as sockeye salmon in the lower 48.  Our first fishing adventure ended in an assembly line cutting the fish and readying it for our freezers.  Each of the 3 families that fished this weekend left with a very heavy bag full of fish!  We are addicted now and can't wait till our next fishing trip!

Good thing he likes mud

 

2 biggest fish from day 2

The boys and their catch from day 2

Bringing 'em in