The Short of It
On June 1st we will have an availability update for our 2024 catch of Copper River Salmon.
Yes, we are fishing. No we haven’t started accepting orders yet.
We are putting together the last of the logistical details to be sure that we can produce a quality product that will arrive safely to your table in the pristine condition we are known for.
Our 2x award winning smoked salmon is in-stock & ready-to-ship
Our local boat harbor is under construction and presenting some difficulties.
The Long of It
It’s been a LATE spring up here in south central coastal Alaska. The snow patch in our yard will most certainly be with us beyond May. The mountains are still a bold white, heavy with the accumulated snows of winter and unexpected spring flurries. Most days our morning temperatures hover around 38*F and our wood burning stove has been crackling away to keep the chill from our cabin.
Out on the boat we’ve got an oil stove that is honestly better suited to summer temps in the 50’s not 40’s. Lots of bundling up and trying to change clothes often to not catch the bone chill that comes from long hours of dampness underneath rain gear. Breezes blow down from the glaciers that feed the Copper River watershed out to where we fish. It’s sure is pretty, but dang cold too!
The big happening for our little fishing community is currently a massive harbor-wide upgrade that is at last in it’s final stages. Over the winter our existing harbor was removed in it’s entirety. Every single fishing boat had to be pulled out of the water or moored elsewhere. It was a strange site to see when all of the boats, pilings and docks were MIA. The construction crews have been working long days to put in the new harbor which consists of a total overhaul with all of the old components removed and replaced.
Like all big construction projects the harbor build-out completion is behind schedule. The dock finger where our slip is located is still under construction. In the last few days we’ve been allowed to tie our boat up in our assigned slip but the dock is hodgepodged together with wonky planks and safety tape galore. We are awaiting water and electric service to be connected.
To say this is inconvenient is a pretty big understatement. The other night, after our day of fishing ended we needed to pull our net off for repairs at 1am. Usually I would be able to use a cart but with the harbor being a construction zone I instead had our patch web and a tarp each slung over my back, resting and switching shoulders along the way. Navigating uneven and temporary walkways marked with orange to prevent tripping and inadvertently taking a swim. Happily it wasn’t raining but it was during our only 3 hours of darkness and I was ill prepared for the onset of actual darkness. In a few more days, as we continue to gain daylight, night time with disappear completely.
That night the moon was really beautiful, appearing huge and yellow-hued as it rose up over the towering mountains still fat with snow. In the dark and clear night a few stars and planets sparkled in the silence of a quiet night. There’s sacredness to the peaceful moments we can find in a working harbor that is usually furiously action packed with our bustling fishing fleet of more than 500 boats. But I digress…
We’ll be happy to see the harbor project finished and are hopeful that it will be an improvement on the old infrastructure.
We’re in a bit of a holding pattern until we have a finished harbor to work from. Our late start to opening our 2024 Copper River Salmon order cycle for frozen portions reflects this. We will have an update on June 1st.
However, if you’re looking for our 2x award winning smoked salmon, we’ve got you! In stock and ready-to-ship.