We've just returned from five weeks in Bristol Bay; set-netting at Coffee Point with Mike Davis and crew.
Apayo Moore's beautiful murals in Dillingham
We were based in 'Liboffville'--a friendly ragtag compound a few miles out of Dillingham where 4 set-netting and 2 drift-net teams are based in a collection of shipping containers. It's the fishing season home to a great group of people and characters.
We lived in an old cabin. Dustin had to shovel the Nushagak silt from it at the start of the season, but it became a great home--despite the permeating smells of fish-slime and raingear.
The yard on a sunny day.
I arrived a week after Dustin. Commercial fishing hadn't opened, and time was spent preparing boats and equipment and subsistence fishing.
We had a glorious evening out at Nushagak Point; strolled the beach through remains of the old cannery, and absorbed the evening light. You'll note the Russian Orthodox cross on the brow of the hill.
Subsistence fishing near Grassy Island.
Jan sailing on the Nushagak
These early days allowed time to put-up fish. Learnt a lot from a gracious neighbor about caring for salmon, but really only enough to know we need to learn more, and there is no time during commercial openings to tend a smoke-house etc. So, all personal use fish was cut and frozen for later canning and smoking in Anchorage.
The backdrop of Dillingham is grand; open tundra, and incredible mountains. Rich hiking; enjoyed having time to learn more flowers and plants, and see nesting shore-birds. 
Careful, it's the carnivorous sundew.
And, some seabirds. Super gull and both Arctic and Aleutian tern colonies.
Boats were launched at Kanakanak Beach, only a couple of hundred metres from home.
Soltice Hike...Father Victor and family, Jan, Pat, Mike, and Pat's niece- Kelsey.
Father Victor
Father Victor
Fourth of July celebration between tides; hot dogs and salmon.
Fishing ramped up quickly, and soon our crew was fishing around the clock. Fish, eat, sleep, fish, and more fish....
Rumors that the Nushagak district was closing to commercial fishing, and that the Wood River special harvest area was opening actually came true... this last happened 9 years ago. When this happens, fishermen strike out for the river like Sooners. Those setnetters who stake the best shore sites are guaranteed a good catch. So there's a lot at stake, and rules are few, so it feels frontier. Our team placed a sign on the bank (about 6 sites from the river entrance) about 3 days in advance of the opener. And, the day before the frenzy began set-up a weatherport and spike camp.
Part of the Wood River crew.. Dan, Bob, and Captain Mike.
Lots of salmon and fishing nets on the Wood River.
Lots of fish at site one.
A rare quiet moment for Jan at Wood River.
Bob scales the ladder in a daring afternoon visit to Peter Pan cannery for mug-up kool-aid and cookies.
A setnet skiff on Nushagak Bay.
A big fishing tender on Nushagak Bay.
End of the day for Anchor Bob.
Between sets. Fishermen like to say never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, and never just lie down when you can sleep.
All red salmon were sold to Peter Pan, the oldest working cannery in Alaska. This picture is taken during mug up: a 15 minute break with coffee and cookies for cannery workers. When Ann was hanging nets, she joined mug up, too, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. She was elbow to elbow with people from Dillingham and all over the world (Philippines, Colombia, Turkey, Mexico) who travel here to work the cannery for the weeks it's in operation.
Net-hangers' needles.
Loading a needle in the net loft.
Ann learned to hang nets with experts in the net loft.
Ann's work -- one of two 25 fathom nets.
Nick is the elder net hanger.
A fishing tender in Nushagak Bay.
Ann learnt how to salt and prepare caviar from the king salmon eggs; served here with edible wild geranium flowers and arugula from the garden.
Everyone loves a fresh king salmon.
People love two king salmon even more.
Bob came out for 2 weeks at the height of the fish run; hitting the ground running.
Bob, Dustin and Jan.
Towards the end of the sockeye season, Ann and Dustin flew to Camp Polaris on Lake Aleknagik to join Salmon Camp put on by the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. Dustin helped lead art workshops as part of a conservation project at The Nature Conservancy in Alaska. We hope to see the kids' art on exhibit in Alaska.
This was summer camp at the best... an idyllic collection of rustic cabins under mountains, with a great beach, and clear clear water.
Lots of swimming, canoeing, and freedom for the kids (and us..)
David and campers making fish prints.
Apayo and campers making fish prints.
The campers' work, hanging to dry.
A fresh print.
A king salmon head for dinner, with a side of boiled eggs.
Susan and David on a hike from Camp Polaris.
More printmaking and bookbinding.
View from above Camp Polaris.
Ann later returned to the lake with Tom and Dee, our set-netting friends on holiday at the end of the season... great to take the skiff up lake and river along-side lodge-folk spending thousands to fly-fish 
Ann put a kayak on the skiff, and was able to solo explore while the guys fished. A perfect end to the season.
Tom with a grayling
A Dillingham boatyard; Note the trimmed bow -- each boat is 32 foot long.
Boats in at the end of the season
Ann and Dustin hiked Snake Lake mountain the day before departure; great alpine flowers and a glimpse at the magnitude of the country.
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