And then there were none

Well we are back from Unakwik. Man, that place is gorgeous. Jonathan, Megan and I hiked up one of the surrounding mountains during one closure and got some great pictures that I will put on here soon. The sets in Unakwik reminded me of Valdez a bit, because it was so deep even right next to shore. We would be right next to the rocky wall coming out of the water, staying maybe 25 feet from the shore, and it would be 100 feet deep. I still think that is amazing.

It was a really short stay this year, with us in that area for only 10 days before the fish dried up. There were just too many boats fishing up there to keep it going any longer.

We ran back to Gravina on the 20th and have been fishing here for the past few days. This wild fish run should have been done about 3 weeks ago, but it just keeps coming and coming. It is definitely dwindling though, for it is nothing like it was before we left for Unakwik. I think these past few days will end up being our last days of fishing before silvers in Valdez. That gives us about a week and a half to get the boat ready and fix various things before we have to fish again.

Yep, the pink salmon season is now over. It's strange to think that it is really over and that the summer is coming to end. Of course, it comes just as I am really starting to get really good at stacking corks and the rest of the deck work.

Usually the season runs on until around the end of the month, but this year the fish have run dry a bit earlier than usual. This is because there are more boats out on the sound fishing, and that the hatcheries have taken a much larger amount of fish for their cost-recovery. So it's not that there are less fish than projected, it's just that they have all been caught. Even with the year ending a week or so early, we have all made out like bandits this summer. 2005 was a record year, with the Smallwoods grossing around $220000. This year we are at something like $280000 before silvers, so it could get up to $290000 or even $300000 if there is a good silver run. I'm not too concerned about it though, because I have already made way more than I expected too, and I have more than enough to buy a car, computer and phone with plenty left over. Right now I think my crew share stands at a bit over $22000, but that will fluctuate as I add money from silvers and then take some off for taxes. Who knows what it will actually end up as, but whatever the final number is it will be big.

So we are back at the dock in Cordova now. Carmen was feeling ill for the past week or two, so a couple days ago she just hoped on a friends' boat and has been staying at a hotel here in town for a couple nights. So for the past few days it has just been us boys aboard to fend for ourselves. She claims to be feeling better already though, so it won't be too long until she joins us again. The boat certainly feels bigger and quieter in her absence though.

For the past couple weeks I've been starting to put together a movie comprised of videos and pictures I've taken during the summer. Hopefully I'll actually get it done at some point after the summer is over.

Tomorrow or the next day I will upload some pictures because it has been far too long since I have.

Anyways, that is the rundown of what's been going on. I decided to leave out the boring details this time. I'm not sure what we will be doing from now until silvers start on the 4th, but I'm sure we will stay busy. The net has so many holes that it will take us a few days just to get that back the way we want it.

-Jack