Just for the Halibut

“Mom, mom!” yelled Andrew, “We caught a fish as big as me!” Andrew was not telling a whopper….this fish tale was true.

Bob, the music teacher and long time Hoonahite, invited Steve and Andrew to join him during his Sustenance Fishing trip. On designated days Alaskan villagers are allowed to fish for their own family. They can give the fish away but they can not sell it.

With cold lunches and warm jackets the Andrew and Steve were ready for adventure. Bob picked them up at 10 am in his Ford pick-up truck (which has a bumper sticker that reads “Go Home and Practice")

No more than five minutes later they were boarding his boat. The small vessel was perfect size for three fishermen and held more than enough gear to bring in plenty of fish. First, they needed bait. Two rods were set up. Each line comprised of five hooks. Down the lines went into the water and up they came with great ease displaying nine herring…. and that was just the first round. The fishers three brought in about 40 herring in all. Then they were off to their first destination, the spot Bob likes to drop his Halibut line.

As Steve and Andrew explained, Halibut are bottom dwellers. The fishing technique involves lowering a large line anchored at both ends, clipped with series of 30 lures baited with Herring.

A buoy is left to mark the spot.

With Andrew behind the wheel, the boys were off again, this time to the mouth of the Nika River to look for salmon. Andrew was estatic to be driving the boat. He was steering a straight line when suddenly a school of porpoise was right before him. “I almost ran over some dolphins, mom!” Luckily, those intelligent creatures knew to ducked under the boat. Andrew was clearly relieved he didn’t hit any of them.

Traditional fishing rods were used for salmon search. Before they headed back to check the Halibut line, they reeled in a might 25 pound King.

Soon they were returning to the previously set buoy. The three tugged in the heavy Halibut line.

To their surprise many of the Herring had been eaten off the hooks. One of the hooks had captured a small Halibut. It was returned to the sea so it could grow bigger. Only one other lure had a catch but it was not a small, little guy, this grey odd-eyed monster weighed more than 50 pounds. (Andrew weighs 54 pounds.) Once he was in they headed back to dock. Bob shared with us a fourth of the bounty. That is a lot of fish… and will last us a long time.

The white thick Halibut steaks, pink King Salmon, the excited tales of driving the boat, Cemetery Island, dolphins…reeling in the big one…Whew! The day full of new found discoveries… including a new opinion about fish life…. “Mom what is weirdest looking fish in the ocean?” I said catfish. “No, Halibut….their eyes are on the top of their head, they don’t have a heart and they weigh as much as me!....that’s weird.” Here's one happy fisherboy!