Blackpowder and dipnets

Wednesday Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued an emergency order opening the Fish Creek Personal Use Dipnet Fishery, effective at 6 a.m. today. The fishery will continue throughJuly 31, when it will close at 11 p.m. Legal dipping hours run from 6 a.m. until 11p.m. daily.

Quoting from the department’s news release, “All salmon species, except king salmon, may be retained. Any king salmon caught must be released immediately. The area open to dipnetting is from ADF&G regulatory markers located on both sides of the terminus of Fish Creek, upstream to ADF&G regulatory markers located approximately one quarter mile upstream from Knik-Goose Bay Road. Dipnetting is allowed from a boat or from the shore.”

The release continues: “A 2015 Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit is required to dipnet salmon at Fish Creek and only Alaska residents holding valid sport fishing licenses, or ADF&G Permanent Identification Cards (senior license), or ADF&G Disabled Veteran’s licenses may participate in this fishery. The Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit is the same permit used in the Kenai and Kasilof dipnet fisheries. Permits can be obtained online at www.adfg.alaska.gov.”

The release further states: “Participants are allowed to harvest up to 25 salmon per head of household with 10 additional fish for each household member. Only one Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit is allowed per household and permits will not be reissued for a household that has already returned its permit to Fish and Game. Participants must carry their permits while dipnetting, clip off both tips of the tail fin of every fish harvested, and record their harvest on their dipnet permit before concealing the salmon from view or transporting the salmon from the fishing site.”

In the department’s weekly fishing report released on Wednesday, they said pink and chum salmon are well distributed throughout Susitna and Little Susitna drainage streams. Chums are showing in strong numbers. The department suggests trying the mouths and lower sections of Willow, Little Willow, Kashwitna, Sheep, Caswell, and Montana creeks. For boating anglers, salmon fishing at Clear Creek of the Talkeetna River has been good. The report also said silvers are showing up in area waters and that coho fishing should improve over the next few weeks.

I’m sure Andy Couch’s column has more specifics on fishing activity around the Valley, so I’m going to go another direction.

I was able to attend the final afternoon and evening of the 2015 Alaska State Rendezvous this past weekend held at Ft. Wick, near Talkeetna. This annual week-long blackpowder event is meant to recreate the rendezvous’ held to resupply the Rocky Mountain fur trappers from almost 200 years ago. Folks dress in period clothing; set up and stay in tents and shelters used during that era; and participate in shooting and other activities using firearms and tools from that period. This is what is often referred to as a “living history” re-enactment.

I have a passable costume and the appropriate firearms and tools so I was able to fit in with the other participants. I was only a spectator, but I enjoyed watching the tomahawk and knife throwing contest. Immediately after that event, a cast iron frying pan and wooden rolling pin throwing contest was held for the ladies. Some of those gals can fling a mean frying pan!

The evening continued with a potluck dinner that contained a wide variety of dishes and some of the best eating I can remember experiencing at any potluck I’ve ever attended. Numerous awards for winners from the week’s various shooting matches were presented. A vote was taken to designate the two main folks who will be responsible for planning and arranging the 2017 state rendezvous; the 2016 folks were decided at last year’s event.

Regular participants receive “camp names” which reflect some unique situation they were involved with at a rendezvous. This is usually done by the nomination of a name for the person involved and a resulting vote of those present. One little two-year-old girl at this year’s rendezvous was nominated to be called “Camp Robber” because of her acquisitions which she “borrowed” from each camp site she visited. The vote was unanimous in favor!

I have noticed throughout my entire life and across the country that some of the nicest people I have met shoot blackpowder. My thanks to Cal Pope and his wife Susan for sharing their camp with me for the afternoon and to all the participants attending this rendezvous.