Dipnetting tips for the Chitna

CHITNA — What makes a person drive 200 miles in the middle of the night and stay up for 40 straight hours or more without any real sleep, eating beef sticks, peanut butter jelly sandwiches, and a cliff bar; washing them down with only coffee and energy drinks?

Harvesting a personal use dip-net limit of Copper River salmon, of course.

“The sockeye are way above what was expected for the river; we’re tracking well above average of what we projected for the year…We closed retention of king salmon starting June 16,” said Mark Somerville manager and biologist for sport fishing in the upper Copper upper Susitna river management area.

A personal use harvest has some differences from sport fishing. Personal use fishing utilizes a dip net and you are able to gather more fish, which requires a significant amount of work.

But the reward is more fish.

“The idea of a personal use fishery is too allow a more efficient gear type, so that people could harvest for their personal consumption…almost all the personal use fisheries in the state are managed by sports fishing biologists,” Somerville said.

There is a considerable amount of effort and expense to arrive at your spot to dip-net the mouth-watering reds. A total commitment is needed to successfully harvest your limit. We are talking 30 for a family and 40 during a supplemental harvest.

Getting to Chitina and a good Copper River dip-net spot is part of the challenge. Bring only the heartiest of vehicles, trucks and ATV’s to the Copper River dip-net landing, at O’Brien Creek; and the keenest of eyes.

“The personal use fishery occurs from the lower edge of the Chitina McCarthy Bridge and extends down to just above Hailey creek,” Somerville said.

All terrain vehicles and guide boats, are two popular routes for getting into the canyon from O’Brien Creek on the Copper River.

The only driving path is an all-terrain vehicle route of an old rail system along the roaring Copper River. Erosion, and time has taken its toll. The trail has been blocked to all motor vehicles. That’s a good thing too, the trail is treacherous.

If you stand in line at O’Brien Creek and you have cash in your pocket a river guide company can drop you off at a hot dip netting spot.

“You should tie off and wear a life jacket if you are fishing those canyons,” Somerville said.

The guides will stop by every so often and check on you and take you back.

Some anglers are wearing life jackets, while others have themselves roped in. Some folks are perched on the rocks with only their net between them and the water. The Copper River near Chitina, is moving swiftly. The rocks can get slippery.

Be alert!

“It’s not safe…several people have drowned in the Copper River while personal use fishing. In fact the last person, was two years ago…maybe even three now. He fell off where he was fishing and went into the Copper River and did not have a life jacket, “Somerville said. “If you’re going to fish…from shore…I would recommend at a minimum having a life jacket and if you are fishing from the cliff’s in the canyon you should be tied off as well. If you’re smart; you have a real harness rather than just wrapping a rope around your waist,”

If you have traveled by the eroded ATV road you will choose a spot, and there is a steep climb down to the riverbank. Going up and down the rocks can be the most challenging part of your adventure.

Climb down the rocks, among tumbled down train trestles and set yourself up. Take the appropriate safety precautions. Get ready, find your stringers, billy club, scissors, tie yourself off, and finally dip your net in the water.

Make sure you’re on solid footing.

Next find the fish, and net them to shore. Hit them hard on the head until they stop moving. Rip their gill and let them bleed out. Put them on the stringer after clipping their tail and get the net in the water.

Having the net in the water, patience, and perseverance to continue are the ingredients to getting a full limit of fish. Some people have two people working one net, especially during a run where every moment counts when your net isn’t in the water. One person scoops out the fish while the other person takes the fish out of the net, clips there tail, and puts them on a stringer.

Some start by holding the net in the current, while others start by sweeping the net in the current.

Having a cord to help tie your net off so as to use the current to your advantage is third way to get your fish. Most will use a combination of these methods until they find their fish. Netting your fish takes the will to remain as long as it takes.

Fingers bleed, from taking fish off the stringer. Legs burn from living on the steep incline of boulders that you continually hop around on getting the net, more stringers, water, mosquito repellant, a beef stick or a cliff bar. Back hurts from naps on the rocks. The mind starts to wander senselessly with no sleep, the less sleep the longer and stranger the thought trains while staring at the same rocks without end.

Some will mark off a spot and fall asleep at their net. Don’t slip into the water.

Catching the first one is a relief.

One then two.

The thrill of the early catch fades as the work and fatigue set in.

Thirteen then 14.

Runs come on strong and then fade to nothing. Guide boats zip up and down the river dropping people off picking them up.

Night falls, morning comes, and night falls again. The river is never quiet, it swirls and eddy’s, birds fly up and down the canyon, dip-netters and mosquitoes flock the shores.

Staying to the end

Twenty-five.

What time is it? The river never stops roaring.

What day is it? Where is Chitina?

“When you purchase your permit, you should specifically ask for the brochure on the states regulations,” Somerville said. “The brochure provides websites that state what you can and cannot do…all the regulations that you are going to need to know especially if you haven’t dip-netted before.”

Tips of the tails must be removed and your catch must be recorded on your Chitina Personal Use Salmon Fishery Permit.