working coast

"Oh, the gallant fisher’s life, it is best of any, ‘tis full of pleasure, void of strife, and 

‘tis beloved of many"

--From Piscator’s Song, found in Izaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler

Walton wrote these words in 1653 about fly fishing in Britain. Somehow though, 361 years later and half a world away, it still seemed a fitting quote for these photos. I know full well that being a fisherman is no longer a life "void of strife", but while I watched this seiner work in the mouth of Portland Inlet last month, the joyful side of being a fisherman was so evident. The crew repeatedly waved and gave us the thumbs up as they brailed in their huge set. Contrary to the concentrated looks on their faces in these photos, they were mostly smiles, almost showing off as we watched for a moment.

The days of 40 million salmon being landed in B.C. sometimes seem as far away as Walton's 17th century England. This year, however, with strong returns, there was an active fishery up and down the province. Weaving between gillnetters and passing seiners while working on the water this July allowed me just a hint of what salmon season must have once been like along this working coast.