Commercial Fishing

[Skillet]

Built in 1913, still earning her keep!

I really dig this early pic of her, deck stacked with dories that the men would lay their own longlines from, pull them BY HAND, land the fish into the dories, then row back to the "mothership" Republic to offload and pick up fresh baited tubs of gear.  Lather, rinse, repeat fur as long as daylight allowed, then gutting/icing fish all night.  Hydraulic line haulers changed everything.

[Skillet]

Great pics Sitka blacktail!  Looks like a nice haul.  Man, I wish I had quota (without the debt it would take to obtain it now)...

[Alchase]

Built in 1913, still earning her keep!

I really dig this early pic of her, deck stacked with dories that the men would lay their own longlines from, pull them BY HAND, land the fish into the dories, then row back to the "mothership" Republic to offload and pick up fresh baited tubs of gear.  Lather, rinse, repeat fur as long as daylight allowed, then gutting/icing fish all night.  Hydraulic line haulers changed everything.

That is so cool, reminds me of a classic "Captains Courageous" great flick!

[Skillet]

That old pic of Republic reminds me of one of my favorite paintings, Winslow Homer's "The Fog Warning"

Tough men on those ships, all.

[j_h_nimrod]

I love the old history of commercial fishing, especially in SE AK. I walked by the Republic numerous times over the years, beautiful old boat and IIRC the oldest boat left in the fleet out of Sitka. I remember walking past the Merlin when it reached 110 years old, not long before it was sunk by a whale. Those old fishermen were tough!  I spent a lot of time in Chatham along south Baranof and read a fair number of stories of guys salmon fishing the area for years in small dories and making the trip by oar, sail, or small motor from the fishing areas all over SE.

Skillet - you ever spent time around Patterson Point and Mist Cove?

I also remember deciding what I wanted to do and lining up a hand crank permit plus 3500lb of halibut for $10,000!  I passed and still kick myself. I have a good life from what I chose but fishing would be a pretty good second.

[PolarBear]

Yeah, that's her!  She's a really neat old vessel.  I was almost talked in to working on her for a season but decided to be a Deputy Sheriff instead.   

[Skillet]

Skillet - you ever spent time around Patterson Point and Mist Cove?

I also remember deciding what I wanted to do and lining up a hand crank permit plus 3500lb of halibut for $10,000!  I passed and still kick myself. I have a good life from what I chose but fishing would be a pretty good second.

I don't believe I've been to Patterson Pt. or Mist cove yet. 

Ahhh, that hand troll permit is worth $10k by itself today, and that quota - assuming it was 2C, is right at a cool $250k.

[Duckslayer89]

My cousin Dewey Owns and runs the Republic out of Sitka. He long lines halibut and black cod.

Dude that’s your cousin? Freakin legend. No *censored*... I fished on the Vansee my last season before BNSF. Built in 1913. Those guys were bad ass back in the day on the Republic. Tough bunch of guys. Brutal work and they use to catch a ton of fish.

[PolarBear]

My cousin Dewey Owns and runs the Republic out of Sitka. He long lines halibut and black cod.

Dude that’s your cousin? Freakin legend. No *censored*... I fished on the Vansee my last season before BNSF. Built in 1913. Those guys were bad ass back in the day on the Republic. Tough bunch of guys. Brutal work and they use to catch a ton of fish.

Yeah.  Dewey and his deck hand Jeff use to hunt with us in Republic (the town not the boat) and those guys were animals.  Dewey was the best camp cook that we ever had. I think he had or still has one of the biggest long line halibut quotas in AK.  I have been told that he is the king of Sitka. 

[Skillet]

My cousin Dewey Owns and runs the Republic out of Sitka. He long lines halibut and black cod.

Dude that’s your cousin? Freakin legend. No *censored*... I fished on the Vansee my last season before BNSF. Built in 1913. Those guys were bad ass back in the day on the Republic. Tough bunch of guys. Brutal work and they use to catch a ton of fish.

Yeah.  Dewey and his deck hand Jeff use to hunt with us in Republic (the town not the boat) and those guys were animals.  Dewey was the best camp cook that we ever had. I think he had or still has one of the biggest long line halibut quotas in AK.  I have been told that he is the king of Sitka. 

I've heard it said by others that he's a 1%'er, from here all the way out west.  Means he is at the max amount of quota an individual can legally own, which is one percent of the ENTIRE stock in each area.  That is... a lot of high value fish.

Ya, I'd say Dewey's name is well known in these parts.   

[Skillet]

Three old wooden halibut schooners - Republic, Masonic and Arrow. 

Over 300 years of fishing experience right there.

[pianoman9701]

Don't forget a picture of the boat under the bridge, if you can, Skillet.

[Skillet]

It's on my to-do list when I get through the locks 

[full choke]

Hehe- I just noticed the Sea Lion in your last pic. Surprised it is still floating.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Hehe- I just noticed the Sea Lion in your last pic. Surprised it is still floating.

If that's the old Alaska Packers scow Sea Lion, I worked on that boat when I was 18 out of Cordova. The colors are right.