
So what is a dipnet? Pretty much what you’d imagine. A large net (up to five feet across) on a very long pole that you hold in the water at the mouth of a river and wait for fish to swim in. Sound a little ridiculous? It’s not! It may be an odd method, but heading home with a huge cooler (or coolers!) full of red salmon to feed a family is extremely gratifying.
First, we’re absolutely going to make it a whole-weekend thing. It’s just not worth it to drive three hours each way in one day, have to load and unload your stuff at home and at the river, and take the chance that the day you choose to go is going to be a poor one when the salmon aren’t in.
Second, we’re always going to bring a garden wagon (or something similar). Last year we used a plastic snow sled, which was great on the sandy beach but torturous to drag with a full cooler and lots of gear on a quarter-mile gravel road. This year was SO much easier in that regard.
Third, I’m NOT going to get drenched inside my chest waders all the way down to my feet right at the beginning of the day! OK, so I don’t have total control over that, but if next year the wind is causing huge waves, I’m just going to wait it out. Not worth being wet ALL day.