Yayyy!!! I grew up along the Copper and have tried to explain what a fishwheel is to people down here in the lower 48, but now I can show them your video :) Getting salmon from the fishwheel and filling our freezer was the best! In my opinion, nothing beats the taste of a Copper River Salmon, except perhaps whichever salmon finds itself on my plate ;) Thank you so much for documenting this process.
Grew up in Fairbanks and we used to go to the chitna river to dipnet. One year my father got permission to run the fish wheel that was near where we camped. As a kid pf only 7or8 i remember the amount of fish we got was tremendous! Sure miss Alaska. The best educational experience of a lifetime. Now whenever i mention i grew up there I'm immediately hired for whatever position im after! Ain't no city boy!!
Awesome video! Seems like a farly small fish wheel compared to some of the ones they were using in the Yukon, how many fish a day can you catch using that?
Yes, it's a smaller community fishwheel. They come in many shapes and sizes. I've seen this fishwheel catch 200 fish a day when they're running, which requires a battalion of filleters. I plan to take a more in-depth look at Copper River fishwheels this summer, so stay tuned. Thanks for watching.
It is not a far stretch of the imagination to make a connection between the fish wheels of China that have existed for hundreds of years to the arrival of the Chinese during the goldrushs in Canada and Alaska.
I wish I knew for sure the origin of the Alaska fishwheel. Yes, there were some Chinese who participated in the Klondike and Valdez Gold rushes at the end of the 19th century, but most have speculated that the technology came from the Europeans. But, maybe they learned some principles from the Chinese. I think I'll dig into it. Thank you for your comment.
Board of Fish should restrict to traditional users and prevent people like you from using a fish wheel. Too many people stuffing their freezers with more fish than they need.
Some people have dog teams 😂 need to feed them pups. Living on the river is enough to entitle you to the fish, especially when people can fly in to sportfish.
I thought the whole west coast had a fishing ban on all Chinook salmon.... But I see there's a daily bag limit for the Columbia of 1 hatchery per day.. then I hear 38,000 Lbs Harvested from the Alaskan trolleys. And yet California sport fishing is affected by this. But then again🙄California the BACKWARDS MISMANAGED STATE WHERE SHOPLIFTING AND DRUGS ARE LEGAL.. AND REPORTING IT GETS YOU ARRESTED🤦 YEAH IM FUGGIN MOVING OUT OF HERE!!!
I feel your pain, really I do. I feel like I live in a time warp in Alaska because I can still pursue so much of a subsistence lifestyle. For how long, is the question.
@@akwild1over 50-70 years and with its superb location, now anchorage is what it is. The infrastructure needed to populate the inner valleys and really anywhere on the west or north side will take over 150 years. And that is a super conservative estimate, I assumed with those numbers that there is a 2 phase growth which never happens beyond a localized area. It’ll be more like 500 years. You have time. Especially if you are inland from the coast and not on the road.
@@victorygarden556 In the Copper Basin, we have about 2700 people in the area the size of West Virginia. However, we have our share of problems, drugs, alcohol, etc. I do feel lucky that I can hunt moose, fish, collect berries, grow a garden, drink pure water and and breath clean air. I don't do well in cities.
@@akwild1 I’ve been looking at property out there. Thinking 300 sq ft cabin or so, super minimal utilities by ibc tote for “running water” lol. I do a lot of weird engineering from cheap/waste materials like $50 water or wind turbines. Really hoping my studies on this area aren’t too bad because it’s becoming a serious consideration. I know I should basically consider the area a “developing nation” but there are some questions I still have. Know of any good realtors out that way that can do online showing via zoom? Ever find people developing small tracts of land then reselling? Any difficulties with native tribal government not wanting you to do certain things with your land? I can’t tell if they act like a big HOA. And with population like that I guess you’d probably have to sell as a hunting cabin most of the time if you wanted to sell to get larger land and restart the home building process. I don’t do too well in cities either, figure this could be a good self employment opportunity because I saw a few others doing it and I am in the construction industry already.
Yayyy!!! I grew up along the Copper and have tried to explain what a fishwheel is to people down here in the lower 48, but now I can show them your video :) Getting salmon from the fishwheel and filling our freezer was the best! In my opinion, nothing beats the taste of a Copper River Salmon, except perhaps whichever salmon finds itself on my plate ;) Thank you so much for documenting this process.
Oh wow! Your comment made me smile. I’m glad the video helped you explain the process to others. Thanks for watching.
Enjoyed the video! Thanks KC Don 😉
Glad you enjoyed it
Wow! Beautiful fish. I loved how you sharpened you fillet knife - I've been shocked at seeing men try and use a dull knife to deal with their fish.
Thank you. A sharp knife is essential. Thank you for watching.
Grew up in Fairbanks and we used to go to the chitna river to dipnet. One year my father got permission to run the fish wheel that was near where we camped. As a kid pf only 7or8 i remember the amount of fish we got was tremendous! Sure miss Alaska. The best educational experience of a lifetime. Now whenever i mention i grew up there I'm immediately hired for whatever position im after! Ain't no city boy!!
Sounds like some great memories. Yes, mentioning your from Alaska opens a lot of doors and conversations. Thanks for watching.
Esa.es.una ingeniosa manera pasiva de pescar. El paisaje es precioso! Buen provecho.
Es una manera eficiente de pescar. Gracias.
Wow, that’s an awesome contraption!
Thanks, it really is.
Nice and Red!
Thanks!
I just took Hem Charters last Mon-Tues.
Blessings from 89.5 mile on the Richardson.
Sounds awesome. They have a great operation set up for dipnetters.
Well done video! You got a sub
Thanks for subscribing. That means a lot to me.
Very nice! Hate that here in southern Finland we have such limited rivers to catch these bad boys :( tasty fish
Thanks for your comment. They are very tasty indeed.
нерастраивайся скоро Финляндия опять войдёт в состав Российской империи и у тебя будет возможность ловить лосося на севере России
I saw a vehicle in the drone shot close on shore. Why the mountain climb
The fishwheel I use requires hiking down a bluff, and the back up again.
The early reds are hatchery salmon they have a little green hue on the skin on the head.
I’m not aware of any red salmon hatcheries along the Copper River. Maybe one high up on the Gulkana. Is that the one you’re referring to?
Should check into the IKEJIMI method of dispatching fish. Syppose to improve flesh quality.
Okay. Will do
Awesome video! Seems like a farly small fish wheel compared to some of the ones they were using in the Yukon, how many fish a day can you catch using that?
Yes, it's a smaller community fishwheel. They come in many shapes and sizes. I've seen this fishwheel catch 200 fish a day when they're running, which requires a battalion of filleters. I plan to take a more in-depth look at Copper River fishwheels this summer, so stay tuned. Thanks for watching.
@@akwild1 Thanks, cant wait!
Copper river sockeye and kings are so popular because of marketing. I'll take a Columbia river Springer any day.
I love any salmon that is fresh, and non-farm or hydroponic fish. Fresh, wild salmon is a blessing.
Totally Agree
As a tribal fisher on the Columbia (Maryhill Area) & I agree that it is the best 🙌🤙🤘 Remember #FriendsDontLetFriendsEatFarmedFish 😄😎
Running salmon is gross
Dont knock it till you try it.
Now that is a lot of red!!!
Yes, it's quite the elixir for us in Alaska. High levels of manganese and magnesium, which are good for the heart.
I'm not a fish wheel expert/person but every video I've ever seen of them they run the opposite direction of the one here. Different strokes I guess.
Salmon swim upstream. If you watch the baskets, they scoop moving upstream to catch the fish as they swim up the current. It couldn’t work otherwise.
It is not a far stretch of the imagination to make a connection between the fish wheels of China that have existed for hundreds of years to the arrival of the Chinese during the goldrushs in Canada and Alaska.
I wish I knew for sure the origin of the Alaska fishwheel. Yes, there were some Chinese who participated in the Klondike and Valdez Gold rushes at the end of the 19th century, but most have speculated that the technology came from the Europeans. But, maybe they learned some principles from the Chinese. I think I'll dig into it. Thank you for your comment.
Board of Fish should restrict to traditional users and prevent people like you from using a fish wheel. Too many people stuffing their freezers with more fish than they need.
Check your assumptions. You’re wrong. I’m a rural Alaska resident. I caught 20 fish because that’s how many my family will eat in a year.
Pretty presumptuous of you to assume that the catch wasn't eaten.
Some people have dog teams 😂 need to feed them pups. Living on the river is enough to entitle you to the fish, especially when people can fly in to sportfish.
That is disgusting to feed copper river red salmon to dogs.@@victorygarden556
Thanks for the video
My pleasure. Thanks for watching!
I thought the whole west coast had a fishing ban on all Chinook salmon.... But I see there's a daily bag limit for the Columbia of 1 hatchery per day.. then I hear 38,000 Lbs
Harvested from the Alaskan trolleys. And yet California sport fishing is affected by this. But then again🙄California the BACKWARDS MISMANAGED STATE WHERE SHOPLIFTING AND DRUGS ARE LEGAL.. AND REPORTING IT GETS YOU ARRESTED🤦 YEAH IM FUGGIN MOVING OUT OF HERE!!!
I feel your pain, really I do. I feel like I live in a time warp in Alaska because I can still pursue so much of a subsistence lifestyle. For how long, is the question.
@@akwild1over 50-70 years and with its superb location, now anchorage is what it is. The infrastructure needed to populate the inner valleys and really anywhere on the west or north side will take over 150 years. And that is a super conservative estimate, I assumed with those numbers that there is a 2 phase growth which never happens beyond a localized area. It’ll be more like 500 years. You have time. Especially if you are inland from the coast and not on the road.
@@victorygarden556 In the Copper Basin, we have about 2700 people in the area the size of West Virginia. However, we have our share of problems, drugs, alcohol, etc. I do feel lucky that I can hunt moose, fish, collect berries, grow a garden, drink pure water and and breath clean air. I don't do well in cities.
@@akwild1 I’ve been looking at property out there. Thinking 300 sq ft cabin or so, super minimal utilities by ibc tote for “running water” lol. I do a lot of weird engineering from cheap/waste materials like $50 water or wind turbines. Really hoping my studies on this area aren’t too bad because it’s becoming a serious consideration. I know I should basically consider the area a “developing nation” but there are some questions I still have.
Know of any good realtors out that way that can do online showing via zoom? Ever find people developing small tracts of land then reselling? Any difficulties with native tribal government not wanting you to do certain things with your land? I can’t tell if they act like a big HOA.
And with population like that I guess you’d probably have to sell as a hunting cabin most of the time if you wanted to sell to get larger land and restart the home building process. I don’t do too well in cities either, figure this could be a good self employment opportunity because I saw a few others doing it and I am in the construction industry already.
Nice fish ...too bad this guy wastes so much meat in his fileting job