I only just discovered this. As a hook and line fisho I find this machine absolutely remarkable. I could watch it all day. Thank you for sharing it with us.
This shows what smart thinking, hard work and perseverance can achieve. Great to see that the older designs still deliver the goods. Thanks so much for sharing.
Some historic papers going way back counted 150 Yukon River fishwheels from Fairbanks to the river mouth (almost 1000 miles of river). Another 150 at least would have been on the upper Yukon from Tanana to into Canada. Today there are a tiny tiny fraction of that amount of wheels on the Yukon and the chum runs remained healthy then and now. Estimated salmon passage past this wheel on the day of the video was 100,000 fall chum salmon. The wheel that day took about 30. Aggressive - yes/no.
All that's needed is context really. This right here is a modest harvest that feeds a village and still allows for the fish population to continue growing. A lot of people are used to the devastating deep water fishing which literally scrapes the oceans clean, but they haven't thought it through properly to stop and realise that this is not the same thing. Thanks for the video!
Hello Stan from Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪. Great to hear from you again. I’ve had to open a new account as RUclips didn’t like some of my comments on Irish people fighting back against the British 90 years ago. But never mind I’m back bigger and better
I knew what a fish wheel was, but never really seen one (not in action for sure) Amazing, Entertaining and captivating and after seeing it, makes ya realize just how genius an idea this was and the ones who dreamt it up. Just awesome! Thanks so much for the share!
Loved seeing these operate on the Tanana. There was a stern wheeler tour in the 70s that started on the Chena and went up the Tanana a ways. Though we lived on Badger road, this was the only time I got to see a fish wheel. It was fun to see the sled dogs standing on top of their houses barking and howling. We also got to see the dogs pulling a three-wheeler for exercise. Good memories.
Mesmerizing! I could watch all day! That represents a continual ton of work to process and preserve all those fish for winter. This is self-reliance at its best and further represents one of the ONLY truly conservative and renewable forms of large-scale fishing. When you have enough, one simply stops the wheel. So unlike commercial fishing that takes and takes until fisheries are depleted and ecosystems ruined.
Living In Great Lakes region nothing tastes better to me then a gift of freshly caught salmon smoked right by where caught .. no middle man processing . Best salmon I ever tasted . Family friends gifted this to my parents when I was child so delicious .
Stan & Family....Thank You for keeping the sustenance lifestyle alive and well. Feeding friends, family and sled-dogs is no easy task. I truely appreciate the work you put into your "wheel". It reflects the respect you have for native ingenuity and designs. You are the last of a great lifestyle, in world that has lost imagination, flexibility, adventure and compassion for mother nature. Please....Ignore those who are ignorant (they are obvious) and recall only what they have done to this world. KUDDOS To YOU!!
I've never seen a wheel like that on any river over here in NZ. Is there not a daily bag limit per person per day or does it work on weight over there? At the rate that thing catches fish alongside other fish wheels it's a wonder there is any fish left in the rivers to breed at all.
I wrote a long video description to the video. It's hard for anyone to make an informed comment by just watching the wheel catch fish on a record run of salmon day otherwise. More info: www.rapidsresearch.com/The_Fall_of_the_Yukon_King.pdf
Great video Stan! I come from a family of fishers, & am a big fanatic of fishing myself. This reminded me of why I rather live in country side where I can harvest and catch my own food. Anyways, thank you for the awesome video and stay positive :)
This is a efficient way to feed a lot of people. I just want to know if you have a system in place that allows the fish that are "Small" to get back in the water, or is it one of the cases of so many fish that size limits don't apply. Very cool system.
MrPally - With the salmon on the Yukon and especially the King salmon it is the larger fish that need protection as years of selective large mesh gill net fishing have tended to let to many of the smaller king get to the spawning grounds while removing the larger fish and now we have genetically modified the run and very few large fish are seen anymore. Much of the research we did in the last 15 years was to show that and now finally management has agreed and they have made everyone fish smaller mesh nets. The large king have many more eggs in them and are able to spawn in heavier rocks. Getting good numbers of King coming back to the river is the smaller part of the problem - the run will never be the same unless the size comes back also. Researchers say fisheries can get back their numbers relatively fast with proper management but increasing the genetic size makeup of a run can take a very long time. Fishwheels take all sizes of king and may even bias towards a smaller fish if anything, so are much friendlier to a run in that regards. Read this story written by a well known Alaska author for more insight into all this on the Yukon.rapidsresearch.com/The_Fall_of_the_Yukon_King.pdf
Stan Zuray the damn pinniped overpopulation epidemic is the biggest threat and problem for all pac nor west salmonoids damn seals n sea lions been overpopulated almost century overpopulated half century and hit epidemic levels thirty yrs ago gotten worse every year they eat the belly meat cause it's highest fat content and no large bones to poke or hurt their sensitive mouths, waste most the fish eat mostly just belly meat and don't waste energy typically running down the smaller more maneuverable ones they decimate the big spawning stock larger salmonoids and the salmon are already of poor eye sight depending on their sense of smell whichs incredible and fan smell two parts per BILLION, but are already of poor eye sight and and have predators eye sight facing up and forward can't see down or behind, and moment they leave sea enter fresh water they start to decay and lose protective slime coat and eye sight rapidly deteriorates, and unlike in open water where have infinite direction to escape the narrow and shallow rivers make them even more vulnerable to bastard sea lions and seals, and in estuarys bays and rivers and up to or more then 100+ miles inland the sea lions and seals chase the run inland and absolutely decimate them. I've salmon fished for living and sport for over third century and there is no credible actual threat anymore from dams fishing or pollution the ACTUAL threat and cause of decline is the epidemic overpopulation levels of few species that been overprotected for century, like the pinniped epidemic and damn kormarants that decimate the fingerling and smaller salmon and steelhead in bays rivers estuarys before they even reach the sea and few species of large birds like stupid heron and egrette and even damn sea gulls who just one large bird can consume up to 1,500 salmonoid fry as they hatch outta gravel beds barely larger then mosquito larvae. Just 4-5 species of overprotected epidemic overpopulation levels of them are DECIMATING salmonoid biomass across Pacific Northwest west from northern California up thru Alaska and northern California and Oregon is even worse then Canada and Alaska, the epidemic overpopulation levels of sea lions etc has been decimating them for thirty years and it's gotten worse every single year. Fishing (sport fishing only takes 3% salmon in pac nor west commercial 97%) dams pollution etc are NOT threat and most dams that were concern have been removed and silt etc from mining is zero threat anymore pollution not an issue and any and all forms of commercial fishing even capable of damaging biomass population has been totally abolished and the quotas and regs have been so strictly regulated there is ZERO decline today at the hands of man, the irresponsible overpopulated of 4-5 destructive species (#1 pinnipeds like sea lions n seals) is however a massive threat and the 99.999% of ignorant people inland who vote without having clue except the lies propaganda they told in documentaries produced paid for by animal rights groups are the problem.
I like this system very much. Thanks for sharing. Quick question: Seeing all this fish captured in just seconds makes you thinks maybe it is very aggressive with the river fauna. ¿Is this sustainable in the long term?
Stan, morning... What are the bottles that are tied to the bracing on the wheel for.. They seem to fill with water then dump the water... Are they some sort of speed governor for the fish wheel ... Thanks...
AWESOME BLOSSOM🇺🇸 Even if it was 10 years ago. I just subbed to your channel. I used to faithfully watch the TV show until I stopped cable due to the high cost and millions of commercials. I also follow you on facebook.
I made that trip in 1965 from Columbus Ga. to Fairbanks with the wife and a 6 month old son in July . The Alcan hy. was gravel then . No ac in my 62 chev. A very hot dusty long trip . Loved every minute of it .
Stan, great video. People have no clue about living up there, they have no clue about the eco system, they have no clue about living. They are used to someone doing everything for them, someone to catch and process fish for them, to raise and process meat for them, to plant and harvest potatoes for them. They have no clue what it is like to do things for themselves. I envy your living up there. I wish I was born a 100 years ago. Wouldn't have preservatives in my food, all natural. I still hunt, would rather eat an elk stake any day over eating a processed cow..
Elkbow, you should Edit this to say "Some" people as you are including way to many. I understand completely. Must respect Stan. God bless and I hope you harvest plenty to get through the Winter as well as get you a Moose and Come Caribou too!
Spectacular video, Stan. The construction of the fishwheel is so efficient. How many fish does the holding tank hold? does the holding tank have holes that would allow undersized fish to get back into the water?
Awesome video. Came across this contraption while reading about the Copper River after researching the Klawasi Group Mud Volcanoes, and was hoping someone had a great video of one in action.
Thank you for posting this video. I had never heard of a fish wheel and never knew what one was until I was doing Boldt Decision research (1974 fishing rights decision). Devices like these "were licensed on many rivers in WA state as early as the 1880's - 1890's." Source, Alvin Ziontz.
I would love to spend some time up there watching it catch fish. Who ever came up with this style of fish catcher? How long have they been using these?
When I was stationed at Galena Airport station in Alaska, I would sit and watch these fish wheels for six or eight hours at a time and amazingly enough. They are at the river during the winter is 9 feet thick.
Do you have to clear the rocks out under the wheel before you start it or do you look for a that is pretty cleared out from rocks already or put the wheel in the same spot every year?
sorry about that hit wrong thing . Stan is chum fish salmon after the have spins and would just die off afterward? I love watching you and your son Joey You brought up a nice young man. My Dad was a lot like you he would make things work out of things around the farm even an old hand crank tractor that I drove at night to cut and bail hay. I have not seen if you have a season 5 or more I no longer have cable TV and have to wait if someone puts it on Utube I hope all is well with you and your family. Stay strong and keep teaching what you know . God Bless you Shaun
+Shaun Goeltz Chums we catch are before spawning as after they spawn the body is spent and has little fat and nutrition. Dogs would die eating them in the cold of winter. The idea is to take only so much from a run of fish. The Alaska Fish and Game dept. considers the fall chum to be underutilized on the Yukon River. Dog team use and the fishing needed to feed them has diminished to a fraction of what it was in the historical past and because it is to remote for them to be shipped economically out of the area to distant markets in large numbers by commercial fisheries, hopefully the run will remain healthy
It is crystal clear in winter when the silt from the river banks is not naturally eroding and the glaciers are not pour out their silt also. Heard it said that one day of natural eroded silt is greater than a summer of all mining activity in the Yukon River.
@@stanzuray Well noted, thanks ! Here, at Far-East of Russia we have a different situation sometimes. Gold mining it is a evil for nature, especially for a small rivers, which are filling a big ones...
You are quite an amazing guy Mr Stan Zuray i know you think your not, But just a normal guy But i have the most upmost respect for you and you fellow towns people living off the land.
he's been there a long time and is obviously highly respected. people need to keep their mouths shut and their ears open. I like his classy presentations.
Aloha from Kailua, Hawai'i Stan, Looks like you had this RUclips channel before the TV show. I'm half Caucasian like your kids with my dad also being a New England Yankee like you also long and far removed. I still catch you accent though. You can take the boy out of Boston but you can't take the Boston out of the boy. Amazing how productive that fish wheel can be. Growing up here in Hawai'i we had a stream behind our home and Dad taught us how to lay a gillnet to catch mainly 'Awa aka Milkfish which we would butterfly cut, salt down then dry in a screened box on top of our roof. A couple days of gillnetting while the 'Awa ran upstream got us enough fish to feed us for months. This was over 30 years ago. Now all gillnetting is banned in my part of the island because a small minority abused the use of gillnets resulting in the drowning of protected sea turtles. Also the sleepy little town of Kailua I grew up in has become so popular with mainlanders that housing prices have skyrocketed so that older local blue collar families have had to move away not being able to afford the skyrocketing land tax on properties they already owned for a few generations. Many Hawaiians wind up retiring to the mainland US where cost of living much lower. I hope the new road into Tanana does not have a negative impact with newcomers arriving and cramming their values and "culture" onto the town like it did to mine. Looking forward to another season of the show, keep up the great work, keep it real.
A buddy of mine used to pay someone out near Glennallen or Copper Center to let him have a certain amount of time on their Copper River fish wheel. He'd get something like 6 hours and could keep whatever went in the wheel in that time. I can't remember what he paid, but he seemed to really get his money's worth. I never thought to ask him whether it was legal for him to take the fish, because I had no idea what the limits and restrictions are on who can use a fish wheel.
If i can ask: do you do this before the salmon makes the eggs? And: do you have an excess of salmon there? Is it kind like in hunting, where it's needed to hunt particulars animals, and useful in certain seasons? Thanks!
stanzuray do you think a fish wheel would work on asian carp? I was thinking that if they were to used alot of fishwheels mabe they could help control there population. Someone could probably make a business out of it by produceing fertilizer or something else. Will they work in slower current? Can you sort the good fish out and release them with out harming them? Thanks for posting this video.
Would not work on Carp population control=.. Carp population explodes and they bottom feed. This is a stationary wheel. It stays in one place. Has no effect on population.
Was watching Yukon Men right now, wondered how fish wheels worked. Found this video, just as the show showed you emptying your catch tank. Pretty good timing. Nice rig.
Hi Stan, I'm a teacher in Washington State helping kids learn about salmon and fish wheels. Would it be possible to download this video to show them how fish wheels work? We'll give you proper credit and attribution, of course.
That is one of the reasons why I post them - so they'll get used like that. Only thing I ask is the video description get used with this one as I get a few comments on taking to much fish from people who don't understand the fishery. The description has that info.
Brother, this is awesome! I am kind of wondering how this idea on a much smaller scale would fair in our mountain streams here during trout season. I would not be able to keep the fish due to regulations here but it would be interesting to do the work and see if it would produce in the event it was needed. I only hunt and fish for subsistence here and not sport.
+Foothills Readiness Work best in cloudy water and when fish are migrating upriver. Fish need to be moving in numbers to catch a lot it seems. They miss most of what swims by it. Kind of like taking a swipe at a mosquito with your hand - win some lose a lot.
Very cool Stan, thanks for posting. Must have been a lot of dogs in the river on that run! Do you guys eat the chums as table fare or simply for the dogs? I've never kept one and tried eating it myself, I'm told they are even too dry to be good smoked but some guys I know smoke & eat 'em. Hey dumb question for ya, in the last episode of S2 last week, you pulled the wheel since it hadnt gotten anything. I was curious how long you had it in, show made it look like overnight or something? And secondly, I was curious why you didnt just leave it in even though it wasnt catching fish? Just let it run and maybe get something? It sounded like you guys said it was a lot of work to leave it, but other than setting it up & taking it out and checking it every so often, what it the toughest part of working it while its in and why not just leave it? Hoping for season 3 and beyond, love watching the show and you & Joey are good people. Very impressed and in awe of the lifestyle you live, I couldnt do it. Looks like you raised a fine young man in Joey too! He appears to be very responsible and respectful.
Before. After they lay their eggs their bodies are in a state of decay and they have sores and missing flesh and cannot even swim anymore and wash downriver. All animals that humans regularly eat whether gotten in the supermarket or hunting/fishing are healthy and capable of reproduction.
hey im from denmark and we aren´t allowed to use those fish wheels, but cool way of fishing!! how do the wheel work? what makes it go around, meaning what catches the water flow? have a good season,, gg from denmark
Can catch thousand or none but when numbers are high we just fish for short periods to get what we want. This day in video as it says was a record run and if wheel was let run could have caught many thousands. Instead the owner only wanted about 25 so stopped the wheel after a very short time.
The chum salmon in the video here are still doing well as the commercial markets have not developed enough to ruin the run. Our King salmon run is still recovering from years of over fishing and commercial fishing is not being allowed anymore as it got real low. Limited fishing for local house hold people food use is permitted.
Hello Sir! is there any posibility for you to uppload the program yukon men, I saw epesodes upp to 8 but then couldn´t find it here already. I love that program.
Fantastic machine. Soooo cool. Us city dwellers in the lower 48 never knew. We'd probably perish if we came to Alaska to live and there were no stores or fish and meat markets.
Stanzuray no need to defend or apologize for anything, this is your way of life,most people whining about over fishing do not know it begins way before the fish reach you,countries like Russia Japan China dont have near the regulations the U.S. has,and if im not mistaken fishwheels can be used by any Alaskan resident who qualifies for a subsistence fishing permit, NOT ONLY THE NATIVE ALASKAN INDIANS,good luck on next season of Yukon Men
Great vid! Thank you for posting it. I've never seen one of these before. I'm curious about the mechanics of this. I haven't had much success with google or youtube regarding it. Does the river's current power the wheel or is it gear driven with a pulley? How deep do you set them and in what depth of water?
+JoboBlevins Rivers current powers the wheel. They are usually somewhat adjustable as to how deep they dip into water but also they are built with smaller or larger baskets depending on depth of water at the fishing sites. My baskets are 15' from axle to tip of basket and they run around 13' deep into water. On a sandy bottom they can dig somewhat but where I fish it's hard rock bottom and hitting bottom will tear the basket apart in short order. Stan
Thank you for the reply. I have since found some schematics on these. I'll likely not have a need in Oklahoma but I do enjoy learning how things function. I have also learned that you are on one of my favorite television series. Keep up the good work. Another question for you... Is there a reason why one could not incorporate a gasification unit to generate electricity in your climate? Jobo
I suppose but having below freezing so much of the year may cause problems. ?? Don't know but time is always the big problem to do anything in my life.
We only ran ours for short periods on the Copper River. It was my grandfather's wheel, and I am not sure how many others used it, but my family only took enough for the winter. I think only natives can do this commercially.
That is always an issue of concern but usually declines are not caused by local subsistence fishing. Commercial not managed properly is almost always the cause of stock declines even in Alaska.
I wonder how are you doing this days Stan? I hope you and you family doing great. I miss the show yokun men I'm one of your followers. My kind of dream life that is.
One other thing the nay sayers don't think about is that salmon die when the spawn is done. If they are not caught and eaten they are all going to die soon anyway. Sure would be nice if their schooling included where food comes from (not the store).
Depends on the family. Just a couple of people without dogs or much extended family to share with, and not living much of the subsistence lifestyle they may catch 10 king and call it good for the season. Someone having all those things in their life may catch a couple hundred king and a couple thousand chum salmon.
Some how I don't believe that it stops there. other wise that rig is not need I have no problem with anyone taking what they need ! But over taking is a nother thing Samon numbers for wild cought fish have been on the down hill slop for years from over fishing let us all save some for tomorrow
Yes it doesn't stop there but we have little control over commercial fishing and hatchery production competing with wild stocks to support that fishing which are suppose to be by law secondary to our in river subsistence fishing which is a tiny fraction of what it use to be. 360 of these family fish camp wheels ran in the Yukon River in the early 1900's now there are under 50 on the best year. Our fishing is not the one that has done the damage and to attack it is shortsighted in light of the facts.
I not blaming anyone all I'm saying is we all can do our part And Yes I will we could do something to to Stop the way commercial fishing is done It's the saddest thing I have ever seen
I like Stan the best of every person on "Yukon Men". Everybody keeps talking about how old he is getting.I think he looks fantastic for being 60+ years old.. He is also in great shape. I think he can keep it going for another 20 years...or maybe more?
Wow i have never seen or heard about something like this before. Its so effective. Is the river really that productive all year long or is it a short time with so many fish?
As mentioned in the video description this was the biggest day of the record 2005 fall chum run. That was why I filmed it. No one was fishing except this one friend that needed 25 fish for his dog pot. He turned the wheel on and turned it right off. Some days you can fish all day and not catch one. People sometimes get upset seeing it for all the wrong reasons.
Stan Zuray well not me. I enjoy nature and clever fishing. Ppl should learn to be more respectful, but some think they can say what they want when they're sitting behind a screen.
Well that is awesome ..WoW I like it ..that whole idea is grate to copy on a small scale. I enjoy such a talented findings..big plus for you man ..Good luck.
listen i dont know why everyone is giving him such a hard time! up in remote alaska these things must be done to survive. they dont have supermarkets to go to and buy their food like you people. this is their way of life and i would like to see you guys doit better. im sure that stan has done this all his life and knows what he is doing
In the old days elders have told me fishwheels were often built because nets were so expensive. Rafts could be pegged instead of using spikes and wire from the old telegraph lines everywhere used to hold joints together. They can last ten years but often only about four. Depends on how well they are first made and accidents with driftlogs.
I could watch this on a live stream all day long. These fishwheel videos are never long enough.
I only just discovered this. As a hook and line fisho I find this machine absolutely remarkable. I could watch it all day. Thank you for sharing it with us.
This shows what smart thinking, hard work and perseverance can achieve. Great to see that the older designs still deliver the goods. Thanks so much for sharing.
Some historic papers going way back counted 150 Yukon River fishwheels from Fairbanks to the river mouth (almost 1000 miles of river). Another 150 at least would have been on the upper Yukon from Tanana to into Canada. Today there are a tiny tiny fraction of that amount of wheels on the Yukon and the chum runs remained healthy then and now. Estimated salmon passage past this wheel on the day of the video was 100,000 fall chum salmon. The wheel that day took about 30. Aggressive - yes/no.
That's pretty awesome to have an abundant renewable resource.
All that's needed is context really. This right here is a modest harvest that feeds a village and still allows for the fish population to continue growing. A lot of people are used to the devastating deep water fishing which literally scrapes the oceans clean, but they haven't thought it through properly to stop and realise that this is not the same thing. Thanks for the video!
Wasn't modest enough though.
Hello Stan from Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪. Great to hear from you again. I’ve had to open a new account as RUclips didn’t like some of my comments on Irish people fighting back against the British 90 years ago. But never mind I’m back bigger and better
I knew what a fish wheel was, but never really seen one (not in action for sure) Amazing, Entertaining and captivating and after seeing it, makes ya realize just how genius an idea this was and the ones who dreamt it up. Just awesome! Thanks so much for the share!
Loved seeing these operate on the Tanana. There was a stern wheeler tour in the 70s that started on the Chena and went up the Tanana a ways. Though we lived on Badger road, this was the only time I got to see a fish wheel. It was fun to see the sled dogs standing on top of their houses barking and howling. We also got to see the dogs pulling a three-wheeler for exercise. Good memories.
Mesmerizing! I could watch all day! That represents a continual ton of work to process and preserve all those fish for winter. This is self-reliance at its best and further represents one of the ONLY truly conservative and renewable forms of large-scale fishing. When you have enough, one simply stops the wheel. So unlike commercial fishing that takes and takes until fisheries are depleted and ecosystems ruined.
Thank you.
Guessing this video started the last good-stuff-on-TV era. TV after 2016 has just been a bunch of bs. So cool you posted this when yt still was fresh
Living In Great Lakes region nothing tastes better to me then a gift of freshly caught salmon smoked right by where caught .. no middle man processing . Best salmon I ever tasted . Family friends gifted this to my parents when I was child so delicious .
Love it - thank you, Stan, for sharing this. Your videos, dialogue and the show have taught us a lot about life in your area of the world. 👍👍👍👍👍
Stan & Family....Thank You for keeping the sustenance lifestyle alive and well. Feeding friends, family and sled-dogs is no easy task. I truely appreciate the work you put into your "wheel". It reflects the respect you have for native ingenuity and designs. You are the last of a great lifestyle, in world that has lost imagination, flexibility, adventure and compassion for mother nature. Please....Ignore those who are ignorant (they are obvious) and recall only what they have done to this world. KUDDOS To YOU!!
I've never seen a wheel like that on any river over here in NZ.
Is there not a daily bag limit per person per day or does it work on weight over there?
At the rate that thing catches fish alongside other fish wheels it's a wonder there is any fish left in the rivers to breed at all.
I wrote a long video description to the video. It's hard for anyone to make an informed comment by just watching the wheel catch fish on a record run of salmon day otherwise.
More info:
www.rapidsresearch.com/The_Fall_of_the_Yukon_King.pdf
Love the basket windmill idea! Stunning craftsmanship!
it's not new by any means.....
That is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. How is it powered? by the river?
Great video Stan! I come from a family of fishers, & am a big fanatic of fishing myself. This reminded me of why I rather live in country side where I can harvest and catch my own food. Anyways, thank you for the awesome video and stay positive :)
its soothing and relaxing looking at the net moving up and down while the fish are jumping. Innovative and smart.
This is a efficient way to feed a lot of people. I just want to know if you have a system in place that allows the fish that are "Small" to get back in the water, or is it one of the cases of so many fish that size limits don't apply. Very cool system.
MrPally - With the salmon on the Yukon and especially the King salmon it is the larger fish that need protection as years of selective large mesh gill net fishing have tended to let to many of the smaller king get to the spawning grounds while removing the larger fish and now we have genetically modified the run and very few large fish are seen anymore. Much of the research we did in the last 15 years was to show that and now finally management has agreed and they have made everyone fish smaller mesh nets. The large king have many more eggs in them and are able to spawn in heavier rocks. Getting good numbers of King coming back to the river is the smaller part of the problem - the run will never be the same unless the size comes back also. Researchers say fisheries can get back their numbers relatively fast with proper management but increasing the genetic size makeup of a run can take a very long time. Fishwheels take all sizes of king and may even bias towards a smaller fish if anything, so are much friendlier to a run in that regards. Read this story written by a well known Alaska author for more insight into all this on the Yukon.rapidsresearch.com/The_Fall_of_the_Yukon_King.pdf
What what I have seen in reality tv programs the fish mostly feed their dogs?
Stan Zuray the damn pinniped overpopulation epidemic is the biggest threat and problem for all pac nor west salmonoids damn seals n sea lions been overpopulated almost century overpopulated half century and hit epidemic levels thirty yrs ago gotten worse every year they eat the belly meat cause it's highest fat content and no large bones to poke or hurt their sensitive mouths, waste most the fish eat mostly just belly meat and don't waste energy typically running down the smaller more maneuverable ones they decimate the big spawning stock larger salmonoids and the salmon are already of poor eye sight depending on their sense of smell whichs incredible and fan smell two parts per BILLION, but are already of poor eye sight and and have predators eye sight facing up and forward can't see down or behind, and moment they leave sea enter fresh water they start to decay and lose protective slime coat and eye sight rapidly deteriorates, and unlike in open water where have infinite direction to escape the narrow and shallow rivers make them even more vulnerable to bastard sea lions and seals, and in estuarys bays and rivers and up to or more then 100+ miles inland the sea lions and seals chase the run inland and absolutely decimate them. I've salmon fished for living and sport for over third century and there is no credible actual threat anymore from dams fishing or pollution the ACTUAL threat and cause of decline is the epidemic overpopulation levels of few species that been overprotected for century, like the pinniped epidemic and damn kormarants that decimate the fingerling and smaller salmon and steelhead in bays rivers estuarys before they even reach the sea and few species of large birds like stupid heron and egrette and even damn sea gulls who just one large bird can consume up to 1,500 salmonoid fry as they hatch outta gravel beds barely larger then mosquito larvae. Just 4-5 species of overprotected epidemic overpopulation levels of them are DECIMATING salmonoid biomass across Pacific Northwest west from northern California up thru Alaska and northern California and Oregon is even worse then Canada and Alaska, the epidemic overpopulation levels of sea lions etc has been decimating them for thirty years and it's gotten worse every single year. Fishing (sport fishing only takes 3% salmon in pac nor west commercial 97%) dams pollution etc are NOT threat and most dams that were concern have been removed and silt etc from mining is zero threat anymore pollution not an issue and any and all forms of commercial fishing even capable of damaging biomass population has been totally abolished and the quotas and regs have been so strictly regulated there is ZERO decline today at the hands of man, the irresponsible overpopulated of 4-5 destructive species (#1 pinnipeds like sea lions n seals) is however a massive threat and the 99.999% of ignorant people inland who vote without having clue except the lies propaganda they told in documentaries produced paid for by animal rights groups are the problem.
I like this system very much. Thanks for sharing. Quick question: Seeing all this fish captured in just seconds makes you thinks maybe it is very aggressive with the river fauna. ¿Is this sustainable in the long term?
Thanks so much. Excellent!! I'd love to see them in operation again. Saw one over near Ugashik years ago.
Stan, morning... What are the bottles that are tied to the bracing on the wheel for.. They seem to fill with water then dump the water... Are they some sort of speed governor for the fish wheel ... Thanks...
They dump water on the fish so they don't dry in the sun on hot days. Also it keeps the ravens away from the fish.
AWESOME BLOSSOM🇺🇸
Even if it was 10 years ago. I just subbed to your channel. I used to faithfully watch the TV show until I stopped cable due to the high cost and millions of commercials.
I also follow you on facebook.
Hey Stan! Love the show, actually, I'm looking to take an Alaskan vacation by road, from Pennsylvania. Any tips for the long trip?
Drive 4000+ miles
If you are alone by the time you hit 1000miles I think you may be questioning your choice. Sooner if anyone is with you.
don't eat yellow snow!
@@napoleonwilkie4985 egfffdhhdeyrregf,gh psicofisiología sghcsfdsmtdofsf
I made that trip in 1965 from Columbus Ga. to Fairbanks with the wife and a 6 month old son in July . The Alcan hy. was gravel then . No ac in my 62 chev. A very hot dusty long trip . Loved every minute of it .
Take gallons of bug repellent. I hear the mosquitos are big as hummingbirds.
Stan, great video. People have no clue about living up there, they have no clue about the eco system, they have no clue about living. They are used to someone doing everything for them, someone to catch and process fish for them, to raise and process meat for them, to plant and harvest potatoes for them. They have no clue what it is like to do things for themselves. I envy your living up there. I wish I was born a 100 years ago. Wouldn't have preservatives in my food, all natural. I still hunt, would rather eat an elk stake any day over eating a processed cow..
In 1915 in the Yukon, a white person with average education, had a life expectancy of 45 years. Go for it.
Look around you have a lot of things that those clueless people have made for you.
But u can't spell steak need a dictionary spelling the words for u hahaha
Elkbow, you should Edit this to say "Some" people as you are including way to many. I understand completely. Must respect Stan. God bless and I hope you harvest plenty to get through the Winter as well as get you a Moose and Come Caribou too!
Spectacular video, Stan. The construction of the fishwheel is so efficient. How many fish does the holding tank hold? does the holding tank have holes that would allow undersized fish to get back into the water?
+Maggi Lunde Can hold hundreds of fish and some of the smaller whitefish do get out the holes in the livebox. Stan
Awesome video. Came across this contraption while reading about the Copper River after researching the Klawasi Group Mud Volcanoes, and was hoping someone had a great video of one in action.
Thank you for posting this video. I had never heard of a fish wheel and never knew what one was until I was doing Boldt Decision research (1974 fishing rights decision). Devices like these "were licensed on many rivers in WA state as early as the 1880's - 1890's." Source, Alvin Ziontz.
I would love to spend some time up there watching it catch fish. Who ever came up with this style of fish catcher? How long have they been using these?
Since the 1800's is what I've heard
Una pregunta. Estás makinas ustedes la hacen, o las venden?
What is Makinas?
There are some unique fishing methods in Alaska from fish wheels, to snag fishing(combat fishing), and dip netting.
Stan, how many fish do you catch on a good season? You guys are the best up there. Would love someday to visit tanana.
About 500 salmon for the extended family of about 5 households and giving away to others. Dogs eat much more but not just salmon.
@@stanzuray Sounds like a great life.
How many days do you have to operate the fishwheel to catch that many salmon?
When I was stationed at Galena Airport station in Alaska, I would sit and watch these fish wheels for six or eight hours at a time and amazingly enough. They are at the river during the winter is 9 feet thick.
The ice would be 9 feet thick.
Do you have to clear the rocks out under the wheel before you start it or do you look for a that is pretty cleared out from rocks already or put the wheel in the same spot every year?
Loved watching your show. What happened?
one year Discovery never sent a crew back to film. Probably it was too expensive to film us way out here and in the way they were doing it.
sorry about that hit wrong thing . Stan is chum fish salmon after the have spins and would just die off afterward? I love watching you and your son Joey You brought up a nice young man. My Dad was a lot like you he would make things work out of things around the farm even an old hand crank tractor that I drove at night to cut and bail hay. I have not seen if you have a season 5 or more I no longer have cable TV and have to wait if someone puts it on Utube I hope all is well with you and your family. Stay strong and keep teaching what you know . God Bless you Shaun
+Shaun Goeltz
Chums we catch are before spawning as after they spawn the body is spent and has little fat and nutrition. Dogs would die eating them in the cold of winter. The idea is to take only so much from a run of fish. The Alaska Fish and Game dept. considers the fall chum to be underutilized on the Yukon River. Dog team use and the fishing needed to feed them has diminished to a fraction of what it was in the historical past and because it is to remote for them to be shipped economically out of the area to distant markets in large numbers by commercial fisheries, hopefully the run will remain healthy
Hi, Stan. Why water us so muddy ? Is it a reason of gold mining?
It is crystal clear in winter when the silt from the river banks is not naturally eroding and the glaciers are not pour out their silt also. Heard it said that one day of natural eroded silt is greater than a summer of all mining activity in the Yukon River.
@@stanzuray Well noted, thanks ! Here, at Far-East of Russia we have a different situation sometimes. Gold mining it is a evil for nature, especially for a small rivers, which are filling a big ones...
I had no idea that the fish could be caught so quickly! Thanks for posting -
Thks for the info Stan on the dry & cold smoking tips - have a great / blessed day & be safe - Kirk out for now
Jim? Dammit Jim! lol
I like your video very much. Thanks for showing it, it gives an arizona woman a little insight about a state I would like to see for myself.
You are quite an amazing guy Mr Stan Zuray i know you think your not, But just a normal guy But i have the most upmost respect for you and you fellow towns people living off the land.
he's been there a long time and is obviously highly respected. people need to keep their mouths shut and their ears open. I like his classy presentations.
Aloha from Kailua, Hawai'i Stan, Looks like you had this RUclips channel before the TV show. I'm half Caucasian like your kids with my dad also being a New England Yankee like you also long and far removed. I still catch you accent though. You can take the boy out of Boston but you can't take the Boston out of the boy.
Amazing how productive that fish wheel can be. Growing up here in Hawai'i we had a stream behind our home and Dad taught us how to lay a gillnet to catch mainly 'Awa aka Milkfish which we would butterfly cut, salt down then dry in a screened box on top of our roof. A couple days of gillnetting while the 'Awa ran upstream got us enough fish to feed us for months. This was over 30 years ago. Now all gillnetting is banned in my part of the island because a small minority abused the use of gillnets resulting in the drowning of protected sea turtles. Also the sleepy little town of Kailua I grew up in has become so popular with mainlanders that housing prices have skyrocketed so that older local blue collar families have had to move away not being able to afford the skyrocketing land tax on properties they already owned for a few generations. Many Hawaiians wind up retiring to the mainland US where cost of living much lower. I hope the new road into Tanana does not have a negative impact with newcomers arriving and cramming their values and "culture" onto the town like it did to mine.
Looking forward to another season of the show, keep up the great work, keep it real.
A buddy of mine used to pay someone out near Glennallen or Copper Center to let him have a certain amount of time on their Copper River fish wheel. He'd get something like 6 hours and could keep whatever went in the wheel in that time. I can't remember what he paid, but he seemed to really get his money's worth. I never thought to ask him whether it was legal for him to take the fish, because I had no idea what the limits and restrictions are on who can use a fish wheel.
regulations are different for every river and even different times in season
If i can ask: do you do this before the salmon makes the eggs? And: do you have an excess of salmon there? Is it kind like in hunting, where it's needed to hunt particulars animals, and useful in certain seasons?
Thanks!
dario il diario this is not a very common form of fishing in Alaska, and the amount of fish caught by this is system is drops on the bucket.
stanzuray do you think a fish wheel would work on asian carp? I was thinking that if they were to used alot of fishwheels mabe they could help control there population. Someone could probably make a business out of it by produceing fertilizer or something else.
Will they work in slower current?
Can you sort the good fish out and release them with out harming them?
Thanks for posting this video.
Would not work on Carp population control=.. Carp population explodes and they bottom feed. This is a stationary wheel. It stays in one place. Has no effect on population.
Hard to believe back in the day that they figured to make this they really do work good
A
I Love watching your shows to and do you eat these fish to or just for dogs just wondering
All fish except for the king salmon are used as people and dogs food. The kings are for people only unless in a deteriorated condition.
The ones in the video are chum salmon and used for both people and dogs.
Was watching Yukon Men right now, wondered how fish wheels worked. Found this video, just as the show showed you emptying your catch tank. Pretty good timing. Nice rig.
same lol
What a marvelous contraption, I could watch it all day!
Hi Stan, I'm a teacher in Washington State helping kids learn about salmon and fish wheels. Would it be possible to download this video to show them how fish wheels work? We'll give you proper credit and attribution, of course.
That is one of the reasons why I post them - so they'll get used like that. Only thing I ask is the video description get used with this one as I get a few comments on taking to much fish from people who don't understand the fishery. The description has that info.
Will do. We've done that thus far and will continue that practice! Thank you!
Brother, this is awesome! I am kind of wondering how this idea on a much smaller scale would fair in our mountain streams here during trout season. I would not be able to keep the fish due to regulations here but it would be interesting to do the work and see if it would produce in the event it was needed. I only hunt and fish for subsistence here and not sport.
+Foothills Readiness Work best in cloudy water and when fish are migrating upriver. Fish need to be moving in numbers to catch a lot it seems. They miss most of what swims by it. Kind of like taking a swipe at a mosquito with your hand - win some lose a lot.
Very cool Stan, thanks for posting. Must have been a lot of dogs in the river on that run! Do you guys eat the chums as table fare or simply for the dogs? I've never kept one and tried eating it myself, I'm told they are even too dry to be good smoked but some guys I know smoke & eat 'em.
Hey dumb question for ya, in the last episode of S2 last week, you pulled the wheel since it hadnt gotten anything. I was curious how long you had it in, show made it look like overnight or something? And secondly, I was curious why you didnt just leave it in even though it wasnt catching fish? Just let it run and maybe get something? It sounded like you guys said it was a lot of work to leave it, but other than setting it up & taking it out and checking it every so often, what it the toughest part of working it while its in and why not just leave it?
Hoping for season 3 and beyond, love watching the show and you & Joey are good people. Very impressed and in awe of the lifestyle you live, I couldnt do it. Looks like you raised a fine young man in Joey too! He appears to be very responsible and respectful.
Is this before or after they lay their eggs?
Before. After they lay their eggs their bodies are in a state of decay and they have sores and missing flesh and cannot even swim anymore and wash downriver. All animals that humans regularly eat whether gotten in the supermarket or hunting/fishing are healthy and capable of reproduction.
hey im from denmark and we aren´t allowed to use those fish wheels, but cool way of fishing!! how do the wheel work? what makes it go around, meaning what catches the water flow? have a good season,, gg from denmark
My best friend, Super! Looked, very interesting! I liked your work! I enjoyed watch your video. Thanks!!!
Thanks Again Stan For Sharing Your Knowledge Here On RUclips.
how many do you catch in a 24 hr period Stan
Can catch thousand or none but when numbers are high we just fish for short periods to get what we want. This day in video as it says was a record run and if wheel was let run could have caught many thousands. Instead the owner only wanted about 25 so stopped the wheel after a very short time.
Hay stan how's it going
So easy and clever !!! Nicely done !!!
What is going on with the salmon run there's days ?
The chum salmon in the video here are still doing well as the commercial markets have not developed enough to ruin the run. Our King salmon run is still recovering from years of over fishing and commercial fishing is not being allowed anymore as it got real low. Limited fishing for local house hold people food use is permitted.
Just outside Boston saying hello Stan! Hope all is well
What an amazing piece of machinery! Thank you for the in-depth and informative description
I could watch this wheel all day !!
Hello Sir! is there any posibility for you to uppload the program yukon men, I saw epesodes upp to 8 but then couldn´t find it here already. I love that program.
Fantastic machine. Soooo cool. Us city dwellers in the lower 48 never knew. We'd probably perish if we came to Alaska to live and there were no stores or fish and meat markets.
Super good สุดยอดขอบคุณมากครับที่แชร์ดูแล้วได้ความรู้ครับ มีประโยชน์มากครับ ตามดูครับ
Stanzuray no need to defend or apologize for anything, this is your way of life,most people whining about over fishing do not know it begins way before the fish reach you,countries like Russia Japan China dont have near the regulations the U.S. has,and if im not mistaken fishwheels can be used by any Alaskan resident who qualifies for a subsistence fishing permit, NOT ONLY THE NATIVE ALASKAN INDIANS,good luck on next season of Yukon Men
Great vid! Thank you for posting it. I've never seen one of these before. I'm curious about the mechanics of this. I haven't had much success with google or youtube regarding it. Does the river's current power the wheel or is it gear driven with a pulley? How deep do you set them and in what depth of water?
+JoboBlevins
Rivers current powers the wheel. They are usually somewhat adjustable as to how deep they dip into water but also they are built with smaller or larger baskets depending on depth of water at the fishing sites. My baskets are 15' from axle to tip of basket and they run around 13' deep into water. On a sandy bottom they can dig somewhat but where I fish it's hard rock bottom and hitting bottom will tear the basket apart in short order. Stan
Thank you for the reply. I have since found some schematics on these. I'll likely not have a need in Oklahoma but I do enjoy learning how things function. I have also learned that you are on one of my favorite television series. Keep up the good work. Another question for you... Is there a reason why one could not incorporate a gasification unit to generate electricity in your climate? Jobo
I suppose but having below freezing so much of the year may cause problems. ?? Don't know but time is always the big problem to do anything in my life.
Do you smoke most of it and do bears raid the machine ?
This always amazes me.
I would love to see one in person.
They re very efficient and interesting to watch
Какой итог ? 👍👍👍
We only ran ours for short periods on the Copper River. It was my grandfather's wheel, and I am not sure how many others used it, but my family only took enough for the winter. I think only natives can do this commercially.
Good to see simple, designs working, only worry I have is over fishing the river.
That is always an issue of concern but usually declines are not caused by local subsistence fishing. Commercial not managed properly is almost always the cause of stock declines even in Alaska.
Hi from Israel STAN.
I've been watching your show for years.
I remember the day you repaired Joey's snowmobile.
:-)
I wonder how are you doing this days Stan? I hope you and you family doing great. I miss the show yokun men I'm one of your followers. My kind of dream life that is.
Family is good. I got a bad knee I got to fix but that's life. Still running around though.
@@stanzuray good to know your okay and your family. Just hang on there.
One other thing the nay sayers don't think about is that salmon die when the spawn is done. If they are not caught and eaten they are all going to die soon anyway. Sure would be nice if their schooling included where food comes from (not the store).
Love it Stan! I'm use to hoop nets and some memorable hauls when the catfish are running in the spring!
I'm absolutely green with envy of your life!! Thank you for sharing it with us.
Do you eat them? Or its only for dogfood?
We do both lots.
@@stanzuray nice, i am so jelous.
Doesn't the water ever clear?
Yes in winter when the banks freeze and the glaciers stop putting out there glacial silt. It's crystal clear then and the best drinking water
You're a lucky man Stan! Tough life, but good and honest and rewarding
How much does one person need?
Depends on the family. Just a couple of people without dogs or much extended family to share with, and not living much of the subsistence lifestyle they may catch 10 king and call it good for the season. Someone having all those things in their life may catch a couple hundred king and a couple thousand chum salmon.
Some how I don't believe that it stops there. other wise that rig is not need I have no problem with anyone taking what they need ! But over taking is a nother thing Samon numbers for wild cought fish have been on the down hill slop for years from over fishing let us all save some for tomorrow
Yes it doesn't stop there but we have little control over commercial fishing and hatchery production competing with wild stocks to support that fishing which are suppose to be by law secondary to our in river subsistence fishing which is a tiny fraction of what it use to be. 360 of these family fish camp wheels ran in the Yukon River in the early 1900's now there are under 50 on the best year. Our fishing is not the one that has done the damage and to attack it is shortsighted in light of the facts.
rapidsresearch.com/The_Fall_of_the_Yukon_King.pdf
I not blaming anyone all I'm saying is we all can do our part And Yes I will we could do something to to Stop the way commercial fishing is done It's the saddest thing I have ever seen
I like Stan the best of every person on "Yukon Men". Everybody keeps talking about how old he is getting.I think he looks fantastic for being 60+ years old.. He is also in great shape. I think he can keep it going for another 20 years...or maybe more?
Oh i'm sure a lot longer.
He's incredibly healthy. Meat diet. The best of the best.
You rock Stan!!!!! Stan is the man!!!!! The man with a plan...Always
Pretty amazing how ingenious humans can be when it comes to making sure the family is fed.
Wow i have never seen or heard about something like this before. Its so effective. Is the river really that productive all year long or is it a short time with so many fish?
As mentioned in the video description this was the biggest day of the record 2005 fall chum run. That was why I filmed it. No one was fishing except this one friend that needed 25 fish for his dog pot. He turned the wheel on and turned it right off. Some days you can fish all day and not catch one. People sometimes get upset seeing it for all the wrong reasons.
Stan Zuray well not me. I enjoy nature and clever fishing. Ppl should learn to be more respectful, but some think they can say what they want when they're sitting behind a screen.
Stan Zuray was one of the biggest stars on Yukon Men,.
Thats amazing! Were there a few Kings in there?
He is doing what he can as good as he can and the best part is he is getting good results good luck to you Stan and joe !!!
Stan ...friend always i see your life in alaska
mis saludos desde Argentina master
awesome Stan!..what a good catch you must have had that year.. by the way we love Yukon Men... cheers from Australia..all the best!
Привет из Беларуссии, обожаю фильмы с вашим образом жизни, смотрела по несколько раз и сейчас ищу где только можно...
Замечательный Стэн и его сын...
Very clever. Thanks for sharing!
I need to build one of these for my local river here in 🇮🇪
Stan I do analogize for my rude comments, They were uncalled for.
Can they be removed??
I removed the two comments. Thanks for reading the description . So many never bother
Well that is awesome ..WoW I like it ..that whole idea is grate to copy on a small scale.
I enjoy such a talented findings..big plus for you man ..Good luck.
Love you brother, nice work!
What a brilliant contraption! Here in NY we don't have anything like it.
Really miss Yukon Men! Stan was our favorite Yukon Man! Stan the Man🤣😂🤣
Man..this is a fantastic ideas..catch fish..every single days..never go hungry..👍
listen i dont know why everyone is giving him such a hard time! up in remote alaska these things must be done to survive. they dont have supermarkets to go to and buy their food like you people. this is their way of life and i would like to see you guys doit better. im sure that stan has done this all his life and knows what he is doing
Pretty neat but certainly not an inexpensive device to build..........I suppose once it is built it should last many year though.
In the old days elders have told me fishwheels were often built because nets were so expensive. Rafts could be pegged instead of using spikes and wire from the old telegraph lines everywhere used to hold joints together. They can last ten years but often only about four. Depends on how well they are first made and accidents with driftlogs.