Fishwheels
 

No new caribou picts yet, so here are some local fishwheels. King run was worst ever, reason is the bycatch out in the ocean by factory fleets. More bycatch thrown back in dead than everybody here in river takes each year for their own use (food), criminal, but the big boys pay off our politicals who have their hands out and pockets open. So this year, the feds said no fishing for locals, ya all can go eat grass. Downriver, they arrested some Indians, but caused enough problems that by the time the salmon got up our way, the feds didn't want to arrest anymore locals, the locals said screw the feds, we're fishin. The run was so bad, nobody was getting very many kings in their nets anyway. I use to get 20/night on a good night. This year people thought it was good night if they got 3-4 fish, but fresh caught salmon is still good, even if only a few.

Indians built a new fishwheel. Govt gives them a grant to pay one of the older guys that still remembers how to make one; to build it. Good to see somebody doing traditional skills; even if it's Big"O"s govt money. One pict is wheel turning. Current turns paddle (at 90 from basket), basket scoops up fish running upriver. Screen forces fish towards basket and basket has to be just deep enough to almost scrape bottom or fish go under it. Once basket turns up high enough, any fish that are scooped up slide down chute into box on either side of wheel. The Indians have been getting 20-30 a night, and everybody is eating fresh caught kings, a good thing. In 1950's people would get 500 kings a night in fishwheel; that's how bad it's getting. Back then they had to empty box every hour or so, or wheel would sink and stop turning. Anyway, here are some fishwheel picts.

http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/...h/P1000154.jpg

http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/...h/P1000145.jpg



Here's another locals fishwheel, I pulled it upriver once, man almost got away from me.

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...sfishwheel.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i7...6/MVC-434F.jpg

Re: Fishwheels
 

Great pictures! Soon the food supply will strat to disapear altogether! Right now we are seeing the begining. Remember the experiment with the mice in a cage?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Calhoun His study has been cited by Conservative Christian writers such as Bill Perkins as a warning of the dangers of the living in an "increasingly crowded and impersonal world".[

Re: Fishwheels
 

I gotta say, I admire your neck of the woods Zhurh!
Great pics!