When you go fishing you gotta dress the part. And when it’s the brutal monotony of commercial fishing, double that. You will be tired. You will do stupid things. You better get geared up, because it can save your ass.
In Cordova, we went to one of those everything-including-the-kitchen-sink mercantile stores that are the cornerstone of Alaskan life outside the big cities. If you’ve never been to one of these stores, where the stock reaches to the ceiling and is crammed into every nook and cranny; where you realize that the only person who knows the entire contents of the store died decades ago… It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And if they don’t have something, they can get it.
Here’s a peek (this example, from Soldotna, Alaska, is more organized than many):
Soldotna Hardware, Soldotna, Alaska
I was at this mercantile specifically to get geared up. Actually, I was only there for one thing. Xtratuf boots (the rest would be supplied by the Three Sisters).
You’ll see these boots in every fishing village in Alaska. You’ll see them on virtually every fisherman. There’s only one model of interest: the 15″ boots. Those are the ones that ride high enough to keep the seawater out. You’ll definitely appreciate that.
15″ Xtratuf Boots
The goal was to make me look like this when I was finally all geared up:
Alaska fishing fleet, Bering Sea
It’s the uniform. Orange Grudens clipper bibs. Xtratuf boots. Fishing gloves, perferably Shimano. Rain slicker with hood. Baseball cap disguised as a fishing hat, brim always pointing to the front, the better to ward off the evil jellyfish.
In case you’re wondering, here’s a photo of what it looks like to be slimed by a horde of jellyfish:
Photo: Three Sheets Northwest (includes a superb description of making a set)
Note the look on the fisherman’s face. This is truly unpleasant.
Copyright Leland E. Hale (2018). All rights reserved.
Order “What Happened In Craig,” HERE and HERE, true crime from Epicenter Press about Alaska’s Worst Unsolved Mass Murder.