Greenhorn on Deck

Notes from a slow opener and an uncommonly smooth start to the season

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.

Jacques Cousteau

Commercial fishing season is officially underway!

Our first opener was Thursday, June 19, and we’ll be headed back out tomorrow, June 23, to cast our nets and try our luck again.

A commercial fishing “opener” is a scheduled window of time when fishermen are legally allowed to fish. These openers are set by state or federal managers based on fish counts, escapement goals, and sustainability needs.

For the Cook Inlet Drift fleet, the fishery I’m a part of, regular openers run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays until the season closes sometime in August.

As the season progresses and more fish flood into the inlet, we will also get emergency openers. These can take the form of extended hours (like fishing until 10 p.m. instead of 7 p.m.) or additional 12 hour openings, often on Saturdays.

I’m pleased to report that our first day went smashingly well and I loved every second of it…well, not every second, but 99.9% of it was amazing. I had about a million brand new experiences and learned so much. I cannot wait to get out there and do it again.

Now, all of this comes with a caveat: the inlet was glass calm.
A rare phenomenon in Cook Inlet, where powerful tides and ripping currents usually make the water rough and unpredictable. Even on the nicest summer days. The sun might be shining, but the wind almost always kicks up.

I took this from the bow of our boat at 6am

The best way I can describe the conditions? It felt like playing a “Cook Inlet Commercial Fishing” video game set to easy mode. Or, a simulator designed for queasy tourists who want the “day in the life of a fisherman” experience…minus the icy winds, frigid spray, and stress of picking fish on a slippery deck while the boat rolls around in the waves.

We also only caught 7 fish.

Every fish has to be picked out of the net by hand, so it was an easy start for me. I haven’t picked fish since I was a little girl on the setnet sites with my family and even then, my contribution was minimal. My uncles, aunts, and cousins did the bulk of the work. They just tossed me a pair of gloves and let me untangle a fish or two to keep me occupied.

There is an art to picking fish. They get so impossibly tangled it can feel like you’ll never get them out. I struggled to release each one, while my partner pulled them from the net like it was nothing. My father in law uses brute force, but with a subtle finesse acquired by decades of experience. It wasn’t until last year, at 78 years old, that he hired a deckhand who finally out picked him.

I can tell I’m going to need a lot of practice before the real run hits, when deliveries jump to hundreds, or even a thousand, fish.

At least our seven fish were all reds, the species we’re targeting.
Still, it’s not much to show for five sets and twelve hours of work. We figure we need to catch forty fish just to pay for fuel. So, we’re only thirty-three fish in the hole.

You’ve heard of girl math?
Well, that’s fishermen math.

The official “first fish of the season” kiss

It’s typical for early season openers to produce little to no fish, which is why most boats don’t even start fishing until July. But we’re a new operation. We needed a good shake down run to test out our gear, train the crew (aka me), and sniff out some fish before the real chaos begins.

We’re hoping that tomorrow will be a bit more lucrative for us. We found a spot we like and we plan to head straight there and set on it all day long. Who knows, maybe we’ll deliver 73 fish and cover fuel for the maiden voyage as well.

45 Minute Grounding Yoga Nidra | Kristen Rose

52 Minutes | All Levels | Beginner Friendly

This was the first Nidra I practiced on the boat, and I had to include it because the experience was a little amusing.

Our alarm went off at 4:30 a.m., and after we got underway, I climbed back into the bunk for my morning Nidra while the captain drove us out to the grounds. What made it funny was that every time Kristen invited me to "root down into the earth," I couldn’t help but think, But I’m on a boat! It made me smile every time.

Still, it was a lovely practice and it prepared me well for my first full day on the water.

40 Minute Yoga Nidra for Deep Rest | Ally Boothroyd

42 Minutes | All Levels | Beginner Friendly

Around 2 p.m., after three sets of the net and two rounds of coffee, I hit a wall and decided to hit the rack for a second Yoga Nidra session. The steady hum of the engine paired with the practice lulled me into a deeply relaxed state. So relaxed, I actually fell asleep! That hasn’t happened during Nidra in a long time.

Either way, it worked. I woke up feeling rested and stayed happily on my feet for the rest of the day.

Somatic Shaking: Shake off the stress | Emotional and Physical Healing | Faith Hunter

7 Minutes | All Levels | Beginner Friendly

Earlier this week, after an emotionally charged conversation left me feeling anxious and unsettled, I turned to this brief somatic shaking practice from one of my all time favorite teachers, Faith Hunter.

I only recently discovered somatic shaking…formally. It caught my interest because I’d already been intuitively including it into my personal practice and the classes I teach. So stumbling across the plethora of somatic shaking videos on YouTube was exciting.

All I can say is: if you’re feeling overwhelmed by activating energy (like anxiety, anger, resentment, or irritation) shaking is a powerful way to release some of it. It’s not a magic fix; the energy might still be there when you’re done. But it will bring it down to a more manageable level. And that’s exactly what it did for me.

You’re not broken. You’re Just full of Unreleased Energy | The Michael Singer Podcast

53 Minutes | Great for Everyone

I listened to this podcast while cooking a family meal on Saturday night. I planned to sit down and finish the final edits for this issue after dinner, and I knew I had to slip this in.

I really love Michael Singer. I’ve listened to many of his talks, and he never fails to inspire me. He also wrote one of my all time favorite books, The Untethered Soul. I’ve read it multiple times, and it’s always a profound experience. I’m planning to read it again soon.

As far as I’m concerned, Michael’s teachings are pure gold.
I hope you get as much out of this as I did. Enjoy.

Instead of a question this week, I want to offer you a challenge.

Can you go out into the world and try something new?

Even better if it scares you a little.

Not the “I might die” kind of scary, but the “What if I can’t do it?” or “What if I hate it?” kind. Maybe even the “What if it’s miserable but I signed up for it and now I can’t escape?” kind.

I had all those fears about fishing.
But I went out there anyway and I loved almost every second of it.
Remember when I said I loved 99.9% of it?

Here’s the part I didn’t love…

Climbing the extremely high, metal ladder over the Kasilof River to retrieve my fish ticket. Halfway up, I wanted to turn back. But a kind, supportive fisherman coaxed me to the top. I even climbed back down to the boat when I was done.
Even though I really, really didn’t want to.

And guess what? I didn’t die.

I hope you all have a slightly scary week. :)

See you next Sunday.