Alaska Salmon Fishing with No Hooks

Well this is a little outside the parameters of Fly Fishing yet I found it interesting and thought that others may as well. It is called Salmon Fishing with No Hooks...

It has been brought to my attention by someone that was recently in Alaska that there is an annual event in Alaska that involves no fishing rods or lines and yet can have a very high catch rate, despite the river's dirty brown water. It is called 'dip netting salmon'. The Copper River, where the event was held, is located in south-central Alaska and drains into the Gulf of Alaska at the west edge of Prince William Sound, east of the fishing port of Cordova. The fishing took place in the canyon downstream of Chitina. It can be a interesting and scary adventure with standing waves and whirlpools, although my informant advised that they were lucky to fish it in high flow conditions. The high flow created a velocity barrier for upstream migrating salmon causing them to congregate at the bottom of the canyon and creating a memorable day of fishing. The water was very murky and it was amazing that the dip nets repeatedly were quickly returned with a salmon in catch. 38 salmon landed in 45 minutes, so if you are having trouble mastering the fine art of casting, maybe you can have a go at this dip netting...

Copper River sockeye are rated as the best quality sockeye in Alaska, and some say in the world, owing to their very high oil content. Their flesh is deep red in colour.