This year, Andrew Held, was our fisheries technician at Shell, Whiskey, and Hewitt lakes where he primarily harvested invasive northern pike but also counted salmon at Shell Lake. Here’s what he had to say:
How did you find out about this position?
I learned about this position through the Alaska Works Job board. I was looking for seasonal fisheries work when I found this position.
Walk us through your daily routine.
Our daily routine changed throughout the season as salmon migrations changed but usually it would start out with waking up and cooking breakfast. From there I would usually go and check out pike nets. We [Andrew and his teammate Caleb Abbott] would pull and remove any fish from the net and depending on how many pike were caught and then move or reset the net.
We would then eat lunch. Following lunch, we would either go and check the weir for salmon activity or go set more nets. As the day progresses, we would usually find ourselves back at camp where we would begin cooking dinner and entering data from the day into our data collection binders. After this I would usually take the opportunity to go fishing or read a book and when I finished, I would go to bed and prepare for the following day.
How do the elements (weather, cold, sun) affect your work?
The rain made this job particularly difficult. Besides the difficulty regarding keeping oneself and one’s clothes dry, the rain also caused fluctuations in water levels, which damaged equipment. Rainfall during our first week at Shell Lake caused the creek to rise so much that the weir we were monitoring broke, and parts had even washed downstream. Luckily though we were able to fix broken equipment and rebuild the weir so that it would function correctly. Lucking most, the rest of the summer was nice and the weather did not create any extra challenges to overcome.
What is there to eat and drink at the weir?
We always had plenty of food at the camp. Breakfast was usually eggs or oats, and lunch was almost always a sandwich. For dinner we had several options. We cooked chicken, beef, pike, or salmon usually with either pasta or rice. We would also usually cook some sort of vegetable with dinner.
For dessert I would usually make either crisp or brownies. There were some berries around camp including cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, and watermelon berries, which I would eat as well. We were always well stocked at camp though and were never hungry.
Where do you sleep and keep the stuff you brought with you?
Our equipment was kept in camp. Most of our gear was kept in the tent throughout the day where it was dry and protected.
When you're not working, how do you spend your time?
When I am not busy, I would read, go fishing, and cook. I learned to make bread from the Outdoor Boys YouTube channel. I also went hiking to the top of Shell hills where I was able to see all three lakes that I worked on during the summer.
What strategies do you use to stay focused on an accurate count?
To keep an accurate count, I just focused on the count. I ignored all other distractions including mosquitoes and rain.
Why do you believe your work is important to Alaska?
Protecting our natural resources is not only important for future generations but the protection and restoration of our natural places is important for all ecological functions within the ecosystem. By protecting salmon, we help enable salmon harvest for Alaskan communities while also providing food for bears, wolves, and birds. Salmon are a keystone species and their migration provides nutrients not only to predators, but also the greater ecosystem.
What is the most challenging aspect of this job?
The most challenging part of this job was the first week in the field when the rain came and the stream rose, breaking the smolt weir. We needed to fix the weir and repair broken pieces of equipment with the limited gear that we had access too.
What is your favorite part of this job?
Fishing in the evening while watching the sunset was my favorite part of the job. Being out in the wilderness and watching the sun set over the Alaska Range was surreal.
What lessons will you take away from this experience?
From this experience I developed my teamwork and communication skills. I worked long hours with Caleb and through frustration and exhaustion we always got the job done. Communication and working collaboratively was crucial in the field and I was able to grow this skill to work effectively.
