spike christopher
2008-04-11 19:04:08
For the past 10 years I have been involved in the videography of Alaska and some of it's unique wildlife.
Last year I started a film on power trolling in and around icy straights. You might have seen my troller the Vickie Rann fishing in that area ( Khaz bay to Lituya). This year I will be finishing up on some footage and need a couple of other willing fisherman to help. I would like to be able to film other boats and how they fish and run their gear. It would be nice to have a man and woman team but not a necessity. If you would like to participate please let me know by emailing me (spikechristopher@hotmail.com} or see me when we're at the floats. Great fun for all.
Salty
2008-04-11 22:00:51
Spike,
I would recommend a couple of things if you want to get an idea about running troll gear that is unique.
Go with Greg Howe or Bob Bell or Taiga Bell out of Elfin Cove when they are fishing humpies to get an idea both of moving gear and the volume of salmon that can come on board in a short amount of time. I know Bob and Taiga have a gear setting system. Taiga has one he inherited on the Lory from my son, Karl Jordan, that is really quite amazing. No more handling hooks, flashers, leaders, etc. while setting the troll gear. No more danger of hooks in the hand and no more tangles setting out.
For a complete idea of the ergonomics and safety of handling troll gear and lots of salmon in a quick and top quality fashion then you must talk to my son, Karl Jordan, who has revolutionized the way a few of us aquainted with him think about everything from where gurdie handles and troll snaps are placed to how to clean five salmon at once to minimize the number of motions and grasps with the hands. An interesting note here is that in our troll operations which go back over fifty years but involve the last 30 directly, not one of my family members has ever developed tunnel carpal.
I don't say this to brag but to help the troll fleet understand that there is really a better, more ergonomic way to handle fish than what lots of you us are familiar with. I know because I mishandled fish and abused my body and the bodies of my family and crew for many years. I still wince whenever I see a guy throw a nice salmon over his shoulder, over the middle of the cockpit, and finally down into the bin. My shoulder, my elbow, my back, my wrist, and my sense of what the bruising of that salmon does to my market pool all hurt. The very thought of throwing, slinging, or otherwise putting a salmon on board aggressively really bothers me now. We slip or slide those fish on now. And it is still a struggle to do it slowly and softly enough to minimize bruising.
Another thought here is to be sure to videograph the contrast between the traditional ice boat icing in bins and the modern icing in brailer bags systems. The amount of handling I used to do on my boat still amazes me. Contrast this with a modern set up.
Old style:
1. Fling salmon aboard, flay about with gaff subduing flopping fish for a while.
2. Jerk fish about on deck trying to remove hook with large barb.
3. Pick up fish and move from landing checker to cleaning/bleeding checker.
3. Pick up individual fish to put into cleaning trough big enough for one fish at a time.
4. Clean fish rapidly.
5. Pick up and Throw fish into cleaned fish checker or rinsing tub.
6. Pick up and Drop or otherwise move salmon into the slaughter bin in ice hold.
7. Pick up fish from slaughter bin and place in icing bin.
8. Slide fish into position and poke ice into belly and gills.
9. Spread a layer of ice over row of fish.
10. Carefully remove fish from ice and place into unloading tote.
11. Shovel ice out of bin into unloading tote or all the way overboard.
Evolved style:
1. Kill fish with firm conk or two while in the water;
2. Carefully slide aboard over the rail into the checker.
3. Twist hook out of jaw or remove bait hook and leader from the flasher.
4. Pick up and Place fish and several others in cleaning troughs designed for several fish at once;
5. Clean several fish quickly with very sharp knife minimizing times placing knife, pressure hoses and washing hoses up and down.
6. Pick up and Carefully move fish from trough to brailer bag.
Do not touch fish again. Do not shovel ice as it goes up with brailer bag.
And this does not even began to describe the savings on the body and the enhanced quality of delivering round troll caught bled salmon.
Granted, my system is not fully evolved as I describe above but my son has it pretty close on his boat. The other thing is to make sure to bleach rinse those brailer bags, slush tanks, and ice holds between every loading.
Another thing while I am on this rap. How many of you are using food service grease to lube your gurdies? Think about it, your gurdies have exposed grease and salt water running over them all day and are usually dripping water and grease onto your fish directly or at least onto the same deck you are handling fish on. The processing plants are required to use food serice grease on all their fish processing equipment. For years I had to go to the plants to get this kind of grease for my grease gun. Petro Marine in Sitka now carries it.
I share this stuff because I think of how much I have learned from having people like Sherry Tuttle and Bruce Gore actually come on my boat and give me ideas. I also had a physical/occupational therapist come down to my boat years ago and go over the ergonomics of my trolling system with me. What a revalation that was. And I was blessed with a son who is probably a genius in this regard. And I think of how far I have come and how I learn every year how stupid and negligent I have been in regard to both my body and the quality of my fish. Videoing some of the top guys in the fleet and what they are doing would be so much help to all of us. I am really looking forward to those videos.
My sister, Lynda Jordan Troka, who passed away last week, was an award winning videographer. She did some videos for Washington State University for farmers. I am thinking you might find some grant money to help with your production if you thought of sharing them with regard to ergonomics, safety, and quality. On the other hand, just having them for entertainment and history would be great.
My mother still has quite a bit of film from the 60's trolling. I try not to wince when I see pictures of our days catch covered up with burlap bags.
spike christopher
2008-04-12 01:41:43
Salty, are you the daughter of the Jordan that wrote the salmon book, and I take it Taiga's mother. I was at Elfin cove this year, does your husband play in the band there? I would like to film that fishery you suggested, it is a wonderful idea. I put together a small film for my wife's family in the lower 48 starting at Elfin cove last year. I truly enjoy the hobby. Send me your address and I'll send a couple of small films. Looking forward to seeing the Elfin gang again this fishing season.
kalitan97828
2008-04-12 03:58:17
Eric,
Your responce was excellent. All trollers shoud have to pass a quiz on the values and subjects raised before they cast lose from the float......
Much appreciated,
Carl
Salty
2008-04-12 04:47:59
Spike,
I use the handle "Salty" here because it was the name of my father's (Wilhelm "Skip" Jordan) first troller. I am not the daughter of Debra Page who is the author of the book you are referring to. I am the son, Eric Jordan, of award winning author "Marilyn Jordan George" "Following The Alaska Dream" which is about her life. A good deal of which is her adventures starting in 1946 trolling salmon in SE Alaska.
Debra is the wife of Bob O Bell who is a great musician and often plays in Elfin Cove. She has the boat "Madam Ching". He has the boat "Village Idiot". Taiga Bell is their son. He bought the "Lory" from my son "Karl Jordan" who bought the "Sassy" from Jonathan Moore who now has the freezer troller "Ocean Belle". I could go on for a while about the family ties to different boats etc. but will let the string end here.
I know the Cross Sound Marketing Association has a web site. Perhaps through the magic of the internet you could post a video on their or this site.
Thank you Carl. You are blessed with a super fisherman son also. Kind of fun to watch them smoke on by us old timers isn't it?
spike christopher
2008-04-12 14:42:31
sorry Eric I don't know how I read a woman into that response but I bet there were a few laughs from the old timers. I did read your mother's book and what a great story. Hope to meet you soon on the floats.