They slowly make their way to the ocean, where they grow into adults, and several years later come back to the very stream where they were born to spawn. These fish aren't considered wild. They live in captivity for about a year before being released to swim out to sea and back. It's sunrise on the opening day of salmon season. The net will create an underwater barrier 80 feet deep and 1,800 feet across.
Fish tend to drive into the gear with their heads.
The net passes over their head and gets lodged behind the gill plates. You have them. Frank Fletcher has been gillnetting in Puget Sound for 27 years. With weathered features and a graying beard, he looks the part. He hopes to keep fishing for years to come.