Bristol Bay, 1935 by John Hume

Since 1884, fishermen have worked the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. These hardy souls worked day and night when the summer runs came, risking their lives on 22 foot tides and unpredictable currents and weather. Until 1951, they used Columbia River boats, sailboats that were 28 or 29 feet long by 9 feet wide, oak framed and planked with cedar or fir. The single sail also served as a tent to offer some protection when a crew stopped to brew coffee on kerosene stoves. Nets were set and hauled in over wooden rollers mounted either amidship or on the stern.