The beauty of set net-fishing is that the work is simple, hands on. There are no hydraulics or fancy electronics. We set out in small skiffs manned by two or three people and pull nets by hand. We carefully place every Sockeye salmon in the brailer bags on board. For six weeks every summer, Bristol Bay is our home and our paradise away from the bustle of the lower 48 states.
As a photographer and fisherman, I love capturing these uncomplicated moments on the water. Here Conor Kelly and Marty Machado work a net during high tide shortly after sunrise near the Kvichak River.