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No tall tales on Alaskan fishing trip

Tiffany Tuell

(Updated: Friday, August 27, 2010, 12:59 PM)

Back-breaking 18-hour work days, cold temperatures, a sun that never sets, no Internet, no cell phones, one shower a week, no indoor plumbing and an overwhelming smell of fish -- dead and alive -- were all part of 16-year-old Damien Holt's 28-day Alaskan salmon run adventure at Bristol Bay.

"I liked it a lot and it was a good experience but really hard work," said Holt, a junior at Yosemite High School.

Holt -- a member of Oakhurst Boys and Girls Club -- was selected by the Club's director Eric Solomon to be part of the world's largest fishing run because of his work ethic and attitude.

"He was one of the hardest workers up there and had a great attitude," Solomon said. "He's such a fast learner he could have his own boat now, but it's grueling work doing the same stuff over and over again and it wears you down physically and mentally."

Because of the intense work schedule -- which varied from 12 to 18 hours a day -- and the sun never setting, it was never a normal day. "We'd be eating dinner at midnight but it doesn't feel like it," Solomon said. "You lose all track of time and days."

Holt said the 28-day work experience seemed more like three or four months. There was down time from fishing, Solomon said, but then it was time to fix equipment, trucks, lines and nets.

The team of nine, including Holt and Solomon, caught 109,000 fish -- the average is normally around 68,000. Solomon said his boat caught 5-6,000 fish a day. There were so many fish that work was non-stop at times. Holt said the crew was out until 2 a.m. and got only a half hour of sleep at one point.

"There were so many fish that they were filling up the nets the minute they hit the water," Solomon said. "It was a feeling of 'It will never end.'"

Both Solomon and Holt said they would work the salmon run again, but said it's not for everyone. "It's good money but you have to be athletic and thick skinned and mentally strong," Holt said. Because of his hard work, he is now the proud owner of a Mitsubishi Eclipse.

Before they returned to Oakhurst, they took their first and only no-work day of the trip and boarded a float plane to Katmai National Park to see the abundance of Alaskan bears. "There were countless bears and they'd be next to you on the trail," Holt said.

This once in a lifetime opportunity is due to a scholarship fund Oakhurst resident Peggy Jamison set aside when her husband and two sons died in an automobile accident. The scholarship pays for travel expenses and provides food and lodging. Jamison has owned the land, cabin and fishing permits for years and she and her late husband took their sons up there from the time they were small.

Next year, Solomon said it's possible that another Boys and Girls Club member, along with Holt, might be invited along if they fit the criteria necessary to succeed in the harsh conditions.

"The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Oakhurst is to inspire and assist all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens," Solomon said. "Damien expresses all of these traits and I believe that this Alaska Scholarship has helped mold him into an outstanding individual.

"After witnessing his work ethic and compassion for others any business or company lucky enough to have him on board will be better for it in the future. It's because of caring people like Peggy Jamison that our Club is able to offer programs and scholarships like this. I feel truly blessed to be part of a community that cares so much for our youth," Solomon said.