Almost without fail, the Fourth of July is our busiest day of the season, the heart of the “run,” when the salmon are so thick in the river that they jump above the surface of the water. We often fish all day on the Fourth, and sometimes for days before and after.
But the fishing always pauses, at least for a few hours, and when it does, we gather at Clark’s Point to celebrate. We commune, we share pot luck, and we blow stuff up. That’s right. What is the Fourth but an excuse to celebrate the incendiary.
One of the fishermen in our district is a demolitions professional. Every year, he puts on a show, exploding this or that using timed detonators and gasoline. Every year, the show seems to get a little more grand.
Here, for your viewing pleasure, is a movie shot from the deck of a fishing boat a few years back. It also gives you a glimpse of what our world up there looks like.
Today or tomorrow, we’re probably standing on the bluff, celebrating our nation’s independence as only a fisherman can.
