Articles on Dipping at Chitina...free

[Chitina]

I had mentioned an article from the Fairbanks Daily Newminer this year about Chitina...here it is:
http://newsminer.com/2007/06/01/7272#more-7272
If you have trouble getting it go to Newsminer.com and register(for free) to get access, go to 'Archive' (on the left side) and hit the July 1 date..also do a search on 'Chitina' and go back to July of last year for a couple articles on Chitina, including a general 'How to Dipnet at Chitina'

[GirlsFish2]

I tried to view the post from last July and there is a access fee to view it. Does anyone have the "how to" article they can PM me. I have some newbies that would like to read up before they go.
Thanks,
H

[Chitina]

The basics of dip netting at Chitina

Published July 7, 2006
By KELLY BOSTIAN
Go to the river, stick in your net, pull out some fish. How tough can it be?
Like a lot of things that sound easy, there are nuances to dip-netting that can make the chore go a little smoother. Everyone has different views on how much effort needs to go into dip-netting gear. All you really need is a net and a permit and you can catch fish, but other items add to safety, efficiency and ability to care for those valuable fish and fillets. Here's a rundown on some basics in the order that you'll need them.
DRESS AND PACK Bring more warm clothes than you would think you'd need in the summer. Dress in layers and have rain gear. Rain bibs are nice to wear--and easier to clean later--when handling lots of fish. Wear waders or knee-highs if you plan to sweep, but boots with good tread or even tennis shoes can be safer and more comfortable for rock climbers. Wear a life jacket. Whitewater-class PFDs are most suitable for the Copper River, but any life jacket is better than none. Bring a day pack, snacks and plenty of water. You'll be working hard and you'll need the energy.
TYING IN "Tie up high," is a good rule to remember. "High" as in high enough so if you fall you won't go into the river and "high" as in high on your chest so if you do go in, the rope will hold you head-up so you can pull yourself out. One easy, safe and cheap way to tie off is to use the same web rescue harness used by river rescuers. Brad Paulson, Chena Goldstream Fire and Rescue deputy chief, demonstrated the technique, which allows a person to adjust the web quickly for a comfortable fit around the chest but with a knot that won't allow the web to constrict a person's chest. A 12-foot length of 1-inch tube webbing and a good quality carabiner can be picked up at any sporting goods shop for less than $20. Tie the web ends together, using a water knot or fisherman's knot, to make a circle. Put it behind your back and bring each side forward under your arms. Then create a modified Lark's Foot knot by looping the web through itself twice instead of just once. You should be able to slide the knot and snug the web up to your chest, but when the tag end is pulled it shouldn't get any tighter. The rig is easy to make and easy to incorporate with the D-rings or web on many variety of life jacket as well, Paulson said. Those with climbing harnesses around their waist can still hook in low, but can remedy the situation with a smaller circle of web strap. Put the strap across your back, put both arms through and hook the web together with a carabiner in front of your chest. Run the rope to your waist harness through the carabiner and the "pull point" will be where it needs to be. At some stores, like Beaver Sports, there is usually a knowledgeable person on hand who can demonstrate the proper knots to use.
THE NET Some like the big gill nets, some like the extra-large big deep nets, but a basic landing net on a 10-foot pole is all that's really needed. Larger nets can be hard to hold in the current and can make it harder to feel fish in the net. On the other hand, it is easier to catch and handle a large king salmon in a larger net. Personal preference plays a big role here. A handle on the net helps when sweeping, but also helps a netter tell how the net is positioned under the murky water. Put the handle on either in-line or perpendicular to the net.
THE BONKER It doesn't take a big rock to kill a big fish and trying to stab it to death is dangerous and ineffective. One quick, sharp thump expertly placed on the top of the head over the eyes will kill the largest king, or at least stun it long enough to cut the gills and get it on a stringer. Bonkers of a variety of material are sold, but the top 12 inches of a hockey stick handle or a 2-by-2 will work fine. Drill it and put a rope through it. Your hands will get slimy.
THE SHEARS Ordinary kitchen or pruning shears are handy for cutting fish tails at Chitina, as required by state law, and also provide and easy and quick means of cutting gills to bleed fish bound for the stringer.
One quick stringer method for the knot-tying impaired is to create six lines that consist of 2 feet of hollow braided rope with a loop at each end. Use fishing line to stitch the loop ends so they won't pull out. A small carabiner and a 3-inch metal hoop for each line is all you need. Put five sockeyes on each loop. They're not too heavy, and when you've got them all full, that's 30 fish.
THE STRINGERS Some folks still say that using short pieces of parachute cord to loop five or six fish together and then putting those stringers on a larger main rope is the easiest thing to do. Still others go to elaborate lengths to design stringers. As with any stringers, if at all possible, tie them off so they are separated. Otherwise they will twist and tangle in the current, making a knotted mess. This is all you need to get out on the river and collect your fish. Which knives to use and how best to load fish into coolers and when to fillet and process fish is another story. --Kelly Bostian