Alaska Blues: A Story of Freedom, Risk, and Living Your Dream » (Illustrate)

For seven months, Joe Upton steered his 32-foot boat, the Doreen, through the open channels and narrow, twisting passageways of Southeast Alaska, fishing for salmon. This is his account of that season of fishingthe lonely hours at sea as well as the close community of the fishing fleet; the sudden, violent storms and glorious days of sun; the difficult, frenzied work and quiet moments of contemplation. Alaska Blues is a classic Pacific Northwest tale of independent men and women living on the edge, surviving not only the whims of nature but also the shifting fortunes of the fishing industry itself.

Preface to the 1998 Edition

Charts of the Inside Passage

The Beginning 1

The Inside Passage to Alaska 11

Southeastern Alaska 33

Trolling for Salmon 51

The Ruins 77

Gill=Netting 93

The Packers, or Tenders 113

Purse Seining 125

Halibut Fishing 137

Skiff Fishing 147

Fall 165

Home 195

The Alaska Blues 225