Most of the fishermen on trial were contrite, some tearful, one or two a little angry about being charged with violating a ban on fishing for Chinook salmon intended to prevent damage to the species.
Not far from the banks of the still solidly frozen Kuskokwim River, a series of trials aimed at establishing the fishing rights of the Yupik Eskimos of far Western Alaska opened Monday with a victory for the salmon still far at sea.
When you have to move the whole family around, it is a lot easier to travel by boat, it turns out. Unless, of course, you have to deal with the vast mudflats of Turnagain Arm, Chickaloon Bay and Cook Inlet.
A series of massive solar flares have in recent days erupted off the stormy surface of the sun; the last two were big enough to disrupt radio transmissions on Earth and likely produce aurora borealis shows that Southcentral Alaskans may witness after midnight, when the sun has finally gone down.
Early season clammers are already testing the waters of Cook Inlet, anticipating great tides for clamming over Memorial Day weekend. Most are looking for Pacific razor clams, although butter and littleneck clams are also available on some area beaches.
