| Marinkovich Battles Fog and Sport Fishermen in Deception Pass |
It was foggy in Deception Pass when Matt caught a portion of these pink salmon. He had to stay close to the beach to keep the channel clear for passing boats which wouldn't see his net in the fog. This put him in close proximity to the sports fisheman casting out from the beach.
Matt and his gillnet raised the ire of these fishermen. They called him names (like a#%* and #$&!) and told him, "Go fish outside!" Matt replied, "You are here because this is where the fish are, and so am I. I am taking these fish back to San Juan Island to sell to people who don't sport fish. There's plenty of fish for everyone and my net will drift out of here in about five minutes."
At that Matt set his net and now the fish are here on island for all to enjoy. |
| The Maiden of Deception Pass |
 Deception Pass is a narrow, high-walled gorge between Whidbey and Fidalgo islands in the Puget Sound. It was named by Captain George Vancouver in 1792 when he learned that it did not lead to a closed harbor. The tidewater rushing through the channel makes navigation difficult even for motor boats today. The story of the maiden of Deception Pass is represented on the Samish side of the base of the totem pole on the Swinomish Reservation. Alexis Edge, one of the carvers of the pole, said (in 1952) that the Indians who once lived on the islands had no trouble bucking the swift current if they would think about the maiden; if they did not keep their minds on her, their canoes would get caught in the whirlpool and they would sink. Sometimes they saw the girl come up from the water; with her hands on her hips she would wade around in the current behind the canoes.
Reprinted from Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest page 199 by Ella E. Clark 1953
Please click here to read the wonderful legend in full. Please read it to your young children or forward this email to your teenager. |
