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Images of the process (click on image) |
In the Keweenaw, a “must do” for visitors is to sit down and enjoy a fresh Lake Trout or White Fish dinner at one of our fine restaurants. The reason for this popular mouth watering treat is the quality and freshness of the fish. That fish you are eating today was swimming around in Lake Superior yesterday.
Just north of Hancock, across from the Quincy Mine Tour is the Peterson’s Fish Market, the main supplier of fresh fish in the Keweenaw. This Native American family have been commercial fishing for five generations and established the market 18 years ago. They supply Lake Trout, White Fish, and Salmon, fresh or smoked, retail to the public, and wholesale to area stores and restaurants year round. In the summer a concession stand next to the market, the Four Suns Fish and Chips, serves white fish filets, deep fried or baked along with several choices of sides, and homemade soups, and is a favorite lunch stop for locals.
Years ago Gilmore Peterson, patriarch of the family, told me how it is a constant challenge to survive as a commercial fisherman both in marketing and doing battle with Lake Superior’s quick changing moods. The hard work, danger, long hours and some times too small catches were over shadowed by his love for the adventure of working on Lake Superior with his family. Ever since that conversation I have wanted to go out on the lake with Gilmore, photograph and write the story of The Tastiest Catch.
At 5 AM. I crawled into Chris’s truck and we headed for the boat. Chris is Gilmore and Pat Peterson’s son, Captain of the Three Suns, and the 5th generation to fish Lake Superior. At the dock on the north end of the Keweenaw Waterway, we met John Christopher and Jamie Bradford, the crew. Boxes of crushed ice were quickly loaded and we were off. The Three Suns is a 52 ft. fish tug. A steel workboat, she is designed for Lake Superior’s fury, powered by a diesel engine and equipped with all the modern electronics and fishing equipment needed. We were headed to a series of nets set the day before three miles off shore on the Keweenaw banks. Captain Chris explained, “We are deep water fisherman, setting our nets on the bottom where the land mass of the Keweenaw drops off, 90 to 200 foot depth. That is where you find the white fish and lake trout.” Chris monitors the radar watching for other boats as the GPS and auto-pilot steer the tug through the darkness to the waypoint marking the first gang.
As the bright light of the full moon shimmering across the water is replaced by the pink light of dawn we approach the first net. The white ball buoy is almost invisible in the early light. Chris explains, “With all the westerly winds we have been getting the currents are strong collapsing my nets and pulling the buoy under.”
John reaches with a long hook and catches the buoy, bringing the line around the winch and spilling the line out on the table. Soon a 40lb. chunk of chain weight comes clanging thru then net, and flipping 2-3lb. whitefish drop on the table. In a blur of motion, Jamie guides the net while John and Chris pick the fish from the net and toss them into the boxes beside the table.
Chris stands near the open hatch where he can see the net coming up and steers the boat by remote to stay in the right position with the emerging net. At the end of the table, between fish, John gracefully lays the net in orderly circles in the net box to prevent tangles when resetting. This fast flurry of action is done quietly with no shouting of orders as each man handles his tasks, the three backing each other up when a tangle comes in or an extra large fish drops onto the table.
Chris told me, “Jamie, (6yrs experience) and John, (23yrs experience) are valuable to me, we keep them on all year because we don’t want to lose them. Men who like to work this hard in sometimes 10ft. seas are rare.” After 15 minutes, the net anchor chain hits the winch. Chris returns to the bridge and sets the GPS for the next gang. John arranges the net boxes just raised and pulls them to the rear of the boat for reset then returns to help Jamie dress the fish just caught. Sharp knives quickly dress and clean each fish in a blur of motion.
The Three Suns goes to full throttle as Capt. Chris moves to where he wants to set the net just raised. After 10 minutes the engine slows, signaling John to move to the back of the boat opening the 12 ft. wide hatches in preparation for setting. Holding the net anchor, he drops it overboard when Chris steps from the bridge to the remote throttle. Chris guides the net from the box and throttles the boat speed so it pulls the net out while John, in a flurry of motion, straightens, snaps, and flips weights as the net passes through his hands. After several minutes the net ears come to the anchor then the leads and the marker buoy go out.
This fast paced routine continues for hours, hook, raise, pick, dress, move, reset, move, and then repeat. The fish boxes fill. Chris explains, “We are allowed only so much gear, so we really have to work it, to make it pay. As the fish migrate during the year I have to keep moving and find them. Because of the quality of our fish we have developed a market and increased the demand for fish. My goal is to sell all our fish to the public directly. We have traditionally adapted to changing times, you have to. There are not many of us left.”
Chris shares the family dream and long range plan. “Today there is a big demand for fish oil. Right now we have over 50% waste because we sell mostly filets. We need to set up an oil rendering plant and also fish the Siskiwit trout (Fats). This species of lake trout is generally bigger and too oily to eat. They live in the deeper flat portions of Lake Superior and are numerous, having greatly reduced the smelt population. We could render all our waste, with the bi-product of fish meal thus utilizing the whole fish. It is a very green and sustainable concept. Lake Superior’s untapped oil reserve,” Chris laughs.
After only a 10 hour day we pulled back into the dock and loaded the fish into the truck. Back at the Fish Market a production line of five people were filleting fish. The smooth motion of the long pointed filet knife in the hands of Gilmore and Pat was the standard to watch, as the thick filets went one direction and the near skeletons fell off the end of the table.
As our day’s catch was processed, the shop had a steady stream of customers buying filets and smoked morsels to take home. Outside a steady flow of hungry people sat in the shade eating Matt and Tammy’s cooked to order fish and chips.
Any day fishing in the Keweenaw is special but watching this tight family working hard, having fun and supplying you and I with Lake Superior’s best, is yet another example of our fine business community and why visitors return year after year.
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