Cisco Dip Netting

I am getting to a point in my life that when looking at my past is more interesting than worrying about the future.  On the way back from Mexico I started wondering if the Bonneville cisco run had started.  I then began to reminisce about my life and ciscoes.  In the late 1950's people started dipping ciscoes on Cisco Beach.  Bear Lake was one of the few lakes open year around and the Super Bowl had not started so there wasn't much to do in January.  My dad, Rex and his buddy Wade decided they wanted to try cisco netting, but nets were an issue.  Aluminum smelt/cisco nets were rare so they decided to build their own.  I remember going with him to the carpet store were he was able to get a 12' bamboo pole that they had rolled carpet on.  He then need to make an 18"frame so they formed 3/8' round steel rod around a steel bucket with tails on it.  Then he had the tails welded onto a piece of pipe that would fit snugly over the bamboo pole.  A couple of bolts then held it on.  A net was attached by wrapping parachute around it an the frame.

As a 12 year old making my first trip to Cisco's Beach for the run was memorable.  As we crested the hill just north of South Eden (the road was dirt and mud then) all I could see was billowing clouds of black smoke along the beach.  When we got there there were tire fires everywhere keeping people warm.  Most of the fishermen were in old war surplus coats with nets tied to poles, in hip waders and usually intoxicated.  Old trailer house and tents were scattered along the shoreline and trucks were stuck because there were no 4WD vehicles except Jeeps.  We netted our 50 fish each and headed home to clean them.  It was illegal to use them for bait.

I have seen countless changes over the past fifty years but as I was thinking about going dip netting I realized I had loaned all my nets out and none had returned.  When Dad died, I gathered up the old net so I decided to reintroduce it to the lake.  It was none the worse for wear so I headed over on the 20th which was historically when the cisco peaked.  I was surprised how much lighter, longer and sturdier it was compared to the aluminum nets.  Even in open water I had my fish in no time.  The old net didn't fail me and I think it was happy to be back in the lake after 45 years.

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