A Gillnet's Drift

Tales of Fish and Freedom on the BC Coast

Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book A Gillnet's Drift by W.N. Marach, Heritage House
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: W.N. Marach ISBN: 9781927527726
Publisher: Heritage House Publication: April 1, 2014
Imprint: Heritage House Language: English
Author: W.N. Marach
ISBN: 9781927527726
Publisher: Heritage House
Publication: April 1, 2014
Imprint: Heritage House
Language: English

One Friday morning in the spring of 1972, an ad in the Vancouver Sun caught Nick Marach’s eye: GILLNETTER FOR SALE. A young architect who had just returned to the west coast from a yearlong motorcycle trip abroad, Marach was not looking for a change of career—but he was looking for a boat to live on, and the price of the old gillnetter was cheap.

A Gillnet’s Drift takes the reader back to a time when the salmon runs on the BC coast were strong, and all it took to call oneself a commercial fisher was a boat, a net, and a licence. No experience was required. It was during this era that Nick Marach found himself, quite unexpectedly, with a new vocation and a new lease on life. For the next decade, he spent every salmon season navigating the waters off BC, following his bliss, and many times narrowly escaping with his life. Along the way he befriended a slew of colourful characters, met the love of his life, and somehow in the midst of it all still found the time to be an architect.

This book captures the allure of the gillnetter’s life in a bygone era, but it is also about the freedom of youth, the desire for self-expression, and the refusal to ever settle down completely, even when you have an office and a family waiting for you on dry land.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

One Friday morning in the spring of 1972, an ad in the Vancouver Sun caught Nick Marach’s eye: GILLNETTER FOR SALE. A young architect who had just returned to the west coast from a yearlong motorcycle trip abroad, Marach was not looking for a change of career—but he was looking for a boat to live on, and the price of the old gillnetter was cheap.

A Gillnet’s Drift takes the reader back to a time when the salmon runs on the BC coast were strong, and all it took to call oneself a commercial fisher was a boat, a net, and a licence. No experience was required. It was during this era that Nick Marach found himself, quite unexpectedly, with a new vocation and a new lease on life. For the next decade, he spent every salmon season navigating the waters off BC, following his bliss, and many times narrowly escaping with his life. Along the way he befriended a slew of colourful characters, met the love of his life, and somehow in the midst of it all still found the time to be an architect.

This book captures the allure of the gillnetter’s life in a bygone era, but it is also about the freedom of youth, the desire for self-expression, and the refusal to ever settle down completely, even when you have an office and a family waiting for you on dry land.

More books from Heritage House

Cover of the book Sam Steele and the Northwest Rebellion by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book More Great Cat Stories: Incredible Tales About Exceptional Cats by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book War on Our Doorstep: The Unknown Campaign on North America's West Coast by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Yip Sang by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book No Easy Ride by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Salmon's Journey by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Gold Panner's Manual by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Embedded on the Home Front by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Ranching under the Arch by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Stone by Stone by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book City Pictures by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Rebel Women of the Gold Rush: Extraordinary Achievements and Daring Adventures by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Nature's Circle by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Magnificently Unrepentant by W.N. Marach
Cover of the book Hudson's Bay Company Adventures: Tales of Canada's Fur Traders by W.N. Marach
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy