Photos: Kenai River dipnetting in mid-July

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A dipnetter brings his net back to shore on Sunday. Thousands of people were on the Kenai River to dipnet for sockeye salmon Sunday July 19, 2015.

KENAI -- In her own gentle way, my wife asked if she should expect fish, or at least a fish story, when I returned.

I said that one led to the other.

For my first attempt at dipnetting along the mouth of the Kenai River last weekend, I didn't quite know what to expect.

I have been to the Copper River many times over the years and have memorized the drill -- swirling waters, windblown sand and minutes or hours spent waiting for the pole to try to leap out of your hands.

At Chitina, you may find yourself clinging to a rock wall in search of the elusive salmon. And tying yourself to a tree or a boulder may be all that keeps you from joining Godfather Don Corleone's fictional enforcer, Luca Brasi, who sleeps with the fishes. The boat people have a big advantage over those on the shore as they can get access to the entire channel.

From the banks, you sweep or lift the net only to discover that sometimes you catch a fish and sometimes you catch a rock. It's all timing and mostly luck, which is what separates dipnetting from angling, a sport in which the fisherman believes he is smarter than the fish.

At the risk of pretending to know, I'd venture that Kenai dipnetting requires similar luck and endurance, with different techniques. "We have to leave now," a guy older than me commented on the Kenai shore. "We got our limit, can't catch anymore. Took 24 hours. Sometimes it's a lot faster than this."

Read more: Luck and patience are the key elements in successful Kenai dipnetting