Photos: Memorial Day smelt in Bethel

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Bethel residents and those from nearby villages came out Monday, May 25, 2015 to dipnet for smelt in the Kuskokwim River. Fishing along the rocks in Bethel came in spurts. As the tide came in, the tiny fish were harder to find in the big river.

For days now, Bethel residents have been watching the Kuskokwim River and Facebook, checking with friends and testing the waters for any sign of smelt, the first of the summer.

On Monday, May 25, 2015, the sparkly little fish started hitting Bethel. That's right on schedule, says Michael Pavilla, originally from the tundra village of Atmauluak and a Bethel resident for years. "Every single year, it's Memorial Day for Bethel," Pavilla said. No matter when Memorial Day hits on the calendar, he said, it's a good day for catching rainbow smelt, the small fish that move up river in big schools each year to spawn.

Read more: Bethel residents line the river to scoop up smelt, the first fish of the summer