My tale begins in the 1970s and tells a story about my love affair with salmon fishing and a community in Alaska. When I began gillnetting I was one of half a dozen women who fished alone and the only one without a husband or father in the fishing fleet. Not everyone supported the idea of a hippy girl joining the fleet. Those fishermen ignored me, sure I wouldn't last. Most fishermen gave me respect, a couple kept an eye on me, and all of them helped if they saw me in trouble, including those who had shaken their heads and questioned what the heck I was doing with a fishing boat. I was unfamiliar with boats and fishing. I had recently learned how to tie a boat to a dock. Fishing turned into a crash course for me about much more than catching fish. I became a "Jack/Jill of all trades," and my education continued for years. I was young, indestructible, adventurous, and too ignorant to have fear. By the time I understood the dangers of fishing, I had fishing in my blood and thought if I was careful, I could avoid the threat of death in the wild. I was careful. I learned from a variety of people and even more from my own numerous mistakes. Struggles to survive, passion, determination, friendship, community, and the beauty of Prince William Sound are a big part of my story.The problems women report when they break into a male-dominated industry were unfamiliar to me. I didn't share their experience. I was my own boss. None of the 550 fishermen ever sexually harassed me. On the water equality finds a balance. We all know the other boat might be the one to save our life.