How to make "Oolichan Grease"

March 2004
Doolan's Camp, Fishery Bay, (Nass Valley) BC


building grease pots






grease pots and kindling


oolichan storage bin






filtering to get oolichan grease






throwing out unwanted soup




checking out fire condition


stove chimney


camp cook preparing halibut stew


oolichan need to be left in the outside bin for 7 days before boiling


golden/redish colour grease








boiling oolichan to extract grease




enough oolichan in the soup when stirring stick stand up by itself




Dusk at Fishery Bay, Nass River








camp owner, Steven Doolan Sr. telling story to a school teacher



Doolan's Camp 2004 Crew
Camp Owner: Steven Doolan Sr., Gingolx
Camp Cook: Danny Smith, Gitwinksihlkw
New Aiyansh Crew: Arthur Doolan
Gingolx Crew: Steven Doolan Jr., Troy Stewart
Gitwinksihlkw Crew: Adam Stanley, Simon Haldane, James Haldane
Larry Azak, Bruce Haldane, Stephen Shaw
Port Edward Crew: Ian Morven

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March 16, 2005
Doolan's Camp, Fishery Bay, (Nass Valley) BC




Gulls arrive to eat oolichan by hundred thousands


Modified Beam-Trawl net were tied to the poles in the river


Frame (beam) that keeps the mouth of the net open


Net is like a giant sock, up to 100 feet long
Wooden hooks are used to keep certain amount of oolichan
to pass to the end of the net


Back 2 workers hoist oolichan, untie the end and release them


to the punt




Oolichan is transferred to the fermentation bin up the slope

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March 21, 2006
Doolan's Camp, Fishery Bay, (Nass Valley) BC


Sudden freezing weather set in as the camp was getting ready


Huge ice chunks (up to 10 feet in height)  settle on the sand bar


Ice chunks float when the tide comes in,
which prevents camp crew from fishing


Warmer weather is needed to re-start fishing


Dark clouds were approaching Fishery Bay in the evening