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Joe Upton and his stories

Traveling Northwest waters as a commercial fisherman since 1965 in small craft and large, Joe Upton gained intimate knowledge of the coast from Puget Sound to the Arctic Circle.

In the 1970s, Upton lived and fished out of a tiny roadless island fishing community in Southeast Alaska. His first book, Alaska Blues, based on those years, was hailed as "One of those books you want to proclaim a classic," by the Seattle PI.

In 1995, Upton started Coastal Publishing, to produce illustrated maps and guidebooks for Alaska cruise passengers. In 2010, he began working with film maker and commercial fishermen Dan Kowalski to film many of the stories that he had heard over the years.

Upton lives with his wife on Bainbridge Island, WA and Vinalhaven Island, Me.

Right: Joe and Matthew Upton at Katmi, July 1997

JoeMattKatmai

That Summer of 1965

The Piece of Sh** Boat

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