About Us

Derek Depiero - Captain of the F/V Dr Jack

I didn’t grow up dreaming of being a fisherman but I do come from a fishing town. I was a kid from Gloucester, Massachusetts — our high school mascot was literally the Gloucester Fisherman — but I never pictured myself living that life. That changed the day I climbed aboard a beat-up old boat in Alaska, hired by a brand-new captain. I’d never driven a boat before, but 48 hours after arriving, I was on wheel watch, steering through sunset-lit waters, feeling like I’d stepped into a dream — and I hadn’t even pulled a single fish from the net yet.

That first season in Bristol Bay changed everything. The weather was vicious — 6 to 10 foot waves, chaos everywhere, people puking over the side while pulling in nets. But something in me loved it. Loved the cinematic madness, the way the sea demanded everything from you. I knew right then, this was going to be part of my life.

That was 15 years ago. I’ve worked my way from greenhorn deckhand to full-on captain and permit holder, now running a boat named *Redrum* — yeah, like from *The Shining*. It’s a horror movie nod, but also a bit of a joke about the fishing life. We kill a lot of fish, after all.

Fishing’s hard work, but I’ve never once thought of a day out there as a “bad day.” Even the ones where I haven’t slept and my body’s wrecked — those are the days you look back on and smile. And the ocean? She teaches you patience. You can do everything right and still get humbled. Mother Earth doesn’t care how hard you try — she does what she wants.

Salmon fishing is a great job for a ski bum, working in the summers and making enough to ski all winter in Jackson, Wyoming. Then one winter, I broke my ankle and couldn’t do much else, so I started smoking salmon just for fun. Gave it away at first. Then people kept coming back for more, and someone said, “You should sell this.” One smoker turned into two, then a booth at the farmer’s market, and now we’re shipping all over the place. Along the way, I found a community of people who care about food the way I do — folks who want something real, something wild, something they can trust.

This has become a family business now. My wife and sister are the backbone of the operation — especially when it comes to the paperwork I’d rather avoid. They’ve turned my wild idea into a working enterprise. We do this together now, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

If you swing by our stand, I’ll probably try to get you to taste a sample. Even if you say you’re not a salmon person, I’ll bet I can change your mind. And if you’ve got a dog with you — well, they’re our best customers. Them and the kids who sneak back for “just one more bite.”

At the end of the day, I don’t need fancy packaging or a slick sales pitch. I just need people to taste it. This is the most sustainable, healthy, honest food you can eat. I’m proud of that — and I hope when you take a bite, you taste the respect we bring to the fish, the water, and the work.