Today was one of the 39 days the Food Fishery is open. The concept
is to give the people of Newfoundland the opportunity to stock their freezers with
fish for the next year. It's not unlike the hunting season for deer or moose.
The folks here in Rose Blanche, like the neighbouring outports, hold this
opportunity dear to their heart. It's more than a practical means of survival,
it's part of their culture. It ties them back to the sea and a time when most
everyone earned their living from the water.
Cecil and Dorothy are just that. They are retired, and they
are traditionalist. Today they took us out handlining for cod.
We moved from one favourite spot to the next, hoping to just
start hauling them in, but instead just managed to catch one here and there.
Cecil mentioned that us newbies had probably jinked the trip. It wasn't
too long though and it seemed like Cecil had the luck of the day.
Then a few minutes later, Dorothy showed us who the real
fisherperson was and caught a 4 foot shark. On a normal day, with just Cecil
and Dorothy in the boat, they may have tried landing it, but with 2 mainlanders
in the boat, they cut-bait with the large snout looking over the gunnel.
The adventure wasn't over yet though. It was the perfect
morning weather for fishing. The temperature was about 20 degrees Celsius and
the light breeze was causing a little swell. We had been out for a hour or so
before I felt a little motion sickness coming on. Marlene noticed and gave me a
gravol, but of course the question was whether it would be enough, soon enough.
Some of you that followed our "Travelling with Steve
and Marlene" stories might remember our story of "A Scare in the Air
on Cathay Pacific Flight 826" where I passed out in the blink of an eye.
This time, the sea sickness came on quickly as well, and sure enough I passed
out again. Marlene was ready, but Cecil and Dorothy, not so much. They got me
laying down in the bottom of the boat with the fish and headed for the dock.
Coming back in with only 3 people in sight when 4 had gone
out led to some excitement on the dock, but no one was too surprised to see me,
a mainlander, seasick and just coming around.
We thank Cecil and Dorothy for taking us out. We're looking
forward to having fresh cod for dinner, but as Cecil told me later, I'd make
better fish bait than a fisherman, and without doubt, he's right.