Tag: fishery

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Gone Fishing

Fishing in NewfoundlandFinally, we’ve been having some nice summer weather (and some truly beautiful days, I might add) – enough so that recently we were able to take Lindsay out for her first Newfoundland fishing experience. Leslie and Leslie joined us, and we spent a lovely day on the water, catching our fair (and legal!) share of fish.

Lindsay took to fishing like, well, a fish to water, just like she has just about everything else here in Newfoundland. We’re very lucky to have her. And very grateful that she and many others are able to enjoy the recreational food fishery this year, open til August 9. Happy fishing! And happy fresh-fish-eating!

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Biggest Catch of the Day!

Fishing at our ocean front cottage rentalsThere are a few days left to the recreational food fishery, and this happy camper is making the best of it! This wasn’t Anna’s first catch, but it was by far the biggest of the day. The perfect treat to bring home to her mom, our Dana, who we’re cooked it to perfection. Congratulations, Anna, on the steady hand!

Have you taken advantage of the food fishery? Make sure you do – the next one’s not til September 21!

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Capelin Rolling Season in Newfoundland, 2013!

Capelin Rolling in Whiteway, NewfoundlandWe’re in the middle of one of our favourite parts of the summer – the capelin’s rolling in! Any Newfoundlander will know what this means, but many from away might not have heard of the tradition. Every year, capelin – little fish about 20 cm long – come into shore to spawn. Hundreds or millions of the little guys flop right at the shore, making them easy pickings. You can literally reach your hands in anywhere and be guaranteed to pull up a few. People will come from all over to get their bucket-full. We use them for eating of course – I love them on a barbecue, and they were certainly an important staple when we were growing up. People also use them as fertilizer.

It’s a particularly fun activity to share with children – it’s a great way to pass on Newfoundland traditions, and trust me – kids will love fishing with their hands!  I asked some of our staff and friends to take some pictures to share with you.

Child fishing for capelin in NewfoundlandChild fishing for capelin rolling in in NewfoundlandChild fishing for capelin in Newfoundland

Danielle works for us at The Doctor’s House. They’re obviously starting the tradition early with their little one, Liam!

Fishing for Capelin off the coast of NewfoundlandGrandfather and granddaughter getting capelinLeeann helps Joe out at the cottages. She sent these pictures of her cousins Sabrina and Isabelle, and of her dad. It’s great to see families keeping this tradition alive across the generations!

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Age Before Beauty

Here’s my beautiful, ugly sculpin, caught last weekend (thanks to LeighAnne for the great shots!). We used to catch these for fun when we were kids playing on the cliffs of Torbay. I used to consider them ugly but now think they are quite gorgeous. One of the benefits of aging!

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A Wake at Last

Yesterday was a good – make that great – day in the Wonderful World of Whiteway – and one that I was afraid wouldn’t happen for us. It was the official kick-off of 10 more days of the food fishery (where individuals are allowed a small quota of fish each day) and boat troubles that have been plaguing us for the past several weeks made me worried we wouldn’t be able to go out and enjoy it.

But with a great thanks to Alf and Randy Peddle, we converted the boat from two Johnson motors to one 225 HP Yamaha! It was a challenging job made harder by the fact that shaft was 4 inches too short. We had to put an extension on the back of the boat at Woodman’s Welding shop in New Harbour. Craig Newhook and Sam Pitcher are experts and made the bracket in record time – which is just about how much time we had!

So we were able to join our neighbours and all the little boats of Newfoundland that took to the water …. and I caught the first fish – take that, Berry!

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And the Fish Go On

The days of the recreational fishery here in Newfoundland are numbered, so I’m out on the water every chance I get. You may remember LeighAnne and BJ – they were our first guests to have a testimonial featured on this blog. And they came to the cottages to celebrate their 5 year anniversary, so they had to get a turn on the A Wake at Last – that’s BJ above with his bounty.

We’ve also had out a couple from England – Dr Philip Knights is a man of the cloth, which may have helped us fill our quota in under an hour!

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Loads of Cod

Of course, you can’t separate Newfoundland – our history, our identity, our triumphs and struggles – from the cod fishery. And somehow, despite – or because of – everything, cod is in our bones – and now, thanks to the current recreational fishery, on our plates and the plates of our guests every supper! For a few weeks now in the summer, and later in September, residents and non-residents alike are allowed to catch up to 5 fish a day, and we’re all taking advantage! The fishing’s good and easy, the fish are fresh and tasty, and I have an excuse to be out on the A Wake at Last every day – as if I needed one!

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Double Your Fun

I can’t help it – I love being on the A Wake at Last and I love sharing the experience with our guests, so somedays I’m out on the ocean twice. Like this day – first, we had out Don Migel from Calgary, who was so excited about catching his quota of big fish he was liable to try walking back home from Shag Rock!

Then we took out part of a young family, Michael and Erin, with their dad, Roger. They each caught fish, even in the rough water. Put me in mind of of similar experiences with my own children when they were young, for which I am forever grateful. 

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Fillet Like A Pro

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZUA47YzPv4&feature=plcp]

That’s the way you do it! Here’s Alf, filleting a fresh catch for our guests. He’s not even trying to go fast!

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Fish on a Line

Now here is a sight that, once so common, is now quite rare – salted fish being dried on a clothesline! I am loving this period of the food fishery around the bay. Fresh cod is everywhere! And salt fish is one of my favourites, and a Newfoundland specialty. In fact, it was salt cod that drove the fishing trade so many hundreds of years ago.

As I’ve been writing, we’ve been out on the A Wake at Last fishing until our Heart’s Delight (or is that, until our daily quota is filled!). We are giving our catch to guests. We package it up in a baggie with flour so that all the guest has to do is to add salt and pepper, shake the fish in the flour, and fry it in butter or margarine.

Of course, it’s a big hit to eat fresh fish within hours of catching it. And talk about ‘local’ – our guests can look out their front window and see where we caught it!