Salmon Fishing

Every year this time, our thoughts turn to fishing, not for trout or codfish, but salmon. Before long, the season will open and anglers will head to their favourite salmon rivers in pursuit of the illusive Atlantic salmon here in eastern Canada. However, salmon fishing does not conjure up pleasant memories for my husband, Rick or his mother, Sylvia.

When Rick was young, family vacations were spent in various locations along salmon rivers on the west coast of Newfoundland. The lure of the Atlantic salmon was a passion of my father-in-law, Melvin, much to the chagrin of his wife and son. Every year, Sylvia and Rick spent the hottest days of the summer in a small travel trailer, while Melvin spent blissful hours pursuing salmon.

 

Big Falls on the west coast of Newfoundland was his favourite fishing hole. It is a beautiful spot with fast flowing, pristine water, in the wilderness of Sir Richard Squires Park. This place was the Smith's home during their summer vacation each year. Melvin stood for hours, casting that rod in the early morning and evening, when the salmon were feeding in their resting pools on the river.

 

Melvin often said, "I'm going for a few flicks now," as he gathered his gear to head to the river where he'd succumb to the enchantment yet again.

His wife and son never really understood the attraction. They were confined to the trailer because the flies were so bad; sand flies got through screens which were covered with cheese cloth. The heat was oppressive too. Sylvia and Rick felt captive in the tiny trailer.

Melvin didn't notice the heat and somehow the flies didn't bother him either. It was as if the salmon had him mesmerized, making him immune to the aggravation of the flies and heat. He also enjoyed the company of the other anglers, fellow victims of the enchantment.

There was a time when Melvin tried to interest Rick in fishing. However, Rick was immune to the mystic charm of the noble fish. He completely hated it. Many times in our married life, Rick spoke of his feelings about fishing. I knew which words or phrases would set him off and what he'd say when he got started.

Eventually we did a fishing intervention. Rick's parents brought a fresh whole salmon to Big Falls and we poached it with potato and onion, our favourite way to cook the tasty treat. While the salmon cooked, we burned a paper salmon shape in effigy. Then Rick and Sylvia expressed all their salmon fishing frustrations as Melvin listened. We laughed a lot that day and in the years since then the salmon fishing stories aren't as frequent or negative.

 

Now the only time the memories re-surface is at this time of year, when people gear-up for the salmon fishing season. We have never been tempted to join them!