Skipper Todd and I were out for a day of shark fishing, rod and reel style. We have been doing this now for about six years with a catch ratio of seven sharks over that span. I look forward to this all year long back in Montreal, which by the way is also an island, but far away from the Atlantic saltwaters on the southcoast of Newfoundland.

Every year I go back to McCallum, a beautiful paradise of ocean and land wildlife, no cars, no pollution, no hassle. It truly is the best kept secret in North America. One fine bluebird day we headed out, and the water as calm as the living room floor - unlike the day before when I was personally chumming the waters! (Call me Ralph!) We headed out three miles off the coast, shut the engine and threw the chum bucket overboard, set up the rods with a live mackeral as bait and waited for our chum slick to take effect, drawing any sharks in the area to our boat. Needless to say we had no idea of the day we were about to have.

The first sighting we had was a big old sunfish bathing and flopping around in the sun. It was not really interested in our chum. It was my first close encounter with one (man they're ugly). Todd tells me a lot of fisherman have run into them with there boats; they don't seem to move when you happen on them. Next were two jumpers, small dolphins that passed by. Then our first hit the rod screaming. The heart rate goes up instantly, not knowing what monster might have taken hold, and the fight was on. Putting my back to the test once again after about 20 minutes we had our first shark to the boat, a 200 lb blue shark. We took some photos, cut the line and off he goes, tired but no worse than that. We use special hooks that deterate after 1 month in the salt water, so he has a sore jaw for a bit. A few minutes later another hit, then another, then another until we had landed six sharks that day of all sizes. We landed 3 the day before, that's a total of nine in two days. We lost four, 13 hook ups in two days - wow we did better in these two days than the previous six years.

The photo included is one we brought aboard for a photo op. I talked to the shark telling him to behave and after he said "cheese" we let him go back with the rest of his toothy friends. (All sharks were catch and release.) I guess maybe we're starting to get the hang of it! Now if we can just get that 500 pounder out there! Next year! We'll be back!   Submitted By: cliff parsons