My name is Megan and I am nine years old. I live in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland. This year I went on my summer vacation to Bonavista, Newfoundland. My Dad, Uncle Dennis and his friend Bob took my brother Nathan and me out jigging for codfish. Bob was the first to throw out his line and the first to jig a fish. After he caught a fish I wanted to catch a fish, too. I never got any nibbles, so my dad tried and he caught a fish. After a little while my Uncle Dennis tried to get a fish and he caught one, too.

My brother started to get a little seasick. My Dad called him a land lover! Then I tried jigging again. Suddenly I felt a big pull on my line, and then I started screaming and singing out, "Dad, Dad help me, I think I got a fish!" My Dad pulled my line up for me. I had my very first codfish! Then my dad took my picture. I could hardly hold the fish up for the picture, it was so big.

On our way back to shore I got a bit scared because it was windy and the waves were high. I was sitting in the front of the boat so I wasn't facing the waves. I held my dad's hand and moved over next to my dad and brother Nathan until the ocean calmed down a bit. Then I moved to the front of the boat again.

When we arrived at the wharf my dad tied on the boat. Bob got a box to put the fish in. Then Uncle Dennis unloaded all the fish. We had a total of 15 codfish. A good days's catch.

I got out of the boat and we all went to Uncle Dennis's shed to clean, cut, gut and fillet the fish. I watched as Bob gutted the fish and Uncle Dennis did the filleting. While they were doing that my brother asked if he could cut off the fish head. I asked if I could do it, too. Uncle Dennis said,"Nathan can cut of the head and I could try to fillet the last fish." While we waited for the last fish I picked up another fish by its head and Bob cut out the tongue for me. My Dad took pictures of me holding the cod tongue in my hands. "Yuck!"

I picked up the last fish and put it on the cardboard for Nathan and me to cut and fillet. Nathan tried to cut off the head but it was a little too hard for him. I tried to fillet the fish but ran into trouble because the big bone was in the way. Uncle Dennis had to take over and finish the filleting.

After we left the shed we took some fish fillets to my Aunt Lucy and my "old cane" Pop. We also gave some fish fillets to Nan and Pop Randell and brought the rest home to Mount Pearl.

I had an awesome fishing trip!

Megan S. Randell
Mount Pearl, NL

  Submitted By: L J Mouland