It was the day the recreational fishery was to open after the cod moratorium. Everyone sat around the TV waiting for the announcement. Was it going to open or was it not? Sure enough, it was to open. Bang goes the phone - it was Mom; she was more excited than anybody.

My parents, Windfield and Audrey Loveman, had a cabin in Pleasant View, Notre Dame Bay.

Dad built a 16-foot plank boat a few years prior to that; he built this boat in my grandparents' house after they had passed away. Imagine going into somebody's kitchen seeing a boat being built. Anyway, back to fishing. The day finally came; myself (Barb) and my husband Scott had to work the first day. So Mom and Dad decided to go the night before, so they would be there early the next morning. The work day was finally over, and we couldn't wait to get down to the cabin.

As we were driving down the lane, we could see Mom and Dad coming across the bay. Out of the car and down to the wharf we went. The closer we got, the more we could hear Mom screaming, "You missed it, Barb! You missed it, Barb!" She was trying to pull something from the bottom of the boat, but couldn't lift it. As they pulled up closer to the wharf, I could see this huge codfish; it was the biggest I had ever seen. It weighed in at 45 lbs. It took both of them to lift it from the bottom of the boat. There were others - nine fish, altogether weighing 192 lb. They were a sight to behold, because there were supposed to be no fish in the bay.

Mom said that when she hooked the biggest one, it started to slip between her fingers; Dad had to put his foot on the side of the boat to help her pull it in. On the way in, the game wardens stopped them to check the boat; they were quite surprised by what they saw. It was the best catch they had seen for the day, they said.

I remember Dad splitting the biggest one and salting it. "A good many meals there for the winter," he had said.

Later that day, a big scoff at the cabin; cods' heads and cods' tongues all fried up with salt pork. Homemade bread with molasses - what a feast. The next day, everyone was really excited, one boat trying to outdo the other; the boats at the wharf were just like the 401 in Toronto. The bay was alive with boats.

Down to the wharf the four of us went; of course, you know what fishing ground Dad headed for. Finally there, the boat had to line up perfectly to where they caught the big ones. I think I caught the first one - never saw anything like it before, maiden ray; then came connors, small cod, rock cod. We caught a few little ones that day, but nothing compared to the day before. Day after day we went to the same spot to fish, but nothing in quantity or quality could compare to the fish they caught the first day. Mom and Dad were known as the biggest catch that year. This is a true story; I have the pictures to prove it.
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