As the Island is so small, the north shore where North Rustico is situated is only a half-hour’s drive from Charlottetown, on the south shore. So even with our leisurely breakfast and plan-making, we had time for a trip to the nearby Saturday farmers’ market before we headed across the Island.
Indeed, we made it to North Rustico by noon, found a spot to park, ate a bite of lunch, and still had time to explore the docks before sailing time. A small Fishing Museum was located right next door but the kids weren’t interested in going in.
Some seven other people joined us on the vessel, which was fairly small but equipped with sonar to assist in locating the fish. As we headed out to sea, the captain told us we would be catching cod, herring, and mackerel. Our first destination was about a kilometre off shore. We took our fishing rods and bait – supplied by the captain – and let down our lines. Within minutes Laolao caught the first fish – a good-sized herring!
Herring travel in schools, so it did not take long and everyone was pulling in herring and a few mackerel. The kids were excited as the fish piled up in the fish locker in the middle of the boat – a large tub filled with water to keep the fish fresh. Laolao caught more, then Mustang, then all of us.
After about half an hour we pulled in our lines and moved to a second location a bit further off=shore where the water was 80m deep. There we fished for cod. The cod, however, weren’t very hungry so the fishing was slower. I caught a couple, Laolao caught a couple, Mustang caught one – but there were long pauses between each catch. To provide some entertainment, the captain pulled some of the mackerel out of the fish locker and began cutting them up and tossing them into the air, to be caught by the gulls circling the boat – no doubt awaiting just such a treat. Within moments more gulls arrived, and a flock of some 20-30 birds competed for the scraps of fish, diving and circling, calling their raucous cries. After about 15 minutes without a bite I put away my rod and took out camera, snapping shot after shot of the birds. (This is where a digital camera is so nice – you can shoot a hundred pictures without worrying about wasting film and just keep the best handful!) A few gannets joined the gulls, showing off their superior flying ability and even diving into the water to catch a wayward morsel.
Soon enough our expedition was over and we headed in to shore. Laolao was the fishing champ of the day – she who has hardly ever fished before in her life! – with 11 fish in the bin. I caught 9; Mustang 7; Laoye about 5, and Button, for some reason, just 1, despite the mass of herring at our first location. (He may not have been letting his line down far enough – or spending as much time watching others as fishing himself…) Most of the fishers left with just one small bag of fish, leaving plenty extra, so we took three bags to have for breakfast next day and to make into a nice fish chowder.Burke and Lane were waiting for us on the dock and the kids regaled them with tales of their fishing prowess. The kids, Burke and I walked with MoMo along the boardwalk that followed the shore to the lobster restaurant a kilometre away.
It was some meal! Each person received one lobster and could fill up with whatever else they desired from the buffet lines. We feasted on mussels – a large plate each – salads, fries, veggies, and more, even before the lobster came. Lobster is not something that can be eaten daintily, so we all got messy sucking the meat out of the legs and body, cracking open the claws, and slurping away. It was most delicious – and somehow we all found a bit of space for one of the yummy desserts on display.
By the time we got home it was late and we fell into bed.
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