Lubec mackerel madness

Buried under multiple blankets and quilts, we sleep well and wake happy & ready for adventures.

We spent most of the day on Campobello Island where we climbed scary rusted stair/ladders,

  crossed slippery rocks to visit a lighthouse,

enjoyed a nice lunch on the porch of a delightful deli,

and the weaker sex took a nap while the other two walked and watched wildlife.

Then we headed back.

After crossing into the USA, we decided to relax and watch the tide, boats, and birds. Cynthia, however, saw something even more interesting: people on a dock casting lines and pulling up STRINGS of fish! She investigated and discovered that these little fish were mackerel and we could catch them each day near high tide.

I had suggested that we NOT bring any toys, including her wonderful collection of fishing gear, so (after an admirable minimum of pointed comments) she visited the Lubec Hardware store (a truly wonderful place!) where she purchased rod, reel, sinkers, and a rig of four lures, all for about $30... and, an hour or so ahead of high tide the next day, had her line in the water.

Once she figured out how to present the lures the only problems were aching wrists and hands. I caught fish. My mom caught fish. Even my dad, using only a drop line, pulled in four fish at a time!

And Cynthia? She refused to stop when she filled a five-gallon bucket, so I brought a bin from the car: we estimate she caught about a hundred fish. Here are a few...

That night we grilled several and found them absolutely delicious. And we stayed up late in the darkness, gutting fish and packing them in ziplocks buried in ice, finally cleaning our frozen fingers and groaning at aching backs and taking hot showers before crawling into bed happy and satisfied.

Of course, when we got home we had fish to process. It took us about three days to fillet, smoke, package, and freeze them all.

Some have already gone into a delicious pâté, a few wonderful salads, gifts to friends, dinner hot from the smoker, and random snacking. Delightful stuff, but SO much work. Maybe next time we will find some more alternatives. One thing I know: Cynthia will be there on the dock most days, fishing with her GOOD equipment, catching buckets of fish, bringing home enough for delicious meals and giving away much to locals. And I'll be by her side, casting and catching, coming home covered in scales, trying recipes, gaining more sweet memories.