A Labrador Guide Story

The remarkable self sufficiency of the guides who take sports fishing in the wilderness of Labrador is legendary. They are a breed of men skilled in everything from fixing pumps and motors to whipping up a gourmet meal with the fish they help their clients catch.


-
One day as the lunch hour approached, the guide put the kettle on the fire to boil the smoke flavoured tea so beloved by all outdoorsmen. While the soot blackened pot steamed, the guide gathered up the two fresh trout retained for lunch and started to prepare them.

His client offered to filet the fish while the guide peeled some potatoes and onions. They chatted while working and the guide mentioned some health problems he was having that were obviously worrying him, made observations on the weather, life in general and the state of their cooking fire. The potatoes finished he reached for the trout and without comment walked back to the river and proceeded to try and repair the fish preparation job done by the “sport”.

Over the delicious, traditional shore lunch the two men got to know each other. The conversation inevitably turned to what each did for a living when not salmon fishing. The Sport revealed that in the real world he was a surgeon.

The guide continued chewing, paused to remove yet another fishbone before swallowing his food, and remarked on how much better he was feeling now that lunch was here.