Our little town isn't much different than any other small place in this province. We don't feel guilty about the little things we do to break the law. If we are quiet about it, it's because we don't want to get caught. We're just a bunch of criminals I guess.

(This account is based on the people and events of two small Newfoundland towns. One town is on the west coast. The other town is on the Avalon Peninsula. The names have all been changed, but the crimes are real.)

Troy Gilbert

Troy Gilbert hooked the salmon with his fly. He played it nicely but the fish struggled on the line. The fly slipped out of its mouth and the salmon twisted away. The young man had been fishing for more than three hours. It was getting cold by the river. Troy cursed and looked down into the water. There it was. The salmon was still there. It lay in a pool in the shadow of the trees. Troy cut the fly off his line. He put on a big double hook.

Jiggers are illegal. They catch fish too easily. Flies give fishermen the fun and challenge of trying to play out a salmon. They cut down on the number of salmon caught. Salmon conservation and sports fishing groups say Newfoundlanders must stop looking at salmon as food. They must try to see the fish in a different way. Salmon must be saved for sport. Sports fishermen will pay a lot of money to travel to Newfoundland to go fly fishing.

Twenty-two-year-old Troy wasn't interested in being a good sportsman. He doesn't care about tourists. He has lived in St. Fintan's his whole life. He has always caught a few salmon on the Crabbe's River. Troy wanted that fish. His mother had asked him to get one for dinner. Troy lowered the line into the water. The salmon went for the double hook. Troy jigged it. Troy wasn't alone on the river. As soon as he pulled his fish out of the water two Wildlife officers came out of the trees.

"Mr. Gilbert, stop," they called.

Troy knew he was in trouble. The young man dropped his fish. He took off into the woods. The Wildlife officers were right behind him. Troy has a limp. He was sick as a child. But Troy knows the woods. He has been hunting and fishing since he was a small boy. It didn't take him long to lose the officers. He cut through the trees. Troy made it home to his mother's house before they could catch him.

That night some local children told Troy they saw his salmon floating down the river on its back. There was a big cut in its throat.