| FISHING IN NORTHERN QUEBEC |
One of the things that intrigues me so much about this untouched
and unaltered land is that it provides a glimpse into the past. When
Europeans first arrived in the northeastern part of the North America
they reported rivers teeming with so many fish that paddling a boat in
their waters would be difficult. Many different species existed in such
prolific numbers that anyone could simply take enough if the animals
to sustain themselves. The resource was seemingly inexhaustible.
Early sports report catching hundreds of trout on a day’s trip.
While growing up in New England I would read these accounts and
grow mystified. I did not doubt their accuracy, but my experience
showed that a day of fishing would produce a single fish if I were
lucky. My mind could not comprehend what it meant to be in a place
were aquatic life was so abundant. The concept that a body of water
could hold a number of animals deemed “inexhaustible” was not an
idea that was within my experience or scope of understanding.
The first time that I really understood what was meant by this came on
a trip down Quebec’s George River. My group traveled the river for
well over two hundred miles and whenever we stopped to fish it was
possible to catch and release a trout on each cast of the rod.
Looking into the crystal clear water showed several fish following your
lure on each cast. While the number of fish in a particular spot did
not seem inexhaustible, when I magnified the numbers in one pool by
the number of pools on the river, the figures reached a number that
began to seem incomprehensible.
Many people back home will never understand the degree to which
the selfish actions of the human race have decimated our fellow
species. To have witnessed first hand what the rivers in the United
States must have been like in colonial times and to know what they
are like know is heart breaking. To think that we now raise fish to put
into our rivers to provide sport for ourselves is a little disturbing. One
can only hope that the last vestiges of wilderness on our planet are
able to remain pure. I hope that my words are not one day read in
awe by someone from the north.
For me the fish of the north have been one of its most fascinating
aspects. I was never really passionate about fishing when I was
young, but something about the underwater world of the north
grabbed my attention from the first trip north that I was on. The two
main fish we were encountering on this trip, brook trout and lake
trout, while closely related, have quite a few differences. To me, the
Brook trout is the more appealing of the two species.
and unaltered land is that it provides a glimpse into the past. When
Europeans first arrived in the northeastern part of the North America
they reported rivers teeming with so many fish that paddling a boat in
their waters would be difficult. Many different species existed in such
prolific numbers that anyone could simply take enough if the animals
to sustain themselves. The resource was seemingly inexhaustible.
Early sports report catching hundreds of trout on a day’s trip.
While growing up in New England I would read these accounts and
grow mystified. I did not doubt their accuracy, but my experience
showed that a day of fishing would produce a single fish if I were
lucky. My mind could not comprehend what it meant to be in a place
were aquatic life was so abundant. The concept that a body of water
could hold a number of animals deemed “inexhaustible” was not an
idea that was within my experience or scope of understanding.
The first time that I really understood what was meant by this came on
a trip down Quebec’s George River. My group traveled the river for
well over two hundred miles and whenever we stopped to fish it was
possible to catch and release a trout on each cast of the rod.
Looking into the crystal clear water showed several fish following your
lure on each cast. While the number of fish in a particular spot did
not seem inexhaustible, when I magnified the numbers in one pool by
the number of pools on the river, the figures reached a number that
began to seem incomprehensible.
Many people back home will never understand the degree to which
the selfish actions of the human race have decimated our fellow
species. To have witnessed first hand what the rivers in the United
States must have been like in colonial times and to know what they
are like know is heart breaking. To think that we now raise fish to put
into our rivers to provide sport for ourselves is a little disturbing. One
can only hope that the last vestiges of wilderness on our planet are
able to remain pure. I hope that my words are not one day read in
awe by someone from the north.
For me the fish of the north have been one of its most fascinating
aspects. I was never really passionate about fishing when I was
young, but something about the underwater world of the north
grabbed my attention from the first trip north that I was on. The two
main fish we were encountering on this trip, brook trout and lake
trout, while closely related, have quite a few differences. To me, the
Brook trout is the more appealing of the two species.
The Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is also widely know as the
Speckled Trout or the Squaretail. Despite each of its names labeling it
as a trout, the Salvelinus genus is reserved Char, just one member of
the Salmonids, or salmon family. Brookies are very demanding of the
water that they live. Ideally suited water temperatures for these fish is
between 50 and 56 degrees, and the acceptable pH range for them is
quite narrow. In addition to these requirements, brookies require a high
desolved oxygen concentration and do not tolerate silt or mud in their
habitat. These strict requirements make Brook trout an excellent
indicator species, meaning that if there is a change in water quality it can
often be detected by the loss of brook trout from a particular habitat.
To me, few animals are more beautiful than a brook trout taken from the
pure waters of the north. The reddish belly on these fish is striking in
some cases and the scattering of red spots circled by blue halos is
remarkable. The top of the fish is covered with vermiculations, or
wormlike markings that serve to camouflage the fish from predators that
may be lurking above. Brook trout are somewhat slow growing despite
being voracious feeders that will eat anything from insects, to other fish,
mice or lemmings that fall into the water. Most of these delicate fish live
to about 6 years of age and weight 3 to 5 pounds in the north, although
individuals as large as 14 pounds have been caught.
The best place to fish for these gorgeous creatures is on eddy lines at
the bottom of rapids. Being in the eddy gives the fish a place to relax in
relatively slack water, while the contact motion and swirling oxygenates
the water, and food is constantly being brought down from higher up in
the rapid. In waters where Brook trout are plentiful they will be found in
the current, at the tops of rapids, in flatwater, and just about everywhere
else you could imagine. I have seen so many trout in one place that
several follow a single lure and chase hooked fish. Although the fight
these fish put is amazing, in warmer conditions they must be handled as
little as possible to avoid killing them prior to a release. Of course, your
intention may be to eat the fish, in which case you will be treated to a
white, pink, or fiery orange flesh that varies with habitat and diet, but
always tastes delicious.
Speckled Trout or the Squaretail. Despite each of its names labeling it
as a trout, the Salvelinus genus is reserved Char, just one member of
the Salmonids, or salmon family. Brookies are very demanding of the
water that they live. Ideally suited water temperatures for these fish is
between 50 and 56 degrees, and the acceptable pH range for them is
quite narrow. In addition to these requirements, brookies require a high
desolved oxygen concentration and do not tolerate silt or mud in their
habitat. These strict requirements make Brook trout an excellent
indicator species, meaning that if there is a change in water quality it can
often be detected by the loss of brook trout from a particular habitat.
To me, few animals are more beautiful than a brook trout taken from the
pure waters of the north. The reddish belly on these fish is striking in
some cases and the scattering of red spots circled by blue halos is
remarkable. The top of the fish is covered with vermiculations, or
wormlike markings that serve to camouflage the fish from predators that
may be lurking above. Brook trout are somewhat slow growing despite
being voracious feeders that will eat anything from insects, to other fish,
mice or lemmings that fall into the water. Most of these delicate fish live
to about 6 years of age and weight 3 to 5 pounds in the north, although
individuals as large as 14 pounds have been caught.
The best place to fish for these gorgeous creatures is on eddy lines at
the bottom of rapids. Being in the eddy gives the fish a place to relax in
relatively slack water, while the contact motion and swirling oxygenates
the water, and food is constantly being brought down from higher up in
the rapid. In waters where Brook trout are plentiful they will be found in
the current, at the tops of rapids, in flatwater, and just about everywhere
else you could imagine. I have seen so many trout in one place that
several follow a single lure and chase hooked fish. Although the fight
these fish put is amazing, in warmer conditions they must be handled as
little as possible to avoid killing them prior to a release. Of course, your
intention may be to eat the fish, in which case you will be treated to a
white, pink, or fiery orange flesh that varies with habitat and diet, but
always tastes delicious.
Lake Trout, Salvelinus namaycush, have many of the same habitat
requirements as Brookies, but they grow much slower and tend to get much
larger. It may take a Laker15 years to grow to two pounds, but these fish
commonly live to be forty years old and they can reach well in the twenty to
fifty pound weight range. Like brookies Lake Trout feed on just about
anything, but they prefer to be piscivorous, meaning that they tend to eat
other fish. Their colorations are much duller, with white spots predominating
on the dark back, and a paler colored flesh. Despite the less flashy look,
Lakers in the north will put up a ferocious fight, often repetitively diving,
twisting, and rolling in an attempt to escape. On our trip the largest fish we
caught was Laker weighing in somewhere around the mid twenty pound
range. This was an impressive creature of the deep, but was nothing
conmpared to the world record 102 pounder taken from Lake Athabasca,
Saskatchewan by drift net in 1961.
requirements as Brookies, but they grow much slower and tend to get much
larger. It may take a Laker15 years to grow to two pounds, but these fish
commonly live to be forty years old and they can reach well in the twenty to
fifty pound weight range. Like brookies Lake Trout feed on just about
anything, but they prefer to be piscivorous, meaning that they tend to eat
other fish. Their colorations are much duller, with white spots predominating
on the dark back, and a paler colored flesh. Despite the less flashy look,
Lakers in the north will put up a ferocious fight, often repetitively diving,
twisting, and rolling in an attempt to escape. On our trip the largest fish we
caught was Laker weighing in somewhere around the mid twenty pound
range. This was an impressive creature of the deep, but was nothing
conmpared to the world record 102 pounder taken from Lake Athabasca,
Saskatchewan by drift net in 1961.
Taking a cast anywhere on Lake Minto was always worthwhile. The cold water
meant that fish were near the surface.
meant that fish were near the surface.
Brad Bassi holding a nice Lake Trout that was taken on Lake Minto. The
fish was released as it was too large for one meal.
fish was released as it was too large for one meal.
Another nice Lake trout taken from the waters of the Tasialouc River.
The first bigger Lake Trout of the trip taken on a small stream flowing into Lake
Minto.
Minto.
The largest fish of the trip was the thirty something pound Lake Trout.
The base of rapids is always a productive place to fish. This shot was taken at the
very top of the Leaf River as it exited Lake Minto.
very top of the Leaf River as it exited Lake Minto.
Lake Trout are not confined to the lakes in Ungava. This long but
thin laker was taken on our way up the Vizien River.
thin laker was taken on our way up the Vizien River.
Eric Nemitz showing off a pretty Lake Trout taken somewhere on the Tasialouc River.
Another cast, another nice Lake Trout. Nunavik, Quebec.
Quebec Lake Trout.
The trip's first Lake Trout caught at a stream
flowing into Lac Kakiattualuk.
flowing into Lac Kakiattualuk.