HISTORIC RIVER IS AWASH IN TRADITION
In this destination travel article, my father and I travel to one of my favourite parts of Canada, the east coast.
My first Salmo Salar, (Atlantic Salmon) was landed on a dry fly up in remote Labrador, weighing in at 43 lbs! I will never forget the colour of that fish, chrome painted with an impossibly perfect patina of lilac purple, to heavenly blue.
I was euphoric after landing that unicorn of a fish, falling madly in love with the “king of the sea”. I’ve been to the east coast eleven times, each to different lodges (for multi species of fish) and this was my first New Brunswick lodge visit.
This province is rich in fly fishing history and provides world class Atlantic salmon fishing. Our destination lodge for this trip was the Glen Eden Salmon Lodge. It is located on the banks of the Restigouche River, bordering Quebec and New Brunswick.
The salmon are noteworthy, chrome bright fresh from the ocean. The lodge is a drive-to location, with full staff, guides and luxury setting. All of this with a stunning front row view of the gin clear, famous Restigouche River.
POOLS, POCKETS AND RIFFLES AWAIT
Upon arrival from the Fredericton airport, we had a four hour trip by car from airport to lodge. Our guide (Vaughn, lodge manager & guide) picked us up at the airport. During those four hours we learned about the fishing and the history of the area.
ARRIVAL
I peered upon the river for the first time as we drove up to the lodge, a mesmerizing sight. After a relaxing dinner, along with a meet and greet with the other guests, it was time for bed.
After a hearty breakfast, the sunlight pirouetted through the daybreak mist as we meandered to the rivers edge. The air was infused with the smells of summer along with endless shades of green from the forest that follows the rivers curves. My anticipation grew as I assembled my rod and threaded my line thru the guides.
THE RIVER
My dad as my right-hand man, stowing the camera and fly gear into the classic 26-foot Sharpe canoe. With both of us settled in the vessel, Vaughn (our main guide for the trip), ensured us of a beautiful day, and that fish await. Off we went, upriver on the mighty Restigouche to the first good pool.
I made the first cast, my heart beating loudly as I tried remembering all of the lessons from previous trips for Atlantic salmon. One remained top of mind “God save the Queen”. This was to be the thought prior to setting the hook to ensure successful timing.
Being a predatory-fish angler, setting the hook swiftly is engrained in me. Every swing I nearly held my breath until it reached slack water. The long sessions of fishing were in the comfort of the canoe and with the great conversation between my dad, Vaughn, and myself. We cracked some ridiculous jokes as I continued to fish in a grid pattern. Casting and swinging the fly I came tight to a beautiful grilse salmon. These are Atlantic salmon that has been to sea once and returned. Three to eight pounds is the usual weight for these young salmon.
HARD WORK PAYS OFF
I was lucky to practice up on many grilse and it was a few days before all the hard work produced a nice healthy, hefty salmon. Fishing for these unicorns is all about time spent on the water, and to be ready when the reel starts to sing.
FISH ON
One of the guests hooked into a beast of a salmon while I was enjoying a coffee on the deck of the lodge. I grabbed my camera and quietly went down near the river to watch the theatrics. His guide came rushing in with the net, and one could feel the adrenaline and stress with such a massive fish.
Unfortunately, the angler put too much force on the fish and with one big forceful whoosh, the fish straightened the hook and was gone. I had not seen such a disappointed angler in a long time, he was looking “broken”.
I quietly walked back up as if I had never seen the commotion, and no one talked about the battle for the remainder of the evening. Bruised ego’s come complimentary with Atlantic salmon fishing!
DID YOU KNOW
The IGFA world-record fish was caught in 1928 on Norway’s Tana River, weighing in at 79lbs 2oz. The fly-fishing record was 47lbs from Quebec’s Cascapedia River in 1982!
My time at the lodge was extremely fulfilling, I even caught brook trout in a lovely stream that fed into the river next to the lodge. My dad and I thoroughly enjoyed the days on the river. He took tremendous photos, sharing stories to keep us laughing as we floated the gin clear waters. As always, he was my cheering section when I came line-tight to a fish.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM NEW BRUNSWICK
One of the fondest moments from the trip was relaxing in the evenings aS dad played his guitar. My father is a professional musician, and it was so much fun to see the lodge guests light up with smiles on their faces and sing along to some great classics.
He made fast friends at the lodge, and a return trip awaits us. It was extremely rewarding for me to share this experience with my dad, and I count my blessings.
ABOUT THE LODGE
Glen Eden lodge is a place to not only enjoy the highly acclaimed Restigouche River, but the food as well. It’s a luxury lodge with a private chef. You get to enjoy 5 star east coast meals such as fresh lobster, seafood, not to mention the sublime local distillery spirits, and brews. You also get to meet other people from around the world all while nestled off the grid. It was a world class trip, and we look forward to our return.