Though better known as a key stronghold of Gallic customs in North America, Quebec, outside the key population centres of Montreal and Quebec City, is truly a sportsman’s dream. And whereas the phrase “the fish are biting” is not totally one that French-speaking Quebecois may apply to express the quality of angling in their province, the fact is that you will hit upon some of the best trout, pike and walleye fishing in the region when you are here.
Quebec is Canada’s largest area equally in terms of residents, with approximately 8 million citizens as of 2010, and land area. This immense territory, the majority of which is virtually uninhabited outside of the main cities, is three times the size of Texas, and starts from the St. Lawrence River in the south to Hudson’s Strait and the Northwest Passages in the north. Geologically, it is in addition one of the most stable places on the globe as the Canadian Shield has not budged in over three billion years.
Most of Quebec’s interior is made up of huge tracts of hardwood and deciduous forests, lakes and rivers and with the relevant lack of human habitation outside of fishing lodges and cabin rentals, the waters are among the cleanest on the planet. This means streams and lakes teeming with an incredibly diverse fish population that attracts anglers from all over the continent. From their Quebec cabin rentals, sportsmen regularly reel in great numbers of speckled trout, Atlantic salmon, pickerel, pike and more.
If you elect to avail yourself of one of the community’s bed and breakfasts instead of one of Quebec’s cabin rentals, you will realize that most of them include not only warm, yet country accommodations but also guide services, transportation and storage of your catch in their own freezers. Most home owners will also wrap up and mail it home for you once your retreat is over.
As you can imagine, a region such as north central Quebec that is still principally wilderness after nearly 400 years of European settlement offers much more than fishing. Big game such as moose and caribou are plentiful, as well as roughly thirty different varieties of wild duck. The woods of Quebec also include a lot of wild foliage, such as berries and edible mushrooms that you can harvest to complement your dinner of salmon or other game.
Quebec’s unspoiled wilderness also boasts kayaking and canoeing, swimming and hiking and more. The province’s secluded fishing inns and other vacation condos have places to visit for all the nature-lovers in your family.
A good place to start planning your Quebec vacation is the website “Fishing In Quebec” which provides links to five of the province’s premier outback fishing resorts and guide services. You should also visit the website “Sportsman’s Resource” which has information on charter services as well as outfitters and other sources for bait, tackle and other necessary fishing supplies.
Wesley Mathews is part of the travel team at FindVacationRentals.com and FindBedandBreakfast.com. These directories provide detailed information on bed and breakfasts and things to do.