A SPRING TRADITION (PICS HEAVY)
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I though spring was at our door with spring trout season starting late April but no was we were slammed with another storm and this one pumped 20 inch of snow yesterday, Oh yes its a sad reminder than the snow is here to stay at least for another month. Though I would share this great fishery species not well known by other
QUEBEC NORTH SHORE SEA RUN BROOK TOUT
A SPRING TRADITION
One of Eastern Quebec most unique fishery is by far the spring sea run brook trout fishery. This is a simple fishery made up of all classes of society throwing spoons to regular worm and hook fisherman to the more technical fly fisherman imitating bait fish the best he can.
The spring sea run brook trout fishery has always been dear to my heart for which my first fishing experience with the elusive trout was at a tender age of 4 in the province of New Brunswick, my grandfather helped me with my first silver sea trout called “truite de mer”. This trout was caught in a the brackish water of a local stream called Mates Brook near the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick border. Back then this silver beauty was the most beautiful fish of them all even today 31 years after it still has me hooked.
Today I am a full time fishing guide residing on the North Shore in the Province of Quebec and yes the sea trout still shines in this part of Canada. My first glimpse of this fishery in 1999 on the north shore was a small wharf in the town of Pentecote located right in the middle of Sept Iles and Baie Comeau. Every spring I would stop and watch the locals sitting down on the wharf with their fishing poles in the rod holders. I rarely saw them raise a fish then one day I saw this man with this old fiberglass rod with a couple of guide missing fighting this fish which at the time seem to be fighting pretty hard. I decided to walk down and have a look at his catch that gentleman was fighting this huge fish at the time I taught he had snagged a cod, but no that fish jumped out of the water and had that familiar silver shine that only two fish species have in this part of Quebec, Salmo Salar the atlantic salmon or the sea brook trout. Finally he landed his fish it measures an even 25 inch and must of weighed in access of 5 pounds. Dumbfounded I asked the gentleman if these sea trout were caught often in this area he grinned and showed the content of his 5 gallon pail. He had a total of 6 trout in there and none were below 3 pounds with the biggest measuring 28 inches. Then and there the quest began.
I will start with the Kelt version of those brookies
The sea run kelts descend the rivers in mid to late April and in some cases up to mid May. Kelts are not present in every river it has to be a big deep river to hold sea run brook trout all winter. Most of all the sea run will leave the river and head out to the ocean in Late December. They leave the rivers to come feed on the available capelin and sand eels.
Notice the shape of these brook trout
Season to fish Kelts id from Late April to Late May
Sea run brook trout
In late Mai to late June these same kelts will have got fatter and healthier with all the feeding done in the estuary. These fish are bright silver when fresh. After they enter the river in around 10 to 14 days they begin to lose their guanine built up from their trip in the ocean, their colorful colors start showing more and more, even the red and blue spot and olive vermiculations are visible now and to distinguish them from regular non anadromous sea run is practically impossible
It all in the Numbers
Sure lots of Quebec and Eastern Canada rivers and estuaries hold sea run brook trout but few have the numbers and size of fish that the north shore region has to offer. Still considered a nuisance by local Atlantic Salmon fisherman the sea trout has managed to survive and still have very decent runs in the locals river. For example the Trinity rivers located 25 miles from The Pentecote river his the north shore index river for migratory species like sea run brook trout and Atlantic Salmon its 2006 numbers were very respectful with over 4500 brookies and 900 + Salmon that entered the river. Each year 10 % of this run are 24 to 28 inch fish making this fishery a worlds class sea run brook trout destination. They only start entering the river in late June in small runs of 10 to 20 fish a day and slowly build up to 75 to 100 fish a day in early August. All these fish between the late April to mid late June are all in the estuaries of the rivers making things quite interesting.
Fishing Season Starts LAte May to Late August
FlyFishing
My favorite setup are 7 wt or 8 wt fly rods in the 9 to 10 ft length, again I am putting an emphasis on the choice of fly reel a strong drag with lots of backing for the same reason stated above. The average cast are between 50 and 80 ft so the average fly angler will feel right at home. Clear or blue intermediate line are the favorite here by fare, A standard 6 to 10 ft leader straight or tapered with 3 to 4 feet of tippet of 4 to 6 pound is enough.
Flies
The local favorite flies are the same streamers you can find in your local fly shop starting from the famous magog smelt, black ghost, muddler minnow, Mickey fins, blue smelt and the Balou special, some dry fly activity can be expected especially around 4 pm till dark so bring all you flies you never know which one will be hot.
Streamer hook size # 2 to #6
Dry fly Hook Size # 6 to #12
Now here are some pictures of non sea run brook trout.
Jocelin
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