The First Half of the Season: A Guide’s Perspective

With the turn of spring, we experienced very intense run-off conditions, with the rivers swelling to their peak around May 7th (Grand Cascapédia ~500m3/s, Petite Cascapédia ~350m3/s, Bonaventure ~400m3/s). Lower temperatures and lingering presence of snow in the mountains upstream from all of the salmon rivers gave us a hint that it could be a slower start, or rather, a more “historically normal” start. 

The celebration of Fishmas Eve on May 31st to commemorate the beginning of the season and the arrival of our first guests had the guide team champing at the bit to get our wading boots wet and assess the state of the rivers. Regardless of all the speculation surrounding this year's run in comparison to the previous season, we all could not have been more excited to commence our second season at Gaspé Coastal. With excitement, hope, and daydreams of the chrome ghosts of June swirling in our heads, we set out on the Bonaventure and in branches of the Grand Cascapédia with the first group of guests. Cast, swing, step, cast, swing, step…

On June 5th, we struck silver on the Nadeau House home water on the Grand Cascapédia. Al James, of New Hampshire, broke the ice with a dime-bright male swinging a Nagli. I admittedly shed a few tears of joy as we inspected the pristine 12lb salmon before he kicked out of Al’s hands with exactly the intensity you would hope for in early June. Though this was the only fish of the first week, we all felt a sigh of relief for fresh fish and time spent on these incredible rivers with some incredible folks to start the season.

We started week two with a full lodge of guests, both new and returning, and an understanding that though it may feel like a slow start, the water levels we observed and low water temperatures were something to be cherished. As days passed, we began to see a slow but steady improvement in salmon fishing, especially on the Bonaventure. Guide Glenn Harrison’s guests broke the ice on the Bonaventure higher up in the system, concluding that fish are pushing upriver quickly with the higher water. I hope everyone can experience the passion Glenn has for salmon. 37 years, and the hair still stands up on his arms as he recalls the swing that connected his long-time guest, Jim Todd, with his first of the season. Guide Alexis Gagne also had the pleasure of helping first time guest and new fly fisherman, Liam, hook and land his first ever Atlantic Salmon. This was one of several first Atlantic salmon that Gaspé Coastal guides had the pleasure of netting for guests this season. 

Those same lower temperatures that slowed down the run in the rivers kept the striper spawn that occurs annually in the Miramichi River at bay. As we probed the areas we’ve become so familiar with, we saw a slow increase, much like that we were seeing in the rivers, of striped bass returning to their summer feeding grounds. Though fish were scattered, it was good to be back on the flats.

Unlike the season prior, mid June saw a decrease in temperature and increase in precipitation, which had us all feeling a renewed sense of confidence in how the season may fare. With big tides and rain bumping the water levels significantly in the rivers, we continued to chase the chrome bullets making their way into all of the systems at a seemingly steady rate, including into the Petite Cascapédia.

The Petite Cascapédia opens June 15, with the run observably commencing later than the other of the “Big Three” rivers. Of the Big Three, the Petite, due in part to its topography and grade, changes the most drastically. Log jams bust free and form in new locations, new channels etch through the gravel substrate, old pools fill in and new pools scour. A fun challenge for all of us guides to learn and adapt to the changes.

With a great sense of accomplishment from the entire team, our Atlantic Salmon Log was seeing more and more fish entries with each week that passed as well. All the while, the arrival of the stripers in great numbers was just icing on the cake.

With each season’s nuances, we can speculate (as all guides love to) which week is the “best”. A subjective and loaded question that guests love to ponder with us, as we always hope the best week is the week they’re there. This season, the end of June was, to put it rather plainly, special.

Close to 100mm of rain fell beginning June 13, and mean temperatures took a turn for the warmer towards July, contributing to a final push of melting in the mountains. The Grand Cascapédia peaked on June 16-17th at ~140m3/s, Petite Cascapédia on June 21-22 at ~80m3/s, and the Bonaventure on June 21-22 at ~90m3/s. The June push of water that salmon guides in Gaspésie dream of. I remember standing on the porch of the lodge with the team as we were all near tears with joy for the rain. I’m sure the guests thought we were crazy.

Sarah Nellis (co-owner) broke the ice on the Petite Cascapédia, landing the first two salmon of the season in what would be its most productive week. I landed my first Atlantic salmon, after two and a half seasons in Gaspésie, with Sarah on the Petite to close out June. A fish Sarah has already earmarked for one of her favourites of 2026.

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A handful more on the Petite and double digits on the Bonaventure closed out our most productive week of the season, with twenty fish landed and a hefty handful more hooked and lost. This is a week I know I will never forget, and I’d be willing to bet that I’m not the only one that shares that sentiment.

Salmon were consistently caught through July on the Big Three, though with flows leveling out and temperatures increasing as summer weather settled in, our efforts slowly expanded into other areas of Gaspé Coastal’s fishing programs. 

Wild and native sea-run brook trout hunting in the branches of the Petite Cascapédia has been exciting and rewarding, with more water yet to be explored through to the end of trout season, which concludes August 31st in the branches, and September 10th on all other non-salmon tributaries. Bright brookies are still moving around, though their brilliant colours started to show up as they’ve begun to settle into the river for their fall spawning, in suit with the salmon.

Alex and I have gotten to take guests for this experience that are eager to explore and work for a shot at one of Gaspésie’s hidden gems. Both Alex and I had the pleasure of showing Brian, an 80 year old self-proclaimed trout bum from Ontario, the branches in July. We were able to find a handful of beautiful brookies willing to come up for elk hair caddis patterns after kilometers of river walking and what seemed like endless casting, all of which he said are trout he will never forget.

The striper exploration has been in full force as more favourable weather for hunting on the flats began to roll in more frequently in July. In and out with the tide, Sam and André-Philippe, with the help of the rest of the guide team, continue through the remainder of the season to chase blitzing, feeding, and constantly moving schools of stripers on the Baie des Chaleurs and into some surrounding areas. It truly is a fishery that you have to see to believe, just ask Andrew (co-owner).

Each week as the season unfolded brought the kind of moments that become lasting memories, fishing aside. Each ev

ening, Jamie (our amazing service staff) crafted cocktails, coaxed out stories, and welcomed both new and returning guests onto the porch. Our chef Emile's incredible meals were often preceded by fresh lobster, ice-cold oysters, and plenty of embellished tales about the giants that were caught, or the even bigger ones that got away (though none of us would ever admit it, of course). Then there were the moments between casts. The laughs shared with guides and guests alike, quiet canoe floats, long days fishing through the rain, and sore hands earned from stripping salty fly lines. Looking back, those memories are every bit as vivid as watching the powerful tails of the fish we chased disappear beneath the surface after a successful release.

With the halfway point of the season behind us, we all still look forward to all the new and returning guests we get to share a canoe, skiff, or walk and wade adventure with.

As Glenn would say, we’re all living the dream here at Gaspé Coastal!

Sam Breault, Guide