In my role at Tourisme Côte-Nord, I had the privilege of spending a week discovering the Lower North Shore. What a treat! I accompanied the Québec à Vol d'oiseau (QVO) team, who were filming a fishing episode at the Green Point outfitter. The goal of the week: to catch a salmon!
The journey began with our arrival in Blanc-Sablon, where the outfitter's team welcomed us. This was followed by a 45-minute drive to Rivière-Saint-Paul and another 45-minute boat ride to Green Point. We received a warm welcome from the outfitter's team with a delicious lobster dinner before settling into the charming cabins where we would stay for the next few days.
The next day, our delightful guide gave me a quick lesson in fly fishing before letting me practice my casts on the river. Like the rest of the team, I only managed to catch a few parr, which are baby salmon. After a few days enjoying the tranquility of the Saint-Paul River and feasting like royalty at the outfitter, our guide decided to change locations to increase our chances of catching a salmon. This is a service offered to everyone by Green Point!
On Thursday morning, we headed an hour by boat from the village of Vieux-Fort to a cabin owned by the outfitter. Though more rustic, the place was comfortable, and the lakeside view was stunning. From there, we had access to several lakes and rivers where the fishing prospects were excellent!
We spent a day and a half thoroughly exploring one of the nearby rivers, the Napetipi. Trout were abundant, and occasionally, we saw salmon jumping, a good sign! For lunch, our guide cooked our catches over a fire on the river's beach. At the end of the second day, José, the show's host, finally caught a salmon. The whole team's reaction to this achievement was pure joy!
Since our main goal was reached, we could return to dry land and explore the surroundings. On Saturday, we went on a sea excursion to fish for cod and mackerel. The sea was very rough, and I got seasick (oops!). However, the landscapes and dolphins we saw during this sea outing made it entirely worth it. On Sunday, we set out to explore the panoramic Chicoutai Route between Blanc-Sablon and Vieux-Fort. We started the day at Salmon Bay Farm, where we learned about scallop farming and tasted them both raw and cooked. We then visited the Whiteley Museum with Garland Nadeau, an important figure in Rivière-Saint-Paul tourism. Finally, we visited the impressive Brador Falls, located along Route 138. Alongside these discoveries, we enjoyed various local specialties like lobster and cloudberries (delicious!).
My Highlights:
- The Saint-Paul River
- Vieux-Fort Island
- Salmon Bay Farm
- Whiteley Inn
- Café La Perle Rare
