Salmon River Angling Club

Formed in 1952 by David Barbout and Red Williams the club has established itself over the years as one on the top Salmon Clubs in Canada attracting visits for over 4000 anglers from around the world in 2007. The club is a non profit organisation and run for the 50 or so active members. We currently own 140 miles of rivers and swims in the Quebec area and are keen to actively promote ourselves and our quality fishing all around the world. This site was set up to showcase The Salmon River in 2008. We hope to update the site as time goes on. If you would like to know more about SRACQC please free free to contact us using the contact form attached to this site.

The St Lawrence River

From the heart of a continent to the coast of an ocean, from sweet water seas to salt water shores, the course of the mighty St. Lawrence River is also the course of Canadian history. Avenue of exploration, corridor of commerce, cradle of New France and Upper Canada, the great inland waterway of the northeast was destined to lead not to the spices and silks of China, but to the even greater bounty of forests, furs and raw materials. Carved between the Laurentians to the north and the Appalachians to the south, and forming a natural pathway to the lakes of Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior, the river seems almost purposefully designed for navigation. Where Mother Nature has stood in the way – stirring in rapids up above, or billowing thick, treacherous fog down below – mankind has cleverly side-stepped Her, damming, diverting, dredging and ultimately designing the St. Lawrence Seaway, one of the greatest river transportation systems in the world. Fed by the Great Lakes, draining a million square kilometres, beginning in the freshwater bays of eastern Ontario’s Thousand Islands, and running nearly 1,200 kilometres, to the saltwater shores of Anticosti Island and the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, the river is known simply as the Samon River to us locals.

Species we fish for

Salmon Chinook

Time of year: All season
Limits*: Max. of 4; 2 per day
Other names: Spring, king, tyee, blackmouth
Grouse Nest Resort record: 63 pounds
Size range: 18 – 70+ pounds
Identification: Largest of the salmon. Make powerful, determined runs when fought, rarely leaping, battles with large chinook often last a half-hour or more. Lightly spotted blue-green back; dark mouth with black gums at the base of the teeth; V-shaped silvery tail, the top and bottom generally covered with spots.

Coho Salmon

Time of year: Late June through October
Limits*: Max. of 8; 4 per day
Other names: Silver, hooknose, blueback
Grouse Nest record: 24 pounds
Size range: 7 – 20+ pounds
Identification: Notorious for their wild, fast and erratic fight, frequently punctuated by acrobatic leaps out of the water. Bright silver in colour; white mouth, with white gums at the base of the teeth; silver tail with spots usually on the top and a wide base.

Chum Salmon

Time of year: Late June through October
Limits*: Max. of 8; 4 per day
Other names: Calico, dog, keta
Grouse Nest record: 21 pounds
Size range: 8 – 20+ pounds
Identification: Noted for long runs and aggressive tactics—pound for pound the toughest fighting ocean salmon. Large mouth with well-developed teeth in both jaws; white tip on the anal fin; lack of spots on back; slightly forked tail, with silver streaks and a narrow base.

Pink Salmon

Time of year: Early July through September
Limits*: Max. of 8; 4 per day
Other names: Humpback, humpie
Grouse Nest record: 9.5 pounds
Size range: 4 – 10+ pounds
Identification: Smallest of the salmon, but a good fight when taken on lighter tackle; occasional leaps and short runs along the surface. Tiny scales on silver bodies; white mouth with black gums; V-shaped tail, which isn’t silver-coloured like other salmon, covered with large oval spots on top and bottom.
Sockeye Salmon

Time of year: May through August
Limits*: Max. of 8; 4 per day
Other names: Red, blueback
Grouse Nest record: 10 pounds
Size range: 4 – 10+ pounds
Identification: Abundant at Silver-blue in colour, with prominent glassy eyes; small black speckles on their back with distinct large scales; moderately forked tail, with no black spots.

*Total combined limit for all salmon species is 8

Plus
Halibut

Time of year: All season long
Limits: max. of 3; 2 per day
Other names: flattie, hally, flounder
Grouse Nest record: 207 pounds
Size range: 15 – 300+ pounds
Identification: Will feel like a dead weight when reeling up from the ocean floor, with occasional determined deep runs, but will fight erratically once they’ve broken the surface. Flat, diamond-shaped body; mottled brown topside, white underbody; both eyes on top of head; large symmetrical mouth; small scales. Any halibut over 70 pounds is a female carrying millions of eggs.
Lingcod

Time of year: All season long
Limits: of 3; 3 per day, size limitation in effect year round.
Other names: blue cod, leopard cod
Size range: 10 – 25+ pounds
Identification: Can offer a fight similar to salmon when initially hooked. Large mouth with very sharp canine-like teeth, small smooth scales, colour varies with environmental conditions but generally dark mottling, with light golden spotting over brown, grey, green shades; gray-white belly. A very durable fish with a very high survival rate when released.

Rockfish

Time of year: All season long
Limits*: max. of 4; 4 per day
Other names: red snapper, scorpion fish
Size range: 4 – 12+ pounds
Identification: Numerous types in a wide variety of colours; all have wide mouths and spiny dorsal fin; most common is yellow-eye rockfish, which have a bright orange-red to orange-yellow body and bright yellow eyes. Should be fished very selectively—when brought to the surface rockfish will rarely survive being released.

Best Sunglasses for Fishing

Tom, Arnold and I were in Jenny’s bar last week chewing the fat after a hard days fishing down at Salmon River when the subject of sunglasses came up. Tom had splashed out almost a $80 on a new pair of Polaroid glasses and went on about them while we worked our way through jenny’s steak chilli and a six pack of Bud Light..

As you all know Tom is never the first to spend his hard earned cash on new “fangled” things so Arnie and I were surprised at his new sunglasses. I tried them on and they felt comfortable and lightweight but the blue haze from the juke box did not really give me a clear idea of how good these critters really were..

Five days later when we met up again I noticed Arnie had a new pair too and wandered upstream to have a closer look and a chat.  Arnie explained that he and Tom had snuck off from the lumber yard early on friday to squeeze in a little late afternoon fishing on their way back into town. Tom borrowed Arnies new Polaroids as the sun was low and he had left his up in the truck. Arine went on to explain that these new “fangled” sunglasses were tinted with some special magic metal coating.  He went on to say that even in late evening light this coating took the shine off the river as it rushed past and allowed him glimpses of the salmon under the water , something he had never seen before. He liked them so much he pick up a pair at the mall on his way home that evening !!

Anyway that day Arnie pulled seven fish out of the river and I pulled one.. Now well all know Arnie is no angling jedi so it must be those darn polarized fishing sunglasses thats given him the edge. Looks like I am going to stopping of at the mall this weekend too!!!

Jed.