|
Before the dawn mists have burned off the lakes and rivers of northwestern Quebec's James Bay watershed, before the night's damp chill is dried by the morning sun, fishermen can stand at the water's edge and hear the trout, pike, and walleye snapping up their breakfast. The inevitable itch to wet a line before the campfire is lit and the tea water on to boil is hard to resist.
This is Cree country; it has been for generations. In the twentieth century the miners came and went, and some did well. On the southern edge of Cree country is Val d'Or, still a mining town. The loggers came but the forests yielded too little hardwood to hold them. When the power companies came to harness the rivers, the Cree asserted their rights and won for their land virtual Cree sovereignty. Many Cree still fish, hunt, and trap over the land and waters, as their forefathers did, but, of course, with a few modern touches and amenities.
Pressure on the fishery in northwestern Quebec is light. The fish have time to grow and multiply. Because much of the James Bay watershed in this area is inaccessible, pressure will remain light. Many of the "roads" are actually unused lumbering roads, snow mobile cuts, or game trails. The waterways, including myriad extended and complex river and lake systems can be treacherous, often riven with rapids and rocky shoals. Sudden storms over the big lakes or James Bay itself can turn fly-in day trips into three day trips. The terrain is variously dense bush and virgin spruce forest; wetlands, sink holes and dead falls; and rocky scarp and scree. Beyond that, and certainly guaranteeing light pressure on the fishery, is distance, for much of Cree country is north of the 52nd parallel.
No longer, however, is this an inhospitable land. In the past few years, several Cree families and Cree business groups have opened fishing camps in the Region which provide accommodations, outfitting, and guides. The area is also served by three Cree-owned airlines, one of which, Creebec, flies scheduled flights from Montreal and Ottawa. Apart from fishing, there's hunting – moose, caribou, bear, geese and other fowl; there's eco-touring in the Region; cultural camps; and working holidays on active traplines. But the fishing is the main attraction.
Well north of Val d'Or, nearly 800 kilometres, that is, accessible by paved road is the modern Cree community of Chisasibi. This is the principal jumping off point for fishing the Cree country.
Northern pike and walleye are more abundant than shrimp in Louisiana. Well, maybe that statement stretches it a bit! Yet, when anglers routinely release ten-pound pike or two-three pound walleye because they know there's bigger, feistier fish still hungrily waiting a run at their lure, it's safe to say, Cree country is fisherman Nirvana. Twenty pound pike, six-eight pound walleye – these take some getting used to.
The waters are far enough north they remain cool throughout the summer, which means the fish do not run deep. Walleye will move into the lakes in high summer, late July or early August, but even then they've no need to seek their characteristic deep holes.. Pike tend to stay in the larger rivers and those in the lakes, like pike everywhere, tend to lurk about island weed beds and quiet bays waiting to strike.
Brook and lake trout are the big draw. Although Chisasibi is located right where the La Grande River empties into James Bay, some of the best trout fishing is somewhat inland – Julian and Craven Lakes, the Roggan and Seal Rivers, and the smaller lakes and rivers which support them.
Six-pound brook trout are in the Roggan River; on fly tackle a challenge for any fisherman. The Seal River area, further north, also provides hefty brookies. Adding to the challenge, especially for the fly fisherman, is that competition for the fly may be won by a voracious pike.
The cool northern water also keep the lake trout shallow, seldom deeper than twenty-five feet. This sets up the fisherman to use light tackle for spinning or trolling. With light tackle, the inevitable strike can test the fisherman's skill as much as the line. The order of the average day is fifteen-twenty pounders, more than anyone needs for lunch.
Cree country provides an opportunity to try just about every freshwater lure in the tackle box, even the rusted retreads picked up at local garage sales. But, as with the land itself, tradition usually prevails. These fish don't need the exotic, the sonic, the scented; just the basics.
Nor is a high tech depth and fish finder required. As the mandatory Cree guide will patiently describe, "If there is water, there are fish." He may then wave his arm expansively and point out with a smile, "And here we have the water."
|
| |
