Customer story - Moments that will live forever

Marc Vézina is the first to say that he’s not a sophisticated fisherman. “I’m just a fish catcher,” jokes the nature-loving Cap-Santé resident. He knows outfitters well. Over the past 45 years he’s visited more than 50 of them. “If I don’t catch any fish, I’m disappointed. But if there’s nothing more than the fishing, then something’s missing.”  

What does he look for above all? “I used to go through the guidebook systematically to find places that had the type of fish I was looking for—trout or pike. Today, at 65, I have to admit that comfort has become a priority,” said Marc. “At 25, sleeping in a tent with a rock digging into my shoulder was fine. Now, it would take me three days to recover,” he said, laughing and adding that he doesn’t consider himself a technical fisherman.  “I don’t have a sonar. I just cast my line in the water and wait.”  

A feel-good experience 

Marc is not in it for the ‘trophies.’ For him, being close to nature is just as important as comfortable accommodations and good food. “I’m a former wine advisor. An epicurean. You don’t have me over for soda crackers.” He recalls the time when he and his wine buddies stocked up on Chablis Premier Cru. “It was at Club Lacs des Sables et Paradis SaguenayThis link will open in a new window, in Grandes-Bergeronnes. Jacques, the owner, thawed out some moose filet mignon for us, just so we could taste the Chablis. Sharing is also part of the experience.” 

So long, pressure! 

With just seven log cabins, the Pourvoirie Lac DegelisThis link will open in a new window welcomes very few customers at a time, which reduces fishing pressure on its 52 lakes. A few years ago, Marc spent some 20 nights there, over the course of two trips. “At the end of the well-maintained 117 km forest road in the heart of the Monts-Valin is one of the most picturesque places you can find. It’s not every day that you see a beach like the one at Lac Dégelis in the middle of the woods.” 

The spawning grounds are home to vigorous native trout that are a delight for fishing enthusiasts and a real source of pride for the owners. Marc recalls that the owner was herself a serious foodie. “One day, in her kitchen, I shared my famous coffee-cured salmon (gravlax) recipe, which I somehow managed to mess up for the first time.” Too many cooks? Maybe, but thinking about it still makes him cringe. 

Marc’s prime pick 

At the top of his outfitter list is Pourvoirie PanomaguyThis link will open in a new window, located two hours from Baie-Comeau heading towards Manic 5. He and his partner Céline have spent a total of 42 nights there over the years. “Here, the jack pines look like palm trees and the sandy beaches stretch for many kilometres. On Okaopéo Lake, which is 200 feet deep, there’s even a sandbank where you can set up a chair and read with your toes in the water.” He’ll always remember one morning when the loons were singing in an unusual way. “It woke us up. We went outside and saw ten loons in a row taking turns singing. It was magical. Never to be forgotten.” 

Preparing for an upcoming trip, Marc is already deeply immersed in topographic maps, analyzing which way the rivers flow and identifying the headwater lakes. With age, the “fish catcher” has come to realize that it’s more about the journey than the destination. “Sometimes it’s worth taking a detour.” 

Written by Diane Laberge