Trip Report: Gaspé Coastal (June 3-8, 2025)
I would first like to start by extending my biggest congratulations to Andrew Murphy and Sarah Nellis for their recent endeavors and all of their hard work. What an amazingly special place and community you guys have created and I can't tell you how honored I am to be a small part of it. And another huge congratulations to one of the trip members, Jake Nichols, but more on that to come.
We arrived on Tuesday June 3rd to a newly built fly fishing lodge perched on the banks of the world famous Grand Cascapedia river and the inaugural week of Andrew Murphy and Sarah Nellis' operation, Gaspé Coastal. Over the past few years this young couple has put in an immense amount of energy and work to build, outfit and staff the newest (and best) fishing lodge in the area. Their idea is to be unlike the other classic salmon lodges in the area and to showcase everything the Gaspé Peninsula has to offer, not just the salmon and traditional salmon culture. If the salmon fishing isn't panning out like is often the case or it is just plain unethical to target salmon because of water temperature, these guys always have a back up plan. Their fishing season runs from June 1st through September 30th. For me, the Atlantic Salmon will always be the main attraction when visiting the Gaspé and the dates I reserve for these trips reflect the best opportunity for productive salmon fishing, however the area also features some of the best striped bass fishing in the world as well as both resident and sea run brook trout opportunities for when the salmon fishing conditions are poor or for those who want to experience the other natural phenomena in the area. Sarah and Andrew pride themselves on being not just another salmon lodge as there is so much else to see around where they are located. That being said, their lodge is located on the banks of one of the most productive Atlantic Salmon rivers in the world with some of the biggest salmon in existence, and when the salmon fishing is good, these guys and their team of guides are some of the hardest working and most knowledgeable in the area.
June 1st signals opening day for the Grand Cascapedia and Bonaventure rivers which are the 2 rivers we focus on for this trip when it comes to Atlantic Salmon. Opening week can be a bit of a gamble in that oftentimes the bulk of the salmon have not moved into the rivers yet, however the ones that have, are often some of the biggest of the season. Early June is a high risk high reward scenario when it comes to salmon fishing. The most coveted salmon are always caught during the first 2 weeks of June. It is also the best time to utilize two handed rods and swing flies for the salmon as flows are still adequately high to do so. Another big perk of June is that if you are lucky enough to find that fish of a lifetime, they are more than likely going to be eager to take a fly. Early season is when the fish are the most grabby and as the season progresses the fish tend to get more difficult to catch, especially if water becomes too warm and or flows get too low.
For this trip, we arrived to a late spring with flows still high and water still very cold. Not many salmon had entered the rivers yet, but as is with atlantic salmon fishing in general, staying optimistic and hopeful is key. We were in for 2 days of 80 degree weather which we knew would help the cause. Day 1 no salmon were caught and I think morale was a bit low toward the end of the day after recovering from long drives and fishing a long day. Day 2 would bring the first glimpse of hope. 2 members of the trip decided to go striper fishing which we will get to later. and then 2 groups went off salmon fishing. I was paired with a buddy Al on day 2 of the trip which I was excited about because both me and him preferred to utilize spey casting techniques with two handed rods from shore and I knew he was quite a bit more experienced than me. We were fishing the same section I had fished the previous day with no results so I wasn't exactly hopeful, but after a pep talk from Andrew and him telling me that every day is different I tried to go in with the best attitude possible. We launched the canoe and motored upstream a couple miles to the last pool on that section so we could fish our way back down and hit everything. When we got to the top Al started at the top of the run while myself and our guide Sam had a smoke. As we talked and stared at the water I saw a fish porpoise at the tail of the pool. The first sight of a salmon. This fish would prove not to be a taker, contrary to average spring salmon behavior, so we continued down. In the next 2 pools down we also located fish, again fish that we worked hard that just weren't going to bite. We made our way down the rest of the section hitting every little pocket and finally got to the launch where we would give it one last ditch effort casting single handed rods from the canoe in an area we could not wade. I made a couple short casts and suddenly a salmon boiled on my fly. After 2 days of nothing and the most intense rush of adrenaline because of it, I lifted my rod as hard as I could and ripped the fly right out of its mouth. A moment I'll never let myself live down , especially after a late night conversation the previous evening about why not to trout set a salmon.
The next day myself and Jake were to fish my favorite water in the world, the branches of the cascapedia river. It happened early and it happened when I was not there. We started at a pool and swung a few times through. I was told to go check a pool upstream I was familiar with so I headed off on my own while Jake and guide Sam were going to finish one more pass through the pool. When I got to the spot my confidence was high as I had moved salmon there before however flows were higher than my previous experience. I fished the top of the pool, I fished the bottom of the pool, and I fished it from both sides. After about my 7th pass through the pool I knew something had happened downstream. Sure enough Jake and Sam drive by with a glow radiating from the truck. Sure enough, Jake and our guide Sam had landed the first salmon of the inaugural Gaspe Coastal 2025 season. And not just any salmon, the salmon. A drop dead gorgeous 38" fresh chrome unicorn salmon. The first reported catch on the branches for 2026. I've watched Jake catch more than one fish of a lifetime, and I think this is the fish of many lifetimes. So a huge congratulations to Jake for this historic catch. The perfect example of why we go out to fish in June. High risk, high reward. No other salmon were caught that day.
The previous couple days our friends Jay and Alice from Vermont had been out on the bay targeting stripers. They had come specifically to see this impressively healthy population unique to Canada. On the Tuesday when we arrived there had been no reports of striped bass yet. It did not seem like guides had really even tried much yet which was a little weird to me and I was nervous for Jay and Alice. However when I talked to Andrew and Sarah they both gave me the same answer and reassured me; they'll be here on wednesday. Sure enough, after everyone got back from not catching any salmon reports of stripers started trickling in from the guides who were out scouting that day. Myself, Jake, and David decided we were going to check it out. We arrived at a walk and wade spot close to the lodge and were immediately greeted by what looked like a wall of nervous water that was all striped bass. We caught fish until the sun went down and went back to the lodge to further confirm the good news. Jay and Alice proceeded to spend the next couple days out on the poling skiffs exploring the endless flats in the area and connecting with the first arrival of striped bass in the area. The thriving striped bass fishery on the Gaspé peninsula is certainly not to be missed and though I personally tend to focus on Atlantic Salmon when visiting, I always make a point to spend some time on the coast. There are certain days when they are off, but it is not uncommon to have 50-100 fish days. All accompanied by mountain backdrops and completely unpressured flats. A special experience to say the least.
On the final day of this trip we all went out on the bonaventure river for salmon. We split up into our separate groups and went off. I was with David and we fished hard but did not touch a fish. As we arrived back at the lodge Jake and Al were already there with the same news. We started chatting in the parking lot when Jay and Alice pulled up with big smiles and thumbs pointed towards the sky. Sure enough the second salmon of the 2025 Gaspé Coastal season had been caught by Jay! A last cast fish and a great way to end our fishing experience for the trip. Congratulations Jay! We then were sent off with a lobster dinner and end of the week party with the guides.
The accommodations at the Gaspé Coastal lodge are fantastic. Lodging consists of 8 single occupancy cabins connected by Jack and Jill style bathrooms so every 2 cabins share one bathroom. These rooms are clean, comfortable, modern, and provide ample privacy for individuals who may not like the bunk style or double occupancy housing offered by many other surrounding lodges. The main building on the lodge, the Nadaue House, is a newly renovated historic building with water rights to the lowest section of the Grand Cascapedia river. The lodge has a communal dining area where coffee and breakfast is always waiting in the morning and family style meals are served after a day on the water. Sandwiches are made fresh every day for lunch and are brought by the guides along with cold beverages, snacks and a cookie. There is a living room inside the lodge with a fireplace and TV for cold nights, and a screened in porch outside to keep bugs away on warm summer evenings. The open bar and beer fridge is always well stocked, and Gaspé Coastal does a great job providing local food and beverage offerings. There is also a wader/gear room where guests can comfortably take off their waders and store in a dry place for the next day's use. The lodge is located walking distance from the local area's fly shop that is always well stocked with flies or gear that you may need in a pinch.
We are booked again for opening week June 1st - 7th, 2026 and could not be more excited! If you are interested in having a shot at a unicorn spring salmon, world class striped bass fishing, and an awesome lodging experience run by great people give us a shout at the shop or email me at Joe@allpointsflyfishing.com. There are also spots for our Fall 2025 trip (September 8th-14th) with opportunities at salmon sporting their fall colors and a more reliable opportunity at viewing and sight fishing salmon.
Written By: Joe Webster
1 comment
Sounds like a great trip. My son Peter and I are looking forward to the fall trip. Last Wednesday morning Peter caught a 40” striper in the Saco. Using spinning gear but still fun.