This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
There are nearly 400 bodies of water in this territory made up of mountain ranges and mixed forests, which include several mature species. The Portneuf wildlife reserve is not the best known of winter playgrounds, and that is perhaps what gives it its charm.
A thin layer of ice has formed on the water surface. I plunge the net into the hole to dislodge the crystals formed under the effect of the cold which freezes Lake Proulx. I set the brimbale on the post at the edge of the ice hole, the line makes a vertical path in the water, and I wait. Around me, my colleagues do the same. They scrutinize the barely perceptible movement of the thin wooden rod. They watch for the faint ripple caused by the arrival of a little bug at the bottom of the water hole. Patience is a fisherman’s best friend.
Hook the fish
According to Jean Brisebois, the employee who oversees the ice fishing activity in the Portneuf wildlife reserve, tickling speckled trout, early in the morning or late in the evening, has every chance of success. But any self-respecting fisherman knows that a catch is never guaranteed. This time, we only wait a few minutes to see the brimbale execute a direct dive onto the surface of the circular cavity. At this stage, you must firmly grasp the taut line and quickly extract the fish which has completely swallowed the worm attached to the hook, and which is moving at the end. In two hours, we will repeat the operation without exceeding the quota of a maximum of ten fish imposed on each fishing license. “I marinate them in red beer, to give them a little sweet taste before browning them in butter,” confides Mr. Brisebois.
Resort on the program
The Portneuf wildlife reserve is one of three reserves managed by SEPAQ and open to the public in winter (with that of the Laurentides and that of Chic-Chocs). And it is one of the many natural spaces easily accessible from Quebec. Unlike a national park, a wildlife reserve combines several types of uses, such as fishing, hunting and even forestry and mining, as is the case in Portneuf, where several granite mines are operated. Of around forty chalets in the two sectors of the reserve — Talbot and Travers — approximately half are open during the cold season. Five new Horizon chalets, electrified and with a modern design, are also available for winter rental for four to six people depending on the model. “Here, there is no offer of day activities,” explains Émilie Girard-Gros-Louis, director of the Portneuf wildlife reserve. They are exclusive for chalet occupants. » In addition to ice fishing, visitors have access to five snowshoe trails in the Talbot sector, 50 kilometers of snowmobile trails for cross-country skiing, an ice rink and an inner tube slide located at Travers Lake. . The DNA of this area clearly leans towards family customers.
Heading for hiking
To access one of the most beautiful snowshoe hiking trails in the reserve, head to the Talbot relay via route 13 which winds through the territory. If Cape Urubus is classified as difficult in winter, two options are possible to travel it. You can take a loop which climbs gradually and which requires four hours of relative effort or take its linear version which takes half the time, but whose altitude difference requires a sustained exercise over two kilometers. It is this second option that we choose, because in this month of February, night falls quickly in the mountains. After a good approach walk on the flat, the path climbs steadily to reach a plateau in the heart of a fir and yellow birch forest. Here as elsewhere, the layer of flakes on the ground is not very thick; we abandon snowshoes for crampons. The path winds through a forest of mature conifers heavily laden with snow. On Cap des Urubus, we overlook valleys and mountains as far as the eye can see. We quickly begin the descent as the light slowly fades.
Practical information
Chalet starting at $186 per night, depending on the season and day of the week. No Internet access in the chalets, except at the Rivière-à-Pierre reception. Fishing license required to practice ice fishing, which can be obtained on the website of the Quebec Ministry of Tourism.
To do during the summer
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