Portneuf Wildlife Reserve | Story of a first fishing

(Rivière-à-Pierre) Is it because of the 20-minute drive that separates the reception lodge from the isolated chalets? Is it more because of the lack of cellular network? Or because we have never practiced this activity? If we have the feeling that this ice fishing trip will be a bit destabilizing, it’s probably a little because of all this.

Located about an hour and a half drive from Quebec, the Portneuf wildlife reserve is one of six SEPAQ destinations where you can fish on a lake in winter.

After a first night spent in one of the new Horizon chalets in the Talbot sector, the small group made up of journalists descends on Lake Proulx, located a stone’s throw away.

The sector guard, Jean Brisebois, has already drilled around ten holes in the ice. Next to each of them is a wooden stick. As a novice fisherman, we wait with question marks in our eyes for the explanations.

Brimbale in hand, Jean Brisebois explains to the group how this pole works, the existence of which was unknown until now. It shows how to install the fishing line as well as the movement that the object will make when a fish takes the hook.

Excited at the idea of ​​fishing for the first time, we install the brimbales at the different holes. Then we wait… but not very long.

Beginner’s luck favors the author of these lines. After seeing a brimbale move, we pull suddenly on the line and reel in the first catch of the day.

With family

Jean Brisebois estimates that about half of the people who come to fish at the Portneuf wildlife reserve in winter are on their first experience. Among them, many families.

“Ice fishing is an easy activity to do with young children,” underlines the director of the reserve, Émilie Girard-Gros-Louis, in an interview.

We can well imagine the cries of joy and the excitement that must accompany a day of family ice fishing. Even among adults, we can’t help but say, in an overexcited way, “I have one!” » when a fish bites.

For two hours, we take great pleasure in monitoring the different fishing lines. And this, even if we only contribute to adding two catches to the final haul of more than twenty brook trout (speckled trout).

A vast playground of your own

We could have extended everything by taking a few breaks at the Proulx relay, where a wood stove warms the fishermen. However, we also wanted to try the other activities offered to people who stay in one of the 18 chalets accessible in winter in the wildlife reserve (9 in the Talbot sector, where we are, and 9 in the Travers sector). Because, apart from ice fishing for which you can request a daily access fee, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sliding and skating are for the exclusive use of accommodation guests.

Asked about the DNA of the Portneuf wildlife reserve, Émilie Girard-Gros-Louis answers: “We are a family reserve. »

And that’s what we feel when we discover, a few steps from the chalet, the ice rink and the tube slide. You have the impression of having a summer camp for yourself (and for the tenants of the eight other chalets scattered in the Talbot sector).

The approximately 85 km of snowshoe trails that can be explored in the reserve also give the impression of a vast playground. Especially when, after a hike of a few hours following the one called Cap-des-Urubus, a beautiful view of the territory offers itself to us. Around fifty kilometers of cross-country ski trails await experienced cross-country skiers.

Used to visiting much busier SEPAQ destinations, such as the Mont-Saint-Bruno or Mont-Orford national parks, we have the pleasant feeling of having left our comfort zone during this stay in the wildlife reserve. of Portneuf. And we’re not the only one, if we trust the words of goalkeeper Jean Brisebois. Smiling, he says that many children and teenagers look down when they learn that there is no WiFi network in the area. But after enjoying the great outdoors for a day or two, “they are really happy.”

Part of the costs of this report was paid by SEPAQ, which had no right to review the content.

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