(Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade) The mild weather conditions prevailing in Mauricie cause the delay in the start of the 86e annual Atlantic tomcod fishing season on the ice of the Sainte-Anne River, in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade.
The Association of Outfitters of the Sainte-Anne River reported Monday morning on social networks that the opening date of the popular fishing for small fish in the channels remained undetermined.
Watering of the ice covering the river has been done in recent weeks with the goal of it reaching a thickness of 10 inches. It is with such a layer of ice that the installation of hundreds of fishing cabins can begin, but it was not yet thick enough on Monday.
Environment Canada predicts that from Christmas Day until Thursday, the mercury will remain near the freezing point in Mauricie. A drop in temperatures is only expected to occur overnight next Friday and the weather is expected to remain cold for a few days.
The fishing season for small channel fish has traditionally started for several years around Christmas time. Last year, the opening of the 85e The fishing season, however, suffered from mild weather, but the Association of Outfitters of the Sainte-Anne River announced in February that approximately 75,000 visitors had frequented the site.
The Atlantic tomcod makes a long migration to come and breed each winter in fresh water, in the Sainte-Anne River and the Batiscan River. The Sainte-Anne River is important because it produces the majority of tomcod which are taken when fishing for small fish in the channels.