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The Deep In Backing Blog
“I grew up in a time when every little boy who went fishing for brook trout in the small local streams had an air rifle and wanted to be a "Coureur des Bois". Thank God, a big part of me never grew up and everything that mattered to me seemed to be in the east where I spent my entire childhood. In my late teens, I was in Newfoundland. After guiding there for 2 summers, I decided to see what was on the other side of the Strait of Belle Isle. So I found myself here on the North Shore in Quebec.
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Running the Gauntlet
The Atlantic salmon's arduous journey When we talk about the decline of Atlantic salmon, one question constantly comes up: what is responsible? For years, we've been searching for a simple answer to a problem that is anything but simple. One year, we talk about climate change. The next, striped bass. Then come seals, aquaculture, disease, food shortages, bycatch, or even heat waves in rivers. Each new study adds another piece to the puzzle. Yet, I sometimes get the feeling th
Jocelyn LeBlanc
6 hours ago3 min read
Never-ending pilot project: cut-rate protection becomes the norm
We formalize the bare minimum and are content with that. While the rivers are heating up, protection remains limited. The ministry's announcement regarding the temporary closure of certain rivers when the water temperature exceeds 22°C in the morning is, in my opinion, good news. For what? Because it finally officially recognizes a reality that many fishermen, biologists and managers have observed for years: when a river reaches certain temperatures, the salmon enters a zone
Jocelyn LeBlanc
3 days ago5 min read
The Aux Rochers River: a true gem of the North Shore
Nestled in the heart of a wild territory and fed by the crystal-clear waters of the majestic Lake Walker, the deepest lake in Quebec, the Rivière aux Rochers is undoubtedly one of the best-kept treasures of the North Shore. Renowned for the quality of its salmon habitat and the beauty of its landscapes, the river also stands out for its exemplary resource management. For many years, its managers have been pioneers in conservation. The complete release of salmon, the constant
Jocelyn LeBlanc
5 days ago2 min read
The salmon are returning from the sea. It's up to us to give it a chance.
When the survival of the salmon still depends on us The first week of salmon fishing for the 2026 season is now behind us. Yet, once again, social media is flooded with photos of salmons completely out of the water for a few seconds of fame. What is even more concerning is that many of the most important measures to reduce the impacts on salmon survival during their upstream migration remain unclear, incomplete, or simply unofficial at the Quebec level. Yet, in a context wher
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Jun 77 min read
Choosing a perfect grizzly rooster cape for fly tying
La cape de coq grizzly est très prisée pour le montage des mouches sèches. Elle offre des plumes fines, régulières et résistantes, idéales pour imiter les pattes et les hackles des insectes aquatiques. Le motif grizzly, avec ses barbes alternant clair et foncé, apporte un réalisme et une texture naturelle à vos créations.
shedaplumes
Jun 14 min read
Thermal refuges: the last line of defense for Atlantic salmon
Heat protocols are often discussed in salmon rivers, but few people truly understand their role and importance in the current context. Yet, the principle is relatively simple. As water temperatures rise, the amount of available oxygen decreases while the salmon's needs increase. The fish must therefore expend more energy simply to maintain their vital functions. Under these conditions, any additional effort becomes more difficult to sustain. This is where sport fishing comes
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Jun 13 min read
Synthetic Materials for the Feather Shed
Synthetic materials: when technology meets the art of assembly For generations, fly tiers have built their reputation on the use of natural feathers, hair, and fur. These materials remain essential today and continue to produce some of the most beautiful flies in the world. But in recent decades,synthetic materials have opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Holographic reflections, UV fibers, phosphorescence, improved movements, increased strength and exceptional dura
Jocelyn LeBlanc
May 284 min read
Atlantic salmon are suffocating while the industry is still being protected
The Radio-Canada Bas-Saint-Laurent article highlights a problem that many still refuse to acknowledge: Quebec's salmon rivers are now reaching temperatures that are dangerous for salmon survival, to the point where temporary fishing bans are necessary. These rivers regularly exceed critical thresholds during heat waves. The real problem is that we are still acting as if these temperatures were exceptional… when they risk becoming the new normal. Photo Riviere Trinité 2025 Whi
Jocelyn LeBlanc
May 253 min read
The last survivors are not trophies.
Atlantic salmon are probably going through one of the most serious crises in their modern history. And despite this, the 2026 season begins exactly like the previous ones: same behaviors, same excuses, same collective inability to recognize the true extent of the collapse. Our kelts. Our black salmon, thin and weakened, that spent the entire winter in the river after spawning in the fall. Fish that have barely eaten for months. Exhausted survivors now undertaking an extremely
Jocelyn LeBlanc
May 222 min read
Travel Diary — Ontario
Part 3 — Manitoulin Island, the great steelheads, and the beginning of the return journey After my approximately two-hour crossing from Tobermory to South Baymouth, I finally reached the shores of Manitoulin Island. Even upon arrival, I felt that something was different here. The water in Georgian Bay was almost unreal in its beauty. Turquoise greens, deep blues, incredible clarity. The islands seemed to float in the evening light. At times, it was almost like the sea. The fe
Jocelyn LeBlanc
May 146 min read
Travel Diary — Ontario Part 2
Part 2 — Saugeen, the wind and Georgian Bay The first day on the Saugeen River was mostly a day of exploration. Many kilometers. Many country roads. Many stops trying to find access points where I could actually wade in my waders, because the Saugeen isn't a small, intimate river like some of the rivers on Lake Ontario. It's wide. Very wide in places. A real big river with a strong current, long pools, and a lot of water to cover. I drove up towards Walkerton. That town rang
Jocelyn LeBlanc
May 104 min read
Travel Diary — Ontario
Part 1 — Finding something true Sunday, May 3rd, morning, 6 a.m. I left home heading towards Ontario. The road was beautiful. Not too much traffic, not too hot, just a light breeze that gently rocked the truck. A true spring day to hit the road and rack up the miles. I was looking forward to returning to Ontario. My first stop was in Montreal, more precisely in Beloeil, before continuing west. Then, a mandatory stop at Sail to restock: sinking tips, leaders, and most importan
Jocelyn LeBlanc
May 86 min read
A Troubling Testimony From a Sentinel River
Total run GS Adult Salmon and PS Grilse Trinity River is one of the most troubling examples because we are talking about an indicator river scientifically monitored for decades. This is not based on impressions. These are not anecdotes. These are data collected year after year through a fish ladder and counting system operated by the Ministère de la Faune, des Forêts et des Parcs. Since 1984, every salmon run has been telling the same story: a gradual, constant, and now alarm
Jocelyn LeBlanc
May 51 min read
When we protect the image, we forget the salmon.
They attack the messenger because the message makes people uncomfortable Let me make something very clear. I have never attacked sport anglers. I have never attacked biologists. I have never attacked associations, guides, volunteers, people on the ground, or anyone who gives their time, energy, and heart to Atlantic salmon, never. What I am pointing at is not the individuals who love salmon. What I am pointing at is a system. A system that, in the face of a historic crisis, s
Jocelyn LeBlanc
May 24 min read
If salmon disappears, everything else becomes folklore.
When salmon becomes secondary, we’re no longer managing a resource—we’re accompanying its decline. At some point, we have to stop lying to ourselves. Atlantic salmon in Québec doesn’t need to be celebrated more. It needs to be protected. For real. Now. When podcasts, magazines, mentorships, banquets, film festivals, photo contests, and the entire culture surrounding salmon take up more space than the salmon itself, there’s a deep problem. Not a minor issue—a complete drift. W
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Apr 302 min read
100, 50… salmon… and still no line. How far are we going to fall?
We are witnessing the worst salmon run in modern Québec history. Not just a dip. Not a cycle. A collapse. The numbers are unequivocal: 11 rivers below 100 salmon, including 7 under 50. At that point, we’re no longer talking about fishing. We’re talking about survival. And meanwhile… nothing. No strong measures. No clear signal. No plan to guarantee something essential: that every salmon returning can spawn. We keep making marginal adjustments, talking about catch-and-release,
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Apr 282 min read
Protecting the salmon… or protecting the illusion?
On April 25, 2026, a few weeks before the opening of salmon fishing in Quebec, one reality is clear: we are moving forward blindly. After two of the worst fish runs ever recorded, no structural measures have been announced. No emergency plan, no major adaptations, no clear signal that the exceptional situation our rivers are experiencing is truly understood in its full gravity. The data, however, is undeniable. In 2024 and 2025, 11 Quebec rivers recorded average runs of fewer
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Apr 253 min read
Is Quebec managing... or is it finishing off its salmon?
Want to be frank? The 2025 report has just been released…and the results are troubling. In Quebec, in 2024 and 2025, 11 rivers saw their salmon populations fall below 100, and of those 11, 7 had fewer than 50. (Average salmon run for 2024 and 2025) These are no longer populations. They are the last survivors. And yet…we continue to open the waters. We continue to fish. We continue to present ourselves as responsible managers. 2025 Review: Salmon Farming in Quebec 2025 But th
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Apr 182 min read
Atlantic Salmon in Quebec: The Paradox of a System That Funds Its Protection Through Its Exploitation
The collapse of Atlantic salmon runs in Quebec — which reached a historic and alarming low in 2024 and 2025 — highlights a deep systemic flaw: the paradox of funding its own protection. The dilemma: financing monitoring through exploitation Quebec’s salmon management model falls under the authority of the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs and relies on a structure in which the Fédération québécoise pour le s
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Apr 83 min read
Preserving the Broodstock: Why the Status Quo Risks the Future of Our Rivers
With recent optimistic announcements from some salmon conservation organizations regarding the salmon's return, a return to the "status quo" risks forcing the opening of the harvest after a crisis that has lasted for more than three years and could present specific biological risks to the salmon resource. Short term (1 to 2 years): Immediate reduction in spawning success: Each salmon harvested is one less spawner. If the 2026 run is good but the harvest is too aggressive, the
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Apr 42 min read
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