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The Deep In Backing Blog
About the Author
My name is Jocelyn LeBlanc. I am an Atlantic salmon angler, fly tyer, guide with more than 25 years of experience, and the owner of The Feather Shed.
Atlantic salmon have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Over the years, I have watched our rivers change, salmon returns decline, and the challenges facing this remarkable species continue to grow. Those experiences inspired me to create Deep In Backing.
This blog is not about claiming to have all the answers. It is a place where I share field observations, research, data, and personal reflections on Atlantic salmon conservation and river management.
My goal is simple: to encourage thoughtful discussion, promote evidence-based conservation, and help ensure that future generations will still have the opportunity to witness wild Atlantic salmon returning to their home rivers.
Because protecting Atlantic salmon is about far more than fishing—it's about preserving a natural legacy for generations to come.
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A salmon that swims back out is not necessarily a saved salmon
Returning to the water and using warm water: survival does not guarantee unaltered reproductive success In Atlantic salmon, the 97% figure only tells part of the story. A salmon swims off after being unhooked. For the fisherman, it's a relief. But this single departure doesn't, in itself, guarantee that the fish will fully recover, continue its migration, and contribute to the next generation. The distinction is essential: surviving a release and maintaining intact reproducti
Jocelyn LeBlanc
20 hours ago7 min read
THREE RIVERS IN CRISIS, THREE "ENCOURAGING" RIVERNOTES: WORDS HAVE WEIGHT
An improvement from the bottom of the barrel does not constitute a recovery Between September 3 and 17, 2026, three articles published in RiverNotes presented the results of three Quebec rivers—the Rivière aux Rochers, the Rivière du Gouffre, and the Rivière Sainte-Marguerite—from an encouraging angle. Three weeks. Three severely weakened rivers. Three positive framings. Yes, some of the 2026 results are better than those of 2024 or 2025. No one disputes that. But when these
Jocelyn LeBlanc
3 days ago8 min read
Rivière aux Rochers: Behind the narrative of recovery, the figures reveal a population still devastated
Rivière aux Rochers 2026: Improvement does not equal recovery The RiverNotes published on September 3, 2026 by the Atlantic Salmon Federation presents the Rivière aux Rochers in an encouraging light: 216 salmon were counted, compared to 114 in 2025. https://www.asf.ca/rivernotes-september-03-2026/ Yes, 2026 is better than 2025. But when you check the reference figure, distinguish between the small salmon and the large salmon, and place this run in the historical series, the p
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Sep 45 min read
$17.172 million later: where are the salmon?
And what if we now looked at what housing has actually produced? Editorial in response to the FQSA's August 2026 Science Newsletter — "What if the habitat was already here?" $17.172M | 414 km | ~9.36M UP | 11,121 potential adults When I read the latest FQSA Science News on housing, I stopped at one passage in particular. We are shown the Rimouski, the Mitis and the Madeleine. Three examples where human interventions have allowed salmon to access habitats that were previously
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Sep 17 min read
Brook trout in Quebec: a necessary plan, but where is the biological assessment?
Management Plan 2020-2028 — Analysis of the plan, its summary and the 2026 assessment In 2020, Quebec launched its first Brook Trout Management Plan 2020-2028 with a finding that should have sounded the alarm throughout the province: more than half of the brook trout populations in lakes were considered to be in a situation of overexploitation. The detailed portrait was even more disturbing. According to the diagnosis presented in the full plan, only 21% of the assessed popul
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Aug 1912 min read
Atlantic salmon: what RiverNotes (ASF-FSA) says… and especially what it doesn't say
Before the first CAST Analysis of the Atlantic Salmon Federation's RiverNotes dated August 13, 2026, with scientific context and official data from Quebec. Good local news is good news. It does not automatically become proof of provincial recovery. The ASF correctly puts heat at the center of the debate. But its own text also reveals the heart of the Quebec problem: only 4 rivers have a formal provincial regulatory mechanism, while the other 110 rely on local means [1]. Prefa
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Aug 1715 min read
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS | JULY 2026 WATER TEMPERATURE: MATANE VS NOVA SCOTIA
New section — Analysis Series With Before the First Cast , my goal has always been to put the salmon before the fishing, to better understand our rivers, and to give anglers the tools they need to make more responsible decisions. Today, I'm adding a new, more technical subsection to the blog: the Analysis Series . This series will go beyond the usual segments. It will serve to examine in depth publications, management decisions, scientific reports, tables, graphs and certain
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Jul 182 min read
Salmon and anadromous brook trout must not become collateral damage from striped bass
Striped bass management plan 2026: protecting one species should not weaken others Atlantic salmon and anadromous brook trout must become genuine decision criteria Quebec has just published its 2026 Striped Bass Management Plan. This is a serious document, structured around six orientations, fourteen objectives, and forty-three actions. The plan recognizes the need to monitor striped bass populations, protect their habitats, regulate their harvesting, and better understand th
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Jul 1611 min read
Protect the Salmon—or Fill the Rivers with Anglers?
13,620 Licences, 49,458 Fishing Days, and 13,133 Salmon Counted: Where Is the Limit? Editorial on Salmon Fishing Pressure in Quebec in 2025 The 2025 Atlantic salmon report for Quebec calls for a discussion that goes far beyond the simple question of fishing success. It forces us to ask whether the way we use, manage, and promote salmon rivers is still appropriate given the current condition of the resource. For the 2025–2026 season, 13,620 salmon fishing licences were sold in
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Jul 106 min read
Atlantic Salmon in Peril: When Today's Harvests Erase Tomorrow's Rights
Subsistence fishing, recreational fishing, and Atlantic salmon: we must have the courage to talk about it Talking about subsistence fishing, recreational fishing, and Aboriginal rights in Canada is not simple. It's a sensitive subject. There's history involved. There are rights, traditions, wounds, and social and cultural realities that cannot be dismissed out of hand. But there is also another reality that we can no longer avoid: Atlantic salmon are disappearing from several
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Jul 310 min read
We know what to do. So why are we waiting?
2024. 2025. 2026. Time is against the salmon. For the past two years, one question has been constantly recurring in my mind: how much longer does the salmon have before we finally make the necessary decisions? By 2024, many of us were already sounding the alarm. Low salmon runs, increasingly frequent heat waves, low water levels, and the effects of high temperatures on salmon survival were already well documented. Scientific studies existed. Biologists were discussing it. Ang
Jocelyn LeBlanc
Jun 275 min read
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
Jun 253 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
Jun 225 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
Jun 202 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
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