People We Met - Jean-Philippe Tessier

Someone we'd all like to know.

People We Met - Jean-Philippe Tessier from HOOKÉ on Vimeo.

Over the last season, we traveled around Canada in search of the greatest fishing spots there are. On our way, we met with a ton of incredible characters; guides, fly fishers, fly tiers, artists, and diverse types of people that are as passionate as us about what they do. Until our TV show airs this spring on Unis, we will feature one of these inspiring character each week in our special “People We Met” video series. We met Jean-Philippe on the shores of the Bonaventure River, where he told us about how and why he became an Atlantic Salmon fishing guide. Featuring extracts from his show “J-P Tessier Live by Dump Pool” recorded on the last night of our shoot on the Grande Cascapédia, here is our friend J-P Tessier.

Bonaventure River, The Gaspe: Atlantic Salmon

My brother John is probably already there snoring in a snug little cabin and dreaming about walking out in the misty morning to a river full of Atlantics. I hope it's raining right now, a soothing drumming on the cabin roof. He says the river has been low, but rains are predicted this week, making conditions right for the fish to be moving.

John's a Mainer, so it's like me fishing Oregon, except that the Gaspe Peninsula is in another country where they speak another language. Come to think of it that's still like me fishing Oregon.

This won't be his first trip there. He sent some photos recently from his trip last year, looking through them, I suspect, to enrich his anticipation and put images to his dreams. He's hungry for this. He's landed Atlantics before, but I think it's been awhile since the last one.

It's a beautiful, beautiful river, but on that last trip he had to be content with a grilse.

 A friend of John's, just before things went wrong

and he went swimming with the fishes. Those cobble bottoms...

What John calls "gin-clear water, if gin can be green."

His grilse. Like a beginner fish. I say this as a loving brother.

Well, John, here's a wish for the best of luck. You're due. Hope you land one even bigger than this fish taken on the Bonaventure by someone else. May the fish that swims in your dreams in the coming year be the one, not that you hope you'll catch, but the one you caught.

Photo: Camp Bonaventure Lodge.

You might want to check this out. I don't think John is staying there, and I'm not shilling for them,

but if you want to see what a high end trip to an Atlantic Salmon river would be like, here it is.
What do I mean by "high end?" Just check out their "Packages and Rates" page. Whoo boy.

(By the way, I would be glad to go with anyone who has the funds

but just needs someone to go along and fish with you.

Fishing Buddy, that's me.)