The origin of this name, Poisson de Noël (Christmas Fish), comes from the fact that this little fish arrives occasionally during the holiday season in our beautiful Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade river.
Legend has it that, a long time ago, to ensure that men and their families would be present at Christmas, the church strongly suggested that the fishing season begin on December 26, the day after Christmas. This makes it impossible for us, as outfitters, to make our first rental before that date. In any case, there’s a lot of preparation to do before putting the first line in the water.
Let’s talk about the steps involved in setting up all these beautiful fishing cottages, which together will give us the impression of a village within a village. But let’s talk about this village that puts joy in our hearts and makes it so that from Boxing Day to mid-February, we never see the time go by.
Let’s get back to our installation steps
As soon as the ice is set from shore to shore, which happens during a very cold night and a period without current in the river, the ice is hosed down to thicken it. A few inches down, poles are planted, through which electricity will be brought to each cottage. Wires are then installed and connected to the electrical box on land. Now we can start installing the cottages.
One by one, the cottages are approached on long sleds onto the ice where they are to be installed. A hole the length of the cabin and about 12 inches wide is then drilled. The ice cubes removed from the hole are used to place the cabin underneath, and the steps are made for entry. Snow is then brought in to line the cabin, to keep out the cold. All that’s left to do is light the wood-burning stove and settle in to catch our little Christmas fish. The cabins are so cozy and comfortable, it’s almost like being at home.
That’s how it is in an ideal world. What I mean is that the seasons come and go, but they’re never the same. Sometimes the whole village is set up for December 26th. It’s magical, with all those little chalets lit up and their chimneys smoking.
Some winters, however, Mother Nature can give us a bit of a hard time, delaying the opening by a few days or even weeks.
In any case, it’s never happened that a season had to be cancelled completely, so we’re privileged to have this great activity in our village of Ste-Anne-de-la-Pérade, and to be able to meet all these good-natured people who come to have fun and enjoy a unique experience here.
So if this sounds like something you’d like to do, don’t hesitate, and see you soon!
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