Surrounded by Salmon

The wilderness of Newfoundland and Labrador is riddled with rushing rivers. Crystal clear waters teeming with unbelievable wild Atlantic salmon, some growing up to thirty pounds. That's exactly what you'd expect from a place that's home to 60% of the best Atlantic salmon rivers in North America. And one of those rivers flows right through Barb Genge's backyard.

Thirty years ago, Barb took a look around. She was in Main Brook on the Great Northern Peninsula and it might be fair to say that she felt surrounded. Surrounded in the best possible way. Thirty years later and her Tuckamore Lodge sits right in the middle of an angler's paradise.

Step outside the first-class Scandinavian-style log cabins and take a deep breath. You'll smell what Barb's people call the “perfume of the wild,” the distinct fragrance of the stunted trees that are the lodge's namesake. A lodge that is encompassed by wilderness. Trees that are home to moose, caribou, and black bears. Ocean waves breached by whales and dotted with icebergs. Ponds inhabited by loons, eagles, and the scattered beaver dam. And that splash you hear is the sound of slippery, silvery bodies hitting the surface of the river right outside your door – the Salmon River.

These waters are well named – these wild Atlantic salmon are so plentiful, they're layered. According to Barb, last year you could look down and see four layers of salmon swimming over one another. Fish so thick, you could practically walk on the water. And, like most of our salmon, these fish are fighters. They're big, they're strong, and they'll give even the most experienced anglers a run for their money. The biggest Barb has seen at Tuckamore? A whopping 20 pounds!

Combine fishing like that with canoeing, whale watching, hiking, and snowmobiling packages, and you can see that Barb wants to offer her clients the most authentic Newfoundland and Labrador experience possible. One of many local hunting and angling outfitters, she sees the value in the land and the waters around her, and her operation is run with absolute care. And it's that care that has won her many awards. Most recently she was named to the Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame for her efforts. Efforts that keep clients coming, efforts that keep them coming back. She attributes her success to hard work and her repeat business to her environment.

“Newfoundland and Labrador has a lot of nature and no matter where you go you'll see something special that you've never seen anywhere else or you didn't think was here... The lodge is right on a pond that has outlet salmon fishing. And on the other side there's the salt water. That's the best of both worlds.” 

One could argue, that in Newfoundland and Labrador, you’ll find the best of many.

To book a trip to the middle of Barb's salmon run, click here. And here to learn more about our wild Atlantic salmon.