Welcome to the Big Stage
Greig Cranna ~ Commercial Photographer and Journalist
For the passionate salmon angler, all roads eventually lead to Newfoundland and Labrador, where the Atlantic salmon angling of your dreams waits for you.
For those of you lucky enough to have already fished here, your hope is that the secret doesn’t get out.
The truth is the province is so vast and unspoiled that the fishing experience here is virtually unchanged since I first visited 35 years ago. Communication has gotten better, and travel has gotten safer and more predictable, but the things that drew me north in the first place remain the same. It is still a place where the only sound you hear while fishing is nature, where moose emerge soundlessly from the forest, where your mornings start with the smell of coffee and bacon, where the accents of the guides are musical as they dispense advice and lore collected over generations.
As a photographer, I was initially entranced by the visual beauty of salmon angling here. Against the backdrop of mountains, forests, rapids, and waterfalls, I was mesmerized by the light playing off lines snaking over pristine pools. I was intrigued by the arcane art of fly tying, captivated by the beauty of the rods, and thrilled by the sound of a big fish stripping line from a fly reel. I watched as anglers fished patiently for hours, fought a fish, landed it, and then to my disbelief, lovingly released it back into the river.
I saw that contented, faraway look on angler’s faces after an amazing day of fishing.
As the world shrinks and life gets more complicated, it’s hard to find a way to leave it all behind, to reconnect with yourself and find that inner peace that a day on the river brings you.
The magic of Atlantic salmon fishing in Newfoundland and Labrador is not just about the abundance of big fish, but where the pursuit of these fish takes you. It’s the feeling of shedding the world as you drive farther down remote roads, motor up wilderness rivers, or watch as the last roads disappear beneath your float plane. The life you left behind becomes a dim memory as the daily pursuit of fish becomes the only thing you think of or care about.
I’ve experienced many places that most people can only dream about, but Newfoundland and Labrador will always hold a special place in my memories. Incredible fish, incredible beauty, incredible people. All the components of the perfect fishing experience are waiting for you here.
It’s time to think of all the salmon fishing you’ve been doing up to now as the dress rehearsal. It’s time to step up to the big stage.
For those of you lucky enough to have already fished here, your hope is that the secret doesn’t get out.
The truth is the province is so vast and unspoiled that the fishing experience here is virtually unchanged since I first visited 35 years ago. Communication has gotten better, and travel has gotten safer and more predictable, but the things that drew me north in the first place remain the same. It is still a place where the only sound you hear while fishing is nature, where moose emerge soundlessly from the forest, where your mornings start with the smell of coffee and bacon, where the accents of the guides are musical as they dispense advice and lore collected over generations.
As a photographer, I was initially entranced by the visual beauty of salmon angling here. Against the backdrop of mountains, forests, rapids, and waterfalls, I was mesmerized by the light playing off lines snaking over pristine pools. I was intrigued by the arcane art of fly tying, captivated by the beauty of the rods, and thrilled by the sound of a big fish stripping line from a fly reel. I watched as anglers fished patiently for hours, fought a fish, landed it, and then to my disbelief, lovingly released it back into the river.
I saw that contented, faraway look on angler’s faces after an amazing day of fishing.
As the world shrinks and life gets more complicated, it’s hard to find a way to leave it all behind, to reconnect with yourself and find that inner peace that a day on the river brings you.
The magic of Atlantic salmon fishing in Newfoundland and Labrador is not just about the abundance of big fish, but where the pursuit of these fish takes you. It’s the feeling of shedding the world as you drive farther down remote roads, motor up wilderness rivers, or watch as the last roads disappear beneath your float plane. The life you left behind becomes a dim memory as the daily pursuit of fish becomes the only thing you think of or care about.
I’ve experienced many places that most people can only dream about, but Newfoundland and Labrador will always hold a special place in my memories. Incredible fish, incredible beauty, incredible people. All the components of the perfect fishing experience are waiting for you here.
It’s time to think of all the salmon fishing you’ve been doing up to now as the dress rehearsal. It’s time to step up to the big stage.