By Lenny Ackerman

Restigouche River Lodge Day One

The trip north from camp to the Canadian border at Houlton was a pleasant hour drive in my new Bronco. Through the car’s Bluetooth, I picked up WQXR radio out of New York which was reporting 90-degree weather in New York—quite a contrast to the brisk 40 degrees outside my window. The Bronco was a bit noisy on the highway, but the fresh new car smell and the knowledge that my fishing bag and rods were tucked in the trunk gave me a sense of freedom and real excitement for my first post-Covid adventure fishing trip in the North Country. The Restigouche River Lodge had been closed since 2020 due to Covid. The guides, all from the Quebec side of the river, had been quarantined and virtually blocked from crossing the bridge between Quebec and New Brunswick. When I reached the border, the female officer seemed a bit bored and robotic in her inquiries of me – where and why the trip? Never a look at my face, only a look-see at the computer and a continuing conversation with one of the other officers at the window. It was a routine, though heavily armed and tattooed welcome to Canada.

The GPS reported some 170 miles to my destination. The rain started out lightly as I-95 merged onto the Canadian highway system. For the next 80 miles there were some trucks and a few cars but I mostly had the road to myself. Surprised by the signs that read 90 speed limit I pushed the Bronco to 80 mph. Of course, at that hour I was not sufficiently caffeinated to realize the Canadian signs are not in miles per hour but kilometers. Luckily, I was not pulled over, since my French is non-existent beyond parlay vu fransay. It was too early for office calls. I did all I could to stay focused on the route and my GPS.