A Gaspesian Fable

​The Gaspe Coast is a place of stories, legends, fables and folklore. This forbidden love story is one that took place a long time ago and tells the tale of a young salmon who fell in love with a handsome fisherman. Despite the warnings of her elders who oversaw the river's habitat, she allowed herself to be taken from the river because she believed his promise to love her forever.

“One evening when the daylight was finding its way towards a magnificent sunset, he noticed a beautiful silver-speckled salmon in one of the shallow pools. He tied a new feathered fly hook called the Maiden’s Run onto his fishing line and cast it out into the water. The salmon swam around it but did not go towards his lure. Instead, the bewitching creature remained nearby and seemed to be watching him. He was mesmerized by her perfection and knew that she was the one he had spent years hoping to catch.”

This short story is an evocative tale will linger in your memory long after the last page is turned, for it is a testament to the fragility and resilience of the human spirit.