The Bay du Nord drains central Newfoundland in one of the largest wilderness river systems remaining on the island — roadless for most of its length, accessed by floatplane or a long walk in. Atlantic salmon run from late June, though the rod season opens 1 July; brook trout are present throughout the system, holding in every pool and tributary headwater. The combination of salmon and native brook trout in genuinely remote country is what distinguishes this river from the accessible Newfoundland systems. The wilderness is not incidental to the fishing here. For most of the people who fish it, it is the point. Granite-based upland geology shapes this river. Atlantic salmon are managed under DFO conservation rules — mandatory catch-and-release of large (multi-sea-winter) salmon applies in most areas, with any grilse retention strictly limited by zone; check current regulations before fishing.

• Granite