The Dartmouth is a compact Gaspésie river flowing south through forested hills to Baie-des-Chaleurs — smaller than the Grand Cascapédia or the Bonaventure, which gives it an intimacy the larger systems can't match. In low summer water, when bigger rivers become difficult, the Dartmouth continues to fish. Pool tails hold grilse from late July; a floating line and a small dry fly is the right approach. August is prime. The Gaspésie rivers share a particular quality — cold, clear, productive — and the Dartmouth delivers this in a more manageable scale. Atlantic salmon are managed under Québec's rivière system — mandatory catch-and-release of large salmon applies on most rivers, with limited grilse retention; check the river's current quota and rules before fishing.

• Mixed