The 10 Best Darn Places An Angler Can Call Home text and photo by Patrick Campeau Magog (Quebec) La belle pêche: Lake trout lure anglers to Lake Memphrémagog. There’s a good reason why this small, lakeside town in Quebec’s Eastern Townships has such a relaxing, stress-free atmosphere: many of the folks you’ll meet here are on vacation. And as a popular tourist destination, Magog boasts a full repertoire of very good restaurants, bars, boutiques, theatres and concert venues—a decided bonus for the town’s full-time residents. Just 115 kilometres southeast of Montreal, Magog is predominantly French-speaking, although there is an English-language elementary school for the eight per cent of townsfolk who list English as their mother tongue. Language is largely irrelevant, though, when it comes to the town’s outdoor pursuits, and chief among them alongside skiing, rollerblading, golfing and boating is the great fishing. For that, residents and visitors alike can head to any of several nearby, productive lakes, including Massawippi, Magog, Brome and Lovering. Better yet, though, is Lake Memphrémagog, on which Magog sits. FACTS OF LIFE Population: 14,050 Average Household Income: $45, 644 Average Home Cost: $92,331 Major employers: Tourism, manufacturing and service industries Contact: Memphrémagog Tourism, 1-800-267-2744; website THE FISH Largemouth and smallmouth bass; chain pickerel; landlocked salmon; brook, brown, lake and rainbow trout; panfish; perch; walleye.      Key to Magog’s tourism, Memphrémagog is a fabulous, narrow body of water with 121 kilometres of shoreline and a deep, central basin that bottoms out at more than 300 feet. Approximately 25 per cent of the 40-kilometre-long lake, meanwhile, extends south to the Vermont side of the U.S. border. Although many visitors hope to catch a glimpse of Memphrémagog’s very own fabled sea monster—Memphré has been spotted more than 220 times over the past two centuries—the real action lies with the awesome fishing. The most popular species here are lake trout, rainbow trout and landlocked salmon, and every year the lake hosts several bass tournaments. Word has it that the chances are good of landing big smallies and largemouths, and maybe even a trophy brown trout. A couple of years ago, in fact, one lucky angler caught a monster brown weighing in at a hefty 19 pounds. Now that’s one heck of a bienvenue. text and photo by Paul Marriner Doaktown (New Brunswick) One of the river’s coveted Atlantic salmon. Don’t let Doaktown’s small population fool you. Ever since the Miramichi River became a popular salmon-fishing destination in the late nineteenth century, this 1,000-resident village has served as the hub of activity for visiting anglers. It’s here, in fact, that you’ll find the Atlantic Salmon Museum, complete with its collection of flies and tackle, as well as namesake W.W. Doak, a leading tackle shop dedicated solely to Atlantic salmon. The brisk tourist trade means there are more restaurants and other services than normally expected of such a small place, while a healthy community spirit fuels the likes of the annual Salmon and Fiddlehead Homecoming Festival. Doaktown is also the region’s economic hub, drawing on surrounding communities for its workforce. Lumber and tourism are the big employers these days, and the village itself offers incentives for those looking to set up a local business. Such opportunities aside, it’s the fishing that draws anglers the world over to Doaktown, just 90 kilometres up Highway 8 from Fredericton. FACTS OF LIFE Population: 986 Average Household Income: $39,140 Average Home Cost: $58,340 Major employers: Agriculture, forest, manufacturing and service industries Learn more: Village of Doaktown, (506) 365-7970; www.doaktown.com THE FISH American shad; Atlantic salmon; brook trout (resident and sea-run).      Until a generation ago, the river was heavily netted and only salmon under five pounds were left behind for anglers. Now that the nets are gone, however, nearly half the fish caught weigh more than five pounds each. The fishing has improved so much, in fact, that a 30-pound salmon is no longer newsworthy. The main river also offers up brook trout, mostly sea-runs taken in the spring, while American shad can be caught in late May and June. Beyond fishing, Doaktown also offers excellent hunting for upland birds and other small game, as well as big game. And with winter typically arriving early and with vigour in this part of the country, residents can take full advantage of the area’s plentiful snowmobile trails. Still, Doaktown’s main drawing card has to be the Atlantic salmon—making it one great place to live for fans of this great sportfish. Read more about Canada`s best fishin` towns: Introduction & Victoria, B.C. Whitehorse, Yukon & Calgary, Alberta Nipawin, Saskatchewan & Selkirk, Manitoba Kenora & Peterborough, Ontario Magog, Quebec & Doaktown, New Brunswick Corner Brook, Newfoundland & Labrador