31st July 2009

After yesterday's heavy rain the Miramichi is high for this time of year at least 18 inches in this area. We did see a few fish moving yesterday and there is the slight possibility of picking one up from shore, other than that fishing will be very limited until the water drops again. On the positive side I have been hearing of salmon stacking up down river although mostly large fish. This water will move the fish up river.

29th July 2009

Yesterday we had one fish taken in the pool and a few seen during the day. Saw no fish movement during the evening and likewise this morning. Weather has turned hot but river still a decent temperature and lots of water.

27th July 2009

Today started a little slow, the water is dropping but still up & dark. We didn't touch much in the morning, around noon started seeing a few fish moving. Lika is testing a repaired rod on a grilse in the first picture and decided to test the rod on a heavier fish a few minutes later. Both fish are merrily on their way up river. Why the rod was repaired is a story in it's self best told by Lika, so if you see him, just ask.

Picked up a nice grilse just before dusk and was checked by the federal wardens. First time in two decades and nice to see them around. They told me that fishing was slow on the river with majority fish being hooked being salmon and some very large fish in the mix. They also told me there are a few lines in the river from the big fish. Now I don't feel so bad about having a salmon snap my backing line the other night, at least I got my casting line back. I've also heard of a couple of rods in the river, best not to lay your rod on the floor while moving your boat, some of those fish are very capable of pulling the rod overboard.

25th July 2009

Still raining, water rising slowly but still fishable at this time. Saw a couple of grilse in the air this morning and touched a salmon in the pool, other than that fishing was quiet & wet.

Attached are some photos of Stephen with his salmon (click on the photo to enlarge). He rolled one just off shore then hit into this salmon. His first comment when he rolled the fish was "Oh sh-t" his second comment when he tied into the salmon was "what do I do now!" (Taylor Special) This is worth another trip to Fredericton Outfitters (Chris Munns) for more equipment.

Glen & Carl dropped in for a fishing check and I just received a report back that they were very successful this afternoon with two flies I gave them to try in Priceville, a General Practitioner and L.T. Special. (These are normally Blackville flies.) This was Carl's first salmon. They also report lots of fish rolling in the Priceville Pool.

24th July 2009

Just a brief update: Currently the Miramichi has strong cool dark water, rather than hold in cold water pools the fish are continuously on the move, so you have to get a fly in front of them. Yesterday morning we tied into 2 only to loose them, the same thing last night. This morning (1) salmon taken, in the afternoon (1) grilse hooked. A few large salmon showing. The salmon are taking very soft and are hard to hang on to once hooked. Our ratio is well above 75% salmon to grilse.

While watching a couple of eagles yesterday evening a deer swam the river then wandered along the shore. This morning we had a doe and two fawns on the opposite shoreline.

22nd July 2009

This cold rain is just what we needed, would have been nice without the East wind. Saw a few fish this morning, tried 1/2 hr. in the evening, played around with a salmon for a few minutes & saw 4 more, but the wind was too uncomfortable to cast in so called it quits.

Anyway, a couple of guys were on a canoe run last weekend, Blackville to Qaurryville. Unknown to them they had put in at the top of a private pool and decided to fish while waiting for the rest of the crew to get their boats in. As they tell the story it didn't take long before the warden came running over the hill like a three legged deer with a bottle sticking out of every pocket. You would have to know the warden to appreciate the analogy :)

21st July 2009

We haven't had any fishermen in for the past couple of days. (1) salmon H&R yesterday morning, couple hooked and lost, spattering of fish throughout the day as the heat shot up.

This morning saw a run go through around 8am, nothing was taking, another hot day, water dropped and water temperature rose. Saw no fish in the evening. Weatherman calling for showers for next few days, there is lots of water if we can cool it down maybe the fishing will pick up.

It's amazing how two days of sunshine can slow the fishing down.

On another note we notice the lack of "red wing blackbirds" where we used to see flocks there are only one or two birds, we have significantly less hummingbirds this year and haven't seen a bat, the latter were always cruising the river as dusk. This goes along with the decline of Gaspereau & green eels in this area ..................something is changing?

19th July 2009

Off to another beautiful day on the Miramichi.

By 8am a (1) salmon was hooked/released & I took (1) grilse by noon a second (2) large salmon (H/R). I know the river reports are saying this run is about 50/50 salmon/grilse but for this area it appears to be much more weighted toward salmon. We are seeing two salmon for every grilse, either hooked or showing.

There are lots of fish in the river at the moment, unfortunately my fishing is done for the day so I'm going to miss out on a repeat from last night's fishing extravaganza.

In the evening Jean-Guy dropped in with some friends, tied into a couple of salmon before dark. Larry Adair from Adair's Wilderness Lodge, Sussex, cheered on the fisher folk by pointing out the fish rolling behind them.

I forgot to mention that some of the salmon are so large that when that moose was crossing the river last night you could see wakes 10+ inches high from fish headed right for that moose. I didn't see the moose this morning but I did see a seagull disappear under the water.

18 July 2009

Remarkable day on the Miramichi.

We started the morning slow with 2 salmon and although no one was fishing during the day we saw a number of fish moving through. Our current clients are non-fisher folk just enjoying the river. I provided some basic lessons and expect to see them give it a try during their stay.

All heck broke loose in the evening, the river was full of fish there were fins everywhere. I personally lost (1) grilse, then landed (2) salmon then hooked into a very large salmon who obviously realized I was working him into dead water and he made a run for the rapids breaking my backing line. As I went for the boat to try and find my line down river, the fish went by me up stream through the rapids again. Fishermen in a canoe down river recovered my line with leader & fly still attached plus about 10 ft. of broken backing line. I raised at least a dozen fish all on a (3/4 size green bomber with white tuffs.)

Bandit was waiting at the door when I came off the river, she is around all day and quite social but still wild.

PS: If the boys from the cottage had of looked behind them when they were out canoeing at dusk they would have seen a large moose standing in the river.

17th July 2009

Nice run of fish going through this morning, (2) grilse, (2) salmon, a couple of more hooked, saw a dozen or more - maybe we are getting into the real summer run. (rendition of a Shady Lady, not the bug one) I'll attach a picture.





If you are bringing a pet by chance, please be aware our local wildlife are far from nocturnal, for instance we have a mother raccoon & some other critter including a mother bear and cubs, so if you like your pet keep it on leash or well under control, it won't win against these wild critters.

16th July 2009

The day started off good with a nice grilse, then came to an abrupt halt. Around 8pm saw a number of salmon working through the rapids but that was it. The boys gave it better than an honest try, they stayed on the water until 9:30pm, flashlights and glowworms.

"Derek Munn of Ledges Inn in Doaktown and Mountain Channel in the Rapids area said the river was in great shape this week and there were lots of fish, particularly salmon. His groups had landed 52 fish the last seven days, and over half were salmon. Jacques Pinet had great luck Tuesday evening landing a 26, a 20 and an 18 pound salmon." (from Doug Underhill's Fishing Report) - What can I say!

15th July 2009

Beautiful day on the Miramichi River. Not may fish showing, by 8am we had hooked into (2), James had (1) on and by 9am Dave had a (1) salmon on.

Notice the "pipe" - do you know how much skill it takes to hold a beer in one hand, light a pipe with the other and land a salmon at the same time.

The guide in the picture just wants to get back to running his new boat & motor :)

This is "slow" fishing for this river.

14th July 2009

The day started out decent then a s/w wind came up all day and into the evening. Saw a couple of fish in the morning and raised one twice in the evening - all I can say is that it's a good thing we don't depend on fishing to survive so far this year. We had up to 5 rods on the water at various times today (1) grilse taken (1) hooked.

13th July 2009

Miramichi remains stable, dark cool water. Saw a fair number of fish moving today, 7am and 8pm, a few grilse but mostly salmon. (1) 33" salmon released, (1) grilse taken, (1) salmon hooked and released him/herself.

12th July 2009

Cloudy with lite rain on the Miramichi. Hooked into one salmon and a large trout (shady lady), saw a number of salmon moving through, rolling for fly but not taking well. Report from the upriver neighbour that he hasn't been seeing anything in the morning but has taken fish for the past three evenings (green machine w/white tag & Taylor special). Conversely we have seen fish in the morning but not evening?

Evening:

Will have to take that back, saw a small run go through shortly after 7 PM and a nice salmon hooked and released.

11th July 2009

Another nice day on the Miramichi. We saw a run in the morning and that was it. (2) 13-15lb salmon hooked and released. In general although there are a few fish moving the run is far from strong.

As you can see from the photo, just like a road crew, one worker and lots of advice. To fill in the down time they went to McCloskeys and bought rods, Doaks for waders. Just like high school days they all wanted to dress alike. Sorry Luke, just had to throw that in.

10th July 2009

Hot day, finally. Miramichi is dropping daily, rain called for on Sunday.

Luke Cooper and party in, we saw some fish movement in the morning and late afternoon. Attached is a photo of Ed and his grilse, the Eagle was watching but they never noticed :)

9th July 2009

Nice sunny day, water continues to drop, cool and dark but clearing.
Although nothing taken today, we did raise a couple of salmon lower down in the pool, they seemed to come for the fly twice, sort of butt it then not come back. Saw (1) salmon in the air and (2) small grilse flying through the rapids about 5 feet off shore. We saw grilse close to the shore yesterday as well.

If we can keep the rain at bay and the water drops maybe the fish will move back into the normal runs.

WE have some fishermen in from the Plaster Rock Area, a couple are wading without waders, in this water burr :(

8th July 2009

Today was a bit better than yesterday, (1) grilse taken in the pool, and we saw (2) large salmon and (1) small grilse jumping. Water still up which makes fishing with waders a bit difficult.

Wilsons Outfitting reporting a couple of grilse taken (green machine white tag)

7th July 2009

Miramichi dropped about 8 inches overnight but remains high and dark.

Fishing! there was up to 7 rods on the water on and off all day with nary a sign of a fish, correction one trout and one chub taken.

On the bright side fishing can only improve, so we will watch the eagles and raccoons.

4th July 2009

And the rain keeps coming. The river is holding steady, a little high and dark which puts what fish are out there all over the river - ya gotta hit them on the head to get their attention - :(

Greg wanted U all to see what he did with his trout catch.

3'd July 2009

Miramichi remains up and dark, plenty of water for fish movement and an excellent temperature.

Joel tells me he raised a salmon this evening, a neighbour took one and there were upriver reports of fish being hooked with at least one grilse taken. Fishing remains slow but is improving. If we could just get a little break in the weather the water would drop and we could start fishing the pools and runs.

1st July 2009

Miramichi still up slightly and dark.

The Campbells arrived at the cottage late this afternoon, they have returned annually over the years.

Within 30 minutes of hitting the water Joel had a nice large grilse on the bank. Tonight they are celebrating with fireworks.