30th June 2011



Chris and a full size one
















Rain and more rain with a bit of thunder thrown in. Water was rising slightly and remains very dark which makes it hard for wading.

  Chris  finished off his day with this nice grilse on a Taylor Special.  All together I think the count for the pool was in the vicinity of 10, mostly salmon and not all landed. There are lots of fish moving if you can get a fly in front of them.

29th June 2011

Cloudy day, lite East wind, dark water and still a bit high.  Difficult to fish with chest waders as you can't really see bottom and have to feel your way around.  Fish are all over the river.

We had a nice run go through around 7  PM yesterday evening and a heavy run worked through around 8 AM this morning.  Raised a couple before this one decided to go for it (shadylady #4).  Hearing great stories from the Dungarvon, unconfirmed reports of the best fishing ever for that river !

Boys at the cottage struck a few salmon and landed a trout or two.  One of them even tried to join the migration upstream when he in went beyond his waders - a moose started across the river to join them but decided they were acting a little too wild and returned to the other river bank :)

27th June 2010

Fishing fiasco on the Miramichi, a true story:

 So after 2 hours of fishing, 2 strikes and 1 raise I'm begining to think there is something wrong with my Taylor Special #4, I drop down into slower water with every intention of changing the fly after that "one more cast" - a  large salmon grabs the fly, does a complete loop around the boat as I wait to get some distance between the fish and boat before starting the motor and heading for shore.  Finally the salmon wanders off and I pull on the anchor rope which breaks nicely leaving me setting on the boat floor hold a peice of rope in one hand and a salmon in the other.  Now I have to make my way to the front of the boat and try to pull up the anchor which is wedged behind a rock on the river bottom, I end up feeding the rest of that cord out the pully as I'm using the famous "Miramichi invented pully and catch system."  Still with the salmon on and that done I return the stern to start the motor, of course the choke had got knocked on and the motor floods, with the salmon still on I mange to get the motor started and head for shore running over the leader, the fish has given up on me by now and left, enroute to shore to gather myself I run out of gas.  I didn't want the salmon anyway but sure didn't need the entertainment that went with it.  The rest of the day will be simple chores on dry land.

Oh I should add that I went back out and the water pump stopped working - not a day to buy a lotto ticket.

(1) grilse landed (1) salmon lost - lots of hits but - water is up and dirter than yesterday.

26th June 2011

Nice day for fishing, overcast but the water is up from yesterday's rain and still dark.  Neighbour(s) landed a grilse and salmon. I raised (2) salmon and struck (1) to no avail , guess it's fish soup for supper.

(silkworm moth) cottage wildlife

26th June 2011

No East wind, but rain. (1) grilse landed (1) grilse lost in the morning (Taylor Special #4). A few canoes on the river - I guess once you have committed you take what comes :)

24th June 2011

Water is holding good but very dark, East wind, the scorn of fishermen and we had it from dawn to dusk.  JR did land a nice 32 1/2" salmon this morning, took him for a walk, a jog, then he eventually had to jump into a motor boat to catch up with it.  (Taylor Special #4) .

Another 33" salmon taken in the evening. Only saw a couple of fish other than that one, all salmon.  Right now it appears to be about 40/60 grilse/salmon.

We had an unfortunate boating incident upriver yesterday, the search boats are still combing the river for a missing fisherman.

The last two days  from our cancellation  July (27-28)   are now taken, we had three calls on them.

23'd June 2011

Another rough day on the Miramichi, water continues to drop but still a bit high and dark. Seeing fish. By 2:30 pm we had two grilse landed and a salmon lost (Taylor Special #6).   They like that green in this dark water.  Hearing great reports from Dungarvon Counting Station for this time of year.

22nd June 2011

Miramichi has dropped and is now back at a fishable level.  Reports of fishing in Blackville area, and fish holding in the Bay.  Observed fish movement close to shore in the afternoon and reports of  2 large salmon being taken upriver in the evening.

If you are headed out don't forget the fly dope, blackfiles and mosquitos are bad at the moment.

19th June 2011

Wild day, periods rain, thunder, wind and more rain.  Weatherman calling for clearing periods to mid week then more rain Thursday, Friday, Saturday.  Water high and dirty, however Lika did hook into a salmon along the shore using a 3/4 size Golden Eagle and we have seen fish showing both along the shore and in the centre of the river. 

JR that check on your canoe, it's fine for the moment, if we get more water will move it to higher ground.

Click to enlarge, upper right our shore chairs under water

18th June 2011

Water up again over night and remains dark.  We are seeing more and more salmon, by noon saw (5) broaching or jumping and a grilse taken.  Reports from up river of one salmon taken this morning.  In this water they are all over the river.  Also reports of decent size trout, which we have also seen jumping. 

Afternoon has seen constant rain with the river is rising steadly, dirty with lots of tree limbs etc. I would hazard that we are going to need some sunshine and a bit of a rain break before the river is back to decent a fishable condition..

River is starting to come alive again :)

July 29th & 30th are now taken which leaves only July 26,  27 & 28th available. 

Just a reminder we are struggling to prepare the cottage for incoming clients, that's why check in time is 3 pm and check out 11 am.  On occassion if no one is leaving or coming in that day we can flex a bit one way or the other so do check with us.

17th June 2011

A bit of an update for those watching the river.  In the middle of a thunderstorm as I write.

We are coming, hopefully toward the end of that "in between period" have picked up a few trout and are seeing the very occassional grilse.  A check up river,  they are getting the odd decent trout - sports coming into the upriver camps this weekend.

Water is a good  height, a little too dark at the moment, but all is in place for good salmon movement and we will be putting people on the river starting tomorrow.  I should mention that our cleints last weekend did pick up a few trout, one lady her fist ever fish, you could hear her from Boiestown.

July 23'd to 26th are now rebooked with  some days in July pending confirmation.

For those interested in Shale Gas Exploration in our area.  Speaking with their NB CEO and there is seismic testing now underway in the Holtville area.  My concern was drilling close to a water ways, feeding into the Miramichi as SWN has leased the rights basically from Plaster Rock Hwy South and that would include, Dungarvon, Taxis, Miarmichi, Cains, Renous and the whole Clearwater/Cains water shed pluys some major books.  He advised me if/when they drill any wells it will not be close to any rivers.  I don't have an answer on close yet.  The current testing in this area may be to identify the  fringe of the gas field. From the maps I have seen most interest for Central NB will be in the Chipman Area - scary stuff this.  Government sent representatives to a recent Taymouth meeting on the subject, the second such meeting, Natural Rsources Minister never showed but SWN CEO attended and the show is obviously on the road but from the response to questions the government reps have a lot of catching up to do. The government is hanging their hat on EIA Regulations and enforcement of same. To me that brings back things like Fish & Wildlife Regulations and reduction of enforcement officers,  mapping of wetlands and ministerial reversal, shifting of oversight from health inspectors to certified septic system installers, identification of wetlands by land surveryors, an so forth - I'm only asking that people become informed on the issue, we no longer have an opposition in House to pose those serious questions and make them public, it was the opposition that opened pandoras box.  I don't care if they drill as long as they don't destroy rural NB and head back to the USA.

We have emailed Miramichi Salmon Assoc and asked their position on Shale Gas Drilling and been advised that at this point they don't have a position.

14th June 2011

Cool windy day with water up.

Due to a cancellation, July 23'd - 31st 2011 inclusive are now available.  Unfortunately we had 2 calls today alone for July and had to tell the callers we were booked, cell phones show as PNB so we are unable to get back to callers.

10th June 2011

Fishing has pretty well tapered off in this area.  The overnight thunderstorm dumped a lot of water and Miramichi is currently high and dirty.  Sea trout run was much shorter this year than the past two years but the Rocy Brook Salmon Run appeared stronger with lots of fish showing.  They had an almost translucent purple sheen to them.  The upriver major fishing camps are calling in their guides and preparing for the late June,July brights.

7th June 2011

Beautiful day, even could call it hot.

As of 4PM there has been (4) salmon hooked and (1) grilse taken. green/white bomber, green machine.

No trout taken.

6th June 2011

32 1/2" approx 13 1/2 lb

Nice day with a little East wind to make casting a bit more difficult.  Water continues to drop and is getting very fishable.

So far todays count  for this area is (10) sea trout taken a number of good size ones lost, the largest 16", (3) salmon hooked, landed  32 1/2 inches on a white/green bomber (Lika).

East wind just never dropped til dark, saw 5 or 6 salmon jumping in the evening, so lots of salmon moving.

5th June 2011

Sunny day with that good old East wind. Water is dropping quickly.

Tom and his buddies left this morning, touched some trout but nothing to take home.  I got a lesson in how to fillet a fish I will never forget, those Newfoundlanders used to processing cod can make that fillet knife fly.  I felt like going out and getting another fish just to watch them at work.

Seeing good size trout on surface but hard to get them to take, took (4) on an Orange Allie's Shrimp sinking line.

Canoes, 1st weekend of June and the river was full of canoes, presume a lot from the Graduating Class but we saw lots coming from Fredericton.  Brian sorry missed you and Beth, so many had gone by I stopped looking at them.

FREE - GASLAND -  ignite your interest, become informed.  A documentary look at the HYDRO FRACKING INDUSTRY and the negative impact it may have on our beautiful Miramichi Valley.
                                          Upper Miramichi Rural Community Office (BOIESTOWN)
                                          Tuesday June 7th at (7 PM)
                                          Admission FREE

                                          Salmon Museum (DOAKTOWN)
                                          Wednesday June 8th at (7PM)
                                           Admission FREE

4th June 2011



18.5 inches on Blue Smelt Streamer


Water dark and cold, fish are not taking well off top so you have to go down for them.

Boys have hooked into a few trout, salmon taken bottom of pool and reports of more in Holtville area.  Norrads Bridge area large trout on spring streamers.

2nd June 2011

Water remains very dark but dropping.  Sea trout are not taking well, but more like one here, one there, often going for the salmon parr you have just hooked.   Reports of bright salmon being taken this morning, Norrads Bridge and we have seen a few this area.

Sheldon picked up a nice 18" trout, Jason a 13" one, wind picked up and never dropped until dark, with the wind and temperature drop, evening fishing was a washout.