30th Sept. 2008

River dropped nearly 8 inches overnight, still high, a few fish showing but most traveling right through and spread all over the river.  Rest of the week calling for sun/clouds/some rain, the water level may not drop to pre-storm level by this weekend.

 

Wendy & Shane

Moonshadowcottage.ca

27th September 2008

The river was whipped into a froth today with all least 2-4 rods on it depending on the time of day. Lots of effort and little success other than one briefly hooked. We had a full day of heavy rain and the water started rising, fish continued to show but no takers. Forecast is for a hurricane headed this way and heavy rain tomorrow night so we can expect another rise in water and will see what happens from there.

Friends dropped in after dark, the road was covered with frogs, so we went searching with a flashlight and sure enough, "Frogs” everywhere even on the walk, so what is this all about ?

Our local moose hunters got their moose.

Wendy & Shane

Moonshadowcottage.ca

26th September 2008

Magic Hour plus 10 minutes.  10-00 – 11:10 hr, (1) salmon, (2) grilse on a Shady Lady w/crystal flash.  I hear they are successfully using something similar with a red butt at Ponds.   Forget the ones in the air, by the time your brain processes that jump they are 6 ft. up river and in some cases the processing is much slowerJ.  Go after the fins on the surface, drop a fly a foot or two above then hold on.

 

We had problems releasing the salmon it kept coming back to shore, honest.

 

For those people finding our site through Kijiji, sorry that Tourism lost us again this year, very frustrating, last year we were in Saint John River Valley, this year under the second Porter Cove, and the first Porter Cove brings nothing up and we pay for thisL.

 

Query today from ATVers wanting to use the cottage, no problem we have tons of woods roads to travel but you should be aware;

 

a)       It’s hunting season, wear the required red clothing and duck often,

b)       The Trans Canada Trail is close but off limits to ATVers at this time and heavily patrolled by the Province,

c)       Keep the noise to a minimum around the cottages and residents in the area.

d)       Bear and moose have the right-of-way.

 

We now have at least (2) black bear and a chipmunk in the vicinity of the cottage, tis apple time and they like apples.

 

 

 

Wendy & Shane

Moonshadowcottage.ca

25th September 2008

This is exactly what the day was like, saw lots of fish, threw everything at
them, nothing taking.

Made a run into the Dungarvon Counting Station, 860 salmon in the holding
pool, largest around 30 lb.
75 trout some in 3.5 - 4 lb range. Well over twice 2007 count, normally
they open the gates the first of moose season but will be holding for a few
days yet this year.

This year they have 2500 fingerlings to release and saw the first of their
reared Salmon return which is very positive as they were concerned with no
previous returns.

Still a great day to be alive on the Miramichi. Our guest's comment were a
bad day onb the river is better than a good day at the office.

24th September 2008

It was a beautiful Fall day, the leaves are just starting to colour up. The
fishing was very slow - we had 4 - 6 rods on the water depending the time of
day from dawn to dusk and other than a few soft hits the only thing taking
were trout. Moose hunters are moving into the area in droves for this
weekend, trucks with four wheelers everywhere. None of our regular hunting
groups got their moose license this year and if they had they would probably
not have obtained the "permit" required by Irving to access their normal
hunting zones. The cottage was quickly booked by a couple with R&R
interests at heart and we will see our hunting friends in deer season.

At this point we still have some dates in October available.

23'd September 2008

"We're BONDING so leave us alone" or "It's mine all MINE" and no this is not
a "bright grilse" otherwise it would not have been foolish enough to take
Mark's white Butterfly.

Lots of fish, taking poorly, several hits in the evening on a Shady Lady,
all short, clipped the tail of the fly which solved the hitting short
problem, no more strikes. Right now the entertainment is in watching the
aerobatics.

22nd September 2008

Another beautiful day on the Miramichi. The salmon are not showing as much this morning, however did pick up (3) grisle between 10:00 – 11:00 hr on a Shady Lady w/crystal flash. Rounded things off in the evening with a nice salmon, on a brand new Shady Lady, the other one went up river with a salmon, when will I learn to re tie a fly after playing several fish.

Any way the salmon was about a 7-8 lb hook bill, didn't even give much of a fight, he wasn't even the smartest fish I've met. After I got the fly out and went to release him I noticed the leader was wrapped around his lower jaw and he wouldn't open his mouth, so I had tucked the rod under my arm and was bent over trying to get everything untangled when a grisle came after the fly by my leg. That's not the fly I lost, that one went up river earlier in the evening with another salmon.

I played around with a bomber in the slow water and sure enough the trout are still there :)

Of (2 doz). Shady Ladies with crystal flash I tied in July, I have (2) left

We have a party of (2) in tomorrow and another (2) joining them the next day, will see how they make out.

Wendy & Shane

Moonshadowcottage.ca

21st September 2008 (follow up)

Did you ever feel like this after a hard days work. A before and after. I
don't know the final count on this fly as it was fished over a few days but
it was a lot of fish. Some very, very nice trout in the river, they seem to
prefer bombers. Well after dark and you can still hear the salmon in the
river moving rocks. Still looking for those bright ones they say are
coming, although I must admit some of the more recent fish are fighting more
like summer salmon.

21st September 2008

What a beautiful morning, no wind, enough cloud cover to keep the sun off
the water and a pool full of fish and a dog ready to go fishing, haven found
waders his size yet.

Our clients slept in so decided to warm the pool up for them, by 10:30 had
taken (5) and lost (2), raised another 1/2 doz. All on a very beaten up
Shady Lady. This is the type of dream fishing to remember that helps get a
fisherman through a long cold winter and the days not over :

20th September 2008

A strong West wind came up in the morning and lasted all day with light gusts towards dusk.  Rob hooked into his first Salmon; he has asked anyone up river landing a fish with a White Butterfly to please return it to him.  With the wind the fish were not showing as much as normal but they were there.  Lika hooked a grilse and landed another, I landed another all on a Shady Lady We kept bringing fish up with Bombers but they would just nudge or sink them, interested but not stupid is my guess.  The “brook trout” are definitely back in the river as we all took a number of very nice trout and they all had to go back.

 

Took in the Doaktown Salmon Museum this afternoon, it’s very well done and would be of interest to Miramichi Valley Anglers and visitors alike – take time to stop and have a gander

 

Wendy & Shane

Moonshadowcottage.ca