The latter part of last week brought some much better fishing as the water levels dropped to a more manageable height. However, after several days of rain over the week-end, the Miramichi rose yet again, this time to its highest level of the fall. Each one of our last 4 raises seems to bring the water up highereach time and thus, each time it takes takes longer to drop.

By Monday, the river had crested and the water has been dropping steadily since then. For the lower portion of the river, it seems unlikely that the conditions will be at an optimal level until well after the season is done, but in the up-river area above Boiestown, we have heard better reports in the past couple of days and things seem to be improving in the Doaktown area as today unfolds. Hopefully the river will continue to drop for the next few days, giving anglers one more chance to encounter a fall fish or two before the season closes on October 15.

The Cains river continues to be an encouraging bright spot, with many reports of salmon being caught in pools which are have been too low to be productive in recent years. It is now at a very fishable level once again and is providing a good alternative for those whose favourite Miramichi pools are still too high.

All in all, it has been a very good year for healthy wild populations of both salmon and grilse on the Miramichi river. As is often the case with fishing salmon fishing, weather conditions and other factors have combined to favour some areas and pools over others, which means that not everyone has had great fishing this year. Seasoned anglers are accustomed to and even captivated by these variables, and in many cases, that is what keeps them coming back year after year.

After another "high water" week-end, it is nice to see the river beginning to settle down a bit. While the water is still higher than normal, it is now at a level where many pools are beginning to be productive again. Surprisingly, some persistent folks were able to catch fish right through the high water by using more "spring like" patterns and methods, but most people did not report much success during the latter part of last week.

One bright spot was the Cains river, which has remained too low to be productive in the past few years, with most fish not entering that tributary until after the close of the season on October 15. However, this September's heavy rainfall has brought a lot more salmon into the Cains as well as a surprising number of late run trout in the 4 - 5 lb. range. Being a much smaller river, the Cains became fishable more quickly than did the Main Southwest Miramichi after the rain and several anglers took advantage of that fact with some good success.

Although the daytime air temperature has been in the low 70's for the past few days, the water temperature has remained in the mid 50's. With the conditions improving steadily, we are hopeful that the fishing will also continue to improve. We are encouraged by the number of fish in the river, but unlike some years where low water produces a heavy concentration of fish, this year's fall run is much more dispersed throughout the river and thus, more difficult for anglers to intercept

After yet another heavy rain on Monday, the river is now running higher than at any point this summer. This is the third major raise of water this September and it has certainly had an adverse effect on the fishing for the past couple of days.

Our best information seems to confirm that the water level crested overnight and began to drop Wednesday morning. Although a raise this drastic will usually run off quite quickly, it will likely take several days for the fishing to improve significantly.

Reports from the Millerton counting facility in the estuary indicate that we have had very good numbers of new fish coming into the river over the past several days and that is good news. Reports of fish being caught the past few days have been quite scarce but that may change as more people venture out again tomorrow.

As you can see from today's photo, the Miramichi has risen significantly, after having received almost 3 inches of rain over this past week-end. The total raise has been estimated at 2.5 - 3 feet, but it has dropped considerably in the past couple of days. Surprisingly, the fishing has remained quite good in many pools even during the raise, and now that the water is clearing a little, we would expect it to improve even more. There are reports from the Quarryville area of some new fish coming in from the tidal water and with the river running high and cool, they certainly have ideal traveling conditions. Some big fish (30+) are also beginning to make an appearance, which is hopefully a sign of more to come.

Well, we have been waiting for rain and it seems the wait is over. However, it doesn't look like the rain is over yet. We received a total of 1.6 inches Monday night and Tuesday morning, but it seems that the upper part of the river got a good deal more than that. Reports coming from Juniper Tuesday morning indicated that the river was very high in that area and, as predicted, it is now up substantially throughout the whole of the Main Southwest. Although this will probably make fishing a little unproductive for the next few days, it should certainly move some fish around and hopefully, entice a few new fish to leave the estuary and make their way upstream.

The real question now is how much more rain may be coming as Katrina works its way toward us in the next 24 hours. It could be quite a "gulley-washer" before the week is done.

The past couple of weeks have been a little more challenging, with fewer new fish coming into the system and the water dropping down to its lowest level of the season. This is typical for mid to late August, and not at all unexpected. However, despite the low water, several cooler nights have helped to keep the water at a lower temperature which has been somewhat beneficial. Although we have heard several reports of fish being caught, and many more being seen over the past couple of weeks, most of our fish are still resting quite comfortably in some deep, cold water holding pools. Until a significant change in the water level comes about, it is unlikely that they will be willing to move a great deal.

We would not normally expect to see a lot of new fish entering the system during the latter part of August, but as September unfolds, we are hopeful that the fall run will begin to appear. If it is anything close to what it has been in the past few years, most of us will be quite happy indeed.

July has brought a mixed bag of fishing tricks. We saw fairly good runs early in the month, but some warm weather slowed the fishing a little during the second week. As has been the case for the past few years, we were expecting to see a major concentration of grilse appear close to July 15, and with nearly an inch of rain and cooler weather on July 14 everything appeared to be falling into place. Thus, we were not surprised to hear of very good fishing reports in the lower part of the river on the 15th and the 16th as many new fish began to enter the system from the estuary. However, by Sunday, July 17, the weather had turned brutally hot and remained that way until Friday, July 22. Even though we received several heavy showers throughout the week, water temperatures were too warm to produce any good fishing. By the week-end, the heat wave had finally eased and with heavy rain on Saturday evening, the next couple of days saw greatly improved fishing. Monday, July 25 was also cool and wet and although Tuesday was a little warmer, today is cooler and cloudy, which will should keep the water temperature down nicely. The latest word from the counting station in Millerton is that we have had a very good numbers of both salmon and grilse entering the system in the past 3 days. If we continue to be blessed with cooler overnight temperatures, we are hopeful that we might see significantly improved fishing in the next few days as these fish begin to work their way upstream.

The past couple of weeks have been much warmer than the first three weeks of June, and as a result, the fishing has been a little more sporadic. A few cool nights and a couple of heavy localized showers last week produced some interesting results in many pools around the Doaktown area. Several people encountered fish over this past week-end, but Monday and Tuesday of this week were quite warm and not very productive on the river. However, we were delighted to see a good rainfall work its way down the entire length of the Main Southwest Miramichi last night. While it is not clear yet how much of a raise this will produce, its cooling and freshening effect has already resulted in much better fishing throughout today and we are hopeful that this will continue to be the case for the next few days.

After a long, wet, cool spring, many of us were beginning to wonder whether summer would ever arrive so we were all relieved to see the sun finally break through on Sunday. But the big news on the Miramichi this year is not about the weather- its about the number of early June salmon and grilse that have been encountered by anglers over the past couple of weeks. Early June is not a time when many people go to the river, but those who have gone this year have had some very good fishing indeed.

We have been particularly surprised at how widespread the reports have been, and how consistently good the fishing has remained. Certainly the fact that the water has been much higher and cooler than normal has had a positive effect on the fishing, but since early June fish are usually traveling upstream quite quickly, it is unusual to hear of so many fish being caught under these conditions. Both salmon and grilse have been reported in very good numbers. We are certainly hoping that this is an indication of things to come.

Over the weekend, the water rose significantly but is now settling down to a normal June level, making the conditions ideal for the next few days. So if you are looking for a good excuse to go fishing, you just may have one.

After a week of beautiful weather for the beginning of the season, this past weekend brought a more familiar April scenario. Saturday was damp and unpleasant, and both Sunday and Monday saw periods of heavy rain. By Monday evening, the rain had given way to patches of sunshine. As might be expected, the water level has risen significantly but the fishing reports have been generally good. A steady number of both salmon and grilse have been reported and although the success rate is not quite as high as some might prefer, most anglers are encountering several fish per day, making this a rather entertaining fishery indeed.

The first few days of the 2005 Spring Salmon season have been quite entertaining. Not only have we been blessed with unusually pleasant weather, but we have had generally good fishing as well. The numbers of fish encountered have not been record breaking but most anglers seem quite satisfied with their success. Some fishermen have been reporting a dozen or more fish per day, with several large salmon among them. Good reports have been coming from most parts of the river, from Boiestown to Quarryville.
A few people have expressed surprise that the water is not higher than it is. Although it did raise a little with the warm weather over the weekend, much of our snow cover is now gone and it seems unlikely that the river will be up to its normally swollen April level again this spring. However, a heavy rainfall could change all that in a day and in April, this has certainly been known to happen. While the lower water has been a topic of conversation, I should point out that the Miramichi is still much higher than its summer level and the lower water has certainly not been an impediment to fishing in any way. If anything, it has made some aspects of the fishery a little more enjoyable. All in all, it has been a great start to the 2005 season.

The past couple of weeks have brought us a mixed bag of fishing reports but the one consistent assessment which we hear is that there is a very good number of fish, many of which are quite impressive in their size. What has surprised us is that so far, the majority of these larger fish seem to be female, leading us to expect that we should begin to see some good numbers of large "hook-bills" in the next few days.
Without any significant rainfall since Sept. 9, the water level has been a little lower and clearer than we would like for the upper parts of the river, but cool nights have kept the water temperature in the 50's and low 60's, despite some warmer than normal daytime air temperatures.
We are hearing of several fish being caught each day, with some in the 20 - 30lb. class, but the general consensus is that the the fish are not as responsive as we would like to see. While this is typical behaviour for many fall fish, most people think that a slight raise of water might kick- start the fishing once again. It looks like we may have to wait a while to see if they're right.

September 16, 2004

As predicted, last Thursday, Sept. 9, hurricane Francis delivered over 2 inches of rain to the entire Miramichi watershed bringing water levels up to their highest point of the summer throughout the system. Both the Little Southwest and the Northwest Miramichi rivers were missed by most of the August rains and so we are particularly happy to report that their water levels have risen nicely this time. The same is true for the Dungarvan and the Renous as well.
Here on the Main Southwest, the water level continued to raise until late in the day on Saturday, September 11, and since then, the river has settled down to a very fishable level once again.
With this raise of over 3 feet in many areas, we have not been surprised to hear that fish are visibly moving in every part of the Miramichi and new fish are coming into the river daily. Now that the river is dropping and clearing, we have every reason to expect that the fishing should continue to improve over the next few days.
We have heard several good reports of fish being caught and many more being seen, even in the midst of the high water. All indications seem to point to even better fishing ahead, but the only way you can be certain is to conduct your own streamside investigation.

After a couple of good rains in August which did surprisingly little to raise the water level of the Miramichi, we were certainly glad to see 2 inches of rain arrive on August 31. This brought the level of the Main Southwest up by well over a foot in our area and well over 2 feet below the mouth of the Cains River.
While the fishing had been quite good in many areas before the rain, things really improved after the raise we have heard some very encouraging reports of large grilse being caught, as well as a good number of salmon in the 20+ class. One gentleman here last week for his first salmon fishing trip managed to hook 11 fish in 3 days.
All in all, it we have had good quantities of fish right through August. Although a few hot dry days are to be expected in mid August, we have had our share of cool nights which helped to buffer the water temperature a bit, making for some great fishing in many areas.
September has started out cooler than in recent years and although the water has dropped off a little from last week's raise, there is more rain in the forecast for the next few days. With the first blush of colour in the trees, a little nip in the morning air and lots of fish throughout the system, this is a great time to be on the river and what a river to be on!

The past few days have brought a mixture of good and bad reports as we settle into August. Fishing continued to be very good until the end of July but by Friday, July 30, warmer air and water temperatures caused things to slow down a bit. However, as large numbers of fish began to "pool up" a little, this made for a few days of very good fishing for those fortunate enough to have access to a cold water holding pool. Fortunately, the past few nights have been much cooler and with the exception of today, most of the daytime temperatures have also been much lower as well. We have also enjoyed some heavy localized showers on both August 3 and August 7 and although they were not widespread, they certainly freshened things a little and even brought the water up a few inches.
The recent fishing reports from the Doaktown area have not all been encouraging but fish are still being caught on a fairly regular basis. However, there is good indication that some new fish are coming through the Blackville area. Some folks in the store today from the Mountain Channel reported great fishing yesterday and this morning and the news from other down-river areas also indicate lots of visible fish. As is often the case in August, we are hoping that the next few days will bring us some more rain and some cooler weather once again. If so, we may have real reason to be optimistic about another good August fishery.

After a good start to the season and a healthy run of late June fish, many of us were wondering if we would see another mid July run like we saw in 2002 and 2003, Earlier this week, as the weather warmed a little and the water dropped a bit, the fishing slowed down somewhat and it looked like things might be quiet for a while.
However, Thursday brought us a steady, saturating rain and the water has responded with a healthy raise. Almost as though they were anticipating this event, a very good run of salmon and grilse has entered the Main Southwest in the past three days and they have been moving through the lower pools quite rapidly. The Mountain Channel Lodge below Blackville reported a camp record on Thursday with 35 fish being landed and released by 5:00 PM. All of their guests limited out and their pool was made available to some local area residents who also enjoyed the bonanza. Other reports from pools in the area confirm that there has been a significant increase in new fish entering the system, but they seem to be taking advantage of the good water conditions and, as a result, they are not holding long in the pools.
All in all, this is a great time to be on the river and the Miramichi is a great river to be on.

This has been a great start to the season with cool, damp weather keeping the conditions very favourable for most of the past few weeks. Although we have not has as much steady rain in July as we did in late June, the water levels in the Main Southwest are still quite adequate. Water temperatures have been good, ranging in the mid to high sixties for most of the time. Until a few days ago, most pools were reporting fish being caught each day and many more being seen.
Last week-end seemed to be a high point with good news coming from several parts of the river. However, things seem to have quieted down a little this week. Nonetheless, there are still quite a few fish in the river, including one caught in the Doaktown area yesterday in the 20 lb. range. Derek Munn of the Ledges Inn also landed and released a nice salmon this morning in one of their pools.
The general consensus seems to be that a little more rain might help freshen things a bit, and the prospect of unsettled weather for the next couple of days sounds promising. There is certainly good reason to anticipate more fish coming in the next couple of weeks and if present trends continue, it looks like the river might be in great shape to welcome their arrival.

Just a quick update to let you know that we are receiving some badly needed rainfall today (Saturday). By mid afternoon we have had well over 1/2 inch and more falling steadily. One pool in the Doaktown area reported 3 fish caught last evening and good reports from the lower parts of the river continue to come. Things are looking up!

After the unusually quick decline of the spring salmon season, the latter part of May remained quiet with very few reports of new fish being intercepted. However, as June began, several sea trout were being caught in the Doaktown area, with a few in the 4 - 5 lb. range. Normally, early June water levels are quite high, which usually makes it harder to intercept the sea run trout as they head upstream However, this June's water height has been lower than normal and this made for some significantly improved trout fishing during the first week of June.
As June unfolds and more people turn their attention to the salmon fishery, reports have started to improve significantly and we are hearing some encouraging news, especially from the Blackville area. Several bright fish have been caught in the lower part of the river in the past week, with a good mix of both salmon and grilse. In addition, there have been several salmon caught in the upper regions of the Main Southwest as well. Although we have had a few showers, we are in need of a significant rainfall to sustain adequate water levels for late June and July. The conditions on the Main Southwest are still adequate, and the water temperatures have been reasonably good, but a good rain would certainly be a welcome sight at this point. Water levels on some of the smaller tributaries are significantly lower, making a rainfall even more essential for sustaining a good fishery throughout the end of June.

We are happy to report that we have received a lot more rain in the past few days and the river has responded quite nicely. Although the Cains River has risen by only a few inches, the Main Southwest Miramichi is up significantly and is now at a great level for most of the pools. Some people fishing in the Blackville area are even finding the water to be a little higher than they would like. However, nobody is complaining much, since the raise has sparked a lot more activity among some previously unresponsive salmon. We have heard many positive reports today of fish taking much more readily since the raise. Several large salmon in the 25 - 30 lb. category have been released in the past few days and most people are experiencing significantly improved fishing.

These graphs indicate the number of fish intercepted as of August 31 over the past 10 years by the two primary counting facilities on the Main Southwest Miramichi river system. The Millerton Trap is located in the estuary and intercepts a small percentage of the total run employing a "mark recapture" process while the Juniper Trap is located at the headwaters and counts each fish as it enters the holding sanctuary. The raw data can be found at the links shown above marked DFO Salmon & DFO Grilse.

In sharp contrast to the unusually cold, damp weather during the first 3 weeks of June, June 21 brought with it a burst of warmer air. By the middle of last week the pleasant summer weather gave way to an oppressive heat wave with several days reaching 95 - 100 degrees F. Although the fishing had been improving steadily throughout the third week of June, last week was a much different story. With water temperatures in the high 70s in many places, salmon sought refuge in cold deep pools and showed little interest in most angler's efforts. Previously, some fishermen had reporting hooking as many as four salmon per day on the Main Southwest and on the Northwest a good number of both salmon and grilse were beginning to show.
Mercifully, yesterday brought us some cooler weather along with some thunder showers in the morning and evening. We received an average of about 1/2 inch of rainfall in total along the river which will certainly be beneficial. Last night was also much cooler and today was comfortably cool with a nice breeze. This evening once again we have had several vigorous showers. The height of the river is ideal at this point, and the water temperature should certainly be dropping nicely as well. It looks like we are starting July in great shape and ready to accommodate the usual invasion of grilse which should be along shortly. Last year we had to wait until July 12 before a heavy concentration of fish arrived. Maybe they will be a little earlier this year, but since nobody knows for sure, why not plan to spend the entire month here, just to be safe.

After several weeks with too much to do and too little to say, we finally have some news to report and a few minutes in which to do so. We are sorry for such a long absence but this has been one of the busiest springs we have ever had in our mail order division and we have all been going day and night to keep up.
The past few weeks have been unusually wet and cold with many daytime high temperatures not even reaching 50 degrees F. Some days it seemed as if summer would never come. These are ideal conditions if you are an early run salmon or sea trout seeking to avoid interception but not if you're an early June fisherman trying to slow them down a little. Many fish have taken advantage of these conditions to scoot right by most of the lower pools and head for the upper stretches of the river with only an occasional contemptuous leap along the way.
There have been some reports of good quantities of sea trout in the Juniper area and at the counting fence, but very few reports of any having been caught in the lower portions of the river. Reports of shad have also been spotty at best.
The Northwest Miramichi has been fishing quite well for salmon and grilse for the past week or more which is not surprising. It tends to be an earlier river than the Main Southwest. One guide whom we spoke to today told us of hooking 4 salmon on the Northwest last week.
Some have also been pleasantly surprised by the presence of a few salmon as well as some grilse in the upper regions of the Little Southwest much earlier than normal.
On the Main Southwest, we have not had large numbers of anglers on the river until the past few days and as the number of fishermen has increased, so too has the the number of positive reports. One weekend angler from Saint John released two salmon last Friday evening and another on Saturday morning. Another group of anglers fishing above Blackville reported releasing several salmon over the past couple of days ranging from 8 - 20 lb.. and loosing one which was significantly larger than 20. (The ones we loose are always much bigger)
We are also beginning to hear of a few more grilse being caught as well and their arrival usually attracts larger numbers of local anglers which in turn brings a better level of reporting. Hopefully there will be more to tell soon.

As the pictures below indicate, we are finally in full bloom, much later than normal. With several inches of rainfall every week lately, there is an unimaginable richness to the vegetation which engulfs the valley this year. Each time the sun comes out, it is as if God unveils yet another shade of green. It is indeed a wonderful time to be alive in the garden of the Miramichi and if you can come visit for a while, you really should try.
Don't forget your fly rod.........

April 22, 2003 - Let the Games Begin!

By this morning, the river had cleared sufficiently so as to permit access once again by boat. However, with the heavy melting over the past few days, the water is now at a very high level and the fishing was reported to be spotty at best. In the afternoon heavy ice flows once again made fishing difficult and by evening, it was clear that the upper reaches of the river were being opened up as the ice flowed steadily for several hours. Hopefully, when things settle down a little, we will begin to see some better fishing.
Until then, at least its nice to finally see some open water once again.

April 21, 2003 1:30 PM

Just a few minutes after taking the picture below, we were notified that there was a significant ice run occurring so we rushed out to take an updated shot. Those who were on the river had to get off in a hurry as some of the ice which remained in some deep pools was finally lifted out by raising water. Although this heavy ice flow lasted for only an hour or so, the river was scattered with ice cakes for the rest of the day, making fishing quite difficult.

April 16, 2003

Its another cold evening with little chance of significant ice movement overnight. Tuesday was warm enough to produce some melting but things turned chilly again this afternoon. There has been some slippage in a few pools and a few open areas developing along the banks but the ice is stubbornly refusing to move for now. There is a quite a stretch of open water in the Big Hole Brook area as well as this one pictured right, taken looking downstream from the Priceville Footbridge.

A few folks have ventured out to wet a fly from shore but without much success so far. Hopefully that will change before too long..........

October 2, 2002

The arrival of the month of October has brought us some surprising weather. Both yesterday and today have been unusually warm with temperatures in the low 70's. This is a far cry from the heavy frost we had on Sunday night but it has made for some very pleasant fishing conditions.
After another inch of rain on Friday, Sept 27, the Miramichi has come up several inches and is holding very well. The Cains is reported to be up over a foot and has had a much better run of fish than in recent years.
Most anglers on the Miramichi are reporting moderately good fishing with many dark fish being encountered, as well as a few brighter fish fresh from the ocean. One of the folks at the Ledges Inn reported 7 fish caught by their guests yesterday. We have also heard reports of several fish in the 20 + category with the biggest being the 35 lb. salmon released by Ed Ahern at the Vickers camp a few days ago. Reports from the Quarryville area indicate steady runs of fresh fish over the weekend with a few new fish entering on each tide during the early part of this week as well.
With excellent conditions, beautiful scenery and pleasant weather, it would be hard to find a good excuse not to fish the Miramichi for the next few days,

We have been blessed with several rainy days in the past week and the river has benefited greatly from them. They have been slow steady rains which have soaked into the ground providing some badly needed moisture for wells and streams. As a result, the water has risen about a foot in the Doaktown area and even more in the lower part of the river. Fortunately, it has remained quite clear and the upper portions of the river are in excellent condition. Below the mouth of Cains, most pools can be expected to improve dramatically now that the river has had a few days to settle a little.
We are encouraged with the reports of new fish entering the system. Several salmon in the 20+ category have been encountered recently and several of the fish still have sea lice on them. Even above Boiestown some new fish have been hooked, but most reports are coming from the lower parts of the river. Many of the fish which were holding in cold deep pools have moved out and are making their way further upstream, making the arrival of some new fish even more welcome.
With the water conditions nearly perfect and the temperatures close to ideal, you would be hard pressed to find a better time to be on the Miramichi than right now.

Another Miramichi autumn is unfolding before our eyes and the beauty of the valley has already begun to be enhanced by a few blushes of colour in the trees. As we approach the middle of the month, we can expect more reports of new fall fish entering the river ready to tantalize their waiting audience but as of yet, not many new fish seem to be arriving.
There has been some encouraging news from the lower portions of the river after a heavy rainfall on the Cains watershed brought a significant raise in lower Miramichi last Thursday (Sept. 5). Some new fish were caught along with a few older fish which had been lounging in deep, cold water pools awaiting a fresh burst of water.
Although the past few days have been much warmer, generally speaking our water temperatures have been very good, hovering in the low 60s for most of the month. We did receive 1.5 inches of rain in Doaktown on Sept. 4, but the storm missed the upper part of the river so the water raised only a few inches. However, the flow remains much better than last year and the river is still very fishable in most pools. The general consensus seems to be that we need a good heavy rain to shake up the entire river and get things moving once again. We are hopeful that when the rain arrives, we will see a significant increase in the number of fresh fall salmon moving through the system.

This has been an interesting month, bringing with it a great variety of fishing conditions and experiences. The month began with steady runs of fish moving through the entire watershed and the fishing sustained much longer than we would normally expect in August. Good water conditions prevailed for the first week until we were saturated with 3 inches of rain in a 72 hour period. Although we are always glad to get rain in August, this brought the water up a couple of feet and slowed the fishing somewhat. During this time, a good many fish were able to get upstream with little distraction and this has resulted in great sustained fishing in the upriver pools above Boiestown. Several parties from Salmon Brook, Clearwater, Burnt Hill and other lodges have been reporting exceptional fishing right through most of August.
By August 12, the water had dropped significantly and our normal August heat wave was in full swing, compelling most fish to seek refuge in cold, deep pools at the mouth of brooks or springs. Those fortunate enough to have access to these areas continued to experience fair fishing but the oppressive Mid August heat coupled with a week of warm nights made even these pools less productive than one might think.
However, by August 17, cooler nights had arrived and cooler days soon followed. Since then, our morning water temperatures have been in the low to mid 60s with evening temperatures rarely above 70. With no significant rainfall in the past couple of weeks, the water remains low but still in much better condition than last year at the same time. We continue to hear good reports of great fishing in some holding pools, although most running pools above Blackville are not seeing new fish moving through.
We did hear from some folks fishing at the Mountain Channel who had encountered fresh salmon with sea lice on them this morning. Although not many fish are being seen in the Quarryville area, it is possible that a few new fish may be coming in each night.
As we approach September, it is still too early to tell what the fall will bring, but if we are blessed with a bit of rain before long, we can probably expect to see a significant increase in the number of new fish coming into the system as the fall run begins to appear. Stay tuned for further developments or better yet, come and experience the river for yourself.

What a difference a month can make! As July began, many people were disillusioned and some even left early to go home and get a head start on their complaints about the Miramichi's failure to meet their expectations. Now, some people are calling it one of the best years in recent memory. It is not yet clear that we have more fish than normal but what we have experienced is a huge compression of fish, coupled with some very good weather for salmon fishing. This has been conducive to spreading the run throughout the system rather than having fish congregated in just a few deep pools. As a result, more people have had a change to experience just how productive the Miramichi can be when the conditions are right.
We continue to hear of more fish coming into the system. The Blackville area has been fishing very well as runs of fish continue to make their way upstream and disperse into the many pools between here and there. The water height continues to be ideal and despite a couple of warm, humid days, the water temperature has remained reasonably cool. All in all, there are lots of good reasons why you should find a few days to enjoy the Miramichi and we really hope you are able to do so soon.

Well, what a great two weeks this has been! While many folks have sat at home congratulating themselves for not going fishing, the rest of us have been having a grand time here on the Miramichi. The conditions have remained exceptionally favourable to fish movement and the salmon have responded by arriving in droves. Some pools have enjoyed several days of over 50 fish per day being hooked and although the majority have been fat, shiny, fresh grilse, we are also pleased to hear of several salmon being hooked and released by anglers as well. All in all, it will be a memorable July and certainly one of the best I have seen in the past 30 years.
With over 3 inches of rain on July 15 and another 8 tenths on July 19, the water height is unusually good for this time of year. Night-time temperatures have also been very low with even a report of frost in a few areas. The past couple of days have been warmer but the water temperature is still in the 60's most of the time.

We are pleased to report that the fishing has improved significantly over the past few days with a high concentration of grilse hitting the river almost overnight. Reports of better fishing started to circulate in the lower part of the river on Wednesday and as of today, we can certainly confirm that there are now fish in good numbers throughout the system. The conditions continue to be very favourable and with cool nights and temperate days, the water level and temperature is just about ideal for most pools. All in all, it is a great time to be on the Miramichi.

As we approach the last of June, it would be nice to be able to say that we have a great run of fish in the river and that everybody is catching their limit every day. However, that is not quite the way it is. With some cool nights earlier in the week, a full moon last Monday and nearly an inch of rain in the past week or so, the conditions have been close to ideal. The past few days have been very warm but so far the water temperature has remained at a fishable level. Today is pleasantly cooler and after an intense shower last evening, the river is freshening once again.
In general, the numbers of fish are not quite as high as we might like to see at this point but there is still some room for optimism. One gentleman we spoke with yesterday had three fish this week on the Little Southwest Miramichi, and the Northwest is rumored to be improving steadily. Both of these rivers historically have an earlier run than the Main Southwest, but we have had scattered reports of mainly salmon and a few grilse from our river as well. Those who have been fishing regularly seem to be encountering fish each day. Given our unusually late spring and our cold June, there is good evidence to suggest that the runs of fish are about 2 weeks late this year. This seems to be consistent with what other Eastern Canadian rivers are reporting as well.
Miramichi salmon have always delighted in defying everybody's expectations and they remain blissfully oblivious to our watches and calendars. I suspect that most salmon are not aware that they are late and many probably think they are right on time. The more you think about it, the more well advised we would be to adjust our timetables to suit theirs.

Many of you have been missing our reports and I apologize for the lengthy delay. For much of the time, there has been little news to report and with this being such a busy time for our mail order division, most days don't seem to have enough hours to get everything done.

Doaktown Bridge - June 4, 2002

Doaktown Bridge - May 5, 2002

What a week-end to be alive in the garden of the Miramichi! We have been blessed with great water, crisp fall air, beautiful foliage, blue skies and lots of fish. The water level has risen substantially from Tuesday's heavy rainfall and while some reports put the raise at about 2 ft., 18" seems a more likely assessment. As of Friday morning, the water had crested and was clearing nicely. Good quantities of fish have been observed in several pools with a significant number of fresh fish being encountered as well. Reports from the Quarryville area also indicate good runs of new fish and we have heard encouraging news from anglers of increased numbers of both salmon and grilse being caught in many parts of the system.
All in all, with nearly perfect conditions and only two more weeks left in this year's season, you couldn't ask for a better time to be on the river.
So if you're not here, or on your way, what are you waiting for?

Sept. 26, 2001

We are delighted to report that we are in the middle of a good steady downpour which has been going on for several hours. As of 9:00 AM, we have already received close to an inch and it looks like more to come. Some areas of the headwaters may already have had more than an inch so far, as we have tracked this storm's progress and have observed a heavy concentration of precipitation throughout the whole Main Southwest river system.
We are hopeful that this will finally trigger some significant movement of more new fish into the system as well as shaking up the thousands of salmon which have been lounging in some of our deep pools for a couple of months. With great quantities of fish and ideal temperatures, the only thing missing has been the water and now, its finally here. Not a minute too soon, either.

Sept. 18, 2001
Instant Salmon Fishing - Just add water!
After a badly needed period of wet weather early in September, we were hopeful that our water problems would be behind us for the year, but, we are sorry to report, such is not the case. Other than a brief shower last week, we have been without rain since Sept. 4. We have every reason to anticipate that when rain does come, it should bring with it a heavy migration of fish. As indicated by this graph which reflects the results of the Millerton counting station on the Main Southwest Miramichi, we have had a very good run of both salmon (in blue) and grilse (in red) this year.
Fortunately, the number of anglers on the river has increased substantially in the past few days and we are beginning to hear better reports of fish being caught in various parts of the river. In addition, there are a few more new fish being seen in several pools which indicates that some fish are moving in spite of the low water. On a positive note, the water temperature has been ranging from the high 50's to the low 60's which has made for a much healthier environment for the salmon. With cooler, longer nights, and the autumn sun squinting through the trees a little lower each day, it should at least be safe to say that we won't have to be concerned about water temperature any more for this year. Hopefully we can say the same about water height before much longer.

Sept. 5, 2001

After a long, hot, dry August, we are happy to report that the rainy season has begun. On Saturday, the entire watershed enjoyed several hours of steady rain with overall accumulations averaging around 1.5 inches. By Saturday evening, the Miramichi was already beginning to raise somewhat and by Sunday, it was up well over a foot in most places. As a result, fishing was re-opened in the areas which were previously closed and while Sunday morning angling was slow, by Sunday evening things were improving significantly. One camp in the Blissfield area reported 8 fish by noon on Monday and the word from the Quarryville pool was that 23 fish were caught on Monday.
Not only did Saturday's rain stir the fish which were previously in the river, it also seems to be bringing a good number of new fish into the system.

As many regular followers of the Miramichi know all too well, August has been a difficult month for the river. We have been plagued by low, warm water which has had a very detrimental effect on angling opportunities. While August is always undependable, we were hopeful that our cool, damp July weather would continue, and produce more of the same great fishing we had in July. However, lest we fall into the the naive pessimism of the novice, we need to remember that hot, dry weather is not an unusual August occurrence for the Miramichi system. While August has produced a few great weeks of fishing over the years, low warm water in the "dog days" of summer is much more common than we might be led to believe.
Some folks have become quite concerned about exaggerated reports of dead fish being found in some areas, but when considered in the context of the large number of salmon with which we have been blessed this year, these minor adjustments are not only unexpected, but they are also part of the way in which the sustaining hand of God purifies His creation through adversity, thereby ensuring that only the strongest and most resistant will survive to participate in the perpetuation of the resource.
We have seen some encouraging changes in the condition of the river over the past few days. Last Monday and Tuesday brought some badly needed rain throughout much of the system with total accumulations of over an inch. This has moved the water level a few inches and freshened the flow somewhat. While there are no reports of major angling improvements in the lower portions of the river, up-river pools like Rocky Brook, Salmon Brook and Clearwater have all been fishing fairly well for at least the past week or two with some anglers reportedly hooking several fish per day. Cooler nights over the past week have brought frost to some areas and have dropped the temperatures in the river to the low 60's, causing us to wonder when DFO will lift the closures which were imposed on a few pools. As of yet, there is no indication, but things should certainly be changing soon. There is a high expectation of some significant rainfall over the week-end which should result in major improvement in the angling conditions. It may well be enough to get the fish moving, but whether it will be enough to get the government moving is another question.

July 28, 2001

During the past couple of weeks, the river has continued to produce some very good fishing under a variety of circumstances. After heavy rains over the week-end of July 14-15, the water remained at a comfortable level for several days and most parts of the Main Southwest enjoyed good fishing during the early part of the week. However, as last week-end unfolded, both the temperature and the humidity were at an oppressive level and not surprisingly, the fishing slowed down somewhat. With many fish seeking refuge in cold, deep pools, those fortunate enough to have access to these pools experienced great fishing, despite the adverse conditions. Heavy showers in the headwaters area helped to keep the river flowing at a good level even during the heat wave and with a major shift in temperature overnight on Wednesday, July 25, the water temperature has dropped considerably with morning temperatures now reported in the low to mid 60's.
As a result, there are reports of more fishing moving through the river once again and even some rumours of new fish entering the system. Jason Curtis from Wades Fishing Lodge has reported a significant increase in their catches over the past couple of days, with several schools of fish moving through their pools and some obviously fresh fish being encountered. George Curits of Black Rapids Lodge also reports seeing more active fish in their water with some fresh fish being hooked as well.
All in all, this has been a very good July for salmon angling on the Miramichi and we have every reason to expect that the fishing might continue to be very entertaining in the weeks to come.

We have been greatly encouraged by the news we have heard over the past few days. The number of fish coming into the system has been quite remarkable and reports from the lower portion of the river have been very good indeed with some pools producing as many as 15 - 20 fish per day. Last weekend was cool and wet and the change in water conditions resulted in several large ( 20 lb.+ ) salmon being hooked and released by anglers. Exceptionally good numbers of grilse were also reported. During the past couple of days, we have heard of more grilse moving through the Blackville / Blissfield area and we have reason to expect that they will continue to make their way up river.
Our weather has been cool and overcast for the past couple of days with a very heavy shower yesterday (Thursday) morning. The long range outlook seems to be for more damp weather. While the river height is slightly lower than what might be considered ideal for the Doaktown - Boiestown area, we certainly have more than enough water for fish to navigate easily and they seem to be doing so quite vigorously.

Many pools in the upper part of the river above Boiestown are holding very good numbers of fish and are producing good angling encounters with both salmon and grilse. All in all, no matter where you travel on the Miramichi for the next few days, you have a very high probability of seeing fish in the pools and perhaps, on your line as well.

June 19, 2001

These past few weeks have been exceptionally hectic for us and we apologize for not having published our river reports during this period. Although this is normally a quiet time on the river, we would like to have kept you up to date on the river conditions and the reports of those first few salmon. However, this year's unusually high mail order response has kept us consistently too busy to report.
After some dry weather late in May, the Miramichi was blessed with two solid rains in the space of 2 weeks, both of which brought the water level up very nicely and gave smooth passage to a good number of early run salmon and sea trout.
On the Main Southwest, only a few salmon were intercepted by anglers due to the high water and cool temperatures which kept
most fish on the move. Early counting reports from both the Dungarvon and Millerton facilities give good reason for encouragement with respectable quantities of fish moving through the system.
Traditionally, both the Northwest and the Little Southwest tend to offer better early June fishing and local anglers have been reporting
some good catches thus far. At this point it is still much too early to know what July will bring, but if our water stays at a good level
and temperature, we have a good chance of seeing some great salmon fishing on the Miramichi.
After a long, cool, wet spring, we are now experiencing some much warmer weather but with heavy showers bringing some cooler air and almost 1/2" of rain Sunday night, the river is up slightly once again and looking very fishable.

May 3, 2001

This has been a great week on the Miramichi. As we expected, once the water began to clear late last Thursday afternoon, the fishing has improved steadily and over the past few days we have heard consistent reports of very good fishing throughout the entire river system. Given the early ice runs of the past few years (with the exception of 1997), we would normally expect to see the spring fishing begin to taper off by now. However, with the late start we had this year, we should have at least another week or possibly two weeks of good fishing before things quiet down. This is welcome news for those who may have missed the first 10 days of the season due to the late ice run.
With unseasonably warm temperatures forecast for today and tomorrow, this week end looks like a great time to be on the Miramichi,
but, come to think of it, is there ever a bad time to be on the Miramichi?

April 20, 2001

Its slipping gradually, but its still here.
After receiving several inches of snow on Wednesday, we were relieved to see sunny weather again on Thursday. The recent snowfall melted quickly and brought the river up considerably which began to move the ice around a little more. Although there are larger stretches of open water now, the ice is still solid in many places and will need more melting or more water to take it out. Today and tomorrow are predicted to be very warm and we still have a lot of snow to melt, so we would expect things to move significantly over the week-end.
From the few patches of open water that we do have, we have heard some encouraging reports of good quantities of fish, but it will take a full ice run before we can really evaluate the season. At this point it does seem quite likely that this will be a better May fishery than we have had in years when the ice has gone out several weeks before opening day. In 1997 when the ice was even later than this year, we had very good fishing right through to the end of May and hopefully, that will be repeated again. Given the quantity of fish which went up the river last summer and fall, we have every reason to expect some very good fishing this year, if and when the ice finally wanders out.