2008 Miramichi Angling Reports

September 26. 2008

The month of September has brought with it some dryer weather, which has been a pleasant change for those who found our summer water levels too high for some pools. Anglers are reporting good numbers of salmon being observed in most areas of the river, with a lot of rolling and jumping activity. Many of the fish are now long-term residents of the Miramichi, having been in fresh water for quite some time. As a result, many are less responsive to a fly than we might prefer, but there are still some pleasant exceptions. We are hearing steady reports of fish being caught every day and most anglers seem quite satisfied with their results. In general, the lower portions of the river have been fishing a little better, but one camp quite far upriver recorded 3 fish in the 20+ pound category one morning last week. There seems to be a good number of fresh fish interspersed with the rest, although most would agree that we have not seen a heavily concentrated fall run yet. This may change in the next few days with some significant rainfall in the forecast.

September 26, 2008

August 14, 2008

For those who have come to expect hot dry summers on the Miramichi, 2008 has been a bit of a shock. For others, it has been a good reminder that nature is cyclical by design, and varying weather patterns are all part of its normal ebb and flow. While the excessively wet weather has put a damper on many activities this year, the salmon seem to be enjoying it immensely. They have shown up in impressive numbers and have made for some great fishing and some memorable experiences.

Mid July brought a good supply of rain and some great fishing along with it, but as the month came to an end, the rain seemed to come with greater intensity each day. By early August, the Miramichi had swollen to several feet above its normal summer high water level and very close to its spring peak. By August 3, the river was essentially unfishable for several days, but by last week-end, many people were back at it and good numbers of fish were being reported. (You can follow the Miramichi's ups and downs through this link: http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/selectProvince.asp)

Another heavy rainfall brought the level up a bit more over this past Sunday, but as the weather has finally begun to clear a little, the river has started to drop and should be getting more fishable every day. With water temperatures hovering in the high 50's the fish are in a feisty mood and enjoying their greatly expanded range of pools. All in all, it looks like the next couple of weeks should be a great time to be on the Miramichi.

June 13, 2008

June on the Miramichi is always full of surprises. With the notable exception of 2007, in recent years we have seen an increase in the number and size of the early June salmon run, which has prompted a few people to hit the river a little earlier. After a disappointing start to the salmon season last June, we were not sure what to expect this year, but we have been pleasantly surprised.

The first bright salmon reported to us this year was on May 31 and since then, several large bright fish have been released by anglers on many parts of the river. As is usually the case, the fish are strong, beautifully silver, and very aggressive. We would normally not expect to hear of any grilse being caught until the middle of June but there have been a few confirmed landings already. The arrival of some grilse usually provides a greater incentive for local folks to hit the river and as a result, we should see an increased level of reporting as the fishing effort expands.

The sea trout run has also been quite impressive this year, as it was last year. One of the observations about 2007 was the length of time that the sea trout run lasted and there seems to be some indication that the same will be true this year as well. While most of the sea trout make a bee line for the headwaters in early June, there are still a few being caught in the middle and lower sections of the river as well.

Our water conditions have been close to ideal for the early part of June. We have had some healthy rainfall, but not enough to make the river too high or to render any pools unfishable. There is lots of water for good fish movement and the temperatures have been much cooler in the past several days so that has not been a significant concern either. All in all, June is a very interesting time to have a fly in the Miramichi and those who do stand a much better chance of catching a fish. Those who prefer analysis and speculation have already missed some very good fishing.

Colin Gilks with a 20 pounder June 3, 2008.

May 9, 2008

The past couple of weeks have been eventful ones on the Miramichi. Once the river settled a bit after the ice finally cleared, fishing began to improve significantly and people enjoyed several days of pleasant weather and quite good catching. However, heavy rainfall and excessive snow melt brought the water to its highest level in the past couple of years and during the last week of April, angling was nearly impossible for several days. Things started to improve a little as water levels began to recede, and we are now at an ideal height for spring fishing and have been for the past few days.

Some people are still reporting good fishing in the Doaktown, Boiestown area, but as is typically the case in mid May, there seems to be a higher concentration of fish downstream from Doaktown. If you subscribe to the theory that kelt departure is governed by water temperature, you will be pleased to know that we still have a good deal of snow in the woods and it has been melting gradually. This should keep the water temperatures a little colder than normal and may help hold the fish for a while.

All in all, there are still some very good angling opportunities left for the Spring of '08 and it would be a shame to let them pass you by.

April 17, 2008

With substantially warmer temperatures in the past 48 hours, the Miramichi is finally beginning to swell a bit and an ice run is looking more likely than it did a few days ago. We have been clear in the Doaktown area for a couple of days and as of today, things are moving in Blackville as well. There are still several solid patches upstream from here where the ice has not yet begun to break, as well as some jams where it has run a bit and held up.

A few hardy anglers have ventured out, but so far, the fishing has been moderate. That's probably because its hard to concentrate on fishing when you're watching over your shoulder for an ice run.

Much of the snow melt has been absorbed into the ground which is quite soft due to lack of frost, but it looks like enough run-off is making its way to the river to begin to have an impact. Its just a matter of time so stay tuned for late breaking developments....

    This has been an unusual start to the season to say the least. With only limited access to much of the river, fishing has been confined to the stretches of open water where the ice has gradually let go.  The open section in the Blackville area which spans from below the mouth of Cains river to just above Quarryville has certainly been the largest and most productive part of the fishery thus far.  Many people have been fishing from shore in some of the areas where the river is partially open and some have done surpirisingly well. Others have been wading and fishing just as they would in the summer, which is a very unusual sight for this time of year.  Most of the river in the Doaktown area is open but since the water height has been well below normal spring levels, boating has been very difficult. However, many folks have found a few places to get in and get at it and fish are being caught in respectable numbers as the river gradually wakes up.
     Upstream from Doaktown,  there are small sections of open water but much of the ice remains intact and has shown no signs of moving with the weather we have had this week.  We were hoping that the storm which brought so much rain to most of New England and the Maritimes would give us enough water to lift our up-river ice and get it moving, but  most of our recent precipitation has been in the form of snow.  This, coupled with cold, windy weather, has provided neither the water or the melting which will be required to move the ice.  However, the next few days are promising some warmer temperatures and we have actually seen the sun this morning, so it is possible that with enough melting, we may see things clear out before much longer.

A few more flurries and a dull, overcast day made things look a little bleak for a few hours this morning, but the sun finally broke through in the afternoon and began to melt a little of the snow from yesterday's storm.  Some folks are preparing to hit the shores for opening day, but the prospect of boating in the Doaktown area looks a little grim, not to mention risky. 
We are all hoping that the weather continues to brighten, and if it does, we should see some significant melting. Hopefully, it will be enough to raise the water level and flush the ice in the next few days but at this point nobody is making predictions.

After an unusually wet and cool summer, the weather conditions in early September have been a little drier and warmer than expected. While we have seen the water level much lower in recent years, it is as low as it has been at any point in 2006. However, the nights have been cool with several instances of frost and this has ensured that the water temperature has remained well within the fishable range. There have been some bright spots reporting excellent fishing, but a few anglers are complaining that the fish are a bit reluctant to respond. There is general agreement that salmon are plentiful, with some new fish coming into the system each few days. With clear water and bright days, salmon are usually a little more cautious in their responsiveness and as a result, this has frustrated some people.
It is quite likely that a significant rainfall might shake things up a little, but anyone who remembers how high the water levels were last fall is a little cautious about wishing for more water. For those who appreciate the entertainment value of standing in a pool brimming with acrobatic fish and the potential of a strike at any cast, it is a wonderful time to be on the Miramichi. However, for those who expect salmon to respond every time a fly is presented, it may be a more frustrating experience than their level of sportsmanship is able to withstand.

Although we have had a few warm days in August, most of the weather this year has been anything but typical. On average, our August days have been cooler and damper than normal and the nights have been getting increasingly cold. We have had several heavy rains, as well as two frosts so far this month, keeping the water level higher and the water temperature lower than normal for August. This has meant better than average angling for many pools which fish well when salmon are moving and this has increased the amount of productive water significantly. The deep, cool holding pools which usually fish well in August are also reporting great fishing, although some of the water in the Blackville area and below has remained a little high for optimum productivity.
There have been a comparatively good number of new fish entering the system on the Main Southwest Miramichi, but since the conditions enable them to move any time they want, it has been hard to find a concentration of new fish in any given spot. Fish that have been in the river for a while tend to be less responsive, although their antics are still entertaining and their size and numbers are very impressive indeed. Salmon in the 20+ category have been a regular occurrence this August All in all, this has been a great month on the Miramichi and we are all hopeful that the conditions hold and the run remains strong for the rest of the season. If so, it should be a great fall.

After a few warm days last week, things were starting to look a little more like normal mid-summer conditions, with fish beginning to hold in some cold-water pools. This actually improved the fishing in some areas where the water had previously been too high and cool. However, Saturday evening brought a lot more rain and cooler weather which continued all day Sunday, July 23. The river responded with a raise of close to 2 feet, but it began to drop again by yesterday morning. More rain last evening slowed the drop rate a little, but did not bring the water level up any further. Lots of fish are still being reported in most of the Doaktown, Boiestown area and above, and despite high water, some down-river pools are also producing good numbers of fish.
Most people continue to be very impressed with the number of fish in the Main Southwest Miramichi this year and with very good reason. Even people who habitually find some reason not to be happy with the river are having to admit that it has been an impressive year. A few folks have begun to speculate that we may have fewer fall fish because of the strength of this year's summer run, but nobody who understands anything about the Miramichi would take this seriously.
All in all, it has been an excellent summer for the Miramichi so far, and there is good reason to believe that it may not be over yet.

Not only has this been one of the wettest Julys we have had in recent memory, it has also been one of the most productive in terms of salmon abundance. We have heard consistently good reports from the upper areas of the Main Southwest Miramichi, with most pools reporting regular fish sightings and frequent salmon encounters. Because it has been a high water year, some of the pools which normally excel in lower water have not been as productive thus far, but generally speaking, the fishing has been very good indeed. Even folks who are not catching as many as they would like are reporting that they are seeing a lot of fish, and that alone provides some great entertainment.
After an exceptionally heavy rainfall on July 2, the water level rose several feet and impeded fishing for a few days thereafter. However, by Wednesday, July 5, things had settled down a little and the fishing improved steadily over the weekend. Some of the pools down river in the Blackville/Quarryville area were reporting very good fishing, as the water began to drop down to a better level for them. However, some intense rainfall on Monday, July 10, and heavy showers Tuesday evening have brought the river back up to a higher than optimum level for the lower parts of the river.
The fish are healthy, bright and lively, and with the higher water, they are more active and acrobatic than normal. While the numbers of salmon are still very strong, we are seeing a higher percentage of grilse being caught now that we are well into July, and that is not at all unexpected. All in all, it has been a great year for the fish and an excellent year for some fishermen.

After what has seemed an interminable spate of wet weather, we are pleased to report that it has finally stopped raining and the Miramichi is beginning to fall, if ever so gradually. June has brought us a near record rainfall and the river has been swollen to an almost unfishable level for much of the past few weeks.

The month of June began with some excellent prospects of fish. Although there is normally not a heavy angling effort in early June on the Main Southwest Miramichi, memories of last year's strong early run seemed to get some people interested. By the first week-end in June, we had several reports of large salmon being released and, surprisingly, a few grilse being caught as well. Early salmon are not at all uncommon, but early grilse are more of a surprise. We also saw good solid evidence of sea trout in excellent numbers, especially on the Cains River as well as on the Miramichi.

By June 4th, we were being heavily saturated with rain and the river level began rising vigorously. By mid-week it had begun to drop a bit, but more rain on Thursday, June 8, followed by a lot more rain on the week-end drove the Miramichi to its highest level of the entire spring. Because of the intensity and duration of the rainfall, the river is dropping slowly but it appears likely that by this Saturday, it should at least be somewhat fishable once again.

All in all, we can safely say that we have had a great run of early fish which we hope will continue on into the latter part of the month, and we can only imagine how many great encounters were prevented by the high water. In a fishery which is so frequently in need of a little extra rain to give it a shot in the arm, it seems odd to think of too much water as being a problem. Fortunately, salmon have a high tolerance for water and are not the least bit troubled by this turn of events.