Miramichi Atlantic Salmon Angling Reports

Miramichi Atlantic Salmon Angling Reports - 2002
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October 2, 2002	Sept 30, 2002
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,
Sept. 25, 2002 The past few days have not been as productive for the river as we would have expected, but things seem to be changing for the better once again. After the rains and the raise of water last week, the river appeared to be in good shape but we were all surprised at how quickly the water level dropped off. Perhaps our 3 days of unusually high temperatures may have contributed as well, but whatever the cause, the week-end fishing was not as good as we would have hoped. However, on Monday (Sept. 23) we received 1/2 inch of rain in the Doaktown area and much more up-river. As a result the water level has risen 8 - 10 inches and the fishing seems to be picking up once again. Even the counting fences at Juniper and Millerton have both noticed an increase in fish movement the past couple of days. More new fish seem to be entering the river and the reports from yesterday are much more positive. As cooler air begins to make things feel more like a normal September, we can expect to see more salmon making their way upstream in the next few days as their "urge to merge" gets a little stronger each day. By the way, due to extensive mechanical activity upstream from Doaktown (see below), many people were discouraged from fishing local water today. Although it is not obvious in the above photograph, the water is quite dirty with high concentration of mud and silt. It is not yet clear how far it will travel but it has certainly had a negative impact on the fishing in the immediate area
The following photos were taken on Sept. 24 and 25, 2002 at the mouth of Big Hole Brook on the Main Southwest Miramichi above Doaktown. They are presented without editorial comment to give you a glimpse of the cosmetic surgery to which the river is occasionally subjected and to let you draw your own conclusions.


Sept. 18, 2002	Sept. 17, 2002
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.
Sept. 10, 2002 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.
	August 28, 2002 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.


August 28, 2002	August 29, 2001

August 9, 2002	August 17, 2002
July 31, 2002 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.


July 23, 2002	July 19, 2002
July 23, 2002 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. One gentleman with whom I spoke yesterday said that when he told some of his friends he was coming to the Miramichi for the first time, they tried to discourage him with tales of woe. He was delighted to find that in less than 40 minutes, he had released his first Miramichi salmon and has encountered several other fish so far. It has been said that "decisions are made by those who show up" and the same can be said about catching fish. We have a solid nucleus of committed anglers who love this river in all its moods and seasons and those who show up year after year are those who consistently have the most memorable experiences. They are having some of those experiences now. However, over the past few years we have also had too many fair-weather friends and too little fair weather for their liking. These are the folks who usually miss the best fishing because they are trying so hard to hit it just right. In many cases, their perspective extends no further than the end of their own fishing rod and thus, they jump to conclusions based upon their own experience or lack thereof. Not only are they the ones who whine the most but they are also the most gullible when somebody comes along with another sob story about the state of the Atlantic salmon. For those who have outgrown that stage, the Miramichi continues to be full of surprises and for the past two weeks, those surprises have been very pleasant ones indeed.
July 13, 2002 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.

July 9, 2002	July 6, 2002
July 9, 2002 It is not often that the Miramichi can offer such ideal conditions for angling in mid July, but we have been blessed with nearly perfect weather for salmon fishing these past few days. After some sweltering heat on July 1 - 3, we received an exceptionally heavy rainfall last Thursday, July 4. Although we recorded only 3/4" in Doaktown, some areas had 4 inches or more. Friday brought more intense shower activity coupled with heavy winds and even a bit of scattered hail. All in all, the water came up very nicely and cooled down quickly as well. With another 1/2" of rain on Sunday, July 7, the water has remained at a very good level and has now dropped to an ideal height. Last night was cool once again and today has been very fresh, with a good breeze and temperatures of about 70 degrees farenheight. All in all, you would think the river would be crawling with hopeful anglers, happy with the knowledge that every cast holds forth the possibility of encountering vigorous salmon fresh from the ocean, and itching for a fight. Some have risen to this challenge and we are hearing scattered reports of the occasional encounter but nothing that we could call a great run at this point. However, in water like this, there are fish moving through each pool every day and with no obstacles, many are making their way upriver undetected by most anglers. For those who love the process of salmon fishing, this is an ideal time to be on the river. Regrettably, there are not as many committed anglers as there once were. For years, people looked for every excuse they could find to go fishing and now, it seems, they look for every excuse not to. We get calls every day wanting to know if the run has arrived or whether the fishing is good enough to come for. For those who need an assurance of success, perhaps their time would be better spent on the golf course. However, for true salmon fishermen who really appreciate everything the Miramichi has to offer, this is without a doubt one of the best times to be on the river.

June 29, 2002 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.
	June 29, 2002 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.
June 17, 2002 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. The latter part of the spring salmon season held up unusually well with good reports of fish right up until the middle of May and beyond. Even the upper part of the river above Boiestown was reporting very good fishing in mid May with some black salmon even coming up for an occasional bomber, believe it or not. With this being one of the 5 coldest springs on record, many things seem to have been delayed this year. Even the fiddleheads were late and with frost still being a problem last week, many of the gardens have been severely damaged as well. As the month of May drew to a close, rumours of scattered interceptions of occasional sea trout began to spread throughout the area and many of those unconfirmed reports have taken on a greater air of reliability in the past few weeks. However, with the water being a little higher and much colder, most of the sea - trout have managed to slip by once again without stopping to examine the many flies which have been offered to them by hopeful anglers. We have heard confirmed reports of a few large trout, ranging from 4 - 6 lb.., both in the Cains river and on the Miramichi but as always, it seems to be a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
As the month of June unfolds, more anglers are compelled to discover firsthand what might be lurking beneath these mysterious June waters. We have heard some reports of striped bass in the Blackville area, as well as good numbers of shad spread throughout much of the river in the past week. However, we have all been waiting for the star of the show, the Atlantic salmon, and we are pleased to report that they are beginning to appear. For the past couple of weeks, we have heard of the occasional salmon encounter but large numbers of fish were not being seen throughout the system. This is not at all surprising given the water temperature and the height, coupled with the significant lack of angler presence on the river thus far. However, over this past week-end, the reports began to improve significantly, and we are now hearing better reports of a few salmon here and there. We were also pleasantly surprised to hear of a couple of grilse being caught in the upper part of the river near the Juniper area. With our persistently cool temperatures and more rain in the past few days, the river is in nearly perfect condition. All in all. there is good reason for optimism as we hit the last half of June and for those who have been needing a good excuse to go fishing, we hope we have given you one.

<> Doaktown Bridge - June 4, 2002
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<> Doaktown Bridge - May 5, 2002
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<> April 27, 2002
<> This week has brought us a wide range of weather conditions. We had a light dusting of snow on both Tuesday and Wednesday, but Thursday was sunny and warm. Friday brought a few inches of snow to the southern part of the province but we just received a few flurries some very cold rain here.
<> The fishing has been much more pleasant than the weather, however, with very good reports still coming from most parts of the river. There appears to be a good mix of salmon and grilse but we are pleased to hear of many large salmon being caught and, of course, released.
<> Although the water has dropped and cleared a lot from the way it was last week, it remains at an ideal level for fishing. All in all, things are still looking very good.

Doaktown Bridge - April 25, 2002

Doaktown Bridge - April 18, 2002

We have been waiting for a sunny day to get a good bright shot of the river but there has been very little sun this week. We have had rain or sleet during at least part of every day this week and as a result, the river has remained persistently high. However, we are pleased to report that the fishing has been very good. Opening day on Monday, April 15 was slow until evening, due to the heavy rainfall we received over the week end. By late in the day the water began to clear a little and things got much better. One local camp reported 24 fish on Monday, with one of their guests releasing 7 fish.

Things improved greatly on Tuesday and the catches have been generally good ever since. Many people have been commenting about the large ratio of salmon to grilse which are being observed. Several fish in the 35 - 40 inch category have been mentioned along with a very good number of smaller salmon ad well. All in all, it has been a very typical week of Miramichi spring salmon fishing. Cold, wet, and very entertaining. Next week looks like it should be even better, and maybe warmer....?

<> Doaktown Bridge - April 5, 2002

Its open!

Another Miramichi spring is upon us and its right on schedule. Over the years we have seen the ice go early in March and late in April. Last year we thought it would never leave. This year, it looked like it might leave early, but we're glad it waited until exactly the right time.

The first 6 weeks of 2002 brought an incessant series of snowy days. In late February things began to warm a little and by March, there was speculation that we might have an early spring. However, the weather turned cold and unpleasant once again and the river decided to sleep a little longer.

Some sections of river have been open for a few days now, but it wasn't until Thursday evening that the ice began to run with great enthusiasm. We're hoping that both the salmon and those who pursue them will soon begin to show a similar level of enthusiasm.

Doaktown Bridge - April 4, 2002

Doaktown Bridge - April 2, 2002

Priceville Footbridge - March 31, 2002