Miramichi Angling Reports 1999

Miramichi Atlantic Salmon 1999 Angling Reports from WWDOAK.COM

Miramichi Weather from Environment Canada Doppler Radar Weather Environment Canada Radar Regional Satellite Weather

Miramichi Salmon Management Concerns Link to Atlantic Salmon Statistics

October 8, 1999

Just a quick report to let you know that the snow didn't stay long. We have had a very good week of fishing on most parts of the Miramichi and the Cains. The weather has been crisp but pleasant and the foliage is nicely at its peak. Fish are spread throughout the system with some new fish still being reported in the lower parts of the river. Some low water pools are not fishing as well, which is to be expected when the water is higher, but all in all, the conditions are quite favorable and it looks like we should have a good strong finish to the season.

October 4, 1999

The good news is that the fishing has improved a bit but the bad news is that the weather has not. A nasty mixture of rain and snow made afternoon fishing unpleasant, but most fishermen in the store today were reporting good catches over the week-end, with several fish over 20 lbs. being recorded. We have also heard some encouraging news from the Cains river, with a few more fish beginning to show in the lower pools. Fortunately, this early taste of winter is not expected to last long and we should be back to normal before you can say "long underwear"

October 1, 1999

After the spectacular raise of last week, we are happy to report that the river has settled down nicely and has been fishing quite well over the past few days. There appears to be a healthy smattering of fish filtering throughout the system and while not everybody is catching as many as they would like, the number of new fish showing seems to be increasing. Many pools are reporting moderately good fishing interspersed with a few hours of exceptional results when a school of salmon happens to move through. As may be expected, water temperatures have been quite cool lately, and although we have yet to have our first frost, tonight feels like it could be the night. The foliage has been comparatively late in turning color this year but you can see gradual changes taking place each day now, making it a beautiful time to be on the river.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit my good friend Asa Allen at the Burnt Hill Salmon Club on the Main Southwest Miramichi, where I landed (and released) two salmon and a grilse, all three of which took a General Practitioner. Because Burnt Hill is so far upstream from the mouth, fresh fish were scarce, but of the 4 fish caught yesterday, 3 were salmon which is encouraging.

Veteran Burnt Hill guide, Bob Palmer is seen here holding the larger of the two salmon I caught.

September 23, 1999

What a difference a day makes! In a surprise storm which was predicted to give only a few showers and some periods of rain, we received over 5 inches in most parts of the Miramichi. The water is rising steadily once again and although the fishing on Wednesday was very good, today is a different story. The river is still rising as of this evening and is not expected to crest until around noon tomorrow. It should begin dropping quickly thereafter and the fishing should improve once again, thanks to the increasing numbers of new fish. In the mean time, we're all looking for higher ground.

September 21, 1999

Now that's a river! As if last week's raise of water were not enough (and it probably wasn't), we received another three inches of rain over the week-end due to the effects of Hurricane Floyd. The water began to raise almost immediately and during the rain on Friday, many of the pools down river from us began to see good numbers of fish moving about. All in all, the water came up about 3 - 3 1/2 ft. but it has dropped and cleared considerably over the past couple of days. All camps are reporting better fishing as the older fish which have been in the system are moving steadily up river, but the real news is the abundance of new fish that are coming into the river at Quarryville. The reports from the Renous and Blackville area are very good indeed, the most notable of which is the story of two anglers who were fishing in an average pool on Monday, during which time they were into 11 fish. Both the Mountain Channel and Wade's are also reporting good fishing with several salmon in the 15 - 20 lb. class being caught. In the Blissfield area, the folks at the Miramichi Salmon Club were into about a dozen fish this morning, some of which appeared to be fresh fish. One interesting, story from the Salmon Brook Club above Boiestown involves a grilse landed on a General Practitioner, which is not an unusual occurrence. What is odd, however is that the grilse had another G. P. in his mouth, which he had apparently broken off in a previous struggle. Although he is obviously a slow learner, you do have to admire his consistency! Many of us were hoping that this raise would also start some fish moving up the Cains River as well, but several anglers have been in to the Cains over the past few days and the general consensus is that not much is happening there yet. However, if our water holds, we should see some activity on the Cains before long. In the mean time, we can look for a good deal of excitement on the Miramichi in the next few weeks.

September 13, 1999

We are pleased to report that our much - anticipated raise of water has arrived. This picture was taken this evening (Sept. 13), and by contrast with the photo on the Sept. 9 report, it clearly shows the effects of last Saturday's rain. Most reports indicate that the water has come up by 15 - 18 inches and is starting to drop and clear. The water temperature has also improved significantly, starting today at 64. This should lead to some very good fishing in the next few days as there are already reports of new fish entering the river. Stay tuned for more details.

September 9, 1999 We have been waiting patiently for some encouraging words to report about the state of the river, but with a prolonged period of unseasonably hot, dry weather, encouragement has been hard to find. The water level has remained persistently lower than any point in recent memory and the water temperature has been hovering in the mid 70s throughout much of last week. While the past few days have been overcast which has helped to bring water temps. down to the low 70s, the humidity has been exceptionally high and the nights have stayed unusually warm, although tonight is finally much cooler. The good news is that some northern tributaries of the river received several heavy showers on Wednesday, Sept. 8, and some areas are reporting a gradual raise of a couple of inches. Much more rain is still needed and we are watching the weather maps (links above) carefully to see if the predicted weekend rainfall actually arrives. If and when it does, there are hundreds of salmon in the tidal water at Quarryville just waiting for a change in water conditions to beckon them up-river.

Having heard about these fish, I took a drive down this evening, and although we witnessed an incredible acrobatic act for about an hour, the slow shutter speed on our digital camera could not really do it justice.

On another encouraging note, Flo's Fishing Lodge in Doaktown has reported several salmon and nearly a dozen grilse over the past week, with just a few rods in camp and Wesley Curtis reports from the Mountain Channel Lodge in Blackville that he was into four fish yesterday, one of which was a fresh grilse. All in all, both Salmon and Grilse counts have shown a healthy increase this year and we are hopeful that with some rain, that increase will produce some exceptional fishing.

August 27, 1999 I wish I could tell you that we have received more rain and that the water has held from the last raise, but unfortunately, I can't. For most of this week the water has been consistently low, although not quite as low as earlier this summer. There were good quantities of fish moving around until last Saturday, but since then, the water has been warming up too early in the day and the fish have been taking refuge in the cold water pools. Although the nights are getting longer, they have not been as cool as earlier in the month so the heat of the day has not been offset by cooler night air as would normally be the case in late August. Thus it is that, once again, we find ourselves in need of a change of weather. When it happens, we expect to see the fishing improve significantly. Until then, only the cold water pools are producing.

August 18, 1999 After a badly needed raise of about 2 feet, the water has been dropping and clearing for the past few days. Although it was still quite dirty on Monday, by Tuesday it had cleared up nicely and people began to get fish again, including this 20" trout, caught by Gary McCavour of Saint John, NB at Flo's Fishing Lodge in Doaktown. There have been unconfirmed reports of a 32 pound salmon caught and released in the Upper Blackville area as well, and the lower portions of the river are reporting excellent quantities of new fish coming into the system daily. The conditions are extremely favorable, and with heavy showers this afternoon bringing another 4/10" of rain, it looks like our water problems are finally over for a while. The next few days should provide some excellent fishing and we'll try to keep you updated as often as possible.

August 14, 1999 With over two inches of rainfall in the last 24 hours, the Miramichi is beginning to rise quite significantly. We're not sure how high it will go but it has certainly received a good, heavy soaking. The raise of last Monday was short-lived, but the new fish which entered the system earlier this week, coupled with the cooler water temperatures, still made for some pretty good fishing through most of the week. With today's heavy rainfall, the situation for an early fall run looks very positive. There are good reports of fish holding in the tidal water and this raise should provide the impetus to start them moving upstream. Now that things are changing rapidly, we'll be posting more reports as the situation develops.

August 10, 1999 ITS OPEN AGAIN!!!! Through the providence of God, after several days of unseasonably cool weather and a blessed rain over the weekend, the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans announced this morning that the Miramichi would be open to all day angling once again, effective 6:00 PM this evening. We will eventually be publishing some important information regarding this closure in the hopes that people will do their part to prevent future occurrences. We are concerned that this closure was based more upon ideology than on biology and many of the seeds of this ideology were planted in the heavily fertilized soil of the 1998 panic. Unwittingly, responsible angling has been portrayed as a threat to the salmon, rather than the vehicle through which the salmon is best protected. Thus, it is time that we ask both the federal government and the conservation industry alike for a written affirmation of the legitimacy of angling as the primary, practical conservation tool through which both atlantic salmon and atlantic salmon rivers are actually preserved and protected. Some will insist that they seek to save the salmon for angling, but I contend that we must seek to save the salmon through angling. To do anything else is to continue to expose our rivers to the serious threats of negligence, apathy and abuse. Remember, ANGLING IS CONSERVATION! By the way the salmon fishing is great on the Miramichi. We have had excellent quantities of fish in the system and now that the weather has changed, new fish are coming in as well. The Mountain Channel Lodge has reported great fishing in the past few days and have had several fish with sea lice. Yesterday morning at Porter Cove there were 13 fish hooked with a good mix of both salmon and grilse. Water temperatures are in the very low 60's and the water has risen several inches, so we are in great shape.

August 2, 1999 MIRAMICHI RIVER SYSTEM CLOSED TO ALL AFTERNOON AND EVENING ANGLING! Angling permitted from 2 hours before sunrise to 10:00 AM only. After a couple of weeks of unusually hot dry weather with only an occasional scattered shower, the river is lower and warmer than it has been at any point this year. As a result, fishing has been poor in most areas with the only exception being those pools which have a source of cold water from a brook or spring. While we have very good quantities of fish in the river, we are in desperate need of rain and cooler weather. Today (Aug. 2) was much cooler but unfortunately, still dry. In a surprise move on Friday, just before the long holiday week end, the Federal Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans announced restrictions against all salmon angling past 10:00 AM on the entire Miramichi watershed until further notice. Admittedly, the water is cooler and thus, more productive during this time of day and as such, fish are less stressed. However, this blanket restriction does not take into consideration the fact that most anglers have been acting in a responsible manner and have presented very little danger to the resource. By forcing anglers off the water entirely, the rivers and tributaries are now left largely unprotected from poaching, due to the vast area to be covered and the limited number of enforcement personnel. It is not clear what protocol has been established for the lifting of this restriction. Given the present attitude of panic and disarray on the part of DFO as a result of the alarmist rhetoric of the conservation industry, it is quite likely that we will see more punitive measures taken against angling before cooler heads and cooler temperatures prevail.

July 14, 1999 After last week's encouraging signs of new fish moving through the system, we had excellent fishing and great conditions over the week end, with cool overcast weather and about an inch of rain in most places. Heavy showers brought even more rain to some areas and while this brought the water up a few inches, the raise was short-lived. Water levels are low once again again but thanks to cool evenings, the temperatures have remained cooler which has meant that fish are still taking well in most areas. The Main Southwest seems to have lots of fish in the lower portion and there are good indications that they are moving throughout the system. The reports from the Northwest are also good but there seem to be comparatively fewer fish in the Little Southwest and the Renous.

July 8, 1999 We are pleased to report that things are looking better on the Miramichi. While we have not received as much rain as we would like, and although the water is a little warmer than would be considered ideal, there are lots of fish moving throughout the system. Many areas are reporting better catches since last week-end, with heavy concentrations of grilse as well as a good number of salmon. While our best reports have been from Doaktown to Quarryville, there are increasing numbers of fish in the upper portion of the river as well. With cooler nights this week, we have seen the water temperatures dropping comfortably overnight and warming up gradually during the day. We have had a few overcast, cooler days as well which has helped a bit. Although we have had several showers in various parts of the river, we could still benefit from a good steady rainfall. In the mean time, the salmon are making the best of it, and nobody seems to be complaining, which is a nice change!

June 28, 1999 After a hot, dry week in which very few fish were caught throughout most of the river, we were greatly relieved to finally receive some rain today. Rainfall amounts varied somewhat but there were some significant showers in the afternoon which should certainly help the gardens, the lawns and especially, the river. Although we could easily benefit from two days of steady rain, we are grateful for what we have received and we are hopeful that its effects will quickly be felt on the river. Many of us remain convinced that when the river conditions do improve, the fish will appear in good numbers but under the hot, dry conditions of last week, only pools with a steady supply of cold water from brooks or springs have been productive.

Porter Cove Upriver - June 19	Porter Cove - Downriver - June 19

June 21, 1999 The past few weeks have been a mixed blessing on the river in several ways. We have had good quantities of early run salmon as well as a surprisingly good run of grilse. We have also had less water than we normally do in June which was initially an asset as it made it easier to get a fly in front of fish which would otherwise be much to transient to stop. Cool temperatures prevailed throughout early June but by June 10, we were in the midst of a serious heat wave and daytime water temperatures climbed to the mid seventies. Not surprisingly, the fishing slowed down considerably with only a few fish being taken, mainly from pools which have a supply of cold water from brooks or springs. A smattering of rain on June 15 brought with it some much cooler days and very cool evenings, which helped to restore the water to a more acceptable temperature. However, this past week-end brought more warm days and once again the water temperature is higher than we would like, beginning the day in the mid to high sixties and increasing to the mid seventies by late afternoon. With no rain in sight, it seems unlikely that we will break out of this cycle within the next few days, but most people seem convinced that when we do get rain, we will see some very good fishing. A few fish are still being taken and confirmed reports of fish in the tidal water seem to provide some grounds for optimism, but a good, heavy rainfall is badly needed. We'll update more frequently when conditions begin to change significantly so stay tuned.

June 1, 1999 With another early spring well behind us and the anticipation of another bright salmon season ahead of us, it is encouraging to hear of several reports of salmon being caught in both the Northwest Miramichi and the Main Southwest as well. The Northwest is traditionally an earlier river than the main southwest, so the appearance of bright salmon there as early as two weeks ago is not entirely uncommon, but nonetheless, it is very good news. On the Main Southwest as well we have been hearing increasingly better reports of fish being caught throughout the lower portions of the river from Doaktown down to Quarryville. Although the general fishing effort on the Main Southwest is minimal at this time of year, when you consider the number of fish which have been caught this early, there is some cause for optimism, which seems in rather short supply in the salmon world lately. Reports are also circulating about a respectable run of sea trout, many of then in the 2 - 4 pound class. As with every sea trout run, it seems to last for what seems like a few hours and then disappears to the relative safety of the head waters, but if you're there when it hits, it is fun while it lasts. All in all, this is a wonderful time to be on the Miramichi (like there's ever a bad time).