River up in the Alders on Miramichi

Well if you were fishing on the Miramichi River the past week, you would not have to get in the water to get your feet wet.

Four inches of rain fell and put the river up into the alders. Leaving many anglers going from wading to boating to hook up. Salmon pools that were to low and warm to fish were now to high and dirty with debre to fish.

Just before the river started to raise, fishing was very good. Many anglers were hooking fish and some limiting out with 4 per day.

Byron Coughlan of Country Haven Lodge of the lower stretch of the Miramichi said the river is full of fresh fish since Sunday. Fishermen were having very good luck. Fish seemed to be moving through and the ones they were hooking was close to shore. Water conditions are still high for the lower stretch. Cains river was still to high, the upper Renous was fishable, lower Renous was still to high.

Guides Donald and Eddie Colford of Black Brook Salmon Club said fishing was very good the past week. Many sports limit out on many different patterns of flies. Conditions are still to high for the Mouth of Cains river area but lots of fish moving.

Derek Munn of the Ledges Inn in the Doaktown Area of the river said fishing was good. We landed almost 50 salmon at the lodge this week, one weighing 27 pounds. Conditions seem to slow down yesterday, but rumours of fresh fish down river is great to hear. The river raised Tuesday night about 6 inches. Flies of choice were pacas, green machines, shady ladies and smurfs. At our Mountain Channel Lodge we were picking up 2 or 3 salmon per day.

Keith Wilson of Wilsons Sporting Camps said salmon anglers are never ones to complain about a nice raise of water in late July but this is a little much. Heavy rain brought the water up in McNamee app 3 feet and was very dirty. Keith said the MSA reported the best numbers of the season coming through the Millerton trap net this past week, so combined with the big raise in water we should see much improved fishing going into the month of August.

Dan Bullock of Bullocks Lodge in Boistown said they received 4" of rain in past week. Water is high, but very fishable. Probably 2-3 days away from ideal height for our pools.
We did land a few fish last week, including a salmon on the RBM Muddler tied by Renate Bullock. Looking forward to what should be excellent fishing next couple of weeks.

Chris Edmonds of Miramichi Fish and Game Club and C.E.Salmon Flies and Guiding was hooking a few fish. Conditions were very good on the NW and should be awesome by the weekend.

So with lots of water in the system for the Miramichi river and tributaries we should see some great fishing over the next few days as the water drops. River temperatures are in the low 60's (f) which is ideal.

A few flies to try while your out this weekend on the water is green machines, undertakers, smurfs, green highlanders and try some dry flies in this high water. Tight to shore with those dries you'll see, you might just catch a whopper.

Until next week keep those reels screaming on the river.
Rodney Colford

Grilse and Salmon running on the Miramichi

The Miramichi river had good runs of Salmon and Grilse this week.

15 year old Zachery Colford with a chrome beauty 

Fly fishing conditions were very good this week on the NW, LSW and Sevogle rivers. Temperatures were around 60' degrees (F) and crystal clear with great levels for fly fishing and canoeing.
Flies of choice for many anglers were green machines, butterflies, black ghost and glitter bears.

Zachery with his first salmon of the season

The main SW is still on the high-side for the lower stretch of the river but anglers are hooking very good numbers of salmon and a few grilse all week.

Doaktown area is improving to almost perfect levels and lots of fish being hooked.

Adam Murphy releasing a nice grilse

The upper stretch of the river is starting to see some salmon and grilse, and with great reports of large sea trout landed. Chris Legere landed a 7lb speckled on fly. Many other trout were landed in the 2 to 4 pound range. Conditions are very clear and temps are hovering around 60 degrees on the SW Miramichi.

Chris Legere and his huge trout 6 to 7 lbs in the head waters

Chris Legere again with his speckled trout

John Vickery with his first of the season

Tributaries like the Renous, dungarvan, bartholomew and Cains river are all at very good levels with salmon and grilse being hooked.

Tommy, Stanson & Rod with Renous Grilse

Stanson Donovan 

Tommy Hallihan

Picture of the Renous by Stanson Donovan

Flies of choice are green machines, butterflies, blue charms and undertakers. Dry flies were blue bombers and brown bombers.

Eric Smith releasing a grilse

Other reports on the river.

Derek Munn of The Ledges Inn said fishing was very good with lots of fish. We landed over 12 salmon this week and 3 Grilse. One salmon was close to 30lb landed by Malcolm Mackillop of Ontario on a green machine. Our trout lakes fished very good this week with a couple days having over 50 trout landed each day. Contact the Ledges Inn if your interested in fishing or find us on Facebook.

Malcolm Mackillop

Larry Van Pearson with a nice salmon on dry fly

My son fifteen year old Zachery Colford landed a 20lb salmon on a blue bomber and released two other nice salmon near the mouth of Cains River. Eric smith and Adam Murphy each landed a grilse. John Vickery landed a couple salmon. Larry Van Pearson landed a couple salmon. Steven moody landed a 15lb salmon.

Another pic of Zachs salmon

Keith Wilson of Wilson’s Sporting Camps brings you good news all around . He said the river is in superb shape with higher than normal water, and cool temps . And best of all they are hearing good reports from anglers up and down the river of good fishing . Last week it was mostly larger salmon but this week there is a good mix of grilse showing up . Green machine and Bonnie Bell seem to be the fly of choice .

Bonnie Bell

So with a great week on the river and early into the season things are looking very good for the 2013season. If the salmon keeps coming like the past week and with the river dropping we should see very good fishing this weekend and into the next week.

Zach holding my salmon on the Miramichi

For more cool pictures and reports visit W.W.Doaks Miramichi Salmon Gallery & Reports by local fishermen. Or visit there shop at www.wwdoak.com

Tight lines and may your reels be screaming on the river.

Rodney Colford

Miramichi River Salmon Fishing Improving

Salmon fishing is picking up on the Miramichi and all the tributaries have fish in the system.

Many anglers are hooking or seeing fish on the river and though we have high water conditions, fishermen are managing the river levels very good.

Dan Depres of Fredericton Outfitters

In the Blissfield area of the Miramichi at the Miramichi Salmon Club Evelock Gilks landed his first of the season. Myles Woods of Ludlow landed his first of the season. Merle Colford of Blackville landed a salmon around the mouth of Cains river area. Peter Doiron landed a salmon on a yellow wing butterfly below the Cains River.

Evelock Gilks

Derek Munn of Ledges Inn in Doaktown got into a few fish the past week. Andrew Anthony landed a nice hookbill on the Dungarvan river. Barry Storey landed a grilse and saw a few more fish.

Derek Munn on the Dungarvan this week

Keith Wilson of Wilson Sporting Camps said the river is still higher than normal with cool air temperatures and all good for fishing. Great reports up and down the river.

Myles Woods of Ludlow

Renous river and its tributaries have produced several salmon over the past week. Levels are still on the high side though. Dick Tucker said he was hooking a few and saw lots of fish moving through the river.

Bartholomew and Cains river is high and with no reports of any salmon hooked or landed doesn't mean there not there. There is good reports of trout on the Cains. Peter Clark landed several trout on the lower stretch of the Cains in the 2-4 pound range.

Byron Coughlan of Country Haven Lodge said water was high but were still catching some nice fish from the river bank. Two salmon and a grilse were landed.

The NW Miramichi is starting to get down to a good level again. Anglers are still landing fish from miners bridge down and a few reports of grilse hooked. I tailed a nice salmon on the NW for Ray Whittle last Thursday, he was using a black ghost.

Scott Cormier with number 6 of the season, WTG!

Friday I landed this salmon below and Tiger Jeans lost a salmon and a grilse. And Gordon Holloway lost his salmon after a great battle of having his line untie from the backing. I yelled for Tiger to grab the line which he did, after a charge through the fast water to grab it! (which he did). I told Gordon to put the line through the guides which he did, and I retied it on. Mean while the fish was still jumping while I was holding the line. Gordon and Tiger both laughed and said they would have never believed that this could happen if they didn't see it first hand. We had the salmon almost to the net before he won the battle and got away.

Tiger Jeans and myself on the NW Friday

Gordon Holloway and the one that got away

The Little SW and Sevogle river should be at a good level by the weekend. There is reports of salmon landed on the Little Sw the past week. And this is the time of year these two rivers start fishing so expect good reports over the next week.

The NW Miramichi the past week

River temperatures are very good for the mornings in the high 50's and the later time of day in the low 60's. The conditions are very clear on the river. Looking forward to seeing more of the great pictures of salmon over the next week.

Tight lines Rodney Colford