River Conditions are improving on the Miramichi

Miramichi river conditions are improving everyday, weather conditions and the river dropping is a big factor in getting the level back to late ideal summer conditions.

Beautiful Rainbow

Alanda Harrison with a salmon

With fall on our doorsteps, and cool mornings showing fog on the river already. It's beginning to look like fall fishing conditions in August. I've noticed several salmon that were very coloured and some looked like they were hook bills as they leaped through the air.

The last couple days should be bringing a few fresh fish in the system as high tides on the full moon usually does bring some runs, in late August.

Kelly Channel

I asked many fishermen what they do when the water is too high to fish.
And many anglers said they take the time in high water levels to Ty fly patterns that there out of. While many say they enjoy canoeing on the water in the afternoons, taking advantage of the beautiful weather were having in the later part of August.



With river levels dropping and pools starting to show their form, anglers are starting to land a few fish.



At the Ledges Inn in Doaktown were having some luck. I had clients Alanda Harrison and David Harding of PlasterRock land a salmon and a fresh sea liced covered grilse yesterday. Lloyd Lyons guided his clients to a 15 lb salmon using a GP. Conditions in the Doaktown stretch of the river is almost perfect.


Our Mountain Channel Lodge fished Cains River and client Tom Kleeman landed a nice fresh salmon at Moores Pool.

Tom Kleeman with a Cains Fish

Dan Bullock of Bullocks Lodge had a slow week in Boiestown with high water. Level has been improving and some fish are starting to show. Dan is expecting good fishing the next few days, and hoping to get some better conditions for dry fly fishing.

David Harding & Alanda Harrison

Country Haven Fishing Lodge in the Blackville area of the river said they had a very good week. Overall with the high water conditions they landed salmon everyday, but only a few grilse this week. Some fish are sea lice covered and more fish were showing the last couple days. Cains river was fishing good but fish weren't showing until taking the fly.

Wilson’s Sporting Camps said they are happy to report that the river is still much higher than normal for mid August. Combine this with cool nights and a good run of salmon, the result is better than average fishing in most areas . We are still getting mostly salmon, some very dark but some very fresh. One angler fishing near Bloomflield Ridge in Boistown on Friday and Saturday had exceptionally good fishing in deep fast moving water on a size 8 Bonnie Belle . The pools are starting to take shape again so it looks like a good week ahead for fly-fishing Atantic salmon on the Miramichi River.

Miramichi Salmon Club in the Blissfield area said angling was slow the last week with not much sign of any fish. But the last couple days things starting to improve with some fresh fish being landed.

Alanda Harrison with a close up of her salmon

Anglers near the mouth of Cains River were hooking fish on dry flies but said water could be down a foot too a couple feet to improve.

If your in the area and fishing gear is on the menu drop by WW.Doaks for all your fly fishing supplies and local fishing reports.

Canoers high fiving after falling out of the boat.

Flies of choice again seems to be a mixture of what you throw at the fish. Dry flies are working, I landed a few on glitter bears, a few on a Dylan Spey, apache shrimp and green machines.

With the third week of August in the books and looking very good for the last week of August. We should see some exceptional salmon fishing for late August through September moving forward.

So if you can get time to throw a line, it should be very promising results the rest of the season.

Until next week may your reels be screaming on the river.

Rodney Colford

Fishing good on the Miramichi

With ideal conditions on the Miramichi it has been a bit of mixed fishing the past week. Where some anglers are hooking fish, while others are seeing fish and saying there not taking too well.
With the middle section of the river getting into prime levels for fishing the lower stretch is still very high with fish everywhere.

Derek Munn of the Ledges Inn said fishing was good with guest hooking a few fish. River levels are ideal and a few fresh fish were showing moving up stream. Our sister lodge at Mountain Channel was having good luck and hooked 9 salmon on Tuesday.

W.W.Doaks & Sons said fishing was picking up. Fishermen were hooking a few on shady ladies, bonnie bells and white tail green machines.

Norma Brennan of Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters said fishing was very good in the Blackville area. Many fishermen were landing fish. Norma said fish were jumping all over the river.
Temperatures are very good as of Wednesday around 62 to 65 (f).

Keith Wilson of Wilson's Sporting Camps said fishing was superb and guest were very happy with seeing fresh fish.

Guide Gary Colford of Country Haven said fishing was good and saw lots of fish. He hooked and landed 5 this week on white tail green machines.

So with a great run on the way for the start of July and a mix of salmon and grilse it's looking good for the system.
Lets hope with the warm weather on the way the next few days will be short stay to keep the salmon running.

Tip for the coming week is to beat the heat and fish early mornings and late evenings to up your catch.

Tight lines and may your reels be screeching on the Miramichi.

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