May on the Banks of The Miramichi River

What more could we ask for this third weekend of May on the Banks of The Miramichi River. Well I bet if you ask just about any Atlantic Salmon angler, that first catch of the bright's, on a new season are remarkably one of the greatest hook ups one can have the honour off catching. This beautiful chrome football shaped animal that swims our mighty rivers are amongst the King of the sport fish of our wonderful planet. And people all over the world have this same religion for the Atlantic salmon as you do. And yes this is the weekend the past 3 or 4 years to start the ball rolling.

 For many anglers it's all about the take when you have that lucky chance of seeing the roll or swirl as it takes your fly and then like a bolt of lightning your reel is screaming out into the backing and just when you think you have time, you see the end of the spool on your reel and your running out of line. And if your lucky, really lucky, you will have the chance to start running the shore line and  retrieve some of the line before he (the salmon) takes control and does it all over again. What more excitement in fishing can you have than to have this happen on the first runs of Atlantic's.

Many fishermen and fisher-women are fishing for sea run trout coming into the system on the river. Anglers are catching a few trout in the 10 to 16 inch range. But no sign of any fresh trout yet from my contacts on the river. The gaspereau nets are down in the lower stretches of the river, the fiddle heads are up, so as we all know this is around the time the trout and salmon should be coming along.

And with the in between time laggering here on the Miramichi all we can do is wait for the salmon and trout to arrive. There is a very good volume of water and fish will have very little trouble coming in. And to some anglers on the lower stretches of the Main Miramichi this can be very tough as the fish can be just about anywhere. Most of the rivers like the Main SW, NW, Little SW and Renous are still high and could use a bit of a drop to help form the pools or have the fish hold up a little.

The weather has not been the best as we have been getting very high amounts of rain on the Miramichi over the past couple weeks. But the sky seems to be brightening up for the weekend and following week and should get the rivers into a great form for fishing.

Reports on the Restigouche River has over half dozen bright's landed that we know off. What more could get our hearts pumping here on the Miramichi than to hear about our northern river of the province hooking their first runs of bright's. Oh man, Oh man the season is starting.

Flies for the up coming weeks: Now that you can use singles and doubles with barbs as of the 15th of May you still should think about going barbless to help with releasing fish. I would suggest size 2 to 6 depending on the river your fishing you may want to go smaller sizes. Green Machines, Shady Ladies, Undertakers, Black Ghost, Butterflies and many many other great patterns.

Over the next week or the next few days someone will have the chance to catch the first Bright Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi River system. And if you do please send us the picture and I will have it posted for you. All I need is a photo and or size of your catch, what fly, what river, we do not need the name of the pool or area you caught the fish. Just to know there in the system would be good. To view photos of my reports please go to my blog. You can contact me at www.miramichifishingreports.blogspot.com .


LOST BOAT AND MOTOR
Reward Offered
12 foot aluminium boat & 4 hp Mercury Motor
Boat lost from the Blissfield area.
If you have information please call 506-365-8940 or 506-432-0563.


Until next week may your reels be screaming on the Miramichi.
Rodney Colford Is a third generation salmon-fishing-guide and fly tier on the SW Miramichi River. I have guided fishermen ranging from greenhorns to some of the finest fly fishermen in the world for 27 years. Fly tying since I was ten years old and having the opportunity to fish with anglers all over the world. My favorite fishing buddies are my kids Laura (12) and Zachery(14) which both have caught there own Atlantic Salmon at age 4 & and 7. My fishing reports appear every Thursday in the Moncton Times & Transcript.

Pat Colford

Clark Hallman

Lunch break

Ray Walker

Ray Walker

Rod on a nice rainy day

My Daughter Laura

Laura practising her guiding at age 12

Laura and friends

I got this late report on a few trout and a very good story about what the trout was having for dinner!

Kyle Donovan's boys with a nice 3lb+ trout

This trout a had nice rat in his mouth when they landed it, tail was still hanging out of the mouth! 

Same trout and rat and the ones that did not get away!.

Spring Salmon fishing slowing down on Miramichi

Salmon fishing on the Miramichi is starting to slow down for the spring salmon season. Many anglers are only picking up 1 or 2 fish a day and some not getting anything. Water conditions are dropping fast but with rain expected it should put it up and get some fish coming into the system.

Anglers on the North West said water conditions were getting down closer to summer heights, again with rain in the forecast it will put it up quite fast. There were rumours of some big trout starting to make there way into the NW Miramichi.

Tuesday myself, Andrew Anthony, Derek Munn and Shawn Betts sailed from The Ledges Inn in Doaktown to the park in Blackville and landed 4 salmon and 6 trout. The trout were all around 10 to 12 inch range. We saw a few fish laying about but not near as many as 3 or 4 days before. Fish were all hooked on a cast with different patterns such as Marabou's, Buck Tail and Rabbit Strips streamers.

There are reports from Jerome Molloy that two Bright salmon landed on the Restigouche River this week and fish size were over 25lbs. It will not be long now for the Miramichi system as things seem to be starting early.

Up river at Wilsons Sporting Camps Keith said water was warming up quickly and the fish were moving out of the upper part of the river very fast. Anglers are fishing the middle section of the river using floating lines with long leaders.

The Ledges Inn said fishing was still good in the area but we are starting to enter the in between time when we are waiting for the springers to move out and the bright trout and salmon to move in. Head Derek Munn said they were catching most fish with sink tips and flies were Marabous and Rabbit Strip patterns.

Local fly fishing shop in Blackville Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters have a new web site up and running at www.curtismiramichioutfitters.com so go give it a look.

I will keep you posted through the week on my blog at www.miramichifishingreports.blogspot.com for fresh trout and salmon that are coming in. Tight Lines from the banks of the Miramichi.

Still lots of fish in the Miramichi system

With another week of salmon fishing in the wind, there are still plenty of fish in the river. And speaking of the wind, there was a bit of it the past weekend on the river. The high winds made it tremendously cold on the water as our finger tips and guides on the rod were freezing up a few mornings, and so was the Guide. Minus temperatures made slow starts to the mornings and long days on the water except the fish still kept taking the fly and kept us enjoying the cold temperatures, even though it was cold.

 Many fishermen are still having tight lines up river on the Main SW Miramichi and still seeing lots of fish. Anglers were also seeing and hooking lots of fish on the North West Miramichi river too. Chris Edmonds of Miramichi said his fishing was good for trout this week as he released several and landed a few salmon on the North West and Main SW Miramichi Rivers.

Water temperatures were around the 5 degree C mark (41 F) which is still very cold and may be why the fish are still holding in the river according to Derek Munn of the Ledges Inn in Doaktown.

 Many anglers I have talked to are still catching fish in the upper parts of the river. I fished up in the Blissfield area and Upper Blackville area and saw and hooked several fish the past week. Monday evening there was a bit of a hatch on the water and there were trout, grilse and salmon (one massive salmon that came up and took a May Fly I was watching as it was floating) taking flies off the top of the water as cold as it was. And to a dry fly fisherman it can really get the blood flowing when you see that happen for the first time of the season.  Most days we are hooking our fish on a cast and then there is days that it's just the opposite by trolling. Even though it's much more fun and more challenging by the cast to hook a salmon, that long line seems to get there attention as it swings across the current and tightens with a thud as it hit the fly.

Guides from Country Haven Lodge on the lower stretch of the Miramichi river on Tuesday said fishing was slow and was not seeing much.

Keith Wilson of Wilson Sporting Camps said the water cleared up and was dropping good and still at a very good depth for salmon fishing with still lots of fish in the area. He said it was windy the past weekend but fishing was still very good despite the bad weather. He said they are still hooking a lot of big salmon and on many different fly patterns.

Trout season opened Tuesday May 1st and many trout fishermen were ready to get at it. I saw a few nice trout caught from 12 to 16 inches over the past week so there are trout in the system.

There have been many talks this week about how one should release your fish. I always tell my guest to hold the fish as close to the water as possible with one hand under the front part of his belly and the other by the tail. Please to not hold them by the tail only as it can damage the fishes spin. Get your photo and release the fish as soon as it is ready to go with his head facing up river against the current, which this time of year they don't waste much time swimming off.
 Having a good net with a soft mesh is another safe way to release your catch. Many fishermen still use the old nylon nets which can really take the scales off the fish. Please be as careful as you can or get the fish as close to you and just grab the hook and release him. The hooks come out very easy this way with the barbs being pinched. Just a little tip to help you on the water. Many of the shops below carry the soft mesh nets or the mesh to replace the nylon net.

With lots of fish still in the rivers why not get out again for another weekend and enjoy a few tight lines on the water. Give your local Fly Shops a call at W.W Doaks in Doaktown for reports or some of the best gear on the market today. Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters in Blackville which has a sale on this week with very good deals on Loomis Jackets and great reports of the lower section of the Miramichi. On the North West stop and check out Trout Brook Fly Shop where there always on top of the river conditions and have salmon and trout supplies for your every needs. And Miramichi City Surplus highway 108 Derby Junction has super deals on salmon, trout gear and clothing and can give you very good reports for the tide waters in the area. And one could never forget to stop in and have a chat with George Routledge in Renous which has the best reports for the Quarryville area of the river. George has everything from hooks to waders so check him out in the area.

LOST BOAT AND MOTOR
Reward Offered
12 foot aluminium boat & 4 hp Mercury Motor
Boat lost from the Blissfield area. If you have information please call 506 365 8940 or 506 432 0563.

Any questions or comments please check out my blog at www.miramichifishingreports.blogspot.com

May your lines be tight and your reels be screeching on the Miramichi.

After a wonderful first week of salmon fishing on the Miramichi the weather has made a sharp turn and heavy rains hit the river on the second week of the spring salmon season. While relaxing and sun tanning catching Atlantic Salmon was a treat last week. It was far from relaxing when cold rain and sleet was hitting us in the face Saturday through Tuesday.
But up until Tuesday we were still having very good fishing with boats landing 5 or 6 fish a day. Tuesday brought more than we had wished for when saying we needed water as it came up more than 5 feet and still rising by supper time. There was dead trees, debris, grass and the river was the colour of sand everywhere. After all the rain and seeing such a big rise in water one remembers the older guides that have their saying’s about the ice that is left along the shore lines from a drop in water after ice out. They always said the water will rise and clean the ice off the shores that it left, well those guides are correct this season as the water is up and that ice has disappeared once again.

In front of the Ledges Inn Doaktown.

In the Doaktown area Derek Munn of the Ledges Inn was still having very good fishing. Derek thought after the water drops it should be good fishing again as the water is still cold around 42 (C) and should hold some fish in the river for a few days longer. But with over 80mm's of rain and such a big rise in water it will be slow for a couple days.

Zachery Colford 

Monday I had a very good day on the lower section of the SW Miramichi River near the mouth of Cains River as Ray Walker hooked 9 salmon, 6 of which were huge salmon from 36 to 40 inches in length. We also were hooking a few trout from 8 to 16 inch range. Fly was a Grey Ghost with Marabou wing. Allan McCormack and Paul Richards were hooking were also hooking a few on a Elmer Special. Zachery Colford landed a few salmon using his Spey rod with sinking tip casting from shore. Troy Adams of Dieppe landed a grilse and a trout almost as big Sunday on the Miramichi.

Arianna D'Alessio with a nice grilse.

Byron Coughlan of Country Haven Lodge said he was having a very good season and many guest were hooking fish. Tuesday when not expecting to hook or see a fish, his anglers managed to land 16 by noon but said afternoon was tough as water got dirty and with the rise in water the fish stopped taking.

Keith Wilson of Wilson's Sporting camps said anglers better brace their feet with the north-east wind mixed with snow and rain that hit us on Sunday, every guides worse day on the water. He also said their is still a good number of fish in the river and after a few days we should be back to normal conditions again soon.

Andrew D'Alessio with a nice salmon.

Vickers Atlantic Salmon Pools was also having a very good season and said fishing is fantastic and salmon were everywhere in the river. They were hooking fish from boat and shore and anglers were very happy. Flies of choice were Renous and Grey Ghost.

The fishing should be slow over the next few days but should pick up again when the water levels off and starts to drop. Many are questioning the amount of fish and think they are all gone but from reports up river there is still plenty of fish to come down for you to catch in the coming week.

Flies of choice for the week was the Gray Ghost, Renous Special, Elmer Special, Christmas Tree and Golden Eagle. Water temperature’s are in the 40’s degree (F).

If your out on the water please be careful in the high water and make sure you have your life jackets with you. And until next week keep your reels screeching.

Rodney Colford

Salmon fishing is back with a Scream

Salmon fishing is back with a Scream. Anglers were hearing the scream of there reels all day as fish after fish were being hooked on the Main South West Miramichi.


Main South West Miramichi started out very good the first couple days of the season. Many anglers limit out with there daily limit of 10 grilse or salmon. Low water conditions was a bit of a challenge but the water has raised some on Tuesday, which will help improve the boating. But with a rise in water also comes dirty water conditions and slows the fishing down. So anglers that were getting big numbers were only getting a few as results of dirty water. River temperatures were around 49 (F)  or 9.44 degrees Celsius and is normally more colder this time of the year.


Cains river was very clear and low but still had fish in it and they were very active Monday and Tuesday. I hooked fish up as far as salmon brook area. The only part of the river we had to watch out for when motoring was in the area of hells gates pool where it is very low and some changes to the gravel bars.


The North West Miramichi has lots of fish around.Anglers were hooking fish up near McLaughlin pool. Flies of choice were Renous Eagle, Black Ghost and Smelts.


Derek Munn told me that the fishing in the Doaktown area was good and just as predicted opening day was awesome. Many anglers limit out by early afternoon at the Ledges Inn. 


Flies of choice for the week are Renous Special, Christmas Tree, Golden Eagle, Black Ghost, Red Eagle, Green Eagle, Smelts and many more Marabou patterns.


Until next week tight lines.