Fish biting on Miramichi River

Fishing on the Miramichi River the past week was spectacular despite the warm weather that hit us for a few days.

We then had rain and thunder storms that got the river back in the low to mid 60s F. We did have a couple days that got up over the 70 degree mark, but by fishing early mornings and late evenings we managed to do very well. I will start you out where I guide and fish at the Ledges Inn. Guides Derek Munn, Lloyd Lyons, Andrew Anthony and myself managed to land 175 salmon and grilse since last week.

The area we were fishing was from Ludlow to lower Doaktown. We had many days that guest were limit out with four salmon per day. Just yesterday alone, while guiding Mark Ferguson, Bob and Scott Darling of Darling Construction, we hooked 12 and landed six using a No. 8 smurf pattern.

On the lower stretch of the river, fishing is also going well. My son Zachery, 13 years-old, landed his first salmon of the summer season on his own tied dry fly. Troy Adams of Moncton netted and weighed it for him and said it was 20 pounds. Troy also landed a grilse.

Most pools on the river are fishing very well, like the pool at the Upper Blackville bridge where many anglers fish. The Quarryville Pool is fishing well too as anglers from all over New Brunswick come to fish this famous public pool. The North West Miramichi is now hook and release. Many anglers had reported landing fish on the North West, Sevogle and Little South West Miramichi River the past week.

The North West is a great place to fish if you like releasing your catch as many anglers will be fishing the Main South West River so they can fill their tags. I will keep you posted on the levels of the river next week.

With over a foot raise on Tuesday night on the South West Miramichi, you should see good results on the weekend for fishing. Keep checking with all the local shops for up to date river reports.

W.W. Doaks, Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters, Georges Fly Shop, Trout Brook Fly Shop are many of the local outfitters on the river who all mostly write their report.

You can check my own blog at miramichifishingreports@blogspot.com or Derek Munn's report at the Ledgesinn.com.

Flies of choice for the past week were green machines, blue smurfs, bombers, undertakers, red butt moose hairs and the mighty Quinn tied by Ralph Goodwin of Minto. Until next week, keep your lines tight and your reels screeching on the Miramichi.

* Rodney Colford is a third-generation salmon guide on the Miramichi. He has been guiding fishermen for 28 years. His column appears every Thursday.

The Ledges Inn is Hot!! Burning Hot with catching Atlantic Salmon! Salmon fishing today and last night was just amazing as the river is full of grilse and salmon. Every pool had huge runs of fish and it did not stop again this morning and tonight. My clients Paul Millbury and his son and I hooked 4 and landed 3 at Floe's last night. And this morning they landed 7 fish out of 9 at the Ledge Pool just above the Lodge. Fly of choice was a number 8 double green machine white & black tail with green crystal flash rapped through with the hackle, a fly I just threw together for a laugh.

Tonight we had some new guest that had never fished salmon before and guide Andrew Anthony and myself were not long getting them into a couple fish. We saw several fish at Kelly's Run and Floe's Pool. Fly of choice tonight was a blue charm number 8 single hook.

Head guide Derek Munn and his clients limit out last night around 7 pm.  And also at Mountain Channel Guide Wes Curtis and guides hooked 18 fish with clients this morning, I did not get there count for the evening.

Water temperature was in the 60's today but did get to 72 degree's (F) last evening.

The height of the river on the Main SW is perfect for catching! so get out on the river and hook up!

Hope you like this quick report for you guys that can't make it out on the water! Were thinking of you, when we hear the sound of that Hardy Reel or that Shark Skin line zooming out into the backing after about a half a dozen leaps into the air!! So if it's possible to get out on the water giver a try on one of your secret pools.

Rodney

Hook and release rules return to Northwest Miramichi

Atlantic salmon fishing on the Miramichi is still going strong as huge runs of fish keep coming in from the ocean. All the tributaries of the Miramichi were reporting good runs of salmon and grilse. River conditions are perfect levels and some fish are now starting to hold up longer in the pool which makes the catching a bit easier at times.

The NW Miramichi got hit with a blow for anglers fishing to keep their catch of grilse. For the second season in a row the hook and release method comes into play. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans issued a variation order allowing only hook and release angling on the Northwest Miramichi and its tributaries for at least a portion of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 angling seasons. The department said the decision was made for conservation purposes based on science assessments and is effective as of noon on Wednesday, July 6.

Variation order 2011-056 is for mandatory live release for all of the angling season on the Little Southwest Miramichi and its tributaries upstream from Catamaran Brook, on the Northwest Miramichi upstream from Little River, and on both the north and south branches of the Sevogle upstream from and including Square Forks. In 2012 and beyond, these catch and release restrictions will be in effect for the entire season.

Mandatory live release will be required from noon on July 6 until July 31 on the Northwest Miramichi River from and including Little River downstream to Wayerton Bridge (Route 430). In 2012 and beyond, this catch and release restriction will be in effect from June 1 to July 31.

Salmon fishing on the Upper Stretches of the Main SW Miramichi River is extraordinary. All our pools are fishing very well. Here at the Ledges and Mountain Channel our pools are starting to hold some monster fish. Guide Derek Munn had Tyler and his father James Brown while both landed two fish over the 20 pound mark and several grilse, Tyler also landed a 2lb striped bass. Derek said it was the first time they saw a stripe bass this far up river. You can check out the pictures on our web site at LedgesInn.com. Guide Andrew Anthony also had very good fishing while one morning his clients hooked 12 salmon. Guide Lloyd Lyons was also on the ball as he and his clients were having very good results using the Mighty Quinn pattern tied by Ralph Goodwin of Minto. I was guiding a nice couple that dropped into Doaks Fly Shop in Doaktown on Tuesday and asked which fly was working. They gave them a fly called the Same Thing Murray and they both ended up getting their first ever salmon on the Miramichi.

In the Boistown area Allan McCormack of McCormack’s Tubing said their clients saw several salmon while tubing this week. They said the tubing is going very good now as the weather is helping very much.

Wilson’s Sporting Camps said fishing is also very good with great runs of salmon in all their pools. Guide Karl Wilson netted a 33 incher for his client that was fresh from the ocean.

O’Donnell’s Cottages in the Doaktown area had many canoe’s on the river the past week ranging from young kids to grandparents canoeing. So give them a call for a canoe trip on the Miramichi River.

Local anglers have been hooking up in public pools on the river. You can find your public pools on the Atlantic Salmon Museum maps which they have in Doaktown at the Museum. You can also get them at Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters and W.W.Doaks fly shop.

The lower stretches of the river at Country Haven Lodge said they had very good fishing the past week. Guide Gary Colford and his clients landed a few on Green Machines and Blue Charms.

Mountain Channel is starting to fish very well this week as the pool is a low water pool. So check it out and fish with legend guide of the river Wes Curtis and Brother Boyd whose father use to guide the famous Ted Williams.

Flies of choice for the past week were Green Machine with White Tails, Undertakers with Jungle Cock Cheeks, The Mighty Quinn, the same thing Murray, brown bombers, orange bombers, blue charms, and different color butterflies.

Tips of the week, are you the angler hooking and releasing on the Miramichi. If so pinch your barbs and help release your fish quicker. Use a soft mesh net which helps from hurting the fish when releasing them. And always make sure you hold your fish under the belly and by the tail with their head pointing up stream close to the water for that picture. I hope these tips help you out while catching perhaps that first Miramichi Atlantic Salmon.

Until next week keep your lines tight and your reels a screeching on the Miramichi.

Rodney Colford is a third-generation salmon guide on the Miramichi River. He has been guiding fishermen for the past 28 years. His column appears every Thursday.

Good fishing on the Miramichi

Salmon fishing on the Miramichi seems to be off limits on weekends

as it rains just about every weekend. And this was not just any storm that hit the Miramichi River; it raised the river at least 5 feet. The river was just starting to get to normal conditions to see the pools and getting dumped with the rain set our fishing back a few days that’s for sure.

But that was last weekend and now the fish are biting and jumping again. The river temperatures are perfect and we can`t complain there is no water in the river. So with no excuses have a look at some reports from the Miramichi? And don`t forget to give us a call or email for more up to date reports.

Or drop into your fly shops on the river like WW Doaks, Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters, Georges Fly Shop, Herbs Fly Shop, Trout Brook Fly Shop, Fredericton Outfitters and Anglers to name a few for fishing and river reports.

Head guide Derek Munn at the Ledges hooked a few fish over the past week and said with all the rain and the big rise in water it should be very good fishing on the Upper Stretches of the SW Miramichi as the fish will be up there in record time. There were also a few fish taken at Mountain Channel Pool during the past week on the Lower Stretch of the river and a lower pool of the Ledges.

I started guiding last weekend for the Ledges Inn in Doaktown and Derek Munn the head guide showed me around to their pools. I was not long noticing the beautiful salmon pools of the Ledges Inn. My client was Dr. Palmer of Fredericton and long time salmon fishermen. We had a great time fishing over the three days but all we could do was roll them as salmon leaped in the pools near our flies.

Wilsons Sporting Camps said there is another flood on the Miramichi as we got hit with severe thunderstorms up river. Keith expected fishing to pick up Tuesday or Wednesday of this week after the rise in water.

Valerie O’Donnell of O’Donnell Cottages had a few canoe rentals in last weekend and the odd salmon fisherman.

McCormack Outdoor Adventures in Boistown said water was high for tubing for the most part but said by the weekend the river should be good for tubing. They had some cabins available for renting if you’re from out of town and need a place while fishing or tubing.

Salmon fishing near the mouth of Cains River was slow for a few days but as the water cleared the fish started to show and I was after them. Tuesday I hooked four and landed a salmon and a grilse. I hooked a few of the fish on a very new fly pattern that Tyler Storey created called the Glitter Tot. It`s a green fly with some very good style to it, Tyler said he was a long time getting the fly to where he wanted it to be. I would think he nailed it as it worked very well for me in this high water. I was doing mostly boat fishing and fishing high water pools for the most of the time this week.

Depending we don`t get a rise in water fishing should be very good on the weekend. I saw many fish jumping on the lower stretches of the Cains River so salmon are in the river there too. There are lots of fish running on the Main SW Miramichi.

The North West Miramichi is starting to fish again as Chris Edmonds hooked a grilse on the Sevolge River a branch of the NW on Tuesday. A few other fishermen told me they were going to fish the North West Miramichi on the weekend as they thought the water would be down and fishable.

I also heard that there were a couple fish hooked on the lower stretch of the Renous River on Monday.

The Salmon fishing on the Miramichi should get very good over the next week or two as late June and July runs will be starting to fill the river. So give us a call and we will get you out on the water and catch a salmon of a lifetime.

Keep your reels screeching and your lines tight on the Miramichi River.

Tight Lines, Rodney

Boat & Motor Found

Boat and Motor found near Quarryville this morning. If you can identify it it's yours the guy that found it said. So give a shout to 506 743 7744.