The 2009 salmon classic started off very good this year with several anglers hooking fish. Paul Daigle landed 3 grilse and a huge salmon around 25 pound. This is a photo of Gary Tanner with a nice salmon on Wednesday morning fishing in the 2009 salmon classic on the North West Miramichi. There were several others that hooked up during the event. Anglers from all over North America attended the classic for the fourth year in a row.After the classic on Wednesday the fish really seemed to be all over the place on the Main South West Miramichi.
As I traveled up and down stream to and from the pools I saw several schools of fish moving up river. It was not long before arriving to the first pool that Zlacko hooked into a nice salmon around 12 to 14 pounds, using a brown bomber while skating it across the fast current.We raised many more fish Wednesday evening but did not hook into anymore until the next day. We also saw fisherman and fisher women landing fish up and down the river on all different fly patterns.
After a long day on the water we headed back to camp for an amazing dinner at the lodge. Rick
Archibald and Jim Dunn decided to put together a dinner that one would never forget! As you can see in the photo it was a very good meal! and so was the wine!Thursday was a very good day with loads of fish moving through and covered again with sea lice fresh from the sea.
My clients Zlacko and Carlos landed 4 out of 5 grilse. We had a grilse within sight that we were working and it kept coming for different flies! and sometimes it only moved in the water a foot or so, until I tied on a Almost pattern number 10 single and we could see the fish zoom after it, and he was hooked up. We decided to keep this for dinner that evening.
This is Zlacko releasing a grilse on the lower stretches of the miramichi river. We were using an preacher number 6.Friday started out slow hooking fish but again the fish were all over the place! There were fisherman getting fish by the mouth of Cains River even though we were not. My grandfather landed a grilse and was his first of the year. Don Roy and several members of the club he belongs to was hooking fish. Warrens bar had anglers fishing and were hooked up as well.
After lunch Carlos decided to get more serious and hooked into his first salmon around 10 pounds. He thought his trip was over when this fish was landed. Not knowing what tomorrow would bring! He hooked the fish on an Almost number 8 double. A Almost is a black bodied fly with a black wing and a bit of golden pheasant on the tail. It works better in low water conditions or smaller hooks in very clear water.
Saturday was great fishing for Colfords Atlantic Salmon Fishing at the home pool. Carlos was on the lower section of Hogans Pool when he hooked a another salmon around 15 pounds on a Almost again.
My son Zachery age 11 hooked a 15 pounder or better on a brown bomber, and was his first of the season. He also lost another one that was said to be close to 20 pounds, but that old saying is the big one got away! Caleb Dunn up in his 80's landed a 15 pound salmon using a green butt bear hair. His great grandson hooked his first ever salmon age 7 also on a bear hair.
Joel Kitchen landed a 10 pound salmon at the lower end of the Hogan pool on a Almost. I landed a grilse on a brown bomber on the lower section as well.
And then Carlos goes out to the section of the pool where he found a rock to cast that extra 5 feet to hook a fish of his dreams! This fish had to be 30 plus pounds! And smashed the brown bomber I tied that Joel gave him to try. Carlos is around 6-5 tall and makes the fish look smaller than the actually size. This fish was twice out into the backing and after several jumps I snuck the net in front of this whopper of a fish and he almost took me for a ride! I told Carlos that there is guys that fished here for years and are still awaiting a trophy like this Silver.There was so many fish hooked this week up and down the river. I am sorry if I do not mention your names. To name a few guys and girls that hooked fish on the lower section of the river were Danny Stewart, Ed Colford, Larry Vanperson, Al Bridges, Stan Tropze, Rick Colford, Damir Sehic, Malcolm McCormack, Pat DeWolfe, John Colford, Peter Dioron, Ron Steeves, Jim Steeves, and Jackie Girouard to name a few.
There was also fish being hooked at the Bridge Pool in Upper Blackville, the foot bridge pool in Upper Blackville and Keenans Siding. Cains River was fishing on the lower stretches near salmon brook, butter milk brook, brophy pool and the admiral camp pool all reported of seeing fish moving through.
This is a photo of us putting a new 28 foot Sharp Canoe in the water and Barry Sharp himself delivering it. We then put it to work and got some scales on the ribs of the canoe. This is one of the many cadilacs of canoes that Barry Sharp produces at his shop.
The end of the day today Saturday the 18th we were still seeing several big fish jumping. The ones we landed were covered in sea lice. There was the odd time we saw some grilse that seemed to be moving through.
We also picked up a beautiful fish today that was on his last breath? We
tried to revive him but he was in bad shape and looked to be released from up stream. It also had marks on him like he was netted. He also was swimming right to shore and this is something they do when when you see them having trouble. He had a tag on his back so we managed to take a picture of him for you to see and a scale for the DFO to tell us where he was tagged at. I will keep you posted on the results in the future reports.All for tonight and I hope tomorrow will be half as good as what we had in the past week on the Mighty Miramichi in New Brunswick Canada. This is Rodney Colford saying tight lines and may your reel scream tomorrow.
