Salmon take on struggle

Warm weather again seems to be the hot topic for salmon fishing all over the Miramichi River system.

There are very few reports of salmon being landed on a fly rod but many dead ones have been netted out of the rivers, which have reported water temperatures in the 70 to 80 degree Fahrenheit (21 to 28C) range over the past three weeks.

Places like Big Hole Brook and Black Brook have seen many salmon fatalities as there are so many fish holding at these pools. Some fish are trying to swim up the brook in search of colder water in Black Brook. And as you canoe past this brook there has to be thousands of fish swimming together trying to survive.

Shop owner Sydney Matchett of Trout Brook Fly Shop on the Northwest Miramichi said there were a few locals fishing when the water got below 70F on early mornings but other than that you don't see many locals fishing in these conditions.

Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters said there were not many people fishing. Some sports were returning home as they thought it would harm the fish more if they fished. Still some good canoeing and kayaking.

Keith Wilson of Wilson Sporting Camps said the river was at a normal height for July and the temperature was down to 68F on Tuesday morning. He had one salmon hooked on Monday on a tiny No. 10 black bear hair.

Some anglers canoed the Cains this week and saw fish at Salmon Brook and the Brophy Pool. Water temperatures were in the high 70s as well.

Fishing weather for the weekend had been calling for heavy rains which seemed to change to only a few millimetres. The humidity also stayed at a high level.

If you can hold off on your fishing trip please do so until there is a change in weather and river conditions. And if there is no change soon, I would think things may be shut down on the river until there is.

Some anglers are wondering why it's not shut down to half days like it was a few years ago when water was low and hot. Until next week and hopefully better conditions, tight lines.

* Rodney Colford is a third generation salmon fishing guide on the Miramichi River and has been guiding fishermen ranging from greenhorns to some of the finest fishermen in the world for 27 years. His fishing reports appear every Thursday in the Times & Transcript.