River up in the Alders on Miramichi

Well if you were fishing on the Miramichi River the past week, you would not have to get in the water to get your feet wet.

Four inches of rain fell and put the river up into the alders. Leaving many anglers going from wading to boating to hook up. Salmon pools that were to low and warm to fish were now to high and dirty with debre to fish.

Just before the river started to raise, fishing was very good. Many anglers were hooking fish and some limiting out with 4 per day.

Byron Coughlan of Country Haven Lodge of the lower stretch of the Miramichi said the river is full of fresh fish since Sunday. Fishermen were having very good luck. Fish seemed to be moving through and the ones they were hooking was close to shore. Water conditions are still high for the lower stretch. Cains river was still to high, the upper Renous was fishable, lower Renous was still to high.

Guides Donald and Eddie Colford of Black Brook Salmon Club said fishing was very good the past week. Many sports limit out on many different patterns of flies. Conditions are still to high for the Mouth of Cains river area but lots of fish moving.

Derek Munn of the Ledges Inn in the Doaktown Area of the river said fishing was good. We landed almost 50 salmon at the lodge this week, one weighing 27 pounds. Conditions seem to slow down yesterday, but rumours of fresh fish down river is great to hear. The river raised Tuesday night about 6 inches. Flies of choice were pacas, green machines, shady ladies and smurfs. At our Mountain Channel Lodge we were picking up 2 or 3 salmon per day.

Keith Wilson of Wilsons Sporting Camps said salmon anglers are never ones to complain about a nice raise of water in late July but this is a little much. Heavy rain brought the water up in McNamee app 3 feet and was very dirty. Keith said the MSA reported the best numbers of the season coming through the Millerton trap net this past week, so combined with the big raise in water we should see much improved fishing going into the month of August.

Dan Bullock of Bullocks Lodge in Boistown said they received 4" of rain in past week. Water is high, but very fishable. Probably 2-3 days away from ideal height for our pools.
We did land a few fish last week, including a salmon on the RBM Muddler tied by Renate Bullock. Looking forward to what should be excellent fishing next couple of weeks.

Chris Edmonds of Miramichi Fish and Game Club and C.E.Salmon Flies and Guiding was hooking a few fish. Conditions were very good on the NW and should be awesome by the weekend.

So with lots of water in the system for the Miramichi river and tributaries we should see some great fishing over the next few days as the water drops. River temperatures are in the low 60's (f) which is ideal.

A few flies to try while your out this weekend on the water is green machines, undertakers, smurfs, green highlanders and try some dry flies in this high water. Tight to shore with those dries you'll see, you might just catch a whopper.

Until next week keep those reels screaming on the river.
Rodney Colford

Fresh fish running on Miramichi

Fishing for Monday on the Miramichi is very good even tho the river is high.

Fresh sea liced salmon are on the run. And a very good mixture of grilse amongst the salmon.

Temps are 61 f. And very clear. Water is dropping good and more and more anglers are getting out on the water.

The weekend really picked up with great fishing. Fishing stayed good in the heavy rain, until the river got to high and dirty.

Many fish being landed were grilse and salmon and the odd monster hitting 27lbs.

Flies for the most part is the old favourite the white tail green machine. Shady ladies worked well before the rise in water.

Conditions should be excellent over the next few days, which we will have the reports for you on the river.

Until next time may your reels be screaming on the river.
Rodney Colford

High water slows the fishing for a day or two

Conditions on the Miramichi went from warm and low water conditions to very high and muddy conditions.

As the heavy rain subsided the river raised and raised! Trees, benches and even a few boats were on the free flow in the murky water.

The last couple days before the rise saw the river (SW) have great reports of hook ups. Many fishermen were saying that fresh fish were being landed with sea lice.

Miramichi Salmon Association and Atlantic Salmon Federation both had good comments that good returns are in the rivers.

The river started dropping Saturday evening and a few fish were already reported being landed in the Doaktown area.

Flies for a few were GP'S size #2, yes a fall pattern some would say? But, fish them they will work is what I say!

Well got to get back to reading some more Salmon Country. A Great book if you don't have it by author Doug Underhill. Find his site on my link section and get his amazing book.

Until next time keep your reels screaming on the river!

Rodney Colford

Miramichi Pools reopen and fish on the move

From the banks of the Miramichi River, fishermen are starting to hook a few salmon as some fresh fish are moving into the system.

Pools reopen today 25th July on the Miramichi system. Cooler temps made this possible.

River temperatures are holding steady around 65-68 (F). Which is ideal temps for the Miramichi river for late July.

We had a good steady rain on Tuesday on the mid to lower section of the river, but the upper part only saw 10mm.

Derek Munn of the Ledges Inn said fishing was improving. We landed over 20 fish and they landed one grilse with sea lice. Many of the fish landed over the last week looked to be fresh fish. He said some fish were over 15lbs and many were grilse.

Keith Wilson of Wilson Sporting Camps said fishing is looking up for the next week as weather is improving for fishing. Which means cooler temperatures. His guides are reporting that fish were on the move and moving from the cold water pools. River levels were up about 4 inches yesterday.

Byron Coughlan of Country Haven Lodge said there are lots of fresh fish. Most of the fish that were holding up in the cold water like at the mouth of Bartholomew River were high tailing it up river. River levels were very good on the lower stretch of the river. They were landing a few salmon with sea lice. Byron said with the way temperatures are now and the weather forecast for the next week, the closure of pools should be opened again for fishing.

WW.Doaks and Sons said there were a few fish being hooked. A few reports of fresh fish being landed. Cooler nights with the rain should be good for fishing.

So with a hot spell on the Miramichi river for the second time in two years in July. And having to shut down many pools up and down the river because of warm water. Lets hope the hot weather is behind us and that cooler weather is here for fishing.

Who knows we may have an August to remember for Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi. I have had very good fishing in August before and dry flies will be awesome to use.

Flies of choice over the past week were green machines, silver doc, bear hairs, black bugs and many different bombers.

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

Closures to salmon fishing pools on the Miramichi

Atlantic Salmon Fishing on the Miramichi River for the second year in a row gets hit with hot weather and closures to salmon fishing pools. 

Yesterday Wednesday July 17, Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announced the closures of certain stretches of the Miramichi River system until river levels raise and cool down. This includes all types of species of fish by certain method. 

I am sure these decisions are thought over very well but closing it may not be the answer. It is too hot to be fishing though that's a fact for sure, with water temperatures from 74 to 83 (F) at times. But most places that get closed are cold water pools or brooks that are well watched over and protected very good by guides, anglers and lodges.  Many include using smaller leaders and barb-less hooks, that do attempt fishing in this heat and only in early mornings, let alone using only dry flies. Now those stretches will not be patrolled by these resources and unprotected when DFO is not around. Its a tough decision for DFO to close the river and is a hard decision to make. 

Closing the river down causes loss of work for many as well. Many people on the Miramichi river hurt from this and having it unprotected is hurting their livelihood. Fly shops, guides, lodges, grocery stores, restaurants, chefs and cooks are all effected by closing it down, not only the angler.

 Wilsons Sporting Camps said the water is still a good height but becoming very warm. Fish are all in the cold water this week and we are hooking no fish at this point. Even though salmon usually do not take a fly in this weather it is important to remain vigilant in your practice of safe fishing , hooking and releasing salmon. Wilson’s promotes very small flies and especially light leaders so one can break the fish off quickly. Please support conservation and poacher patrol by keeping our river open to angling even though we will not likely hook any salmon for the next few days. Even if the salmon will not take a fly under these conditions there are many of us that depend on still being able to go to work each day.

The Ledges Inn in Doaktown said fishing is slow and water is very warm. We have fish holding in our cold water pools. We are fishing very early mornings and late evenings weather and temperatures permitting. We landed a few fish the past week but only early mornings on small flies. A few grilse were landed by Sylvie Malo-Clark using a smurf and one of her husbands Burdock patterns. Dr. Scott Boley landed 3 fish the last on Blue Bomber, Black bug and a B.H Special. George Fraser landed a 14lber on a green machine, David Wilson landed a few grilse. Al Putman landed a few salmon at Mountain Channel. Jason White and Danny Bartlett landed a salmon and grilse on a WT Green machine. 

George Fraser

Nora Fraser 

Guide Chris Edmonds of Miramichi Fish And Game Club of the North West said river conditions were very warm and was looking like it would hit the low 80's again on Tuesday. Angler's were hooking a few fish on purple bombers. 

Byron Coughlan of Country Haven Lodge said fishing was very slow and only hooking a few fish in the mornings and a few in cold water pools. They were hooking a few on the lower stretch of the Cains River too. Flies of choice were mostly bombers on light leaders. 

Sean Dolan said hey Rodney. Enjoy reading your fishing reports every week. Hooked this bright salmon on a tributary of the Miramichi. Hooked on a brown bug with natural deer tail fished dry #6. 

Sean Dolan

Sean Dolan with same fish

Dry Fly Bug #6

Well fishing will be slow for another week or so but cooler temperatures are in the forecast with some rain. So lets hope we get it for the fish and all you anglers that enjoy fly fishing.
I will keep you posted on my blog on the river conditions. 

Until next time keep your feet wet and your reels screaming on the River.

Rodney Colford

Success in tough conditions

Atlantic salmon fishing is a cold water sport by far. And over the past week old Mother Nature has thrown lots of great weather too us, but the odd few of us are salmon fishermen and we like cloudy damp days 75% of the time. So if she could cool off a bit would be awesome to get the fish moving again.

Over the past week at the Ledges Inn where I guide some of the finest fishermen, in some of the finest pools on the Miramichi. We were fortunate to hook an above average amount of fish in these warm conditions.

Fishing early mornings were key to our guides success to having our clients hook up.

Mentioning a few names that were lucky to hook salmon were: Len Lockhart with a grilse taken on a Almost fly, Wes Armour with a grilse, Deni Losier landed a grilse and lost a salmon on a shady lady, Sandy Kitchen and Earl Brewer of Fredericton hooked 7 and landed 3 using an Almost and blue bombers, Jaques Penet landed a grilse on a Butterfly, Andrew Anthony's guest landed a 40 incher on one of my irresistible Adams patterns. Derek Muun and Dr. Boley have been landing a few each day.

Country Haven Fishing Lodge are also hooking a few according to guide Gary Colford. Pools on the Miramichi and Cains river have been successful for many guest.

Keith Wilson of wilson sporting camps said angling is slow over the past 4 days. The river level is good in the area of MacNamee just the temperatures are bad.

River temperatures are still ranging from 56 to 60 degrees in brooks in morning to night and up to 70 - 75 degrees out in the runs morning until night.

With very little rain expected in the forecast over the next week anglers are already starting to worry about the river shutting down.

So lets hope for a change in weather and cool nights to keep things fishable.

Pictured below is Sandy Kitchen with two nice salmon. And Len Lockhart with a grilse.

Until next week may you reels be screaming on the Miramichi.

Rodney Colford

Salmon in the system

Conditions were heating up on the river after a very hot day on Thursday.

A few anglers were hooking fish in the system, and many were hitting the water early mornings and late evenings do to the hot weather.

Guide Andrew Anthony of the Ledges Inn landed two grilse in the doaktown area of the river in the AM. Guide Rodney Colford and clients Jim Brown and son Tyler Brown both landed a grilse at Floes Pool in the late evening.

Much of the NW and SW were reporting hookups and seeing a good sign of fish through out the system.

River Temperatures were in the 70's on Thursday and air temperatures are expected to stay in the high 30's degrees (C) until Sunday with this high humidity.

Flies of choice were blue bombers, green machines, John Olin's and the almost.

Tight lines and 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.

Salmon run slowed a little on the Miramichi

Atlantic salmon fishing became very damp over the weekend as the river raised a couple feet.
Conditions remained clear with good visibility and a few fish were being hooked just the same.
Many fishermen said there were still a few salmon and grilse running, but the run seemed to slow down a tad from last weekend.
River temperatures are very good staying in the low 60's (F). Flies of choice were glitter bears, undertakers, Bonnie bells and green machines.
Tight lines Rodney Colford