River Conditions are improving on the Miramichi

Miramichi river conditions are improving everyday, weather conditions and the river dropping is a big factor in getting the level back to late ideal summer conditions.

Beautiful Rainbow

Alanda Harrison with a salmon

With fall on our doorsteps, and cool mornings showing fog on the river already. It's beginning to look like fall fishing conditions in August. I've noticed several salmon that were very coloured and some looked like they were hook bills as they leaped through the air.

The last couple days should be bringing a few fresh fish in the system as high tides on the full moon usually does bring some runs, in late August.

Kelly Channel

I asked many fishermen what they do when the water is too high to fish.
And many anglers said they take the time in high water levels to Ty fly patterns that there out of. While many say they enjoy canoeing on the water in the afternoons, taking advantage of the beautiful weather were having in the later part of August.



With river levels dropping and pools starting to show their form, anglers are starting to land a few fish.



At the Ledges Inn in Doaktown were having some luck. I had clients Alanda Harrison and David Harding of PlasterRock land a salmon and a fresh sea liced covered grilse yesterday. Lloyd Lyons guided his clients to a 15 lb salmon using a GP. Conditions in the Doaktown stretch of the river is almost perfect.


Our Mountain Channel Lodge fished Cains River and client Tom Kleeman landed a nice fresh salmon at Moores Pool.

Tom Kleeman with a Cains Fish

Dan Bullock of Bullocks Lodge had a slow week in Boiestown with high water. Level has been improving and some fish are starting to show. Dan is expecting good fishing the next few days, and hoping to get some better conditions for dry fly fishing.

David Harding & Alanda Harrison

Country Haven Fishing Lodge in the Blackville area of the river said they had a very good week. Overall with the high water conditions they landed salmon everyday, but only a few grilse this week. Some fish are sea lice covered and more fish were showing the last couple days. Cains river was fishing good but fish weren't showing until taking the fly.

Wilson’s Sporting Camps said they are happy to report that the river is still much higher than normal for mid August. Combine this with cool nights and a good run of salmon, the result is better than average fishing in most areas . We are still getting mostly salmon, some very dark but some very fresh. One angler fishing near Bloomflield Ridge in Boistown on Friday and Saturday had exceptionally good fishing in deep fast moving water on a size 8 Bonnie Belle . The pools are starting to take shape again so it looks like a good week ahead for fly-fishing Atantic salmon on the Miramichi River.

Miramichi Salmon Club in the Blissfield area said angling was slow the last week with not much sign of any fish. But the last couple days things starting to improve with some fresh fish being landed.

Alanda Harrison with a close up of her salmon

Anglers near the mouth of Cains River were hooking fish on dry flies but said water could be down a foot too a couple feet to improve.

If your in the area and fishing gear is on the menu drop by WW.Doaks for all your fly fishing supplies and local fishing reports.

Canoers high fiving after falling out of the boat.

Flies of choice again seems to be a mixture of what you throw at the fish. Dry flies are working, I landed a few on glitter bears, a few on a Dylan Spey, apache shrimp and green machines.

With the third week of August in the books and looking very good for the last week of August. We should see some exceptional salmon fishing for late August through September moving forward.

So if you can get time to throw a line, it should be very promising results the rest of the season.

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

Rodney Colford