Extraordinary fishing in Cains River

Extraordinary fishing in Cains River for early August. The lower stretch of the Cains was fishing very good Tuesday as many anglers were hooking up or limiting out. Peter Beardsworth and his sons Adam and Chris were fishing with me as we hooked into several salmon and it seemed like every second fish was covered in sea lice. We landed 9 salmon and hooked another 6 all on dry flies.

We returned yesterday and I hooked 4 and landed 2 by noon. My son Zachery landed a 20lb, 15lb and a grilse in the early afternoon also on dry flies. I also saw several locals fishing and many with fresh fish being landed. Flies of choice for many were brown and orange colored bombers and a few on green machines.

Steven Moody of Wades Fishing Lodge was also hooking a few fish. They were hooking fish in the home pool and on the Cains he said. His father Peter who never fished before landed his first on Monday using a bomber. I also tailed two salmon for Lester Vickers on the Cains River, he was using a white tail green machine.

On Lower stretch of the Main SW Miramichi River fishermen at Mountain Channel Club were hooking a few fish even though water levels were on the high side.

The Hershey Pool was fishing very well as Doctors Island were hooking fish almost every day there. They were also hooking fish at their home pool in Blackville.

Black Brook Salmon Club near the mouth of Cains River was having very good luck both on the Miramichi and Cains. Most fish seem to be running on the Camp side and heading up the Cains River.

In the Doaktown area Derek Munn of the Ledges Inn said fishing was good and there were good numbers of fish in all of their pools. He also said fish were getting very selective to fly patterns and they had to go with smaller flies to hook up. Flies of choice were green butt bear hairs, brown and blue bombers.

Local anglers on the North West Miramichi are still hooking a few fish. Between the bridges fishing has slowed down as it is hook and release, but anglers who do get out are seeing their share of fish they tell me. Fishermen fishing near Trout Brook are also hooking some fish. Trout Brook Fly Shop is the place to stop at while fishing the North West for that certain fly or type of gear that others may not have. It is also a great place to get the best fish report on the river as many guides and anglers are in daily.

Local fly shops on the river are always on hand to help you. Check with Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters, Doaks Fly Shop, Herb Barry’s Fly Shop and Georges Fly Shop for the gear you need. These shops all carry different gear so call or check them out when fishing.

When on the River fishing and your limit out early, places to check out is the Atlantic Salmon Museum where you will see lots of history on fly fishing. They have a great selection in their gift shop and such items as the Miramichi River Map, Doug Underhill’s new book Salmon Country along with much more.

McCormack Adventures in Boistown said fishing was very good last week. Many guest said they saw or hooked fish in the mornings. They also reported that tubing in the afternoons was going good while the fishermen take their rest. They also have canoes and kayaks available.

The river temperature is almost perfect and averaging in the 60’s (F). The river levels are a bit high for the lower parts of the river, but it makes it very good for the middle and upper stretches of the river and keeps the fish moving with this high water. Flies of choice are still the summer favorites’ like the green machines, green butts, undertakers and all sorts of bombers for the dry flies.

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

Salmon move upstream

Salmon fishing on the Miramichi is going well and there is good signs of fish in the river. Water levels are very good and temperatures are in the low 50s F the past week. The river had a good rise from the last storm and some fresh salmon decided to make there move upstream so we can have our last chance into hooking a beautiful hook-bill.

Cains River hook-bills are well on there way as anglers at the mouth of Cains are hooking fish and seeing good signs of fish. Black Brook Salmon Club this week are catching a few fish and one hitting the 26-pound mark by Jeff Shearer.

<---Jeff also limit out the day before on the same fly, this fly was tied out of purple marabou on a 1/0 hook.

Guide Donald Colford with the net weighing Jeff's fish.

Other fishermen were hooking fish on GPs, LTs, green slimes, allies orange and purple and bombers, yes bombers. We are still getting fish on bombers in late afternoons. They are also hooking fish at the Island pool on the Cains about a mile up from the mouth.

Johnny Vickery of Bangor, Me. landed a few salmon this week on bombers at Pool 66. David Miller of South Carolina fished six days and hooked a nice 15-pounder on his last evening of fishing. He was using a purple ally shrimp Number 6.

Rob Strange landed a couple grilse on a under-taker at Pool 66. Anglers at Wade's Fishing Lodge was hooking a few fish and one fish was well over 25 pounds and was hooked on a Allies Cascade. Ken MacCloud of Nova Scotia landed a grilse on a GP.

<----Joel Kitchen with a nice hen salmon on the Miramichi!

Country Haven Lodge are hooking fish everyday in the Main SW and also on the Cains. Guide Gary Colford was hooking two or three fish a day at Moore's pool near Shinnickburn and saw many fish running through. Vickers Salmon Pools are hooking a few fish and Marty Vickers landed a grilse at the Washburn Island pool on a streamer pattern.

I fished the North West this week before the rise and had no luck. Water was low and had not raised up, sorry I have no report from the NW after the rain.

With periods of rain for today this should set up the rivers for the last week of the season pretty good. I expect to see many anglers on the Cains this weekend and keeping there fingers crossed for some big fish.

So get some good flies for the last run at them, and try those marabou patterns as they do work very well in this cold water.

Let me know of that fish of your dreams caught on the beautiful Miramichi. So keep your rods high and your reels screeching until next week have 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 fly-fishermen in the world for 27 years. His fishing reports appear every Thursday.

High river levels on the Miramichi

Update on the river levels on the SW Miramichi river for October 3rd 2010. Water was very dirty today on the main river and the Cains. The levels were very high and must of been a 2 foot rise at the most, it was still rising at noon today. There were leaves and debris in the water and very murky. Not many fish showing but there were a few if you had patients to stay for a while. I fished the mouth of Cains river this morning and only heard of 2 fish being caught at Black Brook in the cleaner water coming into the river.

My father Gary Colford guiding for Country Haven fished the Cains river at Moore's pool and only saw one fish at the lower end of the pool.

Why are the fish not taking? any theories on it? Have the fish been in the river too long, or is it they are spawning, is it our methods of fishing changing as to patterns, is the water now too high or too cold to warm. Is there a fall run yet to come into the river and where are those big hook-bills? Let me know your thoughts by using the comments on the bottom of this post.

Tight lines and tighter loops!

Rodney Colford

Salmon active as season winds down

With days winding down for salmon fishing on the beautiful Miramichi River, it seems like it was only yesterday that we were watching the ice breaking up and getting ready for the opening day. The rush of anglers scrambling to get their last casts of the season in before Oct. 15 is on its way.

<-----Troy Adams with a 20 plus hook-bill!

<-----Troy's wife Marilyn Mallet with a salmon! Who say's women can't fish!!

Reports from up and down the river has fishermen catching and seeing lots of fish. Tyler Story of the MSA said the counters on the Northwest Miramichi were getting about 30 fish per day while the Southwest was getting 10 to 15 per day. Tyler also said he did not see many anglers fishing on the North West, but thought the conditions would be very good for fishing and said he may give it a try on the weekend. I may also give it a try.

Larry Porter of the Hershey Club in the Blackville area on the Southwest Miramichi netted a couple grilse for his sport and saw many other fish jumping in the pool. Across the way at Hogan's Pool we hooked three grilse and a salmon and saw many fish moving through as they jumped up over the bar. A couple of the grilse had massive kipes (hooks) and very sharp teeth with beautiful colors as we released them on their way.

<----This is Troy Adams and his son! landing a big one!

Emery Brophy of Black Brook Salmon Club this week said they were averaging good numbers of fish and Monday alone released 16 salmon. Solar Salmon Club near Upper Blackville also was catching good numbers of fish. Larry Vanperson of Bangor was averaging a couple salmon a day while other members were doing the same.

Byzie at Country Haven said fishing was very good and anglers were hooking up in most pools from Doaktown to Quarryville. Steven Heinz and David Kirstein of Maine had good fishing with guide Randall Connors, netting a 20-pound hen and a 15-pound hook-bill on an Alley Shrimp. Steven said he was out fished but had a great trip just the same.

<----Steven Heinz and David Kirstein of Maine

Many other anglers landed fish this week. Damir Sahic of Fredericton landed a few salmon and Jacques Heroux landed a salmon on Sunday at Pool 66.

<----Jacques Heroux with a salmon.

Steven Heinz and David Kirstein of Maine

James Vickers fished the mouth of Cains river this week and landed a few salmon and grilse with Axel of Ontario and Jim Corrigan of British Columbia. Peter Doiron landed a salmon and a grilse on a copper killer and a General Practianer. Up river in the upper stretches of the Southwest, Jason McCallum fished at Half Moon and never saw a fish but water was dirty at the time and had heard there was a grilse landed up river further.

<---This Damir Sehic of Fredericton area.

Wilson's Sporting Camps in the middle section of the Southwest Miramichi were seeing lots of fish and said conditions were very good. They were also hooking fish on small No. 10 flies of any pattern and later hooked some on bigger flies.

Cains River has good water levels and there are fish in most pools. I have not heard of any fish being landed with sea lice on them yet but would think the time is here and anglers will be hooking into some fresh fish this week.

I fished at Moores Pool this week with my father, Gary Colford, John Conley, Jim McClearin, Terry Paige and Doc Maiorino. They all hooked fish and said there were good numbers of fish in both the Cains and the Miramichi. River conditions were very good and temperatures are in the 50sF (10sC) with more rain in the forecast.

<---Steven Heinz and David Kirstein of Maine.

If you're heading out and looking for a public stretch on the Southwest, drop in to the Atlantic Salmon Museum in Doaktown, W.W.Doaks, Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters and get your Miramichi River Maps which shows all the public water.

The Dieppe Fly Fishing Forum will hold its seventh edition on March 27-28, 2011 at the Dieppe NBCC. For more information on this great fly fishing show, visit their web site at www.flyfishingforum.ca or call Ron Godin at 506-859-7289. I hope to see you there.

<----School teacher Rob Strange of Fredericton landing a salmon at pool 66 on the weekend.

<----Rob senior with a salmon as well.

The choice of flies this week seem to be of no particular pattern or size. We took fish on hooks as small as number 12's to 1/0. Flies like your shrimp patterns, black ghost, shady ladies, copper killers, LT's and almost your fly box if you could tie it on. Yes, they were taking different patterns up and down the river, so try em all. I would like to thank all the fishermen for their reports on their fishing and very sorry if I missed your catch this week.

Let me know of that fish of your dreams caught on the beautiful Miramichi. So keep your rods high and your reels screeching until next week have 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 fly-fishermen in the world for 27 years. His fishing reports appear every Thursday in the Times & Transcript

These are 'tying' times for fishing

On the Miramichi River system this week, there hasn't been much fishing to talk about except the weather. Heat was the topic and early morning dashes to the river seem to be the most excitement for most fisherman during the high humidity.

Most anglers took the time to tell stories on the banks of the river or practise their casting. Others said tying flies at times like this made for better days and gives the fish a break.

We all know the weather is very important topic when it comes to fishing and the heat is not the best topic for Atlantic salmon or us anglers when fishing. But after weeks of dry weather with only a few showers to be heard of, 40 to 50 millimetres of rain (about two inches) are forecast for this weekend.

Well that's enough to get excited about. It gives us hope that conditions will be much improved next week.

If the heavy rains come, what can we expect from our rivers?

With the rivers being so low and the water temperatures so high, it has to be better for the fish whatever precipitation comes from Hurricane Earl.

I would think the first day or two from a raise in water it will be very dirty from all the algae we have on the bottom of the rivers at this time. Let's hope when the rain comes it rises the water and puts lots more fish in from the bay to tighten our lines.

There were a few fish landed last weekend after a couple cool nights on the lower stretches. Saturday and Sunday morning seemed to be the first mornings that the fish wanted to take in a few days. Local anglers at Pool 66 hooked fish with one weighing in at 20 pounds. There were a few more around the 15-pound range and a couple of grilse. Flies of choice were brown bombers and small black patterns for the wet flies.

Black Brook Salmon Club also hooked a few fish Saturday and Sunday morning with the brown bomber with white ends being the fly. They said there were plenty of fish holding at the brook and early morning was the better time to fish as fish moved throughout the pool.

Monday at Pool 66 Steve Smith landed and released a grilse on a blue bomber and was netted by Dennis Grant. Joel Kitchen had a couple friends from Ontario fishing with him and landed a 35-pound salmon at Pool 66. They also lost a grilse. The fly of choice was a woolly bugger. I told him he must of been trying everything he had to get to the woolly bugger. It worked and that is all that counts under these conditions so I think I will dig mine out - if I can find them.

Wilson's Sporting Camps said there are plenty of salmon holding in their pools and are taking very well in the mornings. They urged people to take caution in the heat and to break fish off after the hook-up. Bombers were working best in the pools.

Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters had a good event over the weekend as Dennis Grant hosted a fly-casting school. They had a very good turnout on each day including myself for Saturday afternoon. It was a fun time for beginners to the more experienced casters. They said fishing was very slow but a lot of fisherman were in the shop getting flies. There were a few anglers that hooked fish on bombers and bear hairs but most were waiting for the weather to change.

The Cains River is very low and fish are holding in the cold water brooks. The Renous River is also extremely low and warm with fish holding wherever there is cold water flowing in. The Northwest Miramichi has fish holding in the cold brooks and there are rumours of fish in the tide waiting for a raise in water to get them moving upstream.

I hope this is the last of our hot humid weather and conditions will soon improve for your fall salmon fishing. The forecast for the next couple weeks is below seasonal temperatures so things are starting to look up with the rains we are expected to get. September is always a big fish month, so I look forward to hearing from you for that big fish being landed.

A tip for the anglers who have boats anchored or seats/benches out on a gravel bars - keep an eye out as the water may rise quickly and these items could be gone the next morning.

Let me know of that fish of your dreams caught on the beautiful Miramichi. So keep your rods high and your reels screeching until next week have 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 fly-fishermen in the world for 27 years. His fishing reports appear every Thursday in the Times & Transcript.

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.