May on the Banks of The Miramichi River

What more could we ask for this third weekend of May on the Banks of The Miramichi River. Well I bet if you ask just about any Atlantic Salmon angler, that first catch of the bright's, on a new season are remarkably one of the greatest hook ups one can have the honour off catching. This beautiful chrome football shaped animal that swims our mighty rivers are amongst the King of the sport fish of our wonderful planet. And people all over the world have this same religion for the Atlantic salmon as you do. And yes this is the weekend the past 3 or 4 years to start the ball rolling.

 For many anglers it's all about the take when you have that lucky chance of seeing the roll or swirl as it takes your fly and then like a bolt of lightning your reel is screaming out into the backing and just when you think you have time, you see the end of the spool on your reel and your running out of line. And if your lucky, really lucky, you will have the chance to start running the shore line and  retrieve some of the line before he (the salmon) takes control and does it all over again. What more excitement in fishing can you have than to have this happen on the first runs of Atlantic's.

Many fishermen and fisher-women are fishing for sea run trout coming into the system on the river. Anglers are catching a few trout in the 10 to 16 inch range. But no sign of any fresh trout yet from my contacts on the river. The gaspereau nets are down in the lower stretches of the river, the fiddle heads are up, so as we all know this is around the time the trout and salmon should be coming along.

And with the in between time laggering here on the Miramichi all we can do is wait for the salmon and trout to arrive. There is a very good volume of water and fish will have very little trouble coming in. And to some anglers on the lower stretches of the Main Miramichi this can be very tough as the fish can be just about anywhere. Most of the rivers like the Main SW, NW, Little SW and Renous are still high and could use a bit of a drop to help form the pools or have the fish hold up a little.

The weather has not been the best as we have been getting very high amounts of rain on the Miramichi over the past couple weeks. But the sky seems to be brightening up for the weekend and following week and should get the rivers into a great form for fishing.

Reports on the Restigouche River has over half dozen bright's landed that we know off. What more could get our hearts pumping here on the Miramichi than to hear about our northern river of the province hooking their first runs of bright's. Oh man, Oh man the season is starting.

Flies for the up coming weeks: Now that you can use singles and doubles with barbs as of the 15th of May you still should think about going barbless to help with releasing fish. I would suggest size 2 to 6 depending on the river your fishing you may want to go smaller sizes. Green Machines, Shady Ladies, Undertakers, Black Ghost, Butterflies and many many other great patterns.

Over the next week or the next few days someone will have the chance to catch the first Bright Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi River system. And if you do please send us the picture and I will have it posted for you. All I need is a photo and or size of your catch, what fly, what river, we do not need the name of the pool or area you caught the fish. Just to know there in the system would be good. To view photos of my reports please go to my blog. You can contact me at www.miramichifishingreports.blogspot.com .


LOST BOAT AND MOTOR
Reward Offered
12 foot aluminium boat & 4 hp Mercury Motor
Boat lost from the Blissfield area.
If you have information please call 506-365-8940 or 506-432-0563.


Until next week may your reels be screaming on the Miramichi.
Rodney Colford Is a third generation salmon-fishing-guide and fly tier on the SW Miramichi River. I have guided fishermen ranging from greenhorns to some of the finest fly fishermen in the world for 27 years. Fly tying since I was ten years old and having the opportunity to fish with anglers all over the world. My favorite fishing buddies are my kids Laura (12) and Zachery(14) which both have caught there own Atlantic Salmon at age 4 & and 7. My fishing reports appear every Thursday in the Moncton Times & Transcript.

Pat Colford

Clark Hallman

Lunch break

Ray Walker

Ray Walker

Rod on a nice rainy day

My Daughter Laura

Laura practising her guiding at age 12

Laura and friends

I got this late report on a few trout and a very good story about what the trout was having for dinner!

Kyle Donovan's boys with a nice 3lb+ trout

This trout a had nice rat in his mouth when they landed it, tail was still hanging out of the mouth! 

Same trout and rat and the ones that did not get away!.

Fishing waters opening up but they're very low

With just a little over a week away on the Miramichi River ice out conditions are rapidly improving with the mild weather we are having. The lower stretches of the river the ice has cleared up from the mouth of Cains River on down through the village of Blackville. Renous River is open in places but also has very low levels.

In the upper Miramichi River area Keith Wilson of Wilson Sporting Camps said the water is low as summer and if it was June it would be perfect conditions. With a few warm days and all the snow in the woods we should see normal conditions later.

Derrick Munn of the Ledges Inn in Doaktown sad the ice is slowly rotting away with a few open spots here and there. He said we also need some rain and some warmer weather to get things moving on the river.

The river levels are very low and without some rain and milder temperatures boating does not look very good for the river on opening day. Temperatures do look promising on the weekend with highs of 12 C on Saturday which will raise the river some. And without some rain or snow melting in the woods the smaller rivers like the Cains, Renous, Little SW Miramichi and the Upper Stretches of the Main SW and NW Miramichi will be very hard going for boaters.

Also fisherman that are wading safety is always an issue in the spring as ice jams does change the bottom of the river from year to year. So please be careful out there when you have that 40 plus inch salmon on. It would be a good idea to check with your local fly shops in the areas for good places for wading to fish spring salmon, as most places

do not mind you fishing in the spring. Fly Shops to call is W.W.Doak & Sons Doaktown, Curtis Fly Shop Blackville, Herbs Fly Shop Blackville, Georges Fly Shop Renous, Trout Brook Fly Shop on the NW. They all have a very good supply of spring fishing gear and can tell you (or sell you) what is the best to use in the low or high water conditions.

I will look forward to hearing from you with all your catches on the river. Pictures would be good too of the big ones. Please practice proper releasing methods so not to hurt the fish when taking them out of the water for your photo. Also remember to pinch your barbs and singles hooks only. And until next week and from the Banks of the Miramichi River this is Rodney Colford.

Big rise in water levels

Miramichi fishing reports for the morning of October 8th. We have a good rise in water this morning on the Cains, it must be up almost 2 feet in Shinnickburn area. We saw some fish jumping but had none that were interested in our flies. The Miramichi is up on the SW about 18 inches or more on the lower stretch, and salmon are still not opening there mouths! The guy I am fishing with had a pull this morning but only from me sneaking behind him and pulling his line as we laughed from being beat from these Atlantic's again.

If you take notice on my last report I added it and it dated October 5th. There are some nice photos to see there. I am not changing it as it takes to long to reload the photos. Have a look and I will add more to this section tonight. Tight Lines, Rodney Colford

Midday Fishing Report

Miramichi fishing report for Monday September 20th. Fishing the last few days has been great! just the catching has been tough! The river levels are perfect on the South West Miramichi and there are a few fish starting to come in with sea lice! I would expect the big fish should be starting very soon to come in from the estuary. The water temperatures are also very good and going from 50 F in the mornings and to 60 F by the evening. There are anglers hooking up and most seem to be in the morning fish. Flies of choice are Allies, GP's, Copper Killer's and still a few dry flies.

Back in a day or two with a full update and catches of fish!! If you have a catch that you would like posted please send it a long and I will gladly mention it for you. And your photos too! miramichifishingreports@hotmail.com

Tight Lines,

Rodney

August salmon fishing conditions improving

Fly fishing conditions on the Main South West Miramichi over the past week was awesome depending on the stretches you fished. With a few showers and cool nights air temperatures dropped to 8C over the weekend. Which made the fishing very good as the river temperatures got down into the low 60's and up to mid 70's on warmer afternoons.

Certain pools on the river are holding fish and when the temperatures drop, the fish move around through out the pools. This making the fishing very active and great for the dry fly fisherman as you can get a fish too roll several times for the fly. Anglers near the mouth of Cains River had great

fishing too as many limit out from Friday to Tuesday morning until the heat wave hit us.

Laura Colford, 10-year-old daughter of Times & Transcript

columnist Rodney Colford, caught her first fish of the 2010 season, weighing in at 15 pounds.

I had a good friend Mike Levine from New Jersey fishing with me as he landed 4 grilse and 2 salmon all on bombers I tied. My daughter Laura age 10 hooked and landed her first of the season

weighing 15lbs. I managed to land 4 grilse and release them all on dry flies over the week. Maurice Mallet hooked 4 and landed a grilse. Troy Adams lost a salmon on a dry fly and rolled a few more as Troy and his wife Marilyne got away for the weekend to the Miramichi. Donnie Keenan landed a grilse on one of my Whiskers Monday afternoon.

Black Brook Salmon Club was also having a good weekend on through to Tuesday as many members and guest had 1, 2 and even 4 fish per day. Head guide Gayden Curtis said most fish were taken on brown bombers, green machines and small black flies and some fish had sea lice.

Wilson's Sporting Camps on the Upper Stretches said they are putting the bomber fishermen on notice . The conditions are ideal for good bomber fishing , the water is at a normal August level and still a good flow in most pools. We are seeing a lot of fish down low in the pools as well as a few still moving through. Flies of the day were the bombers.

Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters were getting reports of a few fish being hooked. Fisherman were hooking a few at Corn Bar in Blackville as Ian Fortune was one to limit out on Monday. Curin Baker of England lost a salmon as well. Bombers were the fly of choice for the day.

Chris Edmond's reported fishing Sunday on the NW at the Chimney Pool. They got into a few fish on Alley Shrimps, GP and Silver rat. He also said the river was low but very good temperatures which helped in hooking up. He also saw a deer crossing the river and a small bear following very close behind the deer. I also had a couple guys in from Woodstock that were fishing the crown water on the NW and they said water was low and warm but did see a few fish, but had no takers.

I had reports from some fisherman fishing on the Cain's River. Pools like Salmon Brook, and the Brophy Pool have fish holding. James Trenholm said they were on the Cains and the water was very warm. They saw some fish but none were taking on there trip.

The middle of August is now closely approaching the river and so far it has been a very good season minus a couple hot weeks we had in July. Lets hope with a little luck we can have a great start to a Fall season and catch some massive salmon up and down the river and tributaries. And with some rain in the forecast next week and below seasonal temperatures the rest of August we may just get some good fishing.

Tip of the week when tying an Improved Clinch Knot please make sure to tighten the knot before clipping the remaining leader. If you hook a salmon with a loose knot that is cut short it may tighten with the fish and untie before you can say fish on. So tighten it good and leave it a bit longer when using a dry fly, wet flies too if you use a clinch knot. 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 flyfishermen in the world for 27 years. His fishing reports appear every Thursday in the Times & Transcript.

Opening Week of Spring Fishing On Miramichi

Fishing on the Miramichi was far from fun as the weather was not cooperating very well with reggit temperatures, rain, snow and hail hitting us most of the time as anglers were fishing.

Most boats on the lower stretch was catching fish as we passed them by and the nets out ready to get the fish in the boat and back into the water with a easy release from there barb-less hooks. The first day saw some huge fish from 32 to 40 inches in size. Also some trout in the mix from 10 to 16 inches or so. With water being so low most boats were turning to there trolling methods to cover more area of the river. The group landed 40 fish opening day of the season and most hooked on Renous & Christmas Tree patterns.

This is a photo of Danny Colford of Howards landing a nice salmon at the ferry block pool! Danny was guided by his brother David driving the boat.

Monday April 19th:

This is Ron Falusy enjoying a rainy day on the Mighty Miramichi River after releasing a salmon that was hooked in the dorsal fin and took us 300 yards down stream. Ron also landed a salmon with the ado-pis fin punched and a tag in the dorsal fin.

River conditions are a little slow but there are fish around. We had the chance today to see several fish in the shallow water and they would not take any of our flies we threw at them. We did manage to land 2 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. The fish we saw seem to be holding, lets hope the river will raise a bit and get them moving.

For some information on the area we are fishing please drop by the local Atlantic Salmon Museum for your copy of there map book. Or you can have them send it to you and it's a great way of finding all the open water pools on the Main South West Miramichi River. Web site for the museum is www.atlanticsalmonmuseum.com and ask for Linda Gaston.

Flies of choice for the week were Christmas tree, Renous Special, Golden Eagle and Black Ghost. We were using 3/0 hooks with pinched barbs and it really made releasing them easy.

For more information or want to have your report posted please give me a shout at miramichifishingreports@hotmail.com and I will post it for you and your friends to see.

Tighter lines,

Rodney Colford

Miramichi Looking Up For The Start Of The Season

Colfords Miramichi Fishing Reports for the lower section of the Main South West Miramichi River.

No worries for gravel bars today on the Main SW Miramichi River with water being very high and a beautiful day with a high of 17 C and makes you want to be on the water fishing.

These photos from Doaktown to Quarryville are over the last couple days. My last post said that the fish would be out of the river by the 15th? I meant that for the Cains River and not the Miramichi. And who says I no for sure if there going to be out of the river? As we all no that Atlantic Salmon have a mind of there own and what we think we no of them it can change the next time. Maybe what keeps us fishing them.

Here is a photo of the river in Doaktown today as you can see very little ice about eh! Don't forget to stop at W.W. Doak for supplies when in Doaktown for Sage products.

Looking up from the Upper Blackville bridge and feeling the pain of wanting to go out there fishing!!!! Taking that sinking line and casting or trolling and feeling that line tighten when it grabs your fly over the long winter months of not being able too! I'm sure you feel the same way.

This is a photo off the Howard Road looking at the river between Upper Blackville bridge and the Mouth of Cains River.

This photo looking at doctors Island yesterday and had plenty of ice in the river.

And here you can see lots of ice in the Quarryville area of the river.

As for salmon flies I still have lots available and still taking orders for more if you want them ready for what looks to be and could be one of the best seasons to come!!! I have talked to older guides like Pat Brophy and Malcolm McCormack and they said the fish will no when to get out of the river and usually when the 15th of April gets here is when they start to make there way down the river. And said the water will come up as high as the ice along the shore line and yes its up that far now!

And for any information you need please ask me anytime like Samuel Poirier with a photo of his first Atlantic Salmon ever last fall, he also asked for a few tips on fishing.

For more reports on the ice conditions along the river and tributaries else where check out Doug Underhills reports of the Miramichi and Keith Wilson on the upper stretches of the SW Miramichi river. And for the the Lowest Stretch on the Miramichi river check out Byron Coughlan reports of Country Haven.

If you want to subscribe to my blog please enter your email free of charge and get updates of the river. Or if you have something you want to post for the viewers to see from a fish to a fishing lodge for sale, please send it along or contact me with info how to have it posted here or on my website.

So until next time tight Lines,

Rodney Colford

Ice Conditions

Colfords Miramichi River Reports for March 17th 2010. First off, A Happy New Year to all and hope you enjoy the reports for another season. With fishing season less than a month away and anglers getting excited for the first cast, everyone is wondering how the ice conditions are on the Miramichi River. I have a few photo's for you from around the area of Blackville.



This is at the Upper Blackville Bridge

The ice does not look like it is very thick in these photos. The mild weather were having appears that the ice may be out sooner than we would want for fishing season. The river is very low and boating may be very hard to get to places this spring as well.

Just a reminder does everyone have there boaters operating card?







This is at the Blackville Bridge.







This is looking up towards Doctors Island.





Salmon Flies: I have several spring & Summer salmon patterns tied if anyone wants an order please email me and I will get them done for you. I have Renous Special, Golden Eagles, Black Ghost, Elmer Specials, Christmas Trees, Red & Green Eagles and Blue Smelts for spring flies.



















I will be back tomorrow with more photos and an update of the ice out conditions.

Tight Lines, Rodney Colford

Heavy Rains Hits the Miramichi Area But Not before the Fish are in the Net.

Colfords Miramichi Fishing Reports For Oct 5th 2009 by Guide Rodney Colford. Its been a fun few days on the Miramichi for David Jap of Germany and Christian Stathis of New York. They both arrived in some of the lowest waters we had this 2009 season to leave to some of the highest in years for fall fishing on the Miramichi. It was a very good week fishing and the catching was not bad too, as you will see from the photo's. The above photo is davids 1st for Sunday of 4 fish hooked for the day.
This is Christian with a 15 plus salmon at Moores Pool on the Cains and 1 of six salmon for his week.
This is a photo of us having a cook-out on the Cains before the heavy rains struck us.

In route to a pool on the Miramichi and some happy fisherman at that.This is Christian casting a single hand rod.David Jap holding one of his 13 fish he landed over the last several days in Canada.He is releasing it back to the Cains, this fish was hooked at Moores Pool on a Ally Shrimp.This fish was caught above the Mouth of Cains River and gave a ver good fight and was out into the backing a couple times before I netted it for David.This is the only grilse we got on a dry fly, and it was a brown bomber orange hackle.This a grilse Christian got and it had sea lice on it and a tag. Caught on the lower stretches of the Miramichi.
Christian Stathis with a male salmon and a great fighter too.
This is a photo of the Moore's Pool on the Cains at 8:30 am Monday morning today. Notice the other pictures of the same pool and after just the night the seat in the photos. The water was raising almost 1 foot per hour all day for a while.Looking down stream this morning on the Cains River.
Last night David with his 3rd fish of the day.
This is me holding Davids 2nd fish of the day. And we caught all our fish on a Ally Shrimp.
This is Randy of Wades fishing in the home pool.
This is some fisherman canoeing before the 2nd raise in water.

.The famous Green Machine and also a beat up one after landing a few fish.
A photo of the Cains before the rise in water.
The home pool in front of the lodge.
Here is a tube fly called a Willie Gun. A very productive pattern.


This is a picture of our Lodge from the Hershey Club on the Miramichi.
This photo of us on route to the Cains. This is guys dad was guiding from Country haven. They were from Maine and were enjoying there fishing on the Miramichi and Tributaries.

The weather over the next few days looks like more showers for the Miramichi area. Lets hope it does not amount to much and maybe things will pick up again.

I have this report from Bob Wallace: Good Morning Rodney, got back from my trailer at Hennessey's on Friday. With the rise of water from the Rain Sunday and Monday, made fishing better, then what it had been. I took a big Salmon on Monday Night on a #6 Cain's River Special and then took two more on the same fly Wednesday night. With the luck that I had, I thought with the rise of water, there would of been more Fresh run fish in the river then what we were seeing. I stopped before the bridge at Quarryville, to see how many fishermen were fishing, and there were a pile of them, so there must still be some fall run fish still in that area.

Another report from Larry Vanperson of Salor Haven fishing club: they were hooking fish and he landed a salmon. Another guy landed a 52 inch fish with them, he said they may have photos on a disposable camera. I will keep you posted if I get the photo.

My father Gary Colford landed a salmon last night on the Cains as well and in the lower parts of Moore's Pool.

The rain brought some high water to us and until dark this evening it was still raising. At times today it was rising at least a foot per hour. It must have raised 8 feet! I expect without rain and debris we may get into fish 24 to 48 hours. Or maybe in the morning EH! ha ha! You got to think positive!! My grand father always told me that? The river was very dirty all day with almost every cast hooking grass and sticks. But towards the end of the day things did look better.

I also want to note that most of the fishing is being done by Spey Rods and anglers are finding it so much easier in the high water conditions to cast. So when coming fishing if you have a Spey Rod please bring it with you and a single rod as well. I do not mention on my web site much about bringing Spey Rods to the Miramichi but I will update that information soon for the 2010 season.

All for tonight and I hope every one enjoys the photos of our beautiful Miramichi River and Tributaries.

Tight Lines,
Rodney