Making Memories Fishing The Miramichi

Having a laugh at the Ledges Inn with the Campbell group 

Many memories are made salmon fishing on the Miramichi river, and fall salmon fishing is a time when many are made. So many of those memories are not from catching several fish, as it is to that particular fish that may have caused a heart stopping moment that you'll never forget for the rest of your life. For many, just to be there on such a beautiful river, watching the foliage change, perhaps seeing a deer or a moose come down to the rivers edge for a drink, having a beaver swim only a few feet from you, before slapping his tail to say this is my turf. All this and more is part of Atlantic salmon fishing on the Miramichi river.
 

Ledges Real Time Monitoring 

Keith Wilson of Wilson's Sporting Camps said they saw a few older fish and catching a few too, but know sign of any fall run. Keith said they usually see the fall run any-time from mid to late September and with all the high water hoping a bit sooner.

Martin Depuis and myself on the Cains Wednesday

The past week at The Ledges Inn was very slow with lots of rain and high water. We had a couple days that we were blown out and decided not to even fish. We started seeing a few fish on Monday, but was Tuesday before Veteran Guide Lloyd Lyons broke the ice when his client landed a grilse on a Yellow Ally Shrimp at the Car Pool. Guide Andrew Anthony ran the Cain's with a couple guest but had no hook-ups but saw several fish. Andrew said there we're many anglers fishing the Cains around Sabbies River and Salmon Brook. Notice the picture above from the Real Time Monitoring System. Normal conditions this is high in dry on land. Please check this site out at Miramichi River Environmental Assessment Committee if you haven't already.

Fishing Moores Pool Wednesday on the Cains

Country Haven Lodge on the lower stretch of the Miramichi said fishing was slow with the raise in water. They started hooking a few fish on Monday and a few more on Tuesday. Cains was treating them very good with a few fishermen.

Linda Warren of Princeton, MA

Dan Bullock of Bullock's Lodge in Boistown said angling was very challenging the past week. Dan said they had some success before the raise in water hooking a few fish and rolling many on Glitter Bears. Dan also said a monster male hook-bill 38 inches in length was landed by Linda Warren of Princeton, MA. Linda may have won her battle with this monster salmon, but her Sage Z-Axis was not so lucky, and may need to have some warranty work done on it. Fly of choice for Linda was created and dressed by her husband Bob Warren called the Cuttysark. That's a great memory Linda WTG! Dan also said he hopes we received our quota of rain for the season and expects good fishing in the coming days.

Fishing around the Mouth of Cain's River area is very slow with very high conditions. Anglers are picking up a few and seeing a few fish but conditions was very slow overall. River levels are at least 3 feet above normal conditions for this area of the river.

Remember back in July when we asked for more water to work with, when our river was low and warm. Well we got that wish since late July and that is a memory that will be with us for awhile to come.

http://www.mreac.org

Miramichi river levels were very high over the weekend again and looked more like spring fishing than fall fishing conditions. Conditions have improved and looks very promising heading into the weekend. There are a few fish around and may be even a few that have been hanging around in some pools way to long. Temperatures are awesome hoovering in the 50's (F).



So what excuses do we have this time salmon fishing, we can't say if the water was lower we could work with it. We could have more fish in the system for sure, but there are fish around to hook. Time is running out for 2013 salmon season and with know more time for excuses, it's time to get your lines tight.

Rodney Colford

Prayers being answered for Rain on the Miramichi

The hot topic on the Miramichi river is high water. Anglers were praying for rain all of July, and were their prayers ever answered for August. River levels are very high and leaving many pools barely fish-able for the most part. 

Temperatures are hovering around the 60 to 65 (F) and the clairity is tea like, which is always good color for fishing. 

Evelock Gilks of the Miramichi Salmon Club in Doaktown area said the water was very high and fishing was slow. They only landed 12 salmon with 12 anglers the past week. 

Derek Munn of the Ledges Inn said Miramichi River levels were very good for the month of August. Fishing was very good at the beginning of the week but slowed down the ladder part of the week. Hardy Rep David Bishop fished at the Ledges this week and had very good success using the two handed Hardy Spey Rods. 

Mountain Channel Lodge on the lower stretch of the river had good fishing the past week on both sides of the river. Water was high for the most part but we managed to pick up 3 or 4 salmon per day. We still have lots of openings available at very low special prices. Were only a few minutes from the tide water and fresh fish are always close by, so give a call or email for more information.

Keith Wilson of Wilson Sporting Camps said river levels were 6 inches above normal and was perfect for their section of the river, and they are hooking fish. Keith said don't forget the great deals on for August.

In the Boistown area of the river Dan Bullock of Bullocks Lodge said they hooked 6 salmon last week on the Morrison bug. Water was perfect, but raised another another foot to 18 inches since the weekend. Also raised a few fish on dry flies. We saw a few salmon jump yesterday but river needs to drop a foot to improve.

Byron Coughlan of Country Haven Lodge had some luck this week on a few rivers. Cains River and the SW Miramichi was the place to be for some of his clients as they landed a salmon most days this week. Salmon were up as far as Moores Pool on the Cains River in the Shinnickburn area of the river. Flies of choice were the Francine pattern that looked like a green machine and Red Francis. We only had one salmon with sea lice.

Paul Gillespie of Doaktown had very good luck fishing this week. Paul had some friends fishing with him and hooked well over 20 fish on dry and wet fly patterns. 

I landed a few salmon this week at The Ledges, and a couple had sea lice. Laurent St. Pierre of Montreal landed a 16lber on a glitter bear. I also landed a few on the Jon Olan pattern. Most pools are very high on the river and needs to drop in river levels to improve conditions.

Flies of choice for the past week have been a mix batch of patterns from small to big patterns, and a mix of sizes from number 8 to 1's. The pacasse yellow and orange, Green Spey, Green Machines, Glitter bears, Ally shrimps, GP'S and many bugs and a few bombers. 

Well with lots of water in the system and cool nights started. We should be set up good, going into the back part of the season. And looking like more rain in the forecast the next few days.

 So having your prayers answered for rain the past week its time to get up of your knees and go fishing, because we have enough water at the moment on the Miramichi River and tributaries. But if you decide to ask for bigger runs of fish, please do.

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

Rodney Colford