Miramichi Fishing Report for Thursday, July 28, 2016

Angling had been decent to quite good last weekend before the heat brought fishing to a crawl, and the implementation of the closure of identified cold water pools.

Notice to Recreational Anglers Fisheries and Oceans Canada Gulf Region: Salmon angling on the Miramichi River

Moncton – July 25, 2016 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada wishes to inform the public that the following 25 salmon fishing pools will be closed to angling for all species of fish, for cause of high water temperature and low water levels. These changes are effective as of Tuesday, July 26, 2016:

• Confluence of Wildcat Brook and Northwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Wildcat Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Trout Brook and Northwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Trout Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Harris Brook and the Little Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Harris Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Parks Brook and the Little Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Parks Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Gray Rapids Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Gray Rapids upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to Route 118, an area locally known as Pete’s Brook;
• Confluence of Hudson Brook and the Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Hudson Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of the Bartholomew River and the Little Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of the Bartholomew River upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to the Highway # 8 bridge;
• Confluence of Mersereau Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Mersereau Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Morse Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Morse Brook upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to Howard Road;
• Confluence of McKenzie Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of McKenzie Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Black Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Black Brook upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to South Cains River Road;
• Confluence of Donnelly Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Donnelly Brook upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to the South Road Bridge;
• Confluence of Mill Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Mill Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth.
• Confluence of Big Hole Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Big Hole Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Betts Mills Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Betts Mills Brook upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to Highway # 8;
• Confluence of Porcupine Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Porcupine Brook upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to Story Town Road;
• Waters of the Renous River surrounding the pump house located at N 46.86483, W 65.67698 (WGS 84);
• Confluence of Butty’s Brook and Renous River, and the waters of Butty’s Brook from its confluence with the Renous River to South Renous Road, an area locally known as Duffy’s Brook;
• Confluence of Otter Brook and Cains River, including the waters of Otter Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth. An area locally known as Brophy’s Place;
• Confluence of Cold Brook and Cains River, including the waters of Cold Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Salmon Brook and Cains River, including the waters of Salmon Brook upstream from its confluence with the Cains River to South Cains River Road;
• Confluence of Muzroll Brook and Cains River, including the waters of Muzroll Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Six Mile Brook and Cains River, including the waters of Six Mile Brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Doak brook and Southwest Miramichi River in Doaktown, including the waters of Doak brook 50 m upstream of its mouth;
• Confluence of Pat’s brook and Northwest Miramichi River in Wayerton, including the waters of Pat’s brook 50 m upstream from its mouth.

Please note that the following salmon pools will remain closed until December 31, 2016:

• Confluence of Sutherland Brook and Northwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Sutherland Brook upstream to the Highway 420;
• Waters of the Southwest Miramichi River in Quarryville, 300 m upstream and 300 m downstream of the Quarryville Bridge, including Indian Town Brook from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River, upstream to Highway 108 bridge;
• Confluence of Wilson Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, including the waters of Wilson Brook 100 m upstream of its mouth, an area locally known as the Bear Den;

To report any suspicious fishing activity, please contact the nearest Conservation and Protection detachment in the Gulf Region or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

For more information on this fishery, please contact:
Frédéric Butruille
A/Senior Advisor, Recreational Fisheries
Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Gulf Region
Moncton, NB
506- 851-7358

Doug White’s Tammerack Sports Fly Shop in Juniper said it was another fishless week in Juniper. Very few salmon around with only a couple of grilse hooked. Water is a good pitch and cool, but there just are no fish coming up on it. Most people in the shop are going to crown reserve or someplace else.

Flies of choice: Various versions of Green Machines, Bombers, Butterflies and assorted wets.

W. W. Doak and Sons in Doaktown said last week the fishing had been great until the heat struck.  Some pools were fishing extremely well.  One angler commented that angling has been the best he’s seen since the 2011 season.  There were good numbers of fish reported from Quarryville to Doaktown.  One camp hooked 58 fish and landed 38 of them over a three-day period.  One angler hooked eight and landed for and was off the river by noon.  There had been a foot raise in water in the Blackville area on Saturday and another good raise on Sunday.  But by early week the water was very warm and very few fish were taking.

Flies of choice were any type of Bear Hair such as green butts, red butts, combined red and green and Glitter Bears, along with White-tailed Green Machines and Same-Thing-Murrays on no. 8 & 10 hooks.

Derek Munn of Ledges Inn in Doaktown and Mountain Channel in the Rapids area said angling had been very good until Saturday when the heat struck.  Mountain Channel had a great week, but fishing was quiet as of Tuesday.

Flies of choice were Glitter Bears, Undertakers, Smurfs, White-tailed Green Machines, Belly Dancers on nos. 6 & 8 hooks, as well as Bombers in blue & white and brown & white.

Herb Barry Sr. of Herb’s Fly Shop on the Station Road in Blackville said angling was slow with only some fish being caught.  However, some anglers were reporting seeing good numbers of fish, while others were seeing none.  The fish that were there were not taking a fly.

Flies of choice were Squirrel Tails with orange butts, Bear Hairs with green butts, red butts, combined red and green butts, Glitter Bears and a few Rusty Rats.

Curtis Miramichi River Outfitting in Blackville said there were lots of fish around, but they were not taking.  Friday night had been productive, and then only a few on the weekend as the water warmed.  The water temperature was more of a concern than the height of it.  Canoeing conditions were quite good.

Flies of choice were Same-Thing-Murrays, Green Smurfs, White-tailed Green Machines, Shady Ladies and Rusty Rats.

Jim Laws of Miramichi Hunting and Fishing in Newcastle, Miramichi reported some fish around, but in no great numbers.  Only a few were being caught.  The warm water pretty well brought angling to a halt, and hence the closures.

Flies of choice were White-tailed Green Machines, Shady Ladies, a few Black Ghosts and Same-Thing-Murrays along with Bombers and Dry Flies.

Syd Matchett of Trout Brook Fly Shop on the Northwest Miramichi said fishing was not too bad in the lower end of the system, but the rivers were not getting the water that they needed.  There were frequent showers, but they were not really bringing the water levels up much.  One crew from one camp only managed to hook two grilse and a crown reserve crew said fishing was decent.  One group on the lower section of the system managed 14 fish in three days between three rods.  One of them limited out before noon one day.

Flies of choice were Shady Ladies, White-tailed Green Machines, light green Green Machines, Yellow winged and white-winged Butterflies on nos. 6 & 8 hooks.

Debbie Norton of Upper Oxbow Outdoor Adventures on the Little Southwest Miramichi said they had been catching fish with 12 hook-ups last week, so they were happy.  However, the water really warmed up this week, and the decision to close the cold water pools was the right move to protect the fish.

Flies of choice were The Undertaker’s Wife and small Butterflies on nos. 8 & 10 hooks.

So now all eyes are on the weather with hope of a good rain.  If the forecast holds, Thursday/Friday could give us a good splash and maybe we can get back “on the water”.

Don’t forget to show your support for our sponsors, because without them, this column would not be possible.  

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Doug Underhill
438 McKinnon Road
Miramichi, NB, Canada, E1V 6G2

A SPECIAL THANKS to all who made contributions last season.

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Thought for the Week: “In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that have got away that thrill me the most, the ones that keep fresh in my memory._ So I say it is good to lose fish._ If we didn’t, much of the thrill of angling would be gone.”  Ray Bergman

E-MAIL:

Hi Doug,
Just wanted to let you know there is an error in last week’s report. I did indeed catch and release two salmon on the LSW on a Glitter Bear that I tied myself. (I’m a member of the Dieppe Fly Tying Club). But, the rest of the story re the Nor-West was not mine. I fished the Blue Charm the end of the week and had good results.

A young gal from the Sussex region fished the Nor West and raised 2 on the Itchy Pussy Fly.  She was delighted with her success and thought the name of the fly was quite funny.
Regards, Elaine
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From: Daisyhood88
People would fish in Juniper if they could get there! The road 107 is almost impassable!!!

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Atlantic Salmon Federation News for Friday, July 22, 2016

ASF RIVERNOTES Has Latest Reports from the Rivers
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Temperatures up and down, water levels up and down – and what has all of this had to do with the numbers of salmon coming in and angling success.
http://asf.ca/asf-rivernotes-july-22-2016.html

How ASF is Researching Salmon Mortality Due to Stripers
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ASF’s Graham Chafe explains the original research being undertaken by ASF to better understand the impact of Striped Bass on Atlantic salmon smolts. Read more in the blog entry for July 21.
http://asf.ca/research-in-the-field.html

ASF Working with Other Organizations to Highlight Salmon Rivers
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ASF’s Nathan Wilbur describes a program on the Miramichi designed to bring more attention to the magic of this river and its Atlantic salmon runs.
http://asf.ca/news-from-the-regions.html

Heads Up for NL Decision Regarding Environmental Assessment
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Later today the Newfoundland and Labrador Government will release its decision on what steps need to be taken with regard to the massive Grieg Aquaculture project for Placentia Bay to safeguard the environment. Stay tuned.

More Poaching Stories from Newfoundland
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Citizens have called in a variety of illegal netting and other activities and helped the enforcement authorities protect the Atlantic salmon runs.
http://asf.ca/illegal-netting-and-other-issues-in-nl.html

Pamela Anderson and the Sea Shepherd Society Join Anti-salmon campaign
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In BC water, celebrity star Pamela Anderson has brought more attention to the issue of open net-pen salmon farms in BC waters.
http://asf.ca/pamela-anderson-and-sea-shepherd-society-join-anti-salmon-f.html

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Until next week
TIGHT LINES
DOUG