Miramichi Fishing Report for Thursday, June 26, 2014
Good news and bad news might be the theme for this week. The good news is that this past week has shown another improvement on the numbers of fish entering the system. The best report was from the gaspereaux nets near the Golf Course last Friday with a total of 70 salmon and grilse (see MSA news letters below) last Friday, but it was only a splash in the pan. The bad news is that despite the improvement, there still have been very low numbers of fish returning as of yet for the time of year. So the “big runs” are still lingering in the “Let’s Hope” mode. Three salmon have reached the upper barrier on the Northwest so far.
Flies of choice: Woolly Bugger, Green Machines, Willie Whisker dry, and Bombers.
W. W. Doak and Sons in Doaktown said there was another slight improvement this week, but still far from what we would normally expect for the time of year. However, everything has been late this spring and summer so far, there everyone is hoping for a big run soon. Water conditions are perfect. One party who had canoed the Northwest Miramichi said they saw a few fish and hooked one or two over three days.
Flies of choice were Butterflies, Same-Thing-Murrays, Shady Ladies, Undertakers and White-tailed Green Machines.
Derek Munn of Ledges Inn in Doaktown and Mountain Channel in the Rapids area said angling was slow with only the odd fish being hooked. There just wasn’t a lot of fish around yet. Mountain Channel had picked up a couple. Trout-wise, there were only a few small river trout being hooked. Water conditions were perfect, but that could change depending how much rain comes today.
Flies of choice were Shady Ladies, Black Ghosts and White-tailed Green Machines.
Herb Barry Sr. of Herb’s Fly Shop on the Station Road in Blackville said angling was pretty quiet with only the odd fish being hooked. It was certainly nothing spectacular. Water conditions were close to perfect. He’d heard of one salmon caught on the Renous on Sunday and one other salmon on the Dungarvon. Not a lot of anglers were getting out.
Flies of choice were Green Butt Butterflies, Yellow Butterflies, White-tailed Green Machines, Undertakers and Preachers on nos. 4 & 6 hooks.
Curtis Miramichi River Outfitting in Blackville said there were a few fish being hooked, but no big amounts. Most that were caught were salmon. The water Tuesday was a little high, but very fishable. Canoeing conditions were good. A heads-up to anglers on Saturday. The annual “Splash-Down” canoe run will leave the Mouth of the Cains River at 1 p.m. and will travel to the Blackville Park so keep a look out for traffic on the river.
Fly of choice was the White-tailed Green Machine on nos. 4 & 6 hooks.
George Routledge of George’s Fly Shop at the Mouth of Renous in Quarryville angling and anglers were scarce. There had been a grilse caught on the Renous Tuesday and one on the Dungarvon. There also were two salmon hooked on the south side of the Main Southwest just above Wanda’s Shore. But generally there was no amount of fish.
Flies of choice were White-tailed Green Machines, Black Ghosts and Shady Ladies.
Jim Laws of Miramichi Hunting and Fishing in Newcastle, Miramichi reported only a few fish being hooked here and there, but no great run. Water conditions were good over all.
Flies of choice were Shady Ladies, White-tailed Green Machines, Butterflies and Bear Hairs.
Syd Matchett of Trout Brook Fly Shop on the Northwest Miramichi said angling was not too bad, but far from being a run of any sort. Some were having luck like one local angler who hooked four salmon and one grilse in five days, while others saw very little. There was one salmon hooked around the “Loop” on Tuesday. Some of the Crown Reserve groups had decent fishing. Doug Richardson hooked a salmon and three grilse at the Elbow Stretch last weekend, and another party at Stoney Brook also had decent fishing (see e-mail below). Water conditions were generally quite good.
Flies of choice were Shady Ladies, White-tailed Green Machines, Butterflies, Black Ghosts, Red-butt Bear Hairs and Green-butt Bear Hairs.
Debbie Norton of Upper Oxbow Outdoor Adventures on the Little Southwest Miramichi said angling was a little better than last week, but still with only a very few fish being seen or hooked. They had hooked one and launched another. One angler was apparently retrieving his line and into pulling his line from the water when one took. The result was a fish sent flying through the air to safely splash back into the water. She described this method as LDR: Long Distance Release. The water was falling rapidly and unless they received a decent amount of rain before the weekend, she said it would be nip and tuck to canoe the Loop on the Northwest.
Flies of choice were Shady Lady Bugs, White-tailed Green Machines and Butterflies.
Harry Buyting on the north branch in Juniper.
The weather will have a lot to do with regard to angling this weekend. Depending on the amounts of rain received on the different rivers, the water could be quite high, or just perfect. Then we move into a very warm stretch with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius with possible humidex readings making it seem even hotter. So best to check with people on the particular stretch of river you wish to fish before you get out and “on the water”.
Don’t forget to show your support for our sponsors, because without them, this column would not be possible.
Check out Deals 4 U in Miramichi for your grocery needs, and good Cuban cigars to celebrate getting back to the rivers. Drop by Mac’s Seafood for Miramichi Smoke House Award Winning Smoke Salmon.
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Thought for the Week: “Whether I caught fish or not, just the thrill of rolling out that line and watching my fly turn over has been good enough for me. That and the hundreds of treasured memories I have of this wonderful sport.” Curt Gowdy
From Nola at Miramichi Salmon Association
Hi All (June 24/2014)
Numbers are still low at the Millerton and Cassilis traps but the gaspereaux trap near Chatham we are using to tag salmon for the adult assessment had a great day on Friday with 28 salmon and 42 grilse going through the trap. We are hearing reports of fish throughout the system – as far up as Rocky Brook and Juniper on the Southwest and on the Crown Reserve stretches on the Northwest. While looking for some information I found an old e-mail from Norman Ward of Metepenagiag First Nation where he said the run in 2013 started around June 27th – consisting of mostly large salmon – and I have been told that historically people didn’t fish until the end of June as the run didn’t really start until the first of July – so maybe we are not so late after all.
I am attaching a picture I just received of Tony Brewer with a fish he caught at the Priceville Bridge yesterday (June 24th) – picture by Brad Toole.
Barrier Counts
Barrier counts for the week of June 16th – 22nd are available on our site at Barrier Counts. No new fish arrived at the Northwest Barrier last week but that just means they are holding up in the pools lower down for your fishing enjoyment .
Water Temperatures
We have had a few hot days and the water temperatures have risen accordingly with highs of 22 and 23 degrees C (71 – 73 F). The lows have been around 18 degrees C (64F). More warm weather is in the forecast so I thought I would remind you of DFO’s warm water protocol which they use as a guideline for river closures based on water temperatures. Basically if we have 48 hours where the minimum river temperature at Doaktown is 20 degrees or more then DFO will close 15 cold water holding pools. If we have 48 hours where the minimum water temperature is 23 degrees or more then DFO will impose morning fishing only.
The salmon will undergo great stress at these temperatures and we encourage people to respect the closures should they be called. DFO will issue a variation order should any closure come into effect and these orders can be found on their website and I will also post them on ours.
When air temperatures drop at night to 10 – 12 degrees, the water temperature does have a chance to get below 20 degrees and thus the salmon have a break.
To monitor the water temperatures a link can be found on our site at www.miramichisalmon.ca under Quick links – or go directly to the MREAC site at http://mreac.org/realtime_water.html. The stations are at Doaktown on the Southwest, Upper Oxbow on the Little Southwest and at Trout Brook on the Northwest, and they update hourly to the site – 7 days a week.
Proper Technique to Release a Salmon
As the fishing season begins, the MSA wishes to remind all salmon anglers of the important contribution “catch and release” fishing makes to the conservation of our cherished but threatened salmon resources. To view a great video on the best techniques for live release go to Proper Techniques.
Membership Renewal
All membership and fundraising revenues generated by the MSA are used to fund on-the-river programs and research activities aimed at protecting, preserving and enhancing the wild Atlantic salmon and its habitat in the Miramichi watershed. We rely entirely on membership and fundraising to support our ongoing conservation and research activities. A reminder to renew your membership will be sent out next week. If you haven’t renewed for 2014 or would like to join the MSA you can do so on our website at Renew / Become a Member.
MSA Art & Writing Contest
The 2014 Annual Art and Writing contest was held with ten schools participating and over 500 entries in the Art Contest and over 500 entries in the Printing, Handwriting and Creative writing combined. To view the list of winners go to Art & Writing Winners.
Win a 16 Foot Cedar Stripped Canoe
A raffle is being held for a 16’ cedar stripped canoe handcrafted by Great Spirit Canoes and donated by Rocky Brook Camp. Proceeds will be split between the MSA, the Central NB Woodmen’s Museum and the Atlantic Salmon Museum. Tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10. There will only be 1000 tickets sold and the draw date is December 24th, 2014. If you would like tickets you can pick them up at either museum or by calling me at 506.622.4000.
“A true conservationist is a person who knows that the world is not given by our fathers, but borrowed from our children”
John James Audubon
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Hi All (June 20/2014)
It is cold and raining this afternoon on the Miramichi (13Celsius – 55Farenheit) but next week is promising sun and above normal temperatures. I am sure I am not the only one to notice that the forecast is always sunny next week.
Barrier Reports
I am now receiving weekly reports from the Dungarvon and Northwest Barriers and will be posting the numbers on our web site. If you would like to read last week’s report go to Barrier Report.
Field Report
MSA Biologist Holly Labadie and fisheries technician Tyler Coughlin continued tagging bright salmon and grilse at the commercial trapnet in Chatham. Since the gaspereaux fishery was still underway, field staff had been attempting to scoop out salmon without lifting the net to avoid injuring the fish. This has proven difficult, so tagging has been put on hold until the end of June when a gaspereaux escape mechanism can be attached to the net. A daily high catch saw 4 grilse and 9 salmon in the trap.
This past week MSA Biologist Alex Parker assisted ASF staff in retrieving and offloading information from acoustic receivers. Data from receivers placed throughout the Northwest and Southwest Miramichi, as well as Miramichi Bay were checked to determine how many tagged smolts and kelts have survived through the river and out to the Gulf of St Lawrence. These will be checked again over the next 2 weeks, as some fish may still be in the Miramichi Bay.
Fifty smolt were tagged on the Northwest and 80 on the Southwest at Rocky Brook. Ten acoustic tags and 11 satellite tags were placed on kelts in the Northwest.
ASF received two reports of tagged fish last week. The first was from an angler who caught a trout near Burnt Hill Brook on the Southwest Miramichi. The trout had predated a Rocky Brook smolt and had proceeded upstream. Fortunately, the angler noticed the small tag when he was cleaning the fish. The tags all have a phone number printed on them, so he was able to tell us the fate of that particular smolt. Although we prefer that the tagged smolts make it to sea, it is helpful to get any information from anglers who come across them.
The second report was of a satellite tag which popped off and began transmitting on June 10th and is floating in the Northumberland Strait. If it washes ashore, or comes close, ASF will make efforts to recover it. ASF Biologist Graham Chafe couldn’t say at this point why the tag popped off, only that the fish made it to the ocean but not much further. It will transmit for about three weeks before its battery runs out. That is more than enough time for Graham to download all the data. After transmitting and processing, the reason for the tag popping should become apparent. Hopefully, we don’t hear from the rest of the satellite tags until their designated pop-off times in August and September.
All of the salmon fry at the hatchery have started feeding, and will be ready for stocking over the next 3 weeks. Staff are currently going through electrofishing results from last year to plan out the upcoming stocking program.
First Cast MSA
It is not too late to register for the MSA’s 5th annual First Cast event being held June 28th and 29th, 2014. This is a free-of-charge, two-day event that matches newcomers with mentors to experience the sport of fly fishing. Saturday’s classroom session and casting practice will be held at the Atlantic Salmon Museum in Doaktown; a full day of supervised fishing on a private pool on the Miramichi River follows on Sunday. All are welcome. Please contact the MSA office at 506-457-2220 for more information or to register.
MSA Salmon Classic
The 9th Annual MSA Salmon Classic will be held this year from July 6th – 10th. The opening banquet will be held on Sunday July 6th at the Rodd Miramichi and tickets are available at $50 per person. If you would like to join us for a nice evening and meet some of the anglers attending the event please call Jo-Anne at 506.457.2220. This year we will be hosting anglers from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Ontario, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Upcoming Events
A reminder again that the Honourable Keith Ashfield will be recognized at the 19th Annual Fredericton Conservation Dinner on Tuesday, September 16, 2014 while Mrs. Jacqueline Oland will serve as the Honorary Dinner Chair for Saint John’s 12th Annual Autumn Run Dinner on Wednesday, October 29, 2014. If you would like tickets for either event please contact Jo-Anne at 506.457.2220
Hon. David M. Dickson
I regret to inform you that the Hon. David M. Dickson passed away Wednesday morning at the Veterans Health Unit in Fredericton. Judge Dickson was one of New Brunswick’s most distinguished citizens and MSA’s most ardent supporters. As a member of the MSA since its inception in 1953, he volunteered his services as MSA’s first Honorary Solicitor, and has been a Director since 1964, the same year he was elevated to the Supreme Court of New Brunswick. Hon. David M. Dickson certainly brought a lot to those who had the pleasure of knowing him, and the MSA was fortunate to have his presence and participation on the Board; he will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. The family will receive condolences at McAdam’s Funeral Home, 160 York Street, Fredericton, on Tuesday, June 24th from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Paul’s United Church, York Street, on Wednesday, June 25th at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that people please do a kind act for any person in need as a tribute to and in memory of Justice Dickson.
Canada’s Anti-Spam Law
Unfortunately, over the years, unscrupulous marketers have used email to send unsolicited and unwanted communications to users. On July 1st Canada’s Anti-Spam Law (CASL) enters into force. With this law, businesses needs to obtain expressed or implied consent from their electronic mailing lists in order to continue to send electronic messages. As a member of the MSA (or a supporter who has asked to be added to this email list) you are considered to have given implied consent. In the near future we will be switching over to email software which will have an Opt Out button for people that do not want to continue receiving this email. For now though if you would like to Opt Out please reply to this email and let me know.
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Hi Doug,
June 16-18, Northwest Miramichi River
Sometimes the kind of luck you gets is good. Your car makes it through safety inspection without for your having to pay for new parts. A little money returned from the government t during income tax time might get popped into your mailbox. When you’re a salmon fisherman luck comes out of the other end of a complex formula. Variables include time of day and year, temperature (both water and air), previous rainfall, type of fly, type of cast, mood of the fish and the list goes on. Enter the values of all those variables and if the numbers calculate just right you will find a powerful force at the end of your fly line.
Well, last Monday the math worked to favour one “Renouser”, one “Newcastler” , and two “Saint Johners” . While at Stony Brook Crown Reserve on the North West Miramichi River a great fishing time was had. The first night saw “Saint Johner #1” catch a salmon with a black bear green butt fly. The next morning the same fisherman caught a beautiful 18” trout. “Newcastle” caught a grilse on an Ingall’s butterfly later that morning. “Renous” caught several trout. Later in day 2, in the evening, fishing with a bomber, dry-fly style, resulted in Salmon for both ” Saint Johner” #1 and#2”. The third and last day left Saint Johner #2 with his second Salmon of the trip.
The major contributing variable to our luck was likely timing of the first run. You see we have learned that only one salmon was counted at the barrier above Stony Brook and also that the fishermen who had proceeded us in that area reported no fish being caught. Logic dictates that our party intercepted the first run of fish in the North West Miramichi for 2014.
All fish, whether or salmon or trout, were caught on barbless hooks and released with care back into the river.
Take Care,
Brian McMahon (same Brian McMahon you taught English to from 88-90)
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Lucky enough to fish the Little Sou West for 3 days 19, 20, and 21st with 3 of my fishing buddies. Hooked and released fresh 10pm female on Sunday night in the run under where the old foot bridge once was. Fly was a sz. 6 Same Thing Murray.
Doug Hastings, Baddeck, Nova Scotia
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Atlantic Salmon Federation News
Friday, June 20, 2014
ASF RIVERNOTES – Here and there the salmon are arriving
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A GREAT roundup of info from the rivers this week, with some amazing photographs as well. Check it all out at:
http://atlanticsalmonfederation.org/rivernotes/
ASF’s Research Blog is updated – with the most intense period just ending, it is time for the next set of tagging studies.
http://asf.ca/research-in-the-field.html
New Rules Wanted for a Salmon River in NL
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Parks Canada is at the centre of a controversy over how a river passing through Terra Nova National Park is being managed, with unusual rules.
http://asf.ca/advocate-wants-new-rules-for-nl-salmon-river.html
Moncton’s 10-year-old fly tying expert who is off to Scotland
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Julian Furlaga of Moncton has generated amazing stories for his artistry in tying salmon flies, and for his upcoming trip across Scotland. A great video, and written story:
http://asf.ca/tying-flies-at-10-and-off-to-scotland.html
Hooked on a Reel Good Feeling
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Halifax businessman Jim Lawley has a passion for Atlantic salmon, and a passion for doing what he can to restore it. An inspiring short read.
http://asf.ca/hooked-on-a-reel-good-feeling.html
Canadian Armed Forces’ Camp Gagetown Takes Time for FishFriends
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Their principal business is military training, artillery and tank maneuvers, but Camp Gagetown also recognizes the importance of its streams – and for the seventh year has hosted a FishFriends salmon fry release. Check it out.
http://asf.ca/camp-gagetown-fish-friends-celebrates-another-year.html
NL Aquaculture Association Provided Seriously Inaccurate Escape Data
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ASF’s Vice-President Sue Scott sets the record straight that more than 800,000 fish have now escaped from salmon farms in NL, with the data carefully compiled and presented at the annual Fisheries and Oceans Canada Salmonid Advisory Workshop in autumn 2013. Read more:
http://asf.ca/aquaculture-assoc-provided-seriously-inaccurate-escape-data.html
Until next week
TIGHT LINES
DOUG
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