Miramichi Fishing Report for Thursday, July 26, 2012

Unfortunately, most of the news this week is not the kind anglers like to hear.  Low water, warm water and closures are the main topics.  Due to lack of rain and warm water temperatures, DFO has had to close a number of cold-water pools to help protect the salmon and grilse.

A list of closures is as follows:

SALMON FISHERY ON THE MIRAMICHI
Moncton – July 20, 2012 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) today announces that the following salmon fishing pools will be closed to fishing, for cause of high water temperature and low water levels, starting Monday, July 23, 2012:

• Confluence of Salmon Brook and Cains River, and the waters of Salmon Brook upstream from its confluence with the Cains River to South Cains River Road;
• Confluence of Otter Brook and Cains River;
• Confluence of Sutherland Brook and Northwest Miramichi River, and Sutherland Brook upstream to the Highway 420;
• 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;
• 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 upstream 100 m of its mouth;
• Waters of the Southwest Miramichi River surrounding the pump house located at N 46.86483, W 65.67698 (WGS 84);
• Confluence of Gray Rapids Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, and the waters of Gray Rapids upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to Route 118;
• Confluence of Morse Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, and the waters of Morse Brook upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to Howard Road;
• Confluence of Black Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, and 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, and the waters of Donnelly Brook upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to the South Road Bridge;
• Confluence of Betts Mills Brook and Southwest Miramichi River, and 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, and the waters of Porcupine Brook upstream from its confluence with the Southwest Miramichi River to Story Town Road;
• Confluence of Big Hole Brook and Southwest Miramichi River;
• Confluence of Mill Brook and Southwest Miramichi River.

Please refer to Gulf Variation Order 2012-054 for further details.  The Fishery Closures / Variation Orders Registry are available online at:
http://www2.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fam-gpa/cp/ord/index-e.php

For more information please contact your local DFO office.

The bit of rain we did get on Monday did help, particularly on the Northwest, but generally the further up the Main Southwest one went, the lesser the amounts of rain.  As such we still need a couple of days of steady rain that will soak in rather than run off.  That and cooler temperatures, especially at night, will bring conditions closer to normal.

There are fewer numbers of both salmon and grilse compared to the last two years, and even with the numbers we do have, the percentage of salmon are quite high compared to grilse in the system.  So over all, anglers are still wait5ing and hoping for a big late run of fish, especially grilse.

There are some fresh fish coming in each day in dribs and drabs.  The counting fence at Millerton on the Main Southwest is reporting an average of 20 fish a day with 10 grilse and 10 salmon.  The Cassilis Net on the Northwest is reporting a lower daily average with about seven grilse and seven salmon.  Over all counts to July 15 are given toward the end of this report.

Doug White’s Tammerack Sports Fly Shop in Juniper said the river there is low and warm.  In spite of the weatherman’s empty promises, the skies are clear with no rain in sight. There are a few people still flailing away (hope springs eternal) but the majority of people that come in to gear up are going somewhere else.

The flies of choice for the dedicated masses are: Various Bugs in size 8 and 10. Stone flies and Jigaboos in size 8 and Bombers of various sizes and colors

W. W. Doak and Sons in Doaktown said on Tuesday they had hardly had enough rain to wet the ground.  The water was on the low side with temperatures creeping to the high side.  Most of the tributaries were quite low.  There had been a few good days late last week, but since then the catching had been slow.  Anglers were hooking more salmon than grilse.

Flies of choice were Green Butt Bear Hairs, Undertakers, Shady Ladies and White-tailed Green Machines on nos. 8 & 10 hooks, along with a variety of Bombers and Dry Flies.

Derek Munn of Ledges Inn in Doaktown and Mountain Channel in the Rapids area said angling was very slow.  They had received maybe a 3-inch raise in water by Wednesday, and were only picking up a few fish in the cold-water pools.  Rain was desperately needed, and the immediate forecast doesn’t look good.

Flies of choice were Smurfs in the wets, and Dry Flies and Bombers.

Herb Barry Sr. of Herb’s Fly Shop on the Station Road in Blackville said angling was very poor with only the odd fish being hooked and those were before the closures.  The water was fishably low, and very warm, and the closures were a good thing for the benefit of the fish.  A good soaking rain was needed.

Flies of choice were mostly Dry Flies and Bombers such as Killer Whiskers, Rat-Faced McDougalls, Royal Wulffs and White Wulffs.

Curtis Miramichi River Outfitting in Blackville said angling was certainly not the best with only a very few fish hooked all week.  The water was low and warm.  Kayaking and canoeing on the Main Southwest was good.  Generally, a good rain was badly needed.

Flies of choice were Blue Smurf and a peach-coloured Carter’s Bug that was “rolling a lot of fish”.

George Routledge of George’s Fly Shop at the Mouth of Renous in Quarryville said angling was very, very slow.  There had hardly been a fish taken until Tuesday evening when anglers caught two salmon and a grilse at the Mouth of Renous.  A little raise in wat6er had started some moving, but they were not taking well and definitely “on the move”.  George said the water was a medium height after the rain, but dropping on Wednesday

Flies of choice were those with a lot of “blue” such as Blue Smurfs, Blue Charms and Blue Bombers.

Jim Laws of Miramichi Hunting and Fishing in Newcastle, Miramichi reported angling as “pretty slow” with water conditions “low and warm”.  The rain seemed to miss most of the rivers and more was definitely needed.

Flies of choice were White-tailed Green Machines in wets, and Dry Flies and Bombers, especially those with orange.

Syd Matchett of Trout Brook Fly Shop on the Northwest Miramichi said the water raised a foot on both the Northwest and Sevogle Rivers so that by Wednesday the water conditions were good both in height and temperature.  Despite one angler hooking four Salmon on Tuesday morning, there were not a lot of fish being seen or hooked.  Most of the Crown Reserve Stretches were not having great success either.

Flies of choice were Shady Ladies, Yellow-winged Butterflies and White-tailed Green Machines.

Debbie Norton of Upper Oxbow Outdoor Adventures on the Little Southwest Miramichi was unavailable for comment this week.

So, the Northwest seems to have been the only river that did receive a decent amount of rain, and even there, the numbers of fish were not great.  A good two-day rain is definitely needed to freshen the rivers and there by perhaps bring in decent numbers of fresh fish.  Then we can 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 in Bryant Freeman’s Eskape Anglers in Riverview to stock up on streamers for spring angling as well as any other equipment you may need such as a Reddington Rod.

Miramichi City Surplus on the outskirts of Miramichi in the Lower Derby road offers a nice range of rods, reels, tackle, bait and other outdoors supplies and hunting needs.  Be sure to also bring along your recyclables.

ANY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTATIONS TOWARD HELPING WITH THIS COLUMN ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED: Click here to donate now. A SPECIAL THANKS to all who have already made contributions.

Thought for the Week: “The only reason I ever played golf in the first place was so that I could afford to hunt and fish.”  Sam Snead

E-MAIL:
As requested by some members of the Dieppe Fly Tying Club last Spring, we are trying to organize a bus to assist the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, New Jersey, next January. The Somerset Fly Fishing Show is the biggest Fly Fishing show in the world!

We have found a Passenger Bus that can drive up to 55 people to the show. Here is the itinerary and information:
Date: Leaving Thursday January 24th, 2013 early in the morning and returning Sunday January 27th
Lodging: Each participant or group will reserve their own room (3 nights) at the Doubletree Somerset Hotel
Admission at the show : 25$ for two days pass
Cost for the travel (bus): 125$/person…the Club will pay the difference if we cannot reach 55 participants
Others : You need a valid passport and now we can bring back up to 800$ worth of merchandise

Before we reserve the bus, I am doing a survey on how many of us would be interested by such a road trip. Can you reply to me your interest by mid August? For now, you can invite a friend or 2 because I don’t think we can fill the bus only with our members. So let me know if you will be alone or with someone. My goal is to finalize the reservation of the Passenger bus in September for you to reserve your room early.
Thanks
Jacques Héroux
tél: 506-855-7298
Cel: 506-874-0196

www.salmosalar.info

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MSA Welcomes Sturgeon to MSCC
By Miramichi Salmon Association on July 17, 2012
The Miramichi Salmon Association is pleased to announce that an arrangement has been concluded with a sturgeon aquaculture company, Breviro Caviar, to lease part of the facilities at the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre (MSCC) in South Esk, NB.  The project will grow and culture short-nose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) for both meat and caviar.  Atlantic sturgeon and short-nose sturgeon have played an important role in the history of the aboriginal people of the Miramichi and today wild populations are species of concern throughout its range.  Aquaculture has proven to be an effective way to provide the highly sought after benefits of sturgeon caviar and meat.  In Europe, intensive stocking programs have also helped revive and sustain their native sturgeon species from going extinct.

The MSCC is maintaining its full salmon stocking program that has been in effect for the past few years and will also be involved in stocking sea-run brook trout in the Miramichi.  The revenue from the lease will be used to enhance the MSA field programs.  It will also help us to contemplate an expansion of the facilities at the MSCC to meet specific objectives that were not possible in the past.

The sturgeon began arriving at the MSCC on June 20 and will be concluded by the first week of July.  The sturgeon may be viewed by the public as part of our hatchery tour, subject to the operational activities and approval of Breviro Caviar.

Salmon and Grilse numbers still down at barriers as of July 15th
By Miramichi Salmon Association on July 17, 2012