SAVE THE DATE!  FEB 20 7:00 PM MSA USA SALMON CELEBRATION 2021 A FREE livestream evening of Miramichi River Atlantic salmon fishing. Short films and video clips by more than a dozen special guests including: Excerpts from a historical film “Memories of the Miramichi” with footage of Lee and Joan Wulff, Ted Williams, and Charles DeFeo will also be shown. Register here free of charge to watch the Salmon Celebration.  You will be e-mailed, …Read More →

The activity, including the just plain chatter, that normally accompanies Miramichi fall salmon fishing was the quietest during 2020 that I can remember.  Certainly a lot of that has to do with Covid and the lack of non-resident anglers.  Normally the fly shops in Doaktown and Blackville are buzzing with people that you see every fall, as well as new faces on the river.  I wasn’t there to see for myself, but from all, …Read More →

On October 15th the remainder of the Miramichi River system closed to fishing for the year – the headwaters closed on September 30.  There are bodies of water like the Bartibog and Tabusintac that are open until October 30th, but everything on both branches of the Miramichi system is now closed.  It was for all Americans, as my fishing friend Ralph Vitale said, the season that never was.  But even though we couldn’t witness, …Read More →

Two fishing friends e-mailed me in the last couple of days, and each said the same thing.  Here’s one quote from Byron Coughlin at Country Haven: “Brad, there are so many big salmon from Black Brook to Quarryville now that in a way I don’t like to tell you since you can’t come up, but I know you will be happy that there are lots of fish in the river.  Kenny said tonight that, …Read More →

Tonight the remnants of Hurricane Teddy are bringing high winds and desperately needed rain to the Miramichi valley.  It doesn’t sound like there will be a major raise of water though.  First, the rain is falling largely over the Eastern portions and not the much on the broader headwaters area, and secondly the river is so low, and the watershed so dry, that it would take more rain than is probably coming to bring, …Read More →

We are up to our neck in ripe tomatoes, eating our first garden corn, and  I needed to put on a jacket to have my first cup of coffee outdoors a day or two ago.  This is that wonderful time of the year when it is still summer, but the first feelings of fall are in the air, and the worst of summer’s heat is behind us. The temperature gauge on the Miramichi at, …Read More →

Over the last week there has been more or less a cessation of Atlantic salmon angling on at least the lower end of the Miramichi.  The water hasn’t been under 70 day or night for about a week.  At least we haven’t had any of the super scorching mid 30C weather that some years bring.  This Tuesday morning a big bunch of rain ran right straight down the SW Miramichi River valley leaving more, …Read More →

Fishing Friends: I promised an update on the latest Barrier counts as soon as available, and we got them today.  Frankly after the numbers of fish reported running up the SW Miramichi, and the good fishing that has taken place, I thought the Dungarvon might well take a huge jump.  It didn’t, but it did move the needle significantly with 17 grilse, 12 small salmon – between 25 and 33 inches – and 8, …Read More →

Fishing Friends – July 11/2020 – there are a number of new and ongoing Atlantic salmon news items available regarding the Miramichi, but none more noteworthy than the surprisingly robust run of Atlantic salmon – grilse especially – that is taking place on the Southwest Miramichi this season. The good numbers of fish that I reported in my last blog on June 22nd were stifled a little by the early heat wave, but that, …Read More →

Fishing Friends – what a crazy month June has been.  Virtually every piece of news coming out of the Miramichi whether it has to do with salmon conservation, the weather, the runs of anadromous fish into the Miramichi, or the ramifications of Covid 19 has a surreal twist. Runs of anadromous fish – Let’s start there because it is probably the most pleasant topic – with the possible exception of striped bass.  I have, …Read More →