A Nice Salmon landed by Bob Watermen, Sabattus Maine	Mike Price, Weston, MA
Glen Scott, Auburn Maine First ever Atlantic Salmon	Peter Cherry, Ann Arbor Michigan
Bill Benton, Chicago Illinois First ever Atlantic Salmon	Heading back after a great day.

Throughout every season we entertain guests from around the world, with close to 90% returning annually. Not too many spring guests fish in the summer and fall - and vice versa. The spring fishing season - like the birds - also brings hundreds of long-time-returning anglers to the Miramichi every spring - some from around the world but the majority from the New England states of the USA. Spring Fishing for Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi has been a tradition for generation after generation and continues annually. Mike Price from Weston Mass. made his first visit in 1962 - to Tom Boys fishing lodge! He was hooked and has returned every year since, - spending many years at Tom Boys then at Black Rapids Lodge and over the past 15 Years, with us here at Country Haven. Mike is just one of hundreds who have called the Miramichi River "home" in the spring for as long as they can remember. Mike has seen good times and some less than good but is very happy with his fishing results this season which is great news coming from a fellow with 55 years experience spring fishing on the Miramichi.

Downriver at Blackville

Upriver Blackville, Dr. Island

Our Team - all ready for your arrival!

Flies all tied and awaiting your arrival!

A photo is worth a 1,000 words...MMMM...!

October 16th

This final week was an "up and down" week starting out with decent fishing on both the Main and the Cains rivers but by mid-week we finally got the long awaited rain that we were hoping for most of the summer, making for poor conditions for two out of the last three days of the season. On the final day however, things picked up with some nice salmon landed. These past two seasons - with the rise in water - it would have probably been good to have extended seasons as it looks like better fishing conditions are now finally perfect with good numbers of fish moving in but what is to be will be - at least for the salmon - with lots of water to travel and getting up the rivers to spawn. This was another good week as large Salmon were taken on both the Main and Cains rivers and we had another great week of casting clinics. Andrew and Nancy Moy are simply the best - always helpful with everything to do with casting or equipment - helping out in every way. For anyone interested in lessons or going on any of their guided fly fishing trips around the world, visit their Fly Shop at tightlinesflyfishing.com.

Flies of choice this week were Ally’s Shrimp, General Practitioner and Copper Killer .

Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

Art Arosenstock, Pound Ridge NY (Fishing the Cains River)	Paul Reithmeire, Ridgewood RI (Fishing the Cains River)
U.S. Spey week group #2	Malcom Brandon, Lillington England (Fishing the Main River)

When fishing the Cains River, it is interesting to occasionally see a different look of the Cains River Salmon. Many of the Salmon have what we call the "Cains River Look" to them as some can be very dark whether they have been in the river a long time or not. Some may still have sea lice meaning they came in from salt water within a few days even though they do not look like it.

Here are photos of two Cains Salmon, landed in the same pool on the same day - One male the other female - but what a difference in colour! Both proved to be great fighters for these first-time Atlantic Salmon fishermen from New York city.

Michale SIlfen, Bronx NY

Robert Glass, White Planes NY

Ashley Hallihan Canoeing trip on the Cains river

Richard Ostrowski mainespeycastingschool.com

Duncan Graigie, London Ont Last Salmon landed in the 2018 season.

Our Most productive pool overall this fall.

Our most productive Dry Fly pool this fall.

Guide Tyler with a real fall beauty

After this season, all we can say is "Thanks"! "Thanks" to so many returning and new Guests! "Thanks" to our wonderful Guides and Staff and "Thanks" to everyone who helped out in any way in making this season as successful as it could be considering the conditions we had to contend with for much of the season. In the last 18 years this was, by far, our most challenging season with such unpredictable weather conditions starting in Spring with late ice out, then receiving our entire season's rain in April and May which resulted in higher-than-normal water conditions all spring. The guides who are, by far, 2nd-to-none on the river, did everything possible to provide guests with a successful trip, even if conditions were not in their favour so overall we ended up with a much better-than-expected spring season with good fish numbers landed.
June started out with a "bang" with good conditions and some nice Salmon landed on the River early. Some people compared the start to the great season of 2011 but by mid-July, we started having our hottest weather on record which continued for much of the summer, breaking records for Eastern Canada and the State of Maine. It was not until later into August that we started enjoying cooler weather and improved fishing - but never any amount of rain to speak of until the very last week of the season. With the hot weather, many of the July and August runs just did not come in as they normally do and when conditions did improve a bit in September, they arrived fast and in good numbers, making for some decent fishing in September and October, with fresh fish still arriving on the closing day of the season. Many people believe - especially in this year’s conditions - that Salmon continue to arrive into the river long after the season is finished when the counters are removed. On a positive note, there was a good run of large salmon this season - good for the fishermen but unfortunately lower catches of Grilse and Parr may not be so good in the long term for the river. Even though the season could have been so much better with improved conditions it actually turned out much better than we expected it might have way back in August. We feel we have some of the best water for every condition on the system. We have some of the best guides and staff anywhere, but still would not be successful without so many wonderful guests each season. From all of us here at Country Haven, "Thanks" again for another successful season on the Miramichi we so look forward to seeing you all again in 2019.

October 7th

This Week was the first of our two USA "Spey Weeks" hosted by tightlinesflyfishing.com/>. This annual event is always a great time with the fishing, friends and daily clinics. Over this past week, the better fishing was still in the lower stretches of the Main River but with a small bump in water levels, we started catching Salmon again in the Upper Blackville area. It was good to see the fish moving up again which should make for better fishing further up the river and much better for us to now have more fishable water throughout the system. With the bump in water we also enjoyed seeing and having better results further up the Cains - making for wilderness experiences as well as daily wildlife sightings. With only one week remaining in the current season we are looking forward to another good fall week on the water. Flies of choice varied a bit more this week as everyone was trying the Kinner Mony Killer, with good results along with slightly larger traditional summer and fall flies. Fish were landed on a number of different flies.


Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

Scott Noyes, New Vernon NJ ( Upper Blackville )	Doc Baker, Outer Banks NC Sharing pool with a Moose	Nancy Moy, Towaco NJ
Andrew Moy, Towaco NJ Fishing the Orr Pool	Paul Reithmeire, Ringwood NJ Fishing the Upper Blackville pool	7 Diane Baker, Outer Banks NC Catching grilse on the Cains

October 1st

This was another week of having only a select number of our pools producing due to the lower water but if fishing the Miramichi means using these locations, we are by far located in the better stretchs of the system to pick up some fish as they tend to keep holding up in the lower stretchs of the system. As the days go by, more and more fish are starting to hold with better daily count numbers going through the Millerton counters. Some very big fish are in the system this season but again, this week is not looking like there are many grilse in the system. .This week we saw some real beauties landed in the Orr Pool, Gray Rapids, Black Rapids and White Rapids stretch of the river but everyone would love to have a bump in water levels to finish off the season. We have access to a good selection of fishing water upriver, on the Renous and especially the Cains River and the Guides are watching the weather daily and trying all there favourite fall patterns like the Mickey Finn, General Practitioner, Ally's Shrimp and Copper Killer. Even with the good luck they are having on the lower stretches of the river system, it is still disappointing to know that they would probably double their fish catches if they had better water conditions on the tributaries. For people booking October trips to upriver lodges, the fish are coming in daily now. Most are holding but some are still moving through the off tides and during the nights so all we need is a bit more water rise and the upriver lodges could enjoy some of the best fishing this season - especially as many of the larger salmon will probably be on the move upriver. We continue to still have the best luck using the traditional summer flies most of the time but Steven Cuthbert from England landed 10 salmon and 1 grilse on his Kinner Mony Killer a UK fly. This past week our fishing guests enjoyed some great casting instructions by Certified Casting Instructors Bryan Martin and Brian Warrington . devonflyfishing.co.uk

Every week seems a little different and always fun and with so many returning guests, always some great Celebrations for events like "Employee of the year voting" and "Guest Birthdays". This week, Charlie Rawlings from the UK and Charlie Mosher celebrated their birthday fishing. When Charlie Mosher, from New Mexico, visited with us for the first time to celebrate his 80th birthday, he landed his first Atlantic and has since returned for 9 consecutive seasons to celebrate - always trying to catch a bigger one each season of course. Charlie, we look forward to your 90th next season..

Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

Garth Jones, UK	Bryan Warrington, Hyde, England	Casting Instructor Bryan Martin, Devon, UK devonflyfishing.co.uk
Robin Buck, Stamford, UK First Atlantic Salmon	UK Spey week Group	Charlie Mosher, Albuquerque NM and Charlie Rawlings, UK

September 24th

Love the fall fly fishing and the number of returning guests to the river each season. With the cooler weather and a bit of a bump in water levels, fishing for this coming week should improve. Once again this past week we saw the best fishing on the lower stretches of the Main River System with some nice Salmon in the estuary. At Country Haven we offer a number of activities that all guests can enjoy but with the abundance of Private water, we specialize in Fly Fishing for Wild Atlantic Salmon and offer a number of packages ranging from "single fishermen self-catering cottages" to "All-Inclusive Corporate events including flights and airport Shuttle service". This past week we enjoyed a great week of music & fishing as we welcomed the USA "Fishing Musicians" - what a great bunch with so much travel from different locations every year. We are just so lucky to have so much musical talent on the Miramichi. Flies of choice this week were #8 Undertakers, and Bear Hairs - wet, Peach Carter Bugs, and White & Green Bombers - dry. This coming Week we will be hosting our annual UK Spey week with the majority of the anglers from the UK including many returnee’s - always a good time had by all.

"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

USA Fishing Musicians

Cains River fishing

Andrew Done, Leysin Switzerland

Roger Lailey, Newburg England

September 16th

September is a month when we can normally expect some good runs of Atlantic salmon but with the conditions we have been experiencing much of the summer, they are arriving but not in large numbers as normal and they are only holding up in the lower stretches of the Main Southwest Miramichi River system, so I guess we are lucky to have some good holding pools in this stretch of river. As the fall arrives, conditions should improve along with the fishing. Flies of Choice are still the small summer patterns such as Undertakers, Bear Hairs and, as always, Bombers.

"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

Doug Schlink, Anglers Adventures

Tranquil moments fishing..

Ian Cavanagh, NS

John Clark, NJ

Bomber on the Cains

Photo of the River, Orr Pool

September 9th

We had another tough spell for fishing with not many fresh fish moving in due to warmer water temperatures once again. The pools that were full of fish produced very well after the last rain but slowed again daily until now. With the cooler weather we started receiving this week, fishing has now turned on "big time" as the holding fish are taking again so more and more of the fall runs are now arriving every day. The water is now cool and is still at a good height on the lower stretches of the Main River system and the forecast saying that rain will be coming for Tuesday should make conditions ideal for the rest of the river system and the tributaries like the Cains, for the remainder of the fishing season. Flies of choice are still Bombers for dry and #10 Bumble Bee for wet fishing. If the forecast remains as predicted, there will be a lot of happy guides and anglers on the river.

"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

Kyle Brown, Bedford NS with guide Tyler

Chris Blanes, France

Salmon Fresh from the Sea

Chris Purcell, Middleton NJ

Robert Hay, St. Catharines Ont. with Gary Colford on the Cains

Bill Mather, Elgin Ont. on the Cains with Guide "Mr. T" and fish

August 26th

With a bump in water levels along with cooler temperatures, all of our guests landed fish this week with some of them limiting out. Some very nice fish were landed and most of them were holding fish that started moving after the cooler temperatures. There were a few fresh fish with sea lice landed on the river so we should see many more arrivals with the full moon approaching and resulting high tides. It’s always special to have beginners land Salmon on their first try. Honeymooners Christian & Cailey Desforges from Ottawa landed 2 each on their very first morning. They say Salmon fishing trips just might become Anniversary gifts to each other in coming years. Although anglers hooked over 50 Salmon and Grilse this past week, almost all were landed on wet flies until yesterday. With the water again falling and warming a bit, Brown & White Bombers and Peach Carter bugs were the flies of choice yesterday.

"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

Cailey Desforges, Ottawa First Atlantic Salmon	Christian Desforges, Ottawa First Altantic Salmon
John Mccarthy Springfield Mass	Scott Trefny Lititz, PA First Atlantic Salmon

August 19th

Wow! What a great morning to be on the Miramichi! Lots of water, great water temperatures and lots of moving fish that were holding in the cold water pools. With these conditions we should also start seeing some fresh new arrivals over the next few days - these are the best looking conditions since June!

Some of the cold water holding pools were holding thousands of fish and we expect some are heading for the upper stretches on the Main River and many of the Black Brook fish are probably heading for the Cains so we should expect the best fishing upriver over the next few days before seeing any great numbers of fresh arrivals - probably by mid to late next week - if improved conditions continue.

Each season we enjoy receiving many guests from around the world, some with and some without Fly Fishing experience, but with the world-class guide service we provide our guests, those without experience will always feel they have received the best instruction and experience possible during their stay with us. We take pride in teaching beginners - what with our large facilities and abundance of private fishing waters - however we also accommodate large Corporate events as well. Our guides still enjoy the thrill of every fish landed as if it was their very first, especially with kids. I can tell the difference on the guides' faces when returning from the river whether they have had success or not. We feel so blessed to have so many fine guides working for us, along with so many wonderful guests who return to the Miramichi each season - generation after generation - and there is nothing nicer to see than Fathers, Sons and Grandfathers enjoying each other's experience - together! The conditions are improving and hopefully will result in a busy and successful remainder of the season for everyone who visits the Miramichi area. Talking about tradition... a trip to visit us by automobile through the State of Maine should always include a stop at L.L. Bean's in Freeport, also a stop in Doaktown at the famous Doaks Fly Shop. In Blackville you can visit Curtis Miramichi Outfitters where you can have a chat with two of the sweetest Ladies on the River, Norma & Cathy. Cathy ties some of the best Bombers on the River and can also arrange for a private casting lesson with Certified Instructor, Brock. A trip to the Miramichi should always include a visit to Syd's Matchett Fly Shop in Trout Brook for a good tackle selection and great stories.

Finally - Great News - DFO has decided that with these ideal conditions they will open up the cold water places they had closed earlier during the warm water time so now all of the Miramichi River System is back to normal for fishing through the rest of the season until closing on October 15th.

"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

Father, Son & Grandson - 3 generations Doug, Paul & Sam Eisner	Daryll Southwick, Colorado Daryll's First Atlantic
Cains river up 2 ft. high & rising	Cains River Cottage cottagesnewbrunswick.com

August 12th

Heat Wave... Heat Wave... Heat Wave!!! That makes it so nice for swimming, tubing or canoeing/Kayaking but has not been good enough for fishing over the last few weeks. We live in Canada and normally experience only a few overly hot days each year so three weeks of it has been enough! Overall, with the warm conditions, the fish have all seemed to be mamanaging quite well by holding up in cold places. Throughout the heatwave, we managed to get some showers on many days - which kept things better than they could have been for that long period of 90F weather. The rain we received over the weekend has freshened things up with approximately a two foot rise in water levels on all the rivers. With the higher water and cooler temperatures, the rivers are really starting to look fishable again. The D.F.O. opened up full day fishing throughout the system again and will probably be opening up the cold water places soon as conditions continue to improve. It is looking like another couple of warm days early in the week but the good news is that the future looks brighter starting Wednesday, with cooler temperatures and a bit more rain so... hopefully the rest of the July Salmon that did not enter the system yet due to warm weather should be arriving soon. We should also see many "Big August Beauties" that just love hitting those nice "Cathy Colford tied Bombers" and "Daryl Tucker special Peach Carter Bugs". We normally would have enjoyed a full season of continuous runs of fresh Salmon every day but the weather needs to cooperate better than it has been doing. One thing we do know for sure is that our best fishing this season is probably yet to come! Cooler August nights, Dry Flies, Fall runs, Fall foliage and the Cains River! Finally, after three weeks of very hot weather, listening to Daryl Tucker saying "..he can’t wait until fall fishing in White Rapids and the Renous", Gary Colford talking daily about "..the thousands of fish his guests landed over the years on the Cains" along with Ken and Jeremy Vickers debating over "which one of the new pools we picked up this season will be fishing the best in the fall", we are finally starting to get excited about the remainder of the 2018 season.

"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

Back on the water..

Back on the water again...

Enjoying the warm weather

Gary on the Cains

Gary on the Cains

Cold water pools holding Thousands of Salmon

July 19th

There are lots of fish in the System with both Grilse & Salmon and so far, some of the largest Salmon we have seen in years moving through the system!

When conditions are good we have had some good fishing. When conditions have been poor we have had some poor fishing. So far, we have had too much warm weather for July. The rain we received yesterday is bringing the water up a bit and has improved fishing conditions today and already this morning we have had good results reported. The next couple of days are expected to be warm ones with a much better forecast for next week - starting on Sunday - so we are hoping to finish off July with a bang! Traditionally, August has been the warmer month for New Brunswick, resulting in slower fishing at times however, within the past 10 or so seasons, that trend has been changing, as August conditions have been the better of the two months and with our ideal location on the lower stretches of the Main Southwest Miramichi, we have experienced some of the better fishing of the season during August. Many of the June and July runs head for the upper stretches of the river and sometimes move through more quickly. The August, September and October fish tend to hold up in the pools much longer - especially in the lower stretches of the System when we are experiencing low water conditions. August is also a a favoured time to be on the water for dry fly fishermen.

With better-than-expected fishing over the past week, during less-than-the-best of conditions, anglers had success on a a wide variety of flies - from #12 Undertakers to #4 Rusty Rats. When river conditions are good, fish will take anything. When conditions are not, there isn’t anything that works well! With half of our Atlantic Salmon fishing season now over, it was better than we could have expected with the conditions we received from opening day until now. With another 3 month of fishing remaining, everyone is hoping for improving conditions as that will go a long way in helping fishermen’s success rates. If the runs are anything like what we have seen so far in June and July, combined with improved river conditions, we hope to enjoy good-to-great Atlantic Salmon Fishing for the remainder of the season.

"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

Brock Curtis, Owner of Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters, landing a nice one.

Makoto Kushino, Tokyo Japan 1st Atlantic Salmon of his 11 landed

Guide Tyler watching for fresh Atlantics.

Emily Rodger, Fredericton NB Emily's 1st Atlantic Salmon.

July 11th

What a difference a couple of days can make one way or another when it comes to Atlantic Salmon fishing. After a good June it only took 3 days in a heatwave with 100F temperatures to put the salmon into hiding and the D.F.O. to shut down some cold water places throughout the system. These cold water closures only effect about 10% of the fishing locations on the river and only effect one of the 27 private pools we have access to. So when conditions change for the better and the fish start moving again, luck can change quickly. This week was the best example of that we have ever seen. Without seeing almost no fish for three days, to having our best summer fishing to-date over the past five days - hooking into 40 in one pool. A bit of rain or a few degrees difference in water temperatures can sure make a big difference with Atlantics. It’s looking like the hottest weather is behind us for now as the temperatures are much better and the rain we did receive has done wonders to the fishing conditions. There is also the possibility of a good rain by Thursday due to the tropical storm heading up the coast. We do not need the storm but would like some of the rain. Traditionally, from the 2nd week on, in July is a great time to be on the Miramichi for summer fishing, as there should always be a run of fresh fish arriving and the number of fish we have seen over the past few days sure looks promising. On a positive note, we are not sure if all this has anything to do with the closure of the Greenland fisheries or not but we are seeing more huge Salmon in the system this season than we have seen in quite a while.

"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

Mr. T guiding in his favourite pool.

Roland Lee, Memphis Tenn. with a nice one.

Ken Vickers netting a nice one for guest Peter Holland, Montreal

Guide Randal with a nice fresh one

July 1st

With June 2018 Salmon fishing now over, it will be described as a good one - as all June's might be, depending who you talk to. It is usually a case of being in the right place at the right time as on some days, one fisherman might limit out in a specific pool and his friend sees nothing in a different location, but when they switch locations the very next day, the lucky angler limits out once again while his friend still sees nothing - that’s June fishing! We have had large numbers of Big Salmon landed throughout the system, with a good splash of Grilse appearing later in the month. Even though June anglers landed some real beauties, they certainly would have loved to land half of the ones that they lost. There were probably more fish lost in June than any other month as they are surprisingly aggressive when you think you have them played out and ready to land. Then they are gone again - stripping line backing and whatever they can take with them! Sometimes fishermen that have landed other species - or even Atlantics at other times of the season - might not be ready for the fight of a fresh-run June Atlantic, resulting in losses. One of our older Guides - Pete Randal - would always tell the older fishermen "brace your feet, this June Salmon will play you out first and make you look like a fool as he swims away". "Pound for pound, the Atlantic Salmon is the best fighting game fish in the world" - famous words of Baseball great Ted Williams - a long-time Miramichi Fishermen.

Each month is different and July - even though there should be good numbers of big Salmon in the system - is normally a month when we receive our largest Grilse runs. With good conditions, we normally have many more hookups than in June as Grilse can sometimes be much more aggressive than the Salmon. July is also a month where the fish start holding up more in pools instead of just travelling, like June fish do, making for much better results using Dry Flies and Bomber patterns. The 2011 fishing season was one of the best seasons on the river for a number of reasons - primarily lots of fish and great conditions. This June has started out in a similar way with fish arriving early and daily but the conditions for July on will do a lot in determining how the overall season will be unless we are unfortunate enough to have a record-breaking drought condition like 2017. “Fish need water“ so we are hoping for much better results in every way. With good conditions we can look forward to a normal season or maybe even a repeat of the banner season we had in 2011. Conditions are now perfect following the couple of feet rise in water over the weekend. We have good temperatures and good water levels. The long- range forecast is calling for a couple of hot days mid-week so let’s hope it passes quickly with lots of good July fishing to come. "Flies of Choice" have been Blue Charm, White Tail Green Machine. Undertakers, Bear Hair, Green and White, Peach and Bombers.

This week we had the pleasure of having "Rollie the Goalie" fish with us. We all know he can stop hockey pucks and now we just need to teach him how to stop Salmon as effectively!

"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

Salmon under water

Big Salmon - Tim Vickers

Tyler releasing a Grilse

Bruce Bangio, Conn (Playing a Salmon)

"Rollie-the-Goalie" Melanson

June 26th

After a couple of weeks where only Big Rocky Brook Salmon moved through the system, we landed our first Grilse on Thursday with many more following since then. Although the majority of fish moving through the system are still Salmon, it appears that our normal July Grilse run might have arrived. The June Salmon are just moving through and do not show much until they are hooked but the Grilse tend to be a bit more acrobatic so we are now seeing more fish in the rivers. In June, anglers normally see better results using #6 summer patterns but over the weekend, fishermen had great results in the Upper Blackville area using the #12 Bear Hair Red Butt - a smaller-than-normal pattern for June but it caught on quickly among our guests after word got out. June fishing can change so much from day-to-day with all the running fish but over the past few days - especially with fish throughout the Main Southwest system - and with the full moon on Thursday which will generate higher tides, all this should result in even more fresh Salmon and Grilse entering the system. It's now starting to look like it will be a good-to-great June on the River. Each year The Miramichi enjoys thousands of fly fishermen from around the world - many who have returned annually for over 50 years! At Country Haven we are happy to have a number of these great older guests. We love their visits and stories - much like "fine wine improving with age". There are none much better than two fishing friends, Hal Howard and Tom Campbell from NY who started fishing the Miramichi many years ago with the late, great, guide and Jack-of-all-Trades, Amy Jardine. We have been so blessed to have had them as guests and friends for so many years.

It was wonderful for the Miramichi to host the Atlantic Salmon Fly International (“ASFI”) event over the weekend with so many great fly tiers from around the world participating and even better, to have so many of them fish with us at Country Haven - with great success. The conditions are now ideal and with both Salmon and Grilse now in the system, everyone is looking forward to some great Fishing into July.
"Tight Lines" from the Miramichi.

Gary Bates, Little Meadows PA	Peter Graham, PEI	Nigel Croft, England
Nigel Croft, England	It’s time to go fishing...	Hal Howard and Tom Campbell, NY

June 19th

This past week, many of the Lodges on the Miramichi opened up for the Summer runs of Wild Atlantic Salmon. June fishing can have it's struggles and it's rewards as it is so different in many ways from every other month of the season - unlike most months of the summer and fall fishing season when Salmon and Grilse hold up in pools. Most of the June runs travel up through the system, sometimes 20 Km or more in a day. Instead of fishing pools with holding fish it becomes more of "being in the right place at the right time". Anglers often need to put in more time to be rewarded than in any other month - but many fishermen say the reward is certainly worth the effort as these June fish are fighters and some of the nicest Salmon of any season and sure are "things of beauty". This season, summer Salmon started entering the system in early June and although we have not had great numbers of hook ups so far, it’s good to see them arriving early with some very nice Salmon being landed throughout many of the rivers in the System. June fishing depends so much on how many fish arrive each day and it can take a lot of guessing on a daily basis - even by the best guides. Every year is different and in some years we have experienced great June fishing (such as in 2011) which started around June 7th or 8th and continued daily through to the end of the season on Oct 15th, and in other years (such as June 2006) when the first Salmon landed was on June 21st.

We started our summer fishing on Tuesday this year and landed our first fish just a few minutes into the season. Lawrence Howard from Sand Lane NY opened the season with a bang! With some of our anglers doing a 5 day canoeing trip in our 28 ft. canoes, they managed to see many big Salmon on every day of their journey throughout the lower stretches of the Main River system. Conditions are now perfect for June so we are hoping for many more hook ups and another great season of Salmon fishing. Flies of choice this past week have been #6 White Tail Green Machine, Blue Charm and Butterfly patterns. We are so happy to have access to 27 Private fishing pools throughout the system for our fishing guests this season. We are also looking forward to using our new Private Wilderness Cottage on the Cains River throughout the season, ideally located for fishing canoe trips or just an opportunity to relax in a wilderness paradise. www.cottagesnewbrunswick.com.

For anyone who has not yet visited the Miramichi area, 2018 could be a very good season for fishing. Canada has some of the best fishing in the world and if that was not enough to make you visit us, the great currency exchange rates we are now enjoying makes Canada even more attractive for world travelers. At Country Haven we are proud of the our operation, guiding staff and abundance of access to private fishing water. It is well accepted that the hospitality of the Miramichi River Valley, in fact all of New Brunswick, is "2nd-to-none". Although The Miramichi is famous for it's fishing, there are lots of other things to see and do in this area. For anglers, a trip to the Miramichi should always include a visit to our local top-of-the-line fly Shops such as "Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters" in Blackville, "Doaks" in Doaktown and "Trout Brook Fly Shop" in Nor'West Miramichi.
Tight Lines and "Welcome" to another Summer Fishing Season on the Miramichi.

Hal Howard Canoe fishing at Dr. Island, Blackville	Todd Adams, Nor'West Salmon
Lawrence Howard, Sand Lane NY with fish	Wilderness Cabin on the Cains River ( Guests Welcome)

May 21st

We survived Spring Fishing!
With over twice as much rain received than a normal spring, conditions were some of the worst in history for much of the spring season. However, with some of the best guides in the world, great staff and so many wonderful annually-returning guests, it turned out so much better than anyone would have ever expected. We received so many returning guests who appreciate how good fishing can be in the spring and almost all of our first-time guests landed some Salmon. Even though the conditions made for a disappointing spring season and resulted in the first time in 17 years where the lodge landed less than 1,000 spring salmon and overall catch numbers were down, some returning guests still had "personal best" days and "personal best" largest Salmon and Trout landings. With the five big rises in water levels and some non-fishing days, this will be the first season we will not have much of an idea how many fish actually moved through the system. On a positive note for anglers, many of the fish landed were Salmon including some big ones. On the negative side, not many grilse were in the system this spring and some were smaller than usual.

For the number of fish landed each year only a small percentage of photos are taken of guests with their fish as guides and fishermen always like to get the fish back in the water as soon as possible. However, in special situations such as "biggest fish" they have landed or especially "first Atlantic landed" it’s always nice to have that special photo online.

Adam Toner Bedford, NS (First Atlantic Salmon)	Adam Toner Bedford, NS (Nice Brookie)	Ivan Toner Bedford, NS (First Atlantic Salmon)
Darren Carlton, Valrico, Florida (First Atlantic Salmon)	Paul Koulouris, E. Sandwich, Mass (First Atlantic salmon)	Mike Kelleher, Duxbury, Mass (First Atlantic Salmon)
	Robert Beckerich, Rio Ranco, New Mexico (First Atlantic Salmon)

With the spring Salmon season now over for another year we will now be fishing for Trout and Striped Bass only until early June when the summer runs of Wild Atlantic Salmon arrive. With the later-than-normal spring conditions, the best Striped bass fishing of the season is probably going to occur over the next few weeks as estimates suggest over a million Stripers are in the system. Those who enjoy catching Stripers on a fly will find it's a great time to be here. Although nothing compares to hooking Atlantic Salmon, there is still action using a fly rod! Many Lodges, including Country Haven, offer guided Striped Bass fishing Packages.

When the first runs of summer Wild Atlantic Salmon do enter the system, you will discover what great fighters these fish are, with many being approximately between 17-22 Lbs. The late great basball player Ted Williams always said, "pound-for-pound, it’s the best fighting game fish in the world". With his spending over 30 years on the Miramichi and fishing many other destinations throughout the world as well, we suggest he knew a bit about fishing as well as baseball. Summer fishing season is approaching quickly and Country Haven takes pride in offering guests some of the best private water available anywhere. With access to 27 private pools for the 2018 season this is the largest quantity of private water we have ever offered with many of these waters noted for being high production pools and we have some of the best guides in the business to show our guests around. Throughout the entire season, Country Haven offers Special events and packages, including our most popular "Father and Son" package.

Father and Son Adam & Ivan Toner with "guest greeter" Diesel

Nathan Mesher, Waterloo Ontario (nice Striped Bass)

May 10th

With high water continuing into May, conditions were tough early on but finally started improving as the water fell - so did the fishing! So far this spring, much of the fishing has been using sinking lines only as so far, the water has remained cold during May. Anglers are hoping that as the water falls and warms up more, they will have better luck casting using sinking tips and floating lines only. The most productive flies being used are still the larger streamers Christmas Tree, Blue Smelt and Magog Smelt. As of today, there are still not a lot of fish moving as the colder water has keep them holding close to shore throughout the entire system. With warmer weather in the forecast we are all hoping for a bit more normal conditions to finish off the Spring Season.

Erwin (Doc) Baker, Avon NC	11 Year old Cameron Stewart, Fairfield ME Cameron's First Atlantic Salmon	Shimonae Barton, Toronto Ont Shimonae's First Atlantic Salmon
Bob Weed, Portsmouth NH	Art Mesher, Waterloo Ontario	Mike Legere, New Durham NH

April 29th

Wow! ..but not for the right reasons. We had a late "ice out" with the most shore ice we have ever seen for the start of the season. During the first few days we had low and clear water with some decent fishing but throughout the river system, we have not yet had good conditions for getting boats in and out of the river due to so much ice along the shores - probably the most piled-up-ice ever experienced for the season opener. We did however get a much-needed rise of water this week which cleaned the shores off and pushed the remaining ice out of the system. So far the better fishing and least shore ice has been in the Doaktown Area. Over the past three seasons, for one reason or another, our best Spring fishing has been in May. It's now looking like it might be the same for this year. With the higher water and less than perfect conditions we are now experiencing, the heavier sink lines and bigger/brighter Streamers are producing the best. As the water falls we should expect better fishing - probably into late May this season.

Gino DeBurra, Poland Maine	Bill Mather, Elgin Ontario
Reggie Pratt, Minot Maine	Nesting Bald Eagles

April 22nd

Finally, after a later start than most years, we managed to get on the water Thursday with John Hoffman from Kitchner Ontario landing our first salmon of the 2018 Season. Art Mesher from Waterloo Ontario has landed the largest so far and Bill Mather managed to land 8 yesterday using a Bunny Strip fly. Overall, in the mornings, conditions have not been too bad with low water and not as dirty as expected in the afternoons with more run off.

With beautiful weather like we are having today predicted for most of the week, the water should rise and hopefully clear out the remaining upriver ice. Although we are only getting fully started now, due to the slow ice out conditions, some fishermen in the Doaktown area have managed to get on the River since opening day and have experienced good fishing overall. We are looking forward to a good long spring season lasting late into May this year.

Art Mesher, Waterloo Ontario landed the largest so far!

John Hoffman, Kitchner Ontario our first Salmon of the 2018 Season

April 1st

With the fishing season on the Miramichi starting two weeks from today - on April the 15th - It's still too early to know what river conditions will be like for opening day. There is a lot of snow around which makes for a good runoff and there is not too much ice in the river however we will still need warmer weather or some rain to improve conditions for the season opener.

Blackville downriver	Blackville
Renous	Upper Blackville

YEAR 2017 River Reports

The 2017 Atlantic Salmon season opened on April 15th and the Trout and Striped bass season opened on May 1st and the season is now over. With the high number of Large Salmon in the system and the good returns of Trout and Striped bass, we are hoping for another successful season next year! This year was another good season on the Miramichi River system.

October 16th 2017

Thomas Habib, NY	Cameron Betts, Strong, Maine
"Tight Lines" group	Jeremy Vickers with a nice one..
Roger Lailey, Newburg, England	Andrew & Nancy Moy with Doug Slink from "Anglers' Adventures"
Scott Noyes, NJ	Art Arosenstock, Pound Ridge, NY
Sherry Ott, Boulder, Colorado	Mike Panio, Orleans, MA
Paul Bazzoni, Little Compton, RI	End of the season

2017 will probably go down in the History books as one of the driest summers and falls on record as we experienced a drought from late June into mid-October. Even though it might not have been one of the better seasons due to these conditions, Atlantic salmon tended to stay longer in the ocean or in the lower stretches of the river, waiting for improved conditions before travelling up the rivers and tributaries. Although we have experienced much better fishing in past seasons during normal conditions, we are lucky to be located on the lower stretches of the Main Southwest Miramichi River where we have access to some excellent private low-water fishing pools and it did turn out to be the most productive stretchs of the entire river system during the 2017 season. Even though fishing could have been better, with the help of the great staff guides, pool lease owners and most of all, so many great guests, the overall success rate at Country Haven could not have been better - having over 80% of returning guests from 21 countries - all drawn to the Miramichi by the elusive Atlantic Salmon. There is so much more involved in fishing than just having great fishing each day to make for a successful fishing trip and as each year passes, we can never say enough about just how lucky we are to be surrounded by so many great people who helped to make our 18th season another successful one. When people ask what I have learned most over the years, there are always two things that come to mind; The first is that "There is not such a thing as a bad fly fishermen as they are the most wonderful people in the world"! The second thing is that no matter where you have fished in the past, how many fish you have landed or how much you know about fishing "you should always listen to the local guides".

This past week could be considered from good-to-bad depending on who you talk to and who was lucky enough to be fishing at the time the rise in water levels moved a lot of the holding fish upriver, which made for a few good days of fishing up the river systems - including the middle Cains - but not so good for fishing until the final two days on the lower stretches of the system when new fish started moving in once again. With the conditions w had this season, we expect that much of the fall run will continue to enter the system long after the season is over.

After each season I usually take time to reflect back on the 6 month season and so many guests with stories to tell, including too many good ones to even try to think about or to mention. For this season I would like to talk about two brothers, Bill and Zane Blanchard, from England, who have a Miramichi connection that started back in the early 1940's when their father - like many young men from the Miramichi area - went to England to fight in World war 2. Although he survived and fell in love, he never got the opportunity to return to the Miramichi area however his stories throughout the years about home and the beautiful Miramichi had such an influence on his family that his son Bill, who owns a narrow canal boat, decided to name his boat "Miramichi" even before actually visiting the area. Bill and Zane have now returned a couple of times over the years to fish and visit the place of their father's roots. Canadians spending time near the canals in England just might have an opportunity to see an unexpected familiar sight - the Miramichi City logo on a 55ft. Narrow Boat cruising the waterways in England - a great experience for everyone, especially New Brunswick'ers who might even enjoy a sail "on the Miramichi" so many miles away from home. For more information and Photos - visit This page.

We would like to say "Thank You" once again to everyone who have helped in any way to make this another successful fishing season for us here on the Miramichi.

October 9th 2017

Ken Ferry, Morlten NJ	Plenty of fishing stories...
Andrew Moy, Towaco NJ www.tightlinesflyfishing.com	Nancy Moy, Towaco NJ, - fresh from the Sea
Canada's Picture Province	'Fresh Fish Only' Section of the River

With the arrival of October came some very good fishing as the beginning of the week saw our best fall fishing to date, as the rain over the weekend freshened up the holding fish along with a good number of fresh fish entering the system daily, making for a good start to the October season on the river. With Salmon in the river, rain in the forecast, beautiful fall foliage, daily casting lessons given by one of the best - Andrew Moy - and a lodge full of friendly and familiar faces, we can't think of a better way to finish off the season. Flies of choice this week were Red Francis, LT Special, Munroe Killer and still the Bear Hair Patterns.


Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

October 2nd 2017

Stephen Mulholland, Calgary Alberta (First Atlantic Salmon)	Casting Instructor Bryan Martin, Devon UK devonflyfishing.co.uk
Andrew Done, Leysin, Switzerland

Wow! What a tough week this has been for the last week of September. Normally this would be a prime time to be on the Miramichi but with no rain to speak of for much of the season, conditions remained low for most of the river system. Anglers that were having the most success were on the lower stretches of the Main Southwest Miramichi river system or fishing in deep holding pools throughout the rest of the system. Throughout most of the week our anglers fished over holding fish with the better results on bombers between Blackville and Quarryville - closest to tidal waters as possable for fresh fish on wet flies. This week was our U.K. Spey Clinic week and was our less productive week for fish landed however all of our 16 guests hooked, fished and almost all landed fish along with receiving the great casting instuctions put on daily by Bryan Martin and Brian Warrington from the UK and this also provided some fine entertainment to celebrate my 60th Birthday! It was another very enjoyable week on the Miramichi.

With much needed rain over the weekend, this resulted in a foot or so rise in water height and gave us our best fall fishing so far yesterday and this morning. Let's hope this continues until the season close on October 15th. . The Last week of September was our 10th season of hosting our annual U.K. Spey Week and the next 2 weeks will be our 12th season for hosting our U.S. Spey Clinics with Andrew Moy from Tightlines N.J. - they sure make casting look easy. Bombers and #8 and #10 Bear Hair are still the most productive flies.


Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

September 23d 2017

Simon Sylvestre, Montreal Quebec landing his Salmon www.wildcatsfilms.com	Simon Sylvestre, Montreal Quebec
David Tremblay, Montreal Quebec www.wildcatsfilms.com	Guide Keith showing off his carving skills

Water conditions remain low as we enter the last three weeks of the season but there still is a chance of some rain mid-week. There are quite a few fish holding in the lower stretches of the Main river system as they wait for some fresh water. If and when we do get rain, we Should expect our best fishing of the season as it will be the first major rise in water levels since early summer and this should make for great fishing on the tributaries. But until then we will count our blessings and be happy to be located on the lower stretch of the system, fishing close to the tidal water. On a positive note, in the fall, fish will move through the system anyway, even with low water conditions, as they have places to go and things to do - unlike some of the summer run fish - with some of them just entering the system now that might have entered the system in July or August if the water had been higher. Again, this week, conditions are best for smaller wet flies and Bombers with Undertakers and Bear Hair patterns still working the best.


Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

September 15th 2017

David Martin, Denver Colorado	Nigel Blackley
Jurgen Kritzinger, South Africa	A Miramichi morning

There is still one month to go in the 2017 fishing season on the Miramichi. We are all hoping it goes "out with a bang"! There are quite a few fish still showing in the lower stretches of the river with some decent fishing following the 16 inch rise in water levels earlier in the week. They say "beggars can't be choosers" and we would like to have received more of a rise in water levels but after this summer, we will take anything we get! We are still using small summer patterns - #10 Undertakers, Bear Hair and Bombers.


Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

September 1st 2017

Bomber paradise	Duncan Craig London Ontario
Rose Greulich, Pulaski NY	Another successful dry fly fishermen

There are many fish around in the lower stretches of the Main river system, with a few new arrivals entering the system on the higher tide days. With the low water conditions, the fish are holding in the deeper water pools - ideal conditions for the lower stretches of the Main river below Blackville - especially for dry fly anglers - but not as good for much of the upper river system except for the deep holding pools where fish have been holding up, such as Black Brook, Big Hole and a few others throughout the system. Every season can be different with either too much low water or too much high water - sometimes this makes it not so great for good fishing and makes it almost impossible to have good producing pools for every possible condition. However, we have worked hard at this over the years - sometimes leasing pools for years and waiting for just the right conditions for them to be successful. With the higher water conditions over the last 10 or so seasons, we often wonder if some of our low water pools would ever work out as well as they did in the '90s and early 2000's when low water conditions were the norm for quite a few seasons. Downriver Outfitters such as Black Rapids Lodge, Gray Rapids Lodge and Camp Thomas thrived on low water conditions. We have not had great fishing over the past few weeks by any means, but despite these conditions, we still managed to have access to pools with fish around and were lucky enough to consistantly catch fish throughout the entire season by making it worthwhile to continue having access to as many private pools as possible for almost every condition - good or bad.

This coming week's forecast looks like we will be receiving a good rainfall and this is really needed for the entire river system and the tributaries. If we receive as much as forecast, it will be perfect timing to get our fall fishing season underway on the main river and it's tributaries. With the lower water we have experienced throughout the summer there should be a great splash of fresh fish entering the system when the fresh water arrives. Every guide has their favourite pools and favourite rivers to fish each season. The weather forecast for this week is sure to make the guides happy - especially Gary Colford for the Cains and Darryl Tucker for the Renous. Flies of Choice this past week were the Peach Carter Bug, Green White Bomber, #10 Undertaker and Bear Hair.

Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

August 20th 2017

Salmon at the end of the Rainbow	Taken on a Peach Carter Bug
Edmond Neuberger, London England, landing a big one	James Neuberger's 1st Atlantic Salmon

Another "On again - off again" couple of weeks of warm water bomber fishing - lots of rolls but not many hook ups and cool weather but also cool water with some nice hook ups, making every day different - depending on conditions. However... Good news: There are good numbers of holding fish including some very big salmon in the lower stretches of the river, making things interesting for the anglers. Bad News: Although we received 15 Ml. of rain over the last couple of days, much more is needed to improve fall conditions for the entire river system and tributries - such as the Cains and Renous - traditionaly great fall Salmon rivers.
Flies of Choice have been #8 All Black Butterfly (Wet) and Peach Carter Bugs also Brown Bombers (Dry).

Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

August 7th 2017

Fishing Coughlan pool at Gray Rapids	Cool weather again
David Tuberfield, Ridgewood CT.	River at Country Haven

It has been an "On again - Off again" summer so far this season with ever-changing conditions. Many of the pools in the lower stretch of the Main river system have a good number of fish holding due to the lower water, however each day depends on conditions as to how active they will be. With the warm water conditions last week, DFO closed 21 cold water areas throughout the Miramichi water system until such time as the water cools again. This is the 2nd time this season when these areas have been closed then reopened. These closures impact only one of the 22 private pools we have access to, leaving a lot of fishing throughout the system, especially on the cool days when the fish are moving throughout the lower stretches of the river. It is now looking like this heat wave is finally behind us and conditions are improving daily. With 40 ml of rain overnight in the upper stretches of the system at Clearwater and with fall-like conditions in the long range forecast, along with a full moon and high tides tomorrow, all this should bring in another splash of fresh fish this week.

On a more positive note... it has been years since we have had such warm low-water conditions with so many fish holding in the bay waiting for conditions to improve. We have always enjoyed some of our better fall fishing when the holding July and August fish decide to move in along with the September and October fall runs and they all enter the system at the same time. Flies of choice have been #8, #10 and #12 Summer Patterns (wet) and Peach Carter Bug (dry).

Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

July 31st

Thomas Carmody, Cedar Rapids, Iowa	Tony Spratt, London, England
Jason Andalo, West Roxbury, MA	"Old timers" Guide Gary Colford and Bill Mather, Elgin, Ontario, with Camp dog "Diesel".

The high tides this week brought in a good number of fresh fish into the system, making for quite good fishing in the lower stretch of the Main river System, especially between the Blackville and Quarryville area where they tend to hold up more with low water conditions than they do with higher water levels. As for river conditions, the Lower stretch of the river is now ideal for some of the low water pools - some of these pools get better as the water gets lower and never get too low unless it gets too warm. With the cool weather over the past week, D.F.O. reopened the cold water places and fresh fish have been moving in daily, many with Sea Lice. Some of these lower river pools can never get too low for good conditions.. pools such as the Orr pool, Mom's pool, Kelly pool, both Coughlan pools, the Funnel pool in White Rapids and the White Birch and Mountain Channel Home pools. With these water heights and if the water conditions remain on the cooler side - as it has been for the most of the past week - fishermen should expect to see a lot of fish and enjoy some success on both wet & dry flies for a while to come. A downside to these good expectations is that the water is very clear so Salmon may spook easily. With most of my fishing as a youngster being in this section of the river during low water conditions, I might be a little bit biased towards low water conditions but overall for the river system, a good rain is needed to make the fish more active and keep them moving through the upper stretches of the system and the tributaries such as the Cains.

Every week we get anglers of all ages from around the world trying to catch Atlantic Salmon including youngsters - some having success, - some more interested in playing than fishing in the water but every now and then a special child angler will arrive who just amazes us and the adult guests in our lodge. This past week we enjoyed our youngest fly fishermen ever, fully equipped in L.L. Bean equipment. At the young age of 5, Thomas Carmody from Cedar Rapids Iowa is obviously a boy wonder when it comes to fishing. His grown-up attitude, his casting and love for fly fishing (although he will need to catch his first Atlantic on a return visit) and his excitement of landing smaller species and the fishing stories told on returning to the lodge may never be matched by any older angler. It is simply great to see kids this young with so much enthusiasm and passion for fly fishing.

Flies of choice this week: Peach Carter Bug and Bombers (dry), #10 Brown bugs, Blue Charm and Christmas trees (wet).

Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

July 15th

Wild Canadian Moose crossing the river	Enjoying their guided tour
Off on a canoeing adventure	Green Bomber

July started out very promising, with good numbers of both Salmon and Grilse entering the system and even better numbers arriving over the weekend of the 8-9th. However, along with the fish came the first major heat wave of 2017, warming the water and making it one of the rivers' less productive July weeks in a while. With Atlantic Salmon fishing you need Salmon, good water temperatures and a lot of luck. So far, this July, there has not been an overabundance of these three.

Having the selection of pools throughout the river system and it's tributaries that we offer to our guests, we are always confident that we can at least find a few pools producing at the same time, but the past week has turned out to be a much better week for canoeing, side by side, Bear, Moose and Whale watching tours than fishing but, as is always the case, with a bit of rain or change in conditions all this can sometimes change overnight. The water height is becoming a bit low for upriver and the tributaries but just starting to shape up well for all our lower water pools on the lower stretch of the river below the mouth of the Cain's down to tidal waters. In this stretch of river we never complain about low water, only warm water. We are looking forward to cooler temperatures to finish off July. Flies of choice this week: Green/Brown/White Tail Bombers, Peach Carter Bugs, dry and #10 Blue Charms, wet.

With today being July 15th it is exactly half way through the fishing season. The past three months could have been better but overall we would have to say it was a good first half of the season with so many large Salmon, Striped Bass and Brookies landed in the spring and some good-to-average days over the past 6 weeks of summer but fishing every day on the water along with many wonderful guests from around the world is always a success. Normally, mid-July into early September, is prime time for dry fly fishing on the Miramichi and the guides' favorite season - fall fishing - is just around the corner, so we are looking forward to a great last half to the 2017 fishing season.

Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

July 1st

Taurus Group, Boston MA arriving to fish the Miramichi	Hal Thompson, Calgary Alberta a long way from his Bow River now
Adan Johnson, Boston MA first Atlantic Salmon	Heather McQuay, Boulder Colorado Perfect Location

Another June is in the history books! It was not as good as some but better than others as a good number of Salmon and even a few Grilse entered the system. June is known more for Salmon runs and July - even though it also has some nice Salmon - normally has many more returning Grilse than in June. The water level is at a great height for the Main river system and a bit on the low side for some of the tributaries however, with good water temperatures, fish will travel up the tributaries in any event, especially the early rivers like the Dungarvon and the Renous. With the full moon and high tides occurring over the coming weekend of July 9th this season, we should expect good fishing after that. So much depends on conditions but if they are decent then there should be a good splash of fresh fish entering the system at that time. We have been disappointed during July in some past years when we had a a river full of fish, but poor conditions turned them off so we are hoping for the best this season. Flies of Choice lately have been the #8 Blue charm, Green Butt bear Hair and the Cosseboom.

Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

June 15th

Canoeing the Miramichi	Bob Bowser, Nor'west Miramichi Salmon
Wendy Smith, Australia (First morning on the Miramichi)	Main Sou'west Miramichi Salmon

It's Official! Our 2017 Summer season is underway on the Miramichi after approximately three weeks since the spring Salmon season ended. After fishing for Striped bass and Trout along with some canoeing trips, it is nice to see the summer runs entering the system and anglers starting to hook up again. Although there are still not too many fishermen on the water, the ones that have been fishing started picking up a few Salmon earlier last week on The Nor'west and this week on the Main River and Renous. Although no great numbers are being recorded yet, these salmon - pound for pound - are some of the freshest and best fighters of the season. June is a month to be in the "right place at the right time" as the fish are travelling - sometimes up to 20 miles a day - the tides play a big part in this of course.

In the pools, the guides decide where to fish each day, sometimes moving from pool-to-pool upriver as the runs move through and sometimes fishing over the same Salmon off the morning tide in Quarryville or White Rapids to Upper Blackville or Blissfield in the evening. One thing about Atlantic Salmon is that no one ever said catching them would be easy, so it is great to have our fishermen guided by some of the best guides on the river who are always ready for the challenge of doing "whatever it takes" to catch Atlantic Salmon. Flies of choice have been the #6 Blue Charm, White Tail Green Machine and the Cosseboom. With perfect conditions now here for the June runs we should expect some good fishing throughout June and July but, once again, it always depends on the conditions and a lot of co-operation from the Salmon.

Tight Lines and all the best of luck to everyone who fishes somewhere this season - especially for the Wild Atlantic Salmon.

May 22nd

Priscilla Ellis, Alberton PEI	Celia McDermont, Moncton NB,
Landed by Dana	Landed by Art Mesher, Waterloo Ont

The spring Atlantic Salmon season is now over for another year and now anglers will turn all their attention to Trout or Striped Bass fishing until the early runs of Bright's start arriving in early June. The 2017 spring season was quite different from what we have experienced in recent years - not because of a lack of fish, as fishermen landed some of the largest spring Salmon ever throughout the season and a good number overall - but the weather and water conditions were the worst in 17 years. The most consistent fishing was in May as the water fell and cleared up. On some days, anglers fished for, - and landed - Salmon, Trout and Striped bass all in a single 3 day period. The overall numbers landed were a ratio of 10 Salmon to every Grilse - a contrast to the exact opposite (1 Salmon to 10 Grilse) only five springs ago. We are not sure what this means for the river but with bigger fish landed, it was good for the fishermen. Overall, there were not as many fish landed for the spring as in most years, the grilse are more aggressive and take a fly easier, so numbers were down overall.

This has been the first spring Salmon season in 17 years where we did not land over 1,000 Salmon and Grilse but it was still quite a successful season considering the conditions for much of the time. The most successful fly was the Christmas Tree. The most successful angler for the spring was Art Mesher. Them most successful shortest trip was Carl Soderland's with 23 Salmon and 1 Grilse over three days. Largest spring Salmon? Kevin Holmes beautiful 48 inch'er.
With the Salmon fishing over for a couple of weeks, the Trout and Striped Bass fishing is now at it's best and this should continue for a while, with both dark Trout moving out of the rivers and fresh Sea run coming in. With close to 1 million Stripers in the lower stretches of the System there is still some good fly fishing to be had even if it's not for Salmon.

Gino DeBurra, Auburn Maine	Gino DeBurra, Auburn Maine
Bob Weed, Portsmouth NH	Tyler Coughlan
Fishing Guide Steve Burnett, Mystic CT www.fishwatchhill.com	Peter Cherry, Ann Abour MI
Striped Bass	Ralph Sorley, Orleans MA, landing a nice one

Dave Geetter, Hartford CT

After the end of each season, we reflect back on the year past and think of some of the experiences and the people who visit us each year. With the break between the spring and summer seasons, we sometimes do the same - there are always too many good times and great people to talk about. This is a photo of one of our most passionate fishermen, Dave Geetter from Hartford CT., who returs annually and has been returning for spring Atlantic Salmon each year for 50 years. His first visit to the Miramichi was in 1967 with his friend Mike Price at Tom Boyd's Camps in Gray Rapids. After that camp closed they continued for a number of springs at Black Rapids with George and Jean Curtis and has since been returning to Country Haven for the past 14 seasons - a total of 50 years dedicated to fishing for spring Salmon on the Miramichi. Many returning guests have tried fishing in the spring, summer and fall seasons and they all have their own preferences, with many returning annually for their favoured week of choice. Dave says he has tried many times but the first week of May is his "Miramichi week" and he's hoping that will continue for many more years to come.

Thanks to all who visited with us this spring and we hope your visit was a memorable one. We look forward to seeing you all again next Spring. For all those who are coming to visit with us this summer and fall, we look forward to seeing you and enjoying some great times and fishing.

Tight lines from the Miramichi.

May 11th

Carl Soderland, Ipswich MA	Craig Williams, NH
Nancy Mesher, Waterloo ON	Nancy Mesher, Waterloo ON
Paul Carlton, Portsmouth NH

To date It has been a very unstable spring, weather wise. Wth quite a bit of rain, the fishing has been good-to-great on days when the water fell and poor-to-poorer on days when the water rose, and we have had a lot of both conditions so far this spring! Much of last week was quite consistent, however with all our fishing guests landing Salmon almost daily, the better fishing occurred 0n Thursday and Friday. Again, last week, many of the fish landed were Salmon as opposed to Grilse. Carl Soderland from Ipswich MA. landed 23 Salmon and 1 Grilse in 3 days of fishing - all hooked on a cast. But as luck would have it, a major rainfall arrived on Saturday so the water rose - the 4th rise this spring - making the Upper stretch of the river unfishable on Sunday & Monday. On the brighter side, with the tidal waters of the Miramichi area not being effected as much during high water conditions, some of our anglers opted for Striped Bass fishing. Even though these fishermen from the Maine and New Hampshire area were lifelong Bass fishermen, they say they had never experienced better Striper fishing in their lives. (These fellows know Stripers and the negative effects they can have on other species. Their Miramichi Striper fishing experience left them shaking their heads as to why there was not a commercial fishery where there was such an obvious abundance of Striped Bass. Fishermen - especially from the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. - all say the same thing - Stripers may be OK to fish but the Wild Atlantic Salmon is the real reason why they return annually to the Miramichi. When and if there is ever a time where no more wild Atlantic Salmon remain in Canada, which is the case in the US today, they will travel to Russia, Norway or wherever necessary to fish for them. The Atlantic Salmon is called the "King of Game Fish" for a very good reason and they would like to see our D.F.O. get "on board" to protect them more from predatory fish such as the Striped Bass}.

By Yesterday, the water was back to a good height for Atlantic Salmon fishing so it was a successful day on the water with 11 of our 12 fishermen landing Salmon. Without any major rain in the forecast and no snow remaining in the woods, there should not be any more significant rises to speak of for the remainder of the spring season. Much of the conditions so far have helped to hold the salmon in the system, so it looks like there should be some good - even great - spring Salmon fishing remaining for quite a while yet. Even though there are different ways for catching spring Salmon, the most popular - and fun - way, is by casting from boats towards the shore using sinking tips or even sinking lines, however as the water falls and the May salmon start rising to surface more over the next couple of weeks, we will see good results using floating lines and sometimes even summer fly patterns like #4 and #6 White Tail Green Machines. When there are good numbers of fish around in lower and clear water and the weather is nice, there simply isn't a much better time to be on the River than mid-to- late May which is normally an opportunity to land the biggest Salmon of the spring or a chance at landing a record Brookie or some world class Striped Bass - all on Flies. Flies of choice this week were Magog Smelts, Salmon, Gray Ghost, Trout and Blue Smelts for the Bass.

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.



May 1st

Glen Johnson, Dillon Colorado	Graham Macdonald, Newmarket Ont.
Jayson Dool, Moncton NB	Bill Mather, Elgin Ont.

Slow and steady was a daily challenge for good fishing with the unsettled weather so far this spring. With the colder water, the Salmon are holding steady and staying close to shore so casters were having the best results so far, unlike last spring when the water just fell slowly over a period of weeks, making for great fishing every day. This spring has been more of a challenge with good fishing on days when the water was falling and not so good on days when the water was rising, but so far, almost all of our fishermen have had good success. The ratio of Salmon-to-Grilse landed this week has been 90% Salmon with the majority being between 30 - 48 inches in length. For example, Bill Mather landed 19 Salmon and only one Grilse over his 3 day trip. This is great for fishermen who were landing big Salmon but it would be better to see more Grilse in the river system. Blue Smelt, Bunny Strip and Renous River Specials have been the most productive flies so far this spring. With these conditions our best Salmon fishing should once again be in May with the Trout season opening today and the lower stretches of the river seeing Striped Bass. A day of fishing in May might consist of a 40+ inch Atlantic Salmon, 5+ Lb. Bookie and a 20 + lb. Striper. Although Atlantic Salmon are, by far, still the most sought after species, a change in techniques and species is always fun.

April 23d

Young Brothers Graham & Scott MacDonald from New Market Ontario first Atlantic Salmon fishing trip

Spring jumper

Reggie Pratt, Minot Maine

Bernard Pelech, Portsmouth NH

April 4th

        With a very cold March, the Ice conditions were not looking great for opening day however, with warmer weather since Sunday, rain in the forecast and much warmer
weather expected by mid-week, there is now more of a chance that the Ice will be gone and we will see good conditions by season opening day on April 15th.
Of course, much will depend on how much rain we do get.

It's always good to get back on the water after a long winter. We are hoping for the best!!

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

With the 2017 fishing season kicking off on April 15th, this week could be described as "the Good, the Bad and the Ugly"! The "Good" being that we got started on time and landed some lovely Salmon. The "Bad" was that this was the coldest opening week to start off the fishing season in years. The "Ugly" was that this was the first time in 17 seasons where we received snow two days during the opening week. On a more positive note, however, we landed some of the largest opening week Salmon in quite a while using a variety of different flies (Christmas Tree, Magog Smelts, and Blue Smelts to name a few). With the colder water, the fish are not moving yet so the best success has been by finding places that have not been fished - in other words - going to where the fish are instead of waiting for the fish to move down. As conditions improve, so should the fishing. With this late spring and the fish moving down slowly, it looks like the better Spring fishing might again be in the month of May.

Over the first week, 80% of the fish landed have been Salmon, compared to Grilse, indicating the opening season results were as expected last season - good numbers of returning Salmon and lower returns of Grilse. After a long winter it's a great time to get out on the water to enjoy the fresh air and the fishing. Spring is a great time for beginners to learn the art of fly fishing casting while also enjoying success on the water.

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

---

YEAR 2016 River Reports

The following counter numbers account for approximately 5-10% of the actual numbers of fish returning to
the System each year so overall they show a good return of large Salmon for 2016, up to October 15th.
Returning counts for the Main Southwest and Northwest Miramichi CLICK on image for larger view

---

Fall 2016

October 17th

"Wow!" is the only way I can properly describe the wonderful fishing season we enjoyed on the Miramichi this season. From start-to-finish it was our best in every way - from having our most consistent spring season in 17 years - to more good days than bad in both June and July - to one of our best Augusts ever - and topped off by a fantastic fall with some of the largest Salmon landed in years throughout the system. The returns of big salmon to both the Main Sou'west and the Nor'west were higher than any year since 2010. Negatives to these high returns have been the lower returns of Grilse in both rivers and the high number of returning Striped Bass to the river system.

Overall, as a lodge, we enjoyed our best fishing in 17 seasons. We are not sure if this is entirely because of the good returns or because of having more access to better fishing now than in previous years. The rate of returning guests remained steady at close to 90%. Many of our returning guests are getting on in years - with some of them having returned annually to the Miramichi since before I was born - it's always great to see each and every one of them! Throughout the season there are always so many special moments to remember where sometimes the entire lodge gets involved, such as annual Birthday celebrations for guests, to first-time Salmon landed, to the largest fish of the season etc! For me, personally, there are always too many good times to remember however a couple of my favorites this season were having 9 Year old Haley Dow from Massachusetts catch her first Atlantic Salmon during the poorest conditions of the summer and having the pleasure of guiding 93 year old Erwin Markowitz from Massachussets, with us for 3 days in October. He arrived on the Miramichi the first time in 1950 and has been returning to different lodges ever since. We are very happy he chose us for this visit - a lifetime of Miramichi Memories told to me in three days! What a great way to remember and end the Season.

With the 2016 season now behind us, we would like to thank everyone who visited - young or old, long time returning guests and beginners - we hope your stay with us was a memorable one and you will have an opportunity to return in the future. We might be a bit biased thinking we live on the best Atlantic Salmon river in the world, as probably other guides and lodge owners from around the world might think the same. We do know, however, that we are truly blessed to have such great guides and staff and we are told daily by our guests from around the world, just how special they really are.

Thanks again to the returning Salmon, Guests and Staff for making 2016 our best fishing Season in 17 years.

Here are a few of my favorites photos of my favorite people from this season;

Doug Slink, from Anglers Adventures A lifelong friend of the Guides and the river	Tom Campbell, from Chatham NY a lifelong guest of the River
93 Year old Erwin Markowitz, Worcester MA a lifelong guest of the River	Tyler's first full season What a great addition to the Guiding staff
Guides Gary Colford & Wesley Curtis inducted into the Guides Hall Of Fame

October 16th

Serge Collin, NB	Patrick Walsh www.outdoorcanada.ca
Mike Panieo, Orleans MA	Chris Lloyd, England
David Turberfield, Ct	Ken Brenner, Maryland

With a bump in water levels over the weekend, anglers enjoyed some very good catching right through until closing day in a number of different pools. Some of the more traditional pools on the upper Cains river started producing well and the Renous river continued to produce daily along with a number of pools on the Main River. Even though water levels were still on the low side, the Fall Salmon are going to come and move up these smaller rivers in any event. They were really moving this week on both the Cains and Renous rivers as fishermen landed fish with Sea Lice every single day far upriver. This was another week of Salmon-to-Grilse ratios in the 10-3 range, including some very large Salmon. Of all the fall weeks we have had so far, this week was more like a traditional fall week with colourful foliage, crisp mornings, lots of fish in the system and fall flies like the Allie Shrimp, GP,LT Special and Copper Killer working well. Overall, we have had a very productive fall on the River and a productive and enjoyable final week of the 2016 Season.

Thanks again from all of us at Country Haven Miramichi

October 9th

Paul Bazzoni, Little Compton RI Cains River	Nancy Moy, Towaco NJ Main River
Andrew Moy, NJ Renous River tightlinesflyfishing.com	Bob Mosher, Hingham MA Cains River
Rob Widgren, Albuquerque New Mexico Renous River	Jim Mclaren, Chicago Illinois Main River

"You should have been here last week" is a famous saying by fishing guides around the world and it was probably said a number of times this week on the Miramichi as each day of the week, fishing became slower. With clear sunny days and low clear water, anglers landed 11 Salmon on Monday but only averaged between 3 to 6 daily for the remainder of the week, even though there were great numbers of fish in the system. On the positive side however, everyone was seeing lots of fish! We had another 30 Lb'er landed and almost all our fishermen did manage to hook into fish this week. The conditions this week saw fishermen who used the smaller fly patterns enjoy the most success - some landing salmon on #10 and #12 Undertakers. It has been another week of mainly Salmon being landed with apparently not many Grilse in the system. With the rain we are now receiving it is almost certain the season will end on a high note.

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

October 2nd

Landed by Gary Berenson, Wayland MA Main River	Andrew Done, Leysin Switzerland Main River
Brian Warrington, Manchester England Main River	Doc Baker, North Carolina Cains River

This year's UK Spey Clinic week was a great one with good casting lessons and a lot of nice salmon landed. Throughout the week, anglers hooked 111 and landed 70 with the majority of them being Salmon, including three 30+ Lb. fish. This week was another good week of catches in a number of different pools from all the rivers we fish. The major run of fresh fish this week was in the lower stretches of the Main Southwest Miramichi river system. Early in the week the fish were still traveling throughout the Main river system, as the water was still at a good height for running fish. Now they are starting to hold up more, with the traditional fall pools that normally hold fall fish, starting to hold more daily. Even though some nice Salmon were landed on the Cains and Renous rivers - with lots of fish in both rivers - a bump in water levels would improve catches. Andrew Done from Switzerland enjoyed his 2nd best week out of his 7 visits, landing 10 with 9 of them being Salmon. Also, Jim Long from Chicago fished 6 different pools in 3 days and landed fish in all of them. Luck or Skill or just good at taking fish? - we are not quite sure, but Jim thinks it's skill so maybe it was!

Fish were landed on a number of flies this week with the better results being with Undertakers - anywhere from #4 through #10, depending on the pools. With two weeks remaining until the end of the season, beautiful fall foliage and pools filling up with big fall Salmon - it is looking very good for October fishing.
- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

September 26th

Michael Wadden Kentville NS Renous River Salmon	Bruce Palmer Kentville NS Cains River Salmon
John Ruckno, Wilkes Barre PA Nor'west River Salmon	Nick Choremi, Brooklyn NY Renous River Salmon
Cains River Morning	Dennis Landreville, Ottawa ON

With a 3 foot rise in water levels on the Main river and a couple of feet rise on the Cains and Renous rivers, it was just what the doctor ordered to get more fresh Salmon moving into the system. Anglers started seeing more fresh fish by mid week on the Renous and the Nor'west, even though the Nor'west never received much of a rise compared to the other rivers.

By Friday. the Main river started seeing a good number of fresh fall Salmon entering the system and over the weekend, fishermen were rewarded on all the rivers. With the rise of water in the Cains river, fishermen started having success in the upper stretches of that river as well, unlike the past couple of weeks when fishermen were only having success in a few locations. With the current conditions, people should expect some good fishing throughout much of the river systems. Throughout the season we fish the 4 major rivers almost daily and often have success in most but when anglers start catching fresh fish on the same days in all these 4 rivers, it's usually a good indication that there is a good run occurring. We tried it two days in a row over the weekend. With the rice in water levels and fall conditions, fishermen finally got the chance to have the best results so far this fall using the traditional fall patterns such as Ally's Shrimp, Mickey Finn, Tippet Shrimp and the GP. With three weeks remaining until the end of the season it's looking good for some great fall fishing.

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

Summer 2016

September 19th

Roger Lailey, Newburg, England Nor'west Miramichi Salmon	Alex Krotinger, Boston Ma Main Southwest Miramichi
Jens Lund Adamsen, Fredericia Denmark Cains River Salmon
Peter Engelhardt, Summit NJ Cains River Salmon

Some warmer and dryer-than-normal weather for this time of the season has resulted in one of our less productive fall weeks on the river but anglers did manage to land fish most days throughout the system. With our having access to 22 private pools, there are times when many are producing at the same time and other times when only a few pools on different rivers are fishing well. That was how it was this week as the majority of the fish landed were from the same pools on different rivers. It's always good to have the variety of water and top guides to provide guests with the best chance possible to land Salmon. All Atlantic rivers are unique in their own way - some are famous for big Salmon, even though they might be few-and-far between, and some are famous for their big runs, even though these rivers offer a very short season. The Miramichi has a 6 month season with a chance of catching Salmon almost every day throughout the season, including the chance to catch the "fish of a lifetime" - especially on a Dry Fly. Even though there are many great Atlantic Salmon rivers throughout the world, we are told by fishermen from around the globe that it's pretty hard to beat the Eastern Canadian rivers - especially the Miramichi - when it comes to landing the "Big one" on a dry fly. This week it Was Jens Adamsen from Denmark. Even though he has landed hundreds of Atlantics throughout the Atlantic Salmon world, he always knew his best chance for landing his lifelong dream Salmon using a Bomber was on the Miramichi and he was not disappointed! Sometimes it's quantity, sometimes it's quality and sometimes it is just learning how to flyfish. Guests come and go and they all echo the same thing - "fish the Miramichi on a daily basis"! Flies of choice this week are still summer patterns of Orange or Red Butt Bear Hair, Undertakers and The Almost has been working well in evenings with holding fish using #8 and #10 Peach Carter Bugs Dry.

Even though the water is at a good height on the lower stretches of the Main River System and the fall runs should increase daily until the end of the season, a good rain will be needed to get fishing until the end of the season on the upper stretches of the Cains & Renous rivers as it should be.

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

September 8th

Daniel MacDonald, Monique, PEI	Erik Van Den Berg, Rosmalen, Netherlands fishingwildplaces.com
Rene Van Bergen, Netherlands	Waiting for a Bomber

It was another interesting week on the Miramichi as fishing remained quite consistent over the weekend and early into the week. Over the past couple of days, however, warmer weather has been moving in and will probably slow fishing a bit until there is a cooling trend. The weather prediction is calling for 30 ml. of rain over this weekend and that should be just about the perfect amount of precipitation - if it happens. The long range forecast is looking good and a full moon on the 17th is occurring at an ideal time to start bringing in the big runs of fall Salmon. Flies of Choice this week have been #10 Undertakers, Orange Butt Bear Hair and wet flies, Peach Carter Bug and Brown White With Orange Hackle Bombers.

The best news on the River this week has been that the new Minister of Fisheries, Dominic LeBlanc, is making changes for the improvement of the Striped Bass season. Everyone is hoping for more positive decisions by the start of the 2017 Season. The Miramichi, one of the best Atlantic Salmon rivers in the world, is seeing returning Striped Bass outnumbering returning Atlantic Salmon by a 10 to 1 ratio. These numbers suggest that it should not be a big decision to relax the restrictions on fishing for Striped Bass. Fly fishermen have been doing their part for Atlantic Salmon Conservation in every way possible. Everyone knows that the Atlantic Salmon has many predators so let's hope these improvements will be only one of many steps in the right direction as to whom should be the leader in making decisions for the protection of all fish species, including the wild Atlantic Salmon - an important segment of the East Coast economy - valued at approximately $255 million annually.

On October 1st there will be a ceremony at the Atlantic Salmon Museum www.atlanticsalmonmuseum.com to induct long-time river guides Marty Stewart, Wesley Curtis and our very own Country Haven Guide Gary Colford, into the Guides Hall of Fame. I do not know Marty personally but being friends and neighbors with Wesley for over 30 years and having had the pleasure of Gary being on our guiding staff for the past 9 seasons, I cannot think of anyone more deserving to be in the Guides Hall of Fame, than these fellows.
- Good Luck and Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

September 1st

David Paciobio, Ottawa ON	Pam Paciobio, Ottawa ON
Emily Champagne, Markham ON	Michael Kovacevic, Georgetown ON

With August in the books for another season, one wishes some of the fishing in June and July could have been as good as most of August has been. With Atlantic Salmon fishing, so much depends on conditions and the majority of the time - if there are fish in the system and the conditions are good - fishermen can be rewarded every month of the fishing season. Over the years, some of our best fishing has come in the month of August and this August was no exception as there was a good mix of both holding and fresh fish throughout the system.

As of now, conditions remain steady as we head into fall when we can expect some fresh runs of those big hookbill salmon - from now through the end of the season on Oct the 15th. Right now conditions are great for much of the main river system and should be remain that way until the end of the season if we don't receive much rain. The tributaries of the Renous and Cains rivers are good for a while yet but will need at least one good rise in water levels to ensure the traditionally good fall fishing these tributaries are famous for.

Up until now, anglers have been having better results on traditional summer fly patterns like the Bomber, Green Machine, Bear Hair and Undertaker, and that will continue into September but, after the next rise in water levels, the traditional fall patterns such as the Shrimp, GP, LT Special and Copper Killer, to name a few, will be in high demand until the end of the season.

Throughout most weeks of the season we catch some big fish, some small fish, sometimes they get photos, sometimes they don't, but for the guides, the best reward of all is seeing the faces of those who catch their very first Atlantic Salmon on a fly rod. The 4 photos above are all of first timers on their first morning fishing for Atlantic Salmon.

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

August 26th

Cains River Salmon	Another Cains River Salmon
Main River Salmon, Shya Kane, Milford NJ	Main River Salmon, Shya Kane, Milford NJ

This has been another good week of August fishing as fishing has been quite consistent throughout the entire river system over the past couple of weeks. The Renous can be a very productive river under the right conditions, especially in July, September and October but has been very good since the rise in water levels which happened in early August. With the good water height in the smaller tributaries, not only has the fishing been good in the lower stretches of the Cains - as it usually is in August - but anglers have started catching and seeing Salmon in greater numbers much further upriver this year. So... if good conditions continue and the fish continue to arrive as they are doing then we could expect some good fall fishing throughout much of the river system for the remainder of the season. Flies of Choice this week have been (wet flies) the White Tail Green Machine and (dry flies) Brown Orange Bombers and Peach Carter Bugs.

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

August 17th

Patric Thebeu, Moncton NB First Atlantic	Early Morning Miramichi
One of our favorite fishermen	We like it when they're rolling

With two months remaining until the end of the 2016 fishing season, it is really exciting to be part of the family of fly fishermen challenging the Wild Atlantic Salmon. In the time remaining, a lot of good and bad can happen but, to date, everyone should be happy with the season and returns so far! The Spring season was the most consistent in 17 years and June and July had some of the better numbers of fish returning to the river in quite a while! The annual "Bump in the road" we seem to get, where warm water conditions occur, is behind us, hopefully for another season! With a 3 foot rise in water levels and all the cold water brooks reopened, fish are now moving throughout the system - what more could a Miramichi River Guide ask for! With this rise in water levels, the majority of the holding fish started moving on Sunday evening, making for some very good fishing on the Lower Cains and the Main river Systems. Normally, with these rises in water after a period of hot dry weather, fishing can be fantastic as these fish move through the system . There is normally a lull of a couple of days between the holding fish moving out and the fresh runs moving into the system so anglers in the upper stretches of the river should expect some good fishing heading into the weekend and fishermen should start to see more fresh August fish entering the lower stretches of the system by the weekend as well. One thing we do know is that the Miramichi River is only one of a few river systems in the world that receive such an abundance of fish in a fall salmon run and it's always good to be part of it! Every day throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons we are reminded that we are blessed to have such a group of quality guides giving a 100% effort at catching fish as they travel throughout the river system. We do know that our guides enjoy guiding in the fall season best of all. It also helps to have access to 22 private pools throughout the system, including five on the Cains river which is, beyond a doubt, the best little Atlantic Salmon River in the world for fall fishing.

We are often asked how the fish counter systems actually work. It can be quite confusing if not explained well as the counters only tally a percentage of the actual number of fish entering the river systems. Below is a report by fly fishermen Brad Burns from his Blog, on how they come up with the returning number of fish, with the returns this season - up until July 15th on the Main Southwest Miramichi river.

The 2016 season so far and the coming fall run - by Brad Burns
One of the best measures that we have is the Millerton trap net which we have discussed on this blog before. The government website can be found at this link. I won't bore you with a long tutorial because many of you understand how the trap works already, but for those that don't but who are interested, just go on the site and spend some time changing the dates, clicking salmon or grilse and looking at the results. Compare the current period with earlier years that are also listed. There is no other way to learn it.

On July 15, the trap reported 397 salmon for the season to date. This compares to 213 avg. for the same period from 1998 through 2002, and 349 from 2003 through 2007. It is also well ahead of either 2013, 2014, or 2015. So far so good, but it is less than the 494 from 2008 to 2012. The 397 represents just the Main Southwest branch, and the trap catches about 5% of returning salmon. That means that so far in 2016 we have had about 8,000 salmon enter the Main Southwest Miramichi. This isn't bad, especially compared to just about any other salmon river in North America. The grilse count was 536 which, times the 10% efficiency for grilse, puts the run so far at about 5,000. This is about half of the normal grilse returning by July 31 for all but the most recent years - which have generally been lower than 2016. Like the Main Southwest Miramichi, the Northwest Miramichi branch is having quite a good year for Salmon, but not great for Grilse.

So what does all this mean for the fall run? Jason Curtis always says that you can judge the whole season to come by the early fishing. He reasons that the early fish are a certain part of the total run, and if that early component is bigger then the whole run will also be larger. It's like the old bell-shaped curve. If the outer edges of the bell are wider and thicker the bell is likely to be larger. Certainly that is the way it was with the 2011 run, which came in hot and heavy early and continued that way until the end of the season. One day in mid-June 2016 I came in off the river and sat on the bench next to Jason. I had just had a half hour of rolling and touching salmon, but not getting a solid hookup. You have to be feeling pretty good about the number of fish we saw in the tail of the pool tonight, he said. There were plenty of Atlantic salmon coming in to the Miramichi until that first heat wave at the end of June.
- Brad Burns

Last week, with the warm water, it was better for canoe sightseeing and beaches here at Country Haven, than for fishing, but the few fishermen that were on the water still managed to land fish and enjoy seeing lots of holding fish, even when there were no takers. But, with these improved conditions, there have been many fishermen limiting out the past few days and we have had some of the best fishing of the season which could possibly continue over the next couple of weeks. #6 and #8 White Tail Green Machine have been the flies of choice since Sunday. With the lower Canadian dollar compared to many other foreign currencies it is a good time to visit the Miramichi for a fishing trip and we are also finding that anglers are taking advantage of the currency exchange to buy from our local Miramichi fly shops - who carry all the top brands in the business - from Doak & Sons in Doaktown, Curtis Outfitters in Blackville, Trout Brook Fly Shop on the Nor'west and Miramichi Hunting & Fishing Supplies in Miramichi city. With Atlantic Salmon fishing there is never a guarantee, even when the river is full of fish, but we can guarantee some of the best quality service & prices that these local fly shops offer. So... Get ready for the fall season as we are expecting a good one!

- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

August 2nd

Haley Dow, Paxton MA	Stephane Jansen, Rawdon QUE
Rosemarie Greulich, Pulaski NY	Andy Greulich, Pluaski NY

Overall it has been a positive June and July with very good numbers of returning fish reported to date at the counters - some of the better numbers in a while. With the warmer water, fishing has slowed a bit for the number of fish in the system. As always, we have seen better results using dry flies when the water is warmer so this past week was a week for Bombers with some very good results. Throughout each season we enjoy an 85% of returning angler guests who fish with us but it's always a great thrill when first-time Atlantic Salmon anglers have good luck. This week the photos above are of first-timers with their Atlantics. Every photo has a good story but we love the one about 9 year old Haley Dow from Massachusetts who not only had the Country Haven cooks and staff fall in love with her, it seemed like the Salmon did as well, as phey played with her Bomber almost every time she cast. Other fishermen could only watch and wish as they listened to her excitement with every roll and hookup throughout her visit. All fish taken this week were on Dry Fly Peach Bombers and Whiskers.

The water is getting low for most of the tributaries and upper stretches of the main river system but is at an ideal height for the lower stretches, especially from Blackville to Quarryville. Some of these pools are better as the water gets lower. Even with good water height in these pools, rain is needed to cool the water down and bring more of those big August Salmon that tend to hold up in the lower stretches of the river.
- Good Luck and Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

July 26th

Guide Gary Colford	Tony Spratt, London England
Guide Danny Coughlan	Jason Andalo, West Roxbury MA

Overall, it was a very good week for fish numbers throughout most of the river system with much better catches than the previous week where the lower water conditions were perfect in the lower stretches of the Main river for much of the week. Although many of the fish landed this week were Grilse, there was a good mixture of big Salmon in the system. By the weekend, a couple of rain storms brought the river up approximately a foot, making for good water levels on the Renous and as a result, fishermen were rewarded daily. On the lower stretch of the Renous river system, the rise in water levels put a few fish into the Cains, also a few Grilse and Salmon were landed on the lower stretches of the Cains river.

The forecast is not looking too bad for the next couple of weeks as it is raining today and there is a chance of 20-30 Millimeters (1"+/-) of rain arriving on Thursday. With the water temperatures hovering in the mid 70's over the last couple of days, starting today, the DFO decided to close down 25 cold water brooks to fishing until water temperatures cool. The closures of these brooks effect only 2 of our 22 Private fishing pools that we use throughout the season, giving us access to 20 Private pools instead of the normal 22. If forecast predictions are correct, the closure might not be too long. Flies of choice this week were Peach Bomber dry flies and #10 and #12 Undertaker wet flies.

On October 1st there will be a ceremony at the Atlantic Salmon Museum www.atlanticsalmonmuseum.com to induct long-time river guides Marty Stewart, Wesley Curtis and our very own Country Haven Guide Gary Colford, into the Guides Hall of Fame. I do not know Marty personally but being friends and neighbors with Wesley for over 30 years and having had the pleasure of Gary being on our guiding staff for the past 9 seasons, I cannot think of anyone more deserving to be in the Guides Hall of Fame, than these fellows.
- Good Luck and Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

July 14th

Bill Mather, Elgin Ont - ready for fishing	Glen Delisle, California Landing his 1st ever Atlantic Salmon
Glen Delisle, Auburn CA, Guide Daryl Tucker Bob Peredi, Savanna GA	Glens' Salmon

This has been a great week for fish numbers throughout the river system with daily numbers at the Millerton counter on the Main river system ranging from approximately 500 to over 1,200 each day this week, using a standard calculation formula of between 7-10 percent of fish moving through the counters. Although the numbers were good, the actual catches should have been much higher with overall good conditions. The lower stretches of the Main river and the Renous have seen amazing numbers of fish travelling through the system. The long-range weather forecast is looking great and with these high numbers, it appears like some great July fishing should be had by all throughout the entire Main river system.

Every week is different in catches - some good, some not so good - but one thing that has not changed over the years is our quality of guests, both returning or new. Words cannot describe the wonderful guests and now friends who have visited us over the years. This week we had the pleasure of hosting two new first-time 85 year old fishing guests, and what a treat it was having them at our Lodge. We miss everyone who visits each year but these guys will be remembered for some time! Flies of choice this week were #8 Undertakers, #8 Blue Charms and #8 and #10 Same thing Murry.
Good Luck and Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

Photos of Two nice salmon landed at Campbell's pool above Blackville - by Brad Burns

Guide Jason Curtis

Guide Daryl Warren

For anyone with interest in the Miramichi River, a
must read book written by Brad Burns " Closing the Season"
can be purchased by visiting www.bradburnsfishing.com/product/closing-the-season/

July 7th

Rick Maser, Bar Harbour Maine 1st Atlantic on the Cains, Summer 2016	Salmon landed by Mike Panio Orleans MA
Wildlife Tours	Fishing the Miramichi

The Run is On! What a difference a week makes! With 4 days of 90F weather to start last week, fishing was spotty at best as anglers only landed a few fish during the week and during a couple of days mid-week we saw more moose on our Wildlife Tours than Salmon in the river. Everyone was thinking "not another heatwave" for the start of the July run this year. But what a change in conditions and fishing a couple of days can make when land temperatures reduced from 90F to 40F and water from 76F last Wednesday to 60F this week. Since Tuesday evening we have seen a river full of Salmon as there has been a nonstop run of fresh wild Atlantics moving through the lower stretches of the Main River System and some fishermen limited out last evening. The majority of the June run Salmon are destined for the upper stretches of the Main River System but the July runs are also heading for the Upper stretches plus the smaller tributaries of the Cains and the Bartholemew and tend to start holding up more than the early runs. We landed our first Cains river Salmon of the summer season this week and know it's just the beginning of great days to come on the Cains. With a rise in water, the Renous should also produce as the first few weeks of July can be prime time on the river when conditions are good. Flies of choice this week were the #8 Undertaker and the #8 Blue Charm. There were also some fish landed on Dry Flies during the slower fishing days last week. With the cooler temperatures followed by a week's forecast for rain, the outlook is very promising for July fishing this season.
Good Luck and Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

June 25th

Patrick De Belder, Ottawa ONT Upper Sou'west
fTim Moore, Mechanicville NY ( Bomber ) Lower Sou'west	Productive Nor'west river pool

After a couple of weeks of summer fishing there has been a good number of fish landed on both the Main Southwest, the Nor'west and the Renous river systems. June can be unpredictable as to when the fish arrive some years - early some years or later in June - but for those who take the gamble, they can sometimes be rewarded with big silver fish of a lifetime. Early June has seen a number of happy anglers throughout the system. Most of the fish landed have been Salmon with a few Grilse that have entered the system over the past couple of days. The water is now at an ideal height for the June runs as long as it remains cool. Good fishing should continue however the next couple days forecast could see some hot weather that we do not need but then there will be cooling again mid-week with a good long range forecast predicted. Flies of choice have been the White Tail Green machine, Green Machine Crystal Flash and the Blue Charm.
Good Luck and Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

Spring 2016

May 17th

Teghan GodKin, Ottawa ON 1st Atlantic, May 13th	Larissa Bryenton Making it look easy
Jeremy Vickers	Claude Dagenais, Montreal QC

The 2016 spring Atlantic Salmon season is now officially over for another season. Effective May 16th, hook & release numbers will drop to 4 a day from the normal 10 a day limit that runs from April 15th through May 15th - the "Spring Salmon Season" and overall, what a great season it was! With good conditions and an abundance of Salmon, it turned out to be our most successful spring season in 17 years.

Our angling guests landed Salmon and Grilse every single day from opening on April 15th to May 15th. What a success rate this was as all of our fishermen hooked into Salmon and throughout the entire Month of spring fishing, only three one-day anglers did not land any.

With balanced weather conditions, no water level rises to speak of, cool nights and with many warm days, we wish every spring could be such a success. Even though spring Salmon fishing officially ended on May 15th, with these great conditions, fishermen are still landing a few Salmon - especially throughout the lower stretches of the system - and will probably continue to do so for some time yet. Even though our guides all know it has been one of our best seasons, it is always refreshing to receive so much positive feedback from returning fishermen - some who have been returning for spring fishing for over 50 years! Peter Mychajliw from NY returned after staying away for 6 springs - due in part to some negative reports of low returns on the River - but he was very surprised as he enjoyed his best fishing ever - including his many years prior to the 6 year absence. Dave Geetter from Bloomfield, Ct. - who has fished the Miramichi almost every year since 1967 - said that even though he has had higher count days for fish over the years, he cannot remember seeing so many nice looking Salmon and also knows for sure that he has never caught so many big Trout in all his years of spring fishing on the Miramichi river. On a slightly negative note however, Dave Price from Weston Mass. who started fishing the Miramichi in 1963, said that in all his years, he never landed any Striped Bass. While salmon fishing on the Miramichi, he landed 10 Stripers in an afternoon. He now says that over his 50 years of fishing the Miramichi he has seen it all!! Don Dimambo from Barrington N.H. - after years of spring fishing for salmon on the Miramichi - decided to spend a day fishing for Striped Bass on the Lower Stretch of the River. In his 60 years of Bass fishing in New England, he has never witnessed such Striped Bass fishing! We are so happy to say we have enjoyed some of the best spring Atlantic Salmon, Trout and Striped Bass fishing in years and it is great fun while it lasts. Many of these seasoned Striped Bass fishermen suggest that it might not last as long as we would like because they are worried about the effects of such an abundance of Stripers on one of the greatest wild Atlantic Salmon rivers in the World! The bass fishing is fun but it is the wild Atlantic Salmon that brings these anglers from around the world, to the Miramichi each year. So, with the retention period continuing until May 29th, anglers should get out do some Striper fishing and take one home as there is definitely no shortage of them on the Miramichi. Fly rod Floating lines or light sinking tips, Bombers or Chris Edmonds Striper flies are working best.

Spring fishing will continue for a while yet - especially for the Striped Bass and the fresh runs of Sea Run Trout that should be arriving soon - but with expectations so high for another good year of Salmon and Grilse runs, an early summer with good fishing conditions might see some entering the system early this year. Country Haven has access to 22 private pools throughout the System in 2016, giving guests the best chance possible to catch the wild Atlantic Salmon .
- Good Luck and Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

May 12th

Mike Durant, Pensacola FL	Andy Lipsky ,Cumberland RI
John Torgan, Providence RI	Cody Dey, Thunder Bay ONT (Cody's 1st Atlantic Salmon)

Another great week to be on the Miramichi! With the exception of a couple of colder days on the water after so many nice warm days, anglers have continued to catch spring Salmon every day since the season opened. Even though we are fishing from Upper Blackville to Quarryville for Salmon and Grilse, fishermen are still having the best results upriver above Blackville. If this trend continues, this season fishermen might continue to land some Salmon until the end of May. Although the number of daily catches has slowed since April, this spring has been as consistent as any spring we have seen, with fish landed daily. The Salmon landed now are fighters after feeding so long on smelts. The trout fishing has also slowed up a bit but what nice trout fishermen have landed since late April. Fishermen have now switched over to floating lines or light sinking tips. Flies of choice remain the Smelt Patterns for Salmon, Gray Ghost for trout along with some results in the Quarryville area using big Brown Bombers.

As the Salmon, Grilse and Trout catches have slowed, the Striped Bass fishing has improved daily. Even though fishermen are catching Stripers as far upriver as the White Rapids, the Miramichi City area numbers are increasing daily. Although there are many ways to fish for Stripers, fishermen are having best results and the most fun landing them using fly rods with Chris Edmonds Striper bass flies. With good water conditions expected for a while yet for boating on the lower stretch of the Main River system, there should still be some good spring fishing remaining with a good chance to catch Atlantic Salmon, Trout and Striped Bass.
- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

May 5th

Jeremy Vickers

Jake McGill, Kitchener ONT Nathan Mesher, Kitchener ONT J.P. Wiggins, Clinton, Ohio Peter Mychajliw, Port Washington, NY

Raymond Hill, Roanoke VA

The 2016 Spring Atlantic Salmon season has been great so far as the conditions have remained almost perfect for an extended long spring season. Even though some days were in the 70's F, nights stayed cool, keeping the water colder than some years. Spring Salmon don't go anywhere until water temperatures are just right, no matter how early the ice goes out or how low the water levels may get. With these conditions, many anglers have switched over to sinking tips or floating lines only when using smaller flies. With the Atlantic Salmon fishing being more consistent than we have seen in years, Trout fishing has also been terrific as fishermen have been landing fish daily - some up to 7 Lbs. The Miramichi has always been known as one of the best Atlantic Salmon producing rivers in the world, but now, with the population explosion of Striped Bass in the system, at this time of the season, anglers can limit out by landing 10 Atlantics, big Bookies and a boatload of Stripers - all in one day! Not good for the river but good action for the fishermen! Flies of choice this week for Atlantic Salmon were the Magog Smelt, Christmas Tree and Black Ghost. For Trout, the Gray Ghost was best and for catching Striped Bass, the Chris Edmonds Special worked best!
- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

April 29th

Bevin Baker, Tasmania Australia	Gino DeBurra, Poland Maine
Dr. Mohammad Hossain, Saint John NB	Reggie Pratt, Minot Maine

It has been another great week of Salmon fishing on the Miramichi as all anglers landed fish every single day! Although numbers were not quite as good as our first week, the fishing is staying very consistent and the quality of fish is the best we have seen in years, especially the ones that have been feeding on smelt.

With perfect water conditions most of the week, fishing has been good overall with many big salmon landed - including 15 over 40 inches out of over 600 Grilse and Salmon landed since opening day. The best news is that colder nights have been keeping the water cold and the fish have not been going anywhere since opening day. If these conditions continue, anglers could have some great spring fishing long into May. The water is now on the low side but some rain in the forecast early next week should help in extending the spring season for boat fishing. The conditions are now perfect for casting and some fishermen have changed over to using sinking tips only. When the water does warm up and the fish start moving, presuming these clear water conditions continue, fishermen should have some good success this spring using floating lines as well.

Even though the Salmon fishing is good and will improve even more with the number of fish in the system as the water warms, trout fishing over the past days has been awesome in the lower stretches of the Main river. Fishermen have been landing too many to count on some days - including some up in the 6-7 lb. range. The traditional spring flies are working well but smaller flies have started and will continue to produce, especially for the casters.

The Miramichi traditionally sees anglers travel from around the world for summer and fall fishing, with the majority of spring anglers arriving from the eastern US. It is very early in the season however fishermen have already arrived from Australia, England, Scotland, Norway and the western US States of Washington and Arizona with great success had by all! Spring, summer or fall, each season may be different but the thrill of landing a Wild Atlantic Salmon is special at any time.
- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

April 22nd

Steve Cullen, Princeton MA 1st Atlantic Salmon 2016 season	Fish landed by Art Mesher, Kitchener, ONT
Bernie Pelech, Portsmouth NH	Jason Tham, Toronto ONT

What a great start to the 2016 fishing season as almost every angler on the river limited out at 10 fish each on opening day. Fishing has continued to remain good throughout the week and with summer-like weather conditions, this week would have to be described as a perfect start to the spring season. Flies of choice this week have been the Christmas Tree, Black Ghost , Renous River Special and Magog Smelt.

As we head into the second week of the season, there are lots of fish throughout the entire river system. Anglers having the best results now are casting toward shore from boats as the majority of fish are still holding. With some nice weather in the forecast, it's looking like another great week ahead to be on the River.
- Tight Lines from the Miramichi.

April 1st

Doaktown

Upper Blackville

Gray Rapids

Blackville

With only two weeks remaining until the start of the Atlantic Salmon fishing season on the Miramichi, the conditions are beginning to look good for this years opening day. There is still more ice to clear but the DFO Salmon & Grilse returns are now out for last year on the Miramichi River System and they are looking good for this spring's fishing season.

2015 count returns for Salmon & Grilse for the Main Southwest Miramichi river.

NW Miramichi	4,171 Salmon	11,981 Grilse	16,152 Total Salmon and Grilse
SW Miramichi	11,490 Salmon	13,980 Grilse	25,470 Total Salmon and Grilse
Total Miramichi System	15,661 Salmon	26,961 Grilse	41,622 Total Salmon and Grilse

YEAR 2015 River Reports

Summer 2015

October 17th

Stephen Tonning, Fredericton NB	Roger Lailey, Newburg England	Stephen Tonning, Fredericton NB
Lower Cains	Fish on Middle Cains	Fish on Upper Cains

With the 2015 fishing now behind us, we would like to thank all our guests who experienced a season of some great fishing, some poor fishing, high & low water conditions and a season of new conservation measures that has placed the Miramichi and Atlantic Canada in the forefront in the conservation of Atlantic Salmon. Let's hope there will be more areas that will "get on board" like Quebec, Saint Pierre & Miquelon and yes, Greenland, in protecting the Wild Atlantic Salmon.

Overall, here at Country Haven, it was another good year with over 80% of returning guests from around the world who joined us in enjoying the Miramichi, including all the Canadian provinces, 37 US States, and 14 Countries. The returns were up over last season - especially summer returns - but the fall numbers will probably be a little disappointing, not because of lack of fish, but mainly being due to the removal of counters again because of the flood in late September which is normally a prime time for the fall returns. However, in this season, compared to some past seasons when conditions were good, anglers felt like every time they headed to the river, they had a good chance of catching fish. The guides tend to agree that the most positive thing about the 2015 season was the large returns of Grilse throughout the season compared to the last couple of years and with the large number of fish that have entered the system, fishing should be good for the coming spring season.

The Atlantic Salmon is a traveler and so are the fishermen who fish for them as guests travel from around the world every year to fish the Miramichi. It always amazes me just how far people will travel to fish for Atlantics, even with some having great fishing for other species in their back yards. It always reminds us just how important the wild Atlantic Salmon truly is. What amazes me even more is that over the years, how these fishermen's paths have taken them to meet up at lodges from Russia, Norway, Scotland and the Miramichi without even knowing each other would be there. Every year is similar but always has something that sets it apart from other seasons, whether it's the variations from year to year as to the best locations, changing conditions or the fly selections that work best from season to season or where the majority of guests will be from by season's end . One thing that was a bit different this season was where guests arrived from at the same time without knowing each other or without any connection to be here without a group booking or other arrangement. It just happens - like in July, when three traveled from Salt Lake, Utah in the same week, or in early September when five from North Carolina arrived the same week, and in late September, three from Victoria BC in the same week. Some of these guests were almost neighbours but had not known each other before their arrival. After traveling thousands of miles to fish the Miramichi they were all brought together by the allure of the wild Atlantic Salmon - the king of the game fish - a species worth fighting for!

We would again like to say "thanks" to all our guests - we could not do it without you and look forward to seeing you all again in 2016! Tight lines.

October 10th

Colin Townsend, Voorhees N.J.	Pete doing what he Likes best	Landing Salmon on the Cains river
Ron Halick with Andrew & Nancy Moy on the Miramichi	Andrew Moy Casting Clinics	Lobster time on the Miramichi

As the water is now falling daily, fishing is also improving throughout the week - especially on the Cains and Renous rivers. We love these fall weeks with the colourful fall foliage, normally good fishing and the back-to-back casting clinics which were held last week and this week. It's always a pleasure to watch these fellows casting. With the water falling, we landed fish in a number of different pools from five different rivers throughout the system. The water was at an ideal height for canoeing and fishing day trips on the Cains river which are always a treat - usually with good results. Although the Cains river is probably one of the best little fall rivers in North America for Atlantic Salmon when the conditions are right, this year has been no exception as almost all the pools are now producing good results but with the higher water, the best results have come from the Middle Cains. Sometimes it's the lower stretches and other times the upper stretches so the more access, the better it gets as each year, best results can come from different locations. One thing for sure is that there is nothing much better than finishing out the fishing season on the Cains River. Only five days remain in this year's fishing season so get out and enjoy it if you can!

For best flies - fall patterns, especially anything with orange, is working best.

For Information on 2016 U.S. Spey Clinics visit www.tightlinesflyfishing.com

- Tight Lines

October 4th

Gary Berenson, Wayland MA	Gary Berenson, Wayland MA	Bryan Martin, Devon England fighting a salmon
UK Spey Week on the Miramichi	Andrew Duncan, York, England	Curious visitor

This week could be called "the Good, the Bad and the Ugly"!

The "Good" would be that this week is always one of our most enjoyably weeks of the season as it is our UK Spey week on the Miramichi with a number of fishermen returning each year from the UK for a week-long adventure of fly fishing for Atlantics and Spey Casting clinics hosted by Bryan Martin & Brian Warrington from the UK. The beginning of the week was promising with ideal conditions and good numbers of fresh fall run Salmon entering the system with many 30+ Salmon seen and landed on the river.

The "Bad" was the 150ml (6") of rain we received mid-week, bringing the water up by approximately 21 feet in 36 hrs.

The "Ugly" was the flood-like conditions where fishing was impossible for two days since there was too much floating debris and and it took until Saturday before conditions improved enough to again have any success. What started out looking like probably one of the better fall seasons on the Main river, will not happen this year. But on the positive side, the instructors did an excellent job at the casting Clinics and our staff provided a number of tours - including bear watching - that all our guests enjoyed very much. Another positive aspect in this rise in water levels is that even though it might not be good for the lower stretches of river, it should make for some great fall fishing on the tributaries of the Cains and Renous where we have access to some great fall pools! I Can't think of any place better than the Cains to finish off the fishing season! For anyone interested in fishing the Main river only this fall, with this rise in water, probably it will be the upper stretches of the Main river that will be fishing best for a while. It might be a good time to try places upriver as the conditions are now in their favour for Main river fishing.

Flies of choice this week were all fall patterns; GP, Ally's Shrimp, Red Frances and LT Special.

For information on the 2016 UK Spey week, visit www.devonflyfishing.co.uk/miramichi.html

- Tight Lines

September 27th

Canoeing & Fishing the Main River	Cains River Salmon
Canoeing & Fishing the Cains River	Tyler & Gary on the Cains River

This week, our stretch of the river was not quite as productive as it was last year at this time due to the rise in water from last week taking most of the holding fish upriver and only a few of the fall run fish moving into the system. Even though we fished a number of pools throughout the system all week, most of our fish came from four pools - two on the lower Main river, one on the Cains and one on the Nor'west. Again this week, luckily, we had access to pools that could bail us out when conditions were not as good as usual for this section of the river at this time of year. As the water levels fall and more of the fall runs enter the system we can expect better results throughout the entire river system as conditions are now almost perfect for the fall runs. Although we are still using a mix of summer and fall fly patterns, the fall patterns worked the best this week.
- Tight Lines

September 20th

Joe Herzog, Virginia	Joe Herzog, Virginia
Chris Lloys, England	Jamie Long, Moncton NB ( 1st Atlantic Salmon )

More water was what we needed for the river system to improve conditions for the fall and we received a nice 3+ foot rise on the Main River and even more on the tributaries early in the week. With the water rising, anglers enjoyed some decent fishing before too much debris started moving. The rain was needed for the long run but as it sometimes happens, it slows fishing for a while as for a couple of days the water is normally too dirty and it also moves fish from holding pools, so it can be a waiting game as it takes a few days, following the rain, for conditions to improve and for fresh fish to enter the system to take the place of the holding fish that have moved on. That was the case for most fishermen this week. Even though we did land some nice salmon, it ended up being our slowest week of the summer fishing season on our stretch of the river. With the bump in water levels and cooler weather in the forecast for the remainder of the fall season, we expect numbers for the fall runs to now increase daily for a while .Even though there has been some fresh fish entering the system since with the rise in water levels, higher numbers traditionally start arriving between September 21st to 25th and should continue past the closing of the season. As it now looks, conditions should be excellent for the fall run arrivals. Traditionally, these fall runs have fish arriving in all the rivers in the system around the same time whereas the summer runs tend to vary from river to river. The Main River and the Cains have always been known for their good fall runs so let’s hope the tradition continues for this season. Flies of choice this past week have been the Ally’s Shrimp, GP and the LT Special.

For more information on Miramichi river fishing and river conditions, visit www.bradburnsfishing.com/miramichi-update-sep-20-2015/
- Tight Lines

September 12th

Todd Steinmetz, Bozeman Montana	Taken on a Bomber
Jens Adamsen, Federicia, Denmark	Serenity and great fishing!

With our having such good fishing in the first week of September, this past week we had to settle for much slower fishing as the third heat wave of the season arrived over the weekend and brought water temperatures up again by Monday, resulting in our anglers being shut out for the first time in a while! On Monday, however disconcerting, we still managed to have a successful week as almost all our fishermen landed fish - including Atlantic Salmon fishermen Jens Adamsen of Denmark who landed 7 and lost another two fish during the tough fishing days. Fishing improved by the end of the week and we did manage to hook another 20. With our having access to 21 private pools on the Miramichi River system, sometimes almost all of the pools are producing well but this week we were down to only three that were producing on the entire river system, but three is better than none! Every year we often wonder if it is worth the investment for access to so much private water, as over the years some pools are seldom used. Occasionally, times like these make it all worthwhile as an otherwise poor week would turn into a good week and all anglers went home happy. Each year days on the water can be so different as conditions change and so do the pools - sometimes even rivers - as to where the best fishing will be. There is an old saying which goes "never put all your eggs in one basket" or in other words, "a varity of pools is the spice of life when it comes to Atlantic Salmon fishing".

Now the good news is that we expect no more low and warm water for the rest of this season! With the good amount of rain we received all day yesterday, we are expecting the Main river to rise approximately 3 feet and the tributaries rising even more. Yesterday, With the water rising, anglers had good success, especially in the Doaktown area Main river and lower Cains. With so many fish in the lower river system now, good fishing should continue for some time on the upper stretches as these fish move up the rivers. With the rise in fresh water levels we can soon expect the start of our fall run as conditions this week should be perfect for bringing in more fresh fish. With our having access to 5 private pools on the Cains and this rise in water levels, we have many happy guides this morning as they know just how good fishing can be on the Cains in the fall when conditions are right!

Over the last few weeks anglers almost all used dry flies - and what a treat it is landing Salmon on a dry fly - but with the higher and cooler water, the wet fly patterns will probably work best from now on. The fly of choice this past week was the Peach Carter Bug. Recommended flies to use this coming week are the traditional summer wet fly patterns such as the Green Machine, Bear Hair and Undertakers as well as fall patterns like the GP, Allie Shrimp, Red Franchis and the Copper Killer.

- Tight Lines

September 5th

15 yr old Daniel Macdonald releasing his 1st Atlantic Salmon	Dr. Michael Kelleher, Duxbury, MA First ever Atlantic Salmon
Chantal Collin	Jack Thorpe, Lock Haven, PA

With warm water conditions over the past week, some thought those conditions might continue longer than they did however with the rain late last week and water temperatures dropping into the low 60's over the weekend, the DFO reopened the cold water places on Monday. When temperatures dropped into the 50's early in the week, what more could Atlantic Salmon fishermen ask for? With the cooler water, many pools on the lower stretches of the Main river and a couple of pools on the Cains enjoyed great fishing. We are not sure if there were many new fish entering the system or just the high abundance of holding fish on the move, but from Monday morning on, our anglers enjoyed one of the best weeks on the water this year and we have had some great weeks to really remember this year! The only thing that might have made this week even better would have been more fishermen on the river. With less than optimum previous conditions and some negative reports involving pool closings there were less fishermen on the water than normal for this time of year but those who were fishing were in for a real treat as our anglers hooked close to 100 fish over the last 5 days. With a good variety of both Salmon and Grilse in the system the majority landed at our Lodge were Grilse as this week there were quite a few novice fly fishermen and sometimes it takes practice landing the bigger ones and novices manage to lose Salmon every way possible - from holding rods too tight, breaking leaders, having lines getting tangled around sticks on the river bottom and a Black Bear encounter in the pool while landing Salmon can help in a quick release every time! Overall, however, it was a very enjoyable week on the water with some nice fish landed and fun was had by all! Even though we started hooking salmon as early as Monday morning off the tides in the White Rapids Area, many of the fish landed looked quite fresh but this week only a couple had Sea Lice.

Based on the long range forecast, it's too early to know what's in store for us next week as sometimes forecasts change daily. The days do look warmer but if nights are cool then that counteracts warmer days in cooling water temperatures which will keep conditions OK. Night temperatures dropped to as low as 5C this past week and we had frost in places, making it seem like fall. If these cool night temperatures would remain for a while then good fishing should continue on the lower stretches of the river, as the water height is low but still ideal for this area - especially between Blackville and Quarryvillle. If conditions are right on this lower stretch of the river and there are fish in the pools then the lower they get the better the fishing! This week we will need to wait and see what weather we receive as with any fishing, it's so much luck, being in the right place at the right time, and good conditions. This past week we were blessed to have access to the best pools on the system for the conditions.

For the river as a whole, more rain is needed to get the remaining holding fish moving, to bring in more fresh fish and to make many of the upper stretches and tributaries like the Renous and Cains more fishable for the fall runs. With so many fish in the system, the upper stretches should enjoy excellent fall fishing this year if we get rain. Although this week we landed fish on a number of different fly patterns, using dry flies was by far the best choice - Bombers, Whiskers, etc.. On Tuesday, guide Ken issued a warning to our anglers that Peach Carter Bugs should only be tied on while on shore as the Salmon might take them out of your hands! We guess they were working that well!!
- Tight Lines

August 31st

As of this afternoon, the Variation Order has been lifted on all of the 23 cold water holding places throughout the Miramichi River System. The water temperature has decreased into the low 60's over the past few nights.

Tight Lines - enjoy your fall fishing on the Miramichi.

August 29th

Newlywed Dustin Hildebrandt Winnipeg Manitoba.	Dustin's Bride, Michelle Funk Winnipeg Manitoba.
Dustin Hildebrandt, Winnipeg Manitoba.	Byers family, Brockville Ontario

"Dog days of August" - and that's what it was for over a week with lots of swimming, canoeing and relaxing - most lodges including ours did not do much fishing. Once again there was no shortage of holding fish - in some places close to 1,000. Downriver places like Engine Town Brook, Welch Springs and Bears Den! Upriver places like the mouth of the Bartholemew, Black Brook, Mills Brook and Big Hole were doing the same as well as many smaller places inbetween. Throughout the week, however, fishing conditions gradually improved as the cooler nights resulted in D.F.O. opening up full day fishing again on Tuesday throughout the system as a few days over the weekend were restricted to morning fishing only. With the rain we received on Wednesday and Thursday, everyone is hoping it might just be enough to reopen the cold water brooks again. The Southeastern part of the Province received the most rain, resulting in water rising over a foot on the Cains river and the lower stretches of the Main River from the Cains on down. This prompted some of the holding fish to start moving on Thursday and yesterday, resulting in better fishing in some locations. With these cooler conditions and water rising, the water cooled down to as low as 19C on Wednesday night and 18C on Thursday night on the lower river and the Cains - good temperatures for fishing and to get fish moving from the cold water holdouts. The decision to open or close cold water fishing spots throughout the Main River system is based on water temperatures in Doaktown so with Doaktown missing much of the water levels rising and water temperatures just borderline at 20C in that area, no decision has been made on those places yet. It will be good when they do open - after all, it does effect approximately 5% of the Miramichi River system fishing and many are good fishing spots. Our Lodge has access to 12 private pools on a yearly basis and another 9 on a daily basis - we decide to use them or not depending on how the fishing is in these pools each day. The closures effect 2 of the pools we use, leaving 19 still open for fishing. We would certainly like more rain but for now we are happy to have received what we did. With the rise in water levels we will be fishing the pools on the Cains - where rain made a difference in the lower stretches of the Main River system - looking for fresh fish that could be arriving after the full moon and higher tides tonight.

We always enjoy fishing after the full moon. The fish will come in low water if conditions are OK. With the good fishing we enjoyed for so long this summer, it would have been nice if that had continued every week until the end of the season but if there had to be some poor fishing, it was at a good time, so let's hope it is past us now for this year. Along with the full moon and high tides, another positive thought for good fishing this fall might be the lack of big rises in water levels throughout July & August, as in past years when we had big rises of water, it seemed like they flushed the system and brought in too many fish early in August which resulted in less fresh fish numbers later in the season. This year we have just had normal water rises - no floods - just consistent runs until now, so... if past history prevails, it should be a good fall for fish numbers - but again - so much will depend on conditions!

Every week we receive guests from around the world, including quite a few novice newlyweds who think it's cool to land an Atlantic Salmon on their honeymoon. Dustin and Michelle from Winnipeg managed to land three on their day trip with us. Sometimes the tradition continues resulting in anniversary gift trips to the Miramich such as Andrew and Nikkie Sutherland from London England - Honeymoon 2005, 5th Anniversary in 2010, 10th anniversary in 2015! As the old saying goes "Happy Wife - Happy Life"! It's not diamonds afterall, it's Atlantic Salmon fishing that makes "reel" Ladies happy!

August 21st

Sylvie Prefontaine, Quebec	Sylvie's fine casting form
Kayaking on the Miramichi	Visitors checking out the anglers

For approximately a month, from mid-July to mid-August, we enjoyed some of our most consistent summer fishing in a long time, with good conditions and a great number of fish in the system. But, like they say, all good things must come to an end! As another summer heat wave arrived on Saturday, the fishing came to a halt on Monday. This is Canada and we do like having summer weather, but 30C (86F) is too hot for both me and the Salmon but ideal for canoeing, kayaking and swimming. With the warm water temperature, the D.F.O. again closed some of the cold water sections throughout the river system. In July the closures reopened after just two days but we expect a longer period this time as the forecast does not look as favourable as it did in July, so we could be looking at a week or so this time. Keep in mind that with these closures in place, they still only effect approximately 5% of the river system fishing, but with current warm conditions, it is not worth the effort to be fishing as the fish just won't take a fly in these conditions. On the positive side, although it might not be good for the fish, it is amazing to see just how many are holding up in these cold water areas throughout the system. On another positive note, we are reminded that we are in Canada and these hot temperatures won't last long for anyone to be concerned about warm water conditions! For September and October I think it would be a safer bet to bring along your "Long Johns" instead of your "Speedo's"! So, for now, make the best of the warm weather and get ready for some good fall fishing.

With the fish counts up to August the 15th in, this leaves two months of counts yet to come. The numbers so far into the season are very good, especially when compared to last year. We all know the counts last year were not as bad as reported because of the counters being removed more times than in previous years, due to high water rises and during the flood in July. Normally, a good time for returns and the good number of spring fish moving back out to sea would be April and May. This spring also proves that the counts could not possibly have been as low as reported, but no matter how accurate the counts are, this season is looking very good compared to past years - especially the Nor'west, a river of concern over the last few years.

With the A.S.F. comparing the Dungarvon and the Nor'west counting fence barriers in it's latest report, it might be good to compare the numbers from the stretches of the Rivers where the majority of fishing takes place.

Counts as of August 15th at the Nor'west Cassilis trap:

Salmon:	2007-2011 average = 258	2012 = 166	2013 = 155	2014 = 41	2015 = 284
Grilse:	2007-2011 average = 912	2012 = 237	2013 = 364	2014 = 61	2015 = 1,257

The system used each year to determine the actual numbers, is based on approximately 7 to 10% of the actual number going through the trap nets. If this is correct, even at 10%, then the true number of returning fish as of August 15th is approximately 2,840 Salmon and 12,570 Grilse for a total fish count of 15,410.

Counts as of August 15th at the Main Southwest Miramichi Millerton trap

Salmon:	2007-2011 average = 513	2012 = 445	2013 = 298	2014 = 185	2015 = 421
Grilse:	2007-2011 average = 1,396	2012 = 437	2013 = 407	2014 = 283	2015 = 1,139

Again, if the System used is approximately 7 to 10% of the actual numbers going through the trap nets, the estimate at 10% the true number of returning fish as of Aug 15th is approximately 4,210 Salmon and 11,390 Grilse for a for a total fish count of 15,600.

These two counters combined suggest approximately 31,000 of returning Salmon and Grilse to the Miramichi River System as of August 15th!

August 15th

Tracey Bryant, Landenberg PA August 12 2008	Tracey Bryant, Landenberg PA August 12 2015
Nicholas Biasotto, Landenberg PA August 12 2008	Nicholas Biasotto, Landenberg PA August 12 2015

Anyone who has not seen many fish on the river this year has simply not been on the river or has been in the wrong location as almost every day since mid June fresh fish have been entering the system. With more fish holding this week, we have seen a mix of both fresh and older fish in the system. The water was getting on the low side for much of the system but the cool nights keep temperatures good for fishing, with hook ups daily however the rain on Tuesday night and Wednesday brought the water up almost two feet so every pool we fished from Wednesday on had turned on fish. Each pool is different with some pools good for moving fish runs while other pools are good for holding fish. Pools with runs have had fish moving through daily and the holding pools are starting to hold fish daily. Some days are great and some days are not as good so much depends on conditions. By mid-August the numbers of returning fish have been as good as anyone could have predicted this year. It is still too early to know what the fall holds but with two months of fishing remaining, if the runs continue then this could be a banner year for returns to the Miramichi.

The Miramichi has a long history of Salmon fishing and has traditionally attracted many returning guests from around the world. Some return annually and some come back every chance they can get. For over 10 years now, through good and not-so-good fishing, we have enjoyed over a 80% return rate each year. Atlantic Salmon anglers are one-of-a-kind, loyal to their fishing, their guides and favoured rivers. There is no feeling like watching them arrive full of excitement and new flies tied through the winter, and sometimes trinkets and gifts for staff. These returning guest arrivals are often described as a homecoming by many, even though they might have traveled from around the world to fish the Miramichi. This week, two of our returning guests had seven years between visits but say it will be much sooner next time. The funny thing about their visit was the timing - landing fish on August 12, 2008 then exactly seven years later, having the same guide on the same day - August 12th 2015. With the rise in water, fishing should continue for a while throughout the system as the holding fish should continue their move upriver and the fresh water should probably help to bring some more fish into the system. Two months remain until the closing of the season on October 15th so planning a trip to the Miramichi might become the trip of a lifetime! With the good runs so far, many of the lodges on the river are booking up for fall but with so many good ones to choose from, you probably won't be disappointed in any of them.
- Tight Lines from the Miramichi

August 9th

Fish on at the Orr Pool

Ladies having fun

Again, this week, there was no shortage of fish in the system but on a couple of days early in the week we did experience more lookers then takers. However, on Thursday, it was "switch on" once again as anglers had good success with close to 40 hook ups over the last 3 days. Any time you have first-time fly fishermen limiting out while salmon fishing, it's a successful day! Sometimes the ladies have all the luck! August can be the same as any other time of the year where right conditions mean so much. As the conditions improve, so does the fishing.

Although there are 30lb+ Salmon in the river now - we see them almost every day - the number of Grilse has been amazing this year, even though some of them are the smallest we have ever seen. We are not sure why but it is good seeing them in the system and this is the first time in a few seasons where there are more Grilse than Salmon.

Although anglers were having the best luck using wet flies in the faster water pools on the Main River, the slower pools on the river and it's tributaries were having the best fishing using using wet flies such as a #10 White Tail Green Machine and #10 Blue Smurf in the faster water pools on the main River. On the slower pools on the Main River and its tributaries they were having the best fishing using dry flies such as the Whiskers and Blue Bombers. The pools on the Main River - especially the lower section and lower Cains - are at a great height for holding fish but much of the Renous & Dungarvon are too low except for a few of the holding pools. Although we have been spending most of our time fishing the lower sections of the main river this week there are still good reports being received from upriver Blissfield and above the Doaktown area as well. With the ideal conditions on this section of the river, good dry fly fishing should continue throughout August.

July 31st

Bob Lanzara & Malinda Barna Altmar NY	Guide Dan with salmon landed at Coughlan Pool
Anthony Spratt, London England salmon landed in Upper Blackville	Tony playing one of his many fish on the Cains this week

"Wow!" is all that can be said about the runs of fish so far this summer! They started out good in June and have not stopped - even in the warm first week of July where they were still entering the system. The numbers at the MSA trap net in Chatham said it all on Tuesday. Although it's the same as all the Miramichi counters - only an estimate based on the actual numbers of fish going through the Counter - but if calculations are right, there could have been between 3,475-13,900 fish moving up the river system on Tuesday alone. Fishermen say they have never seen so many fish moving through the system as they are now seeing, especially during the last two days. We are seeing both Salmon and Grilse but again, this week, more grilse are being landed than Salmon. At our location, overlooking the river, we see the majority of the fish that swim past and it has been nonstop action daily, especially after each high tide. 2011 was a great year and it is still early in the season however the guides are saying this has been a great July - one to remember! Throughout the season and with over 400 guests each year we see a number of great casters but every now and then someone comes along that just blows you away. Throughout the year, with our busy schedule and having so many excellent guides on our staff, I personally do not get out on the water with guests as much as I would like to, but on Sunday I had the pleasure of spending the day with Bob Lanzare & Malinda Barna. Malinda is the owner of Malinda's Fly Shop in Altmar, NY. What a treat it was! Not only is Malinda one of the best casters, she is also one of the best anglers we have ever seen, as she covers the water and pools as well as anyone! Her efforts never went unnoticed as she got into some nice Salmon and Grilse while on her stay with us.

Although most of the fish are on the move there are a few places where they are holding up. A single angler, Randall Connors, rolled 15, hooked 6, and landed 4 in a 90 minute period yesterday morning, all holding fish in a little pool in Upper Blackville. Some fish are also starting to hold on the Cains and Renous rivers. As August arrives, so do the Bomber fishermen as most years, during August, the lower stretches of the Main River see the best Bomber fishing as the fish hold up more at that time. Flies of choice this week have been #8 Christmas Tree and #8 Undertaker for wet fly. It was a tossup between the Peach Bomber and Blue Bomber for dry fly.

Over the years there have been many wonderful books written about the Miramichi by writers from around the world, including some I will never get tired of reading over and over - written by local Miramichi'er Wayne Curtis. I have just finished reading another one called "Closing of the Season" by Brad Burns. With our having access to five pools on the Cains, this book is very interesting as much of it is about the Cains and fall fishing on one of the best little Salmon rivers in the world. It is a "must read" for Atlantic Salmon Fishermen. For anyone who has fished or would like to fish the Cains River in the future and would like to know more about this book, visit www.bradburnsfishing.com/product/closing-the-season.

July 24th

After so much rain and cool temperatures over the past week it is now hard to believe that only 10 days ago they were shutting down cold water pools because of the heat. Wow! When things improved, they did - big time - from last Thursday on, fishermen have seen as many fish entering the river in one week as they might have seen in any July in their lifetime.

Due to the earlier warm water conditions and negative reports there were not as many people fishing as usual but those who did were enjoying it as there were good numbers landed each day throughout the week, including approximately 100 fish in the stretch from the mouth of the Cains to Quarryville on Sunday alone! With the barbless hook being used this year, some anglers are losing half of their hookups, along with the fact there were not as many fishermen last week. One angler said these "100 fish days" could probably have been "300 fish days" in past years before barbless hooks and he is probably correct. With the perfect conditions and lower water in the lower stretches of the main River over the weekend, this is where the best fishing was. With the water levels rising every day this week, anglers are now enjoying good fishing throughout the entire main river system, the Renous and the lower stretches of the Cains. Overall, the most positive thing we have taken from summer fishing so far - even though we are catching and seeing many big Salmon (including some 30+ lb'ers) - is the great number of Grilse in the system - something we have not seen for a couple of years.

With the water still rising, fishing will probably slow down for a couple of days but with the large number of fish in the system, fishing should improve daily as the water falls, especially on the smaller tributaries. Most productive flies this week have been the #8 and #10 Undertaker during the low water, and #4, and #6 White Tail Green Machine after the rise.

Every year is different! With the numbers of returning fish in the system, some years are great and some not so great due to lower returns and sometimes more to do with the not-so-accurate counting systems on the rivers that can increase or decrease the numbers. The overall number counts vary by conditions more than the actual fish numbers. In good conditions the counters might be kept in place for an entire season, making for a good yearly count. In other years, the counts might not be as accurate due to high water or net removals due to floating debris - sometimes during the best times for returning fish like during the flood of July 2014. But overall, the counters give as good an indication as possible for the returning numbers from year to year. It is believed that approximately 7-10 percent of the fish moving though the system go through the counters each day depending on conditions.

Here is a photo of a 34 Lb+ salmon landed in Upper Blackville Wednesday by Tim Vickers and this fish has a story! This fish had a tag. It was tagged at the Millerton Counter in August 2013 and probably returned to the Sea in the spring of 2014 to return again in July 2015.

( With the short time it spends at sea, this Salmon is called a Consecutive Repeat Spawner. These Salmon are good for the River System. )

There is so much yet to learn about the wild Atlantic Salmon, including their life at sea. Why they return in greater numbers in some years but not others and often in years and times not predicted by the DFO and other Scientific Predictions, remains a mystery. For anyone interested in helping the cause of the wild Atlantic Salmon, the Miramichi Salmon Association and the Atlantic Salmon Federation are both great organizations to support.

Even though there is so much yet to learn about the wild Atlantic Salmon and only so much information available from studies, books and biologists, it seems to me that every year is different and I will never figure them out. But a good place to start learning is by spending time with some of the older and more experienced guides on the river as some of them have forgotten more about the river and the Salmon than what you might ever learn from all the studies that have been made. Every Atlantic Salmon angler who fishes the Miramichi should spend at least one day on the river with one of the true and genuine generations of guides, such as Wesley Curtis, Ernest Long, Vince Swazey, Pete Randall or Gary Colford. As an outfitter who has been studying the river and Salmon every day for over 15 years, I have discovered that every day provides a new experience as I am always learning! Some of my nicest memories from before my time on the river have been told to me by older locals and guides and even guests who have been returning to the River for generations.

Gary Colford has been guiding for us here at Country Haven since 2007, with 50 years of guiding experience, Gary started at Wades Fishing Lodge at only 15 years of age. There is not much Gary has not seen or knows when it comes to Atlantic Salmon Fishing on the Miramichi, especially concerning past conditions, high or low water, years of good or years of poor fishing or banner years of returns in the 60's with the following year full of rumours about closing the river due to low returns. Low water river reports are now a concern but Gary remembers water levels close to 2 ft lower than levels fell during the past few seasons. Overall, what amazes me the most about Gary's knowledge of the river is with his fish predictions from year to year. With the lower numbers of returns reported last year, Gary kept suggesting we should get ready for this year - even though it's still early in the season - but as of now it's looking like Gary is correct once again. Of all the concerns for the future of the Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi, there are many that Gary shares concerns over! Even though the Striped Bass has been in the system for years, the high numbers we are now experiencing are the biggest threat to the Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi. I am starting to think that the DFO should spend some time on the river talking to locals and these older guides! They just possibly could learn more about the River and the Salmon.

For those of you who have not met Gary, here is a link to the video of Gary & the River.

July 18th

As of today, all the cold water locations the DFO closed on Tuesday have now reopened as the water is again at a good temperature. Congratulations to the DFO for reopening them in a timely manner when conditions improved. Let's hope the DFO and the Media do as good a job reporting the reopening as they did with the closures. Today was another good day on the Lower Main River System with lots of fish and some nice fish landed.

July 17th

20 years of fishing the Miramichi for these NY Boys

Ken doing what he does best

The news on the river this week has been more about the cold water pools D.F.O. has closed until conditions improve, as the hot weather this week brought water temperatures up into the high 70's by Tuesday. With cooler temperatures - as low as 46 F last night - and a bit of rain on Wednesday, water temperatures have again dropped to 64 F this morning - great conditions for fishing the Miramich. Even though water temperatures should remain low into the weekend, next week's forecast is looking good with over an inch of rain expected early in the week. With cooler water temperatures, the D.F.O. will probably open up the cold water areas once the water temperatures remain constantly cool for 72 hrs. The decision to close some spots is based on water temperatures in Doaktown remaining at 68F or above for 48 Hrs. The closure of these cold water locations does not affect much of the fishing on the river system as only approximately 5 percent of fishing throughout the river is impacted leaving approximately 95 percent of the river still open to fishing. The Miramichi River System is the warmest Atlantic Salmon river in the world, after all, so we should expect these closures from time to time. With the cooler water we had a good run of both Salmon and Grilse moving into the system yesterday with some nice fish landed throughout the lower stretches of the system. The Millerton Counter has been reporting high numbers throughout all of July and results have been consistent with the number of fish we are seeing. Even with the warm water over the past weekend, the counter had the highest consistent four days (Friday through Wednesday) of fish moving up the system this year. If these numbers of fish keep coming and the water keeps cooling, it looks like some of our best summer fishing could occur over the next couple of weeks! Flies of choice this week have been the #8 Undertaker, #8 Highlander and #8 Blue Charm.

July 9th

Andrew with a fresh grilse	Nancy Moy getting it done
The best young double handed Caster on the Miramichi, Zac Colford	Taking a private lesson from one of the best.

Fish, fish & more fish are all we have seen since the later part of June - a very positive outlook for fish numbers so far this summer season. Having good numbers of fish in the system is always the key ingredient for good fishing however, conditions also play a big part and with the warmer weather we have experienced since Monday, fishing has been slowing down. With high numbers of big Salmon in June, it is also encouraging to see high numbers of Grilse in the system. This is the first time in a couple of seasons that we are seeing more Grilse than Salmon.

As for water levels, some of the upriver pools on the main river are getting low. The Cains and Renous rivers are dropping too low for good fishing. So far, the Cains has not seen any great numbers of fish to speak of, as it's a "later" river, but with a rise in water levels, many of the fish presently holding at Black Brook are now Cains River bound. Some of the pools on the lower stretches of the river are only now becoming fishable, as they need low water and some of them never get too low for good fishing. The Coughlan, Orr, Mountain Channel and Ted Williams pools can drop a bit more to have improved fishing. So far, in these pools, fish have not been holding but merely traveling through, even with the warmer water. Our anglers have been getting the best results fishing pools closest to the tidal waters as every tide has been bringing in fish. We do need rain or cooler weather to improve fishing and it looks like we may get these improved conditions next week. Flies of Choice this week have been the #10 Undertaker and #8-#10 Blue Charm. As always, Andrew Moy and crew from Tight Lines Fly Shop from New Jersey hosted some great clinics in double handed fishing - one of the best instruction teams for sure.

June 28th

Ernst & Young annual corporate event	Salmon landed by Ivan Toner, Bedford NS
Andrew Munn, Halifax NS 1st of 4 for the day	Ian Cavanagh releasing his 1st summer Salmon

The Summer fishing season on the Miramichi "came in like a Lion" so let's hope it "goes out like a Lion" as well in October - a good start and a good finish! Reports from all the rivers have been quite positive, with good numbers of fish around and some nice catches as well with 16 hook ups and 10 landed on Thursday. We also had the first summer fishermen limiting out this week. Andrew Munn from Halifax landed four on a #8 White Tail Shady Lady. With the majority of the fish landed so far on the River being Salmon - which is normal in June - we also started landing some Grilse by Thursday and over the weekend. Since early last week, we have seen some good numbers of fish moving up the system daily. It sure looks good seeing so many fresh fish entering the system in June, but again, with June fish, it has a lot to do with timing - being in the right place at the right time is everything! The most productive flies this week have been the #6 Blue Charm, #6 Undertaker and #8 Shady Lady.

Events on the Miramichi in July
July 5th - 8th, East Coast Spey from NJ USA will be offering a spey casting School on the Miramichi.
www.tightlinesflyfishing.com/canada.htm

July 5 - 8th, The Miramichi Salmon Association’s 10th Annual Miramichi Salmon Classic
www.miramichisalmon.ca/salmon-classic

June 22nd

Nice 18 Lb'er landed by Bob Bowser

Chris Losier's 20 lb. Salmon

Rodney Colford's beauty

On the Miramichi there are a couple of weeks between the spring Salmon season and the summer runs where the time is spent mainly on Trout fishing or, in the last couple of years, Striped Bass fishing. Every year can be different as there are no set dates for the summer runs to arrive from the sea. In past years we have had excellent success as early as June 7th but in other years, not until the last week of June before having any success. One good day does not guarantee success the following days as these early run Salmon are travelers - some traveling up to 20 kilometers a day. These Salmon are the most challenging as it's hard to know where they will be at any given time. The guides fish the pools by the tides - sometimes moving from downriver pools to upriver pools - depending on the tides. Sometime it's more a case of being in the right place at the right time and more luck than skill. But one thing is for sure - every time an angler lands one of these June beauties, the fight and the fish is always worth the effort.

With our summer season now getting under way, reports from the Gaspreau fishermen downriver so far have been very positive as they have been releasing more salmon from their nets than they have done in quite a while. Canoers on the Dungarvon have been seeing fish now for a couple of weeks. Fishermen who have been doing canoeing and fishing Day Trips on the Nor'west are picking up some nice salmon. Also, there have been reports of Salmon landed on the Sevogal, Renous and some beauties on the Main Southwest Miramichi River system. So... we are starting our Summer season full of optimism for a good season to come.

Above are photos of a few Salmon landed on the System over the past week by Chris Losier, Bob Bowser and Rodney Colford. Chris & Bob's fish were landed on Wet flies. Rodney landed his yesterday using a Blue Bomber. Flies of choice for these early run Salmon were #4, #6 under normal June water conditions. With a bit of rain throughout the week along with cool water tempetures, more fish have been entering the system daily so find a good location on the river and brace your feet.

Tightlines!!!

Spring 2015

May 26th

Larissa Bryenton, 1st Atlantic Salmon, May 18th	Girls in the kitchen
Robert & Eric Hollenberg, Dundas Ont.	Jeremy with a real beauty!

Our Spring fishing season came to an end on Sunday - approximately a month since starting day this year due to a late ice out. But overall, it was a much better spring than anyone had expected after the late start and low DFO number count reports.

After a month on the water, guests had 4 days where over 100 Salmon & Grilse were landed, 5 days where over 50 fish were landed and 7 days where over 30 were landed! All other days of the month there were some fish landed every day from start through Friday with approximately 1000+ total landings for the month. After speaking with our guides and many long-time returning guests, this spring was as good as most and probably as consistent a producing spring as we have had in quite a while - and can only be described as another successful spring. The reason for the good fishing may have been due to no great water rises to speak of, or the fish moving down daily, or just more fish arriving than was expected. Another positive aspect of the good season was the high number of big female spawners in the system and the large numbers of big salmon overall. On the negative side, once again this spring had low numbers of Grilse in the system. Over the past five years we have seen a complete reversal of the Salmon to Grilse ratio on the river. This is good for the fishermen but who knows what it really means for the river in the long run! After the Salmon & Trout fishing slowed toward the end of the week, anglers enjoyed some great Striped Bass fishing to finish out the spring as our boats - with 2 to 3 fishermen per guide - landed approximately 100 Stripers per boat each day over the weekend. But even though it's fun, some fishermen tell us they would sooner fish all day for one Salmon than land over 100 Striped Bass.

Every year people ask us what the best times of the year are for the best fishing and the longer time goes by, it seems like the less we know about it as every year and season are so different. After another spring season, however, the only thing we do know for sure is that there were many more Salmon entering the Main River system than were counted, probably during the flood in July when the counter was damaged, or other times when it was removed due to high water and debris, and definitely after its final removal last year on October 16th. We hope the conditions will be better this year for both returning fish and fishermen over the remainder of the season as we will now be turning our attention to summer fishing as we wait for the fresh runs of June Salmon that could arrive any day. If history and statistics mean anything, then 2015 is the "cycle year" for good returns 2011 to 2015. We will also spend some time on the Cains River fly fishing for Sea Trout, which is great fun using light weight tackle. For anyone interested in Striped Bass fishing, there are miles of fishable water with a number of boat ramps and from May 29-31st there is Atlantic Canada’s premier Striped Bass fishing tournament taking place nearby in Miramichi. For more information, see miramichistripercup.ca .

Some Atlantic Salmon fishermen find it sad hosting the Striper cup on one of the most famous Atlantic Salmon rivers but there are lots of Bass, lots of prizes, and lots of fun to be had. Do remember, as the popular vehicle bumper sticker reads "Keep a Striper-Save a Smolt"!

Every season we look back and remember the good times and stories and with over 100 guests from around the world visiting us this spring, it was another great one for memories as 90% were returning guests and over the years, so many are now like family - having watched our youngsters grow up from kids to having them now guiding on the river, and from once teaching the boys to tie flies and knots to now needing it done for them - as they had taught them many years ago - as their eyesights are now not like they used to be.

Every day is a story and there are so many good ones, but each spring we have a chuckle with a group that has been coming to the Miramichi annually since 1967 as they fished with a number of other - now closed - lodges in the past before coming with us. 13 years ago we had a lodge owner call, telling us he was closing and that he had a group of older gentlemen who had fished with him for years and who were now looking for a good place to fish. They were nice fellows and were getting up there in years but we might get them for a couple of years. They are still laughing about this now, 13 years later, as some of them are now in their 80'S & 90's and still catching Salmon.

Another memory started this spring is of 14 year old Quinn Cavanagh who arrived from Halifax in search of his first Atlantic Salmon. History and stories had created a family tradition of catching an Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi as his great grandfather Lewis Brown was camp manager at Rocky Brook Camp from 1960-1969. His Grandfather and his father, Ian, landed Salmon on the Miramichi in the Doaktown area and this trip was his turn as he had lost some beauties over the last couple of years - but this day, with guide Gary Colford, he would have made his ancestors proud as he landed his first Atlantic on the Miramichi. We're not sure who was happier, Quinn , his Dad Ian, or guide Gary. We take such pride in having some of the best guides on the river and they all have unique differences, but one of Gary's many qualities, after guiding for 50 years and after landing thousands of salmon, is that he still gets as excited as the guests when they land their first Salmon.

Almost everyone knows of the great baseball player Ted Williams. Ted spent so many summers here, fishing Salmon on the Miramichi. How he loved the fight of the Atlantic and the solitude many locals gave him as we were hockey fans and did not care much about baseball. The nice stories of the great duo - Ted and his longtime guide Roy Curtis - made over the years, including one of the best traditions on the Miramichi - all of Roy's six sons are still actively guiding on the Miramichi River after so many years. Every so often a Ted Williams fan will show up to go fishing, with stories of Ted and baseball, but here is a different story - one of a side some may or may not have known about Ted as a person and an angler. Guide Ken Vickers tells us the story many times, of him being 12 and down at the river fishing with his brother's rod when Ted saw him, thought he was doing ok casting and then gave him a brand new Shakespeare autographed rod and reel which Ken still has today! Ted was right, as Ken is one of the best single-handed casters on the Miramichi River today.

Throughout the winter months we are sometimes lucky enough to spend time in the Florida Keys fishing and vacationing. We have seen Ted's place in Islamorada, where he enjoyed his winter fishing, a number of times. We enjoy listening to stories at places like Buds & Mary's, from guides who knew him. In January this year, at a local shop, I had the pleasure of meeting up with a fellow full of fishing stories about Ted and his dad. Ted's family and his family all enjoyed the memories and if you did not know better, you would think you were listening to one of the Curtis family members talking about Ted and fishing, and like Ken, Ted had given him his first fly rod that he still cherishes today.

After an airport pickup this spring we met Lodge owner Shawn Leadon from the Bahamas Andros Island. Shawn was coming to fish Atlantics for the very first time, accompanied by a friend who has visited with us many times. During the drive to the lodge we heard about his many interesting stories, his love for fly fishing and a guy by the name of Ted Williams who had fished for years with his Dad on the Island. Once again, same stories of a great fishermen with a big heart but different families with similar memories, and yes, Ted gave Shawn his first fly rod because he thought he had potential! Once again, Ted was right about his casting as today Shawn is one of the best there is! After visiting Ted's Camp on the Miramichi and after going through the guest book 20 years later it was nice for Shawn to see his dad's name written there. When Shawn came to the Miramichi he never knew Ted or that his Dad was here and thought he might have been the only kid Ted Williams had given a fly rod to! In the world of fly fishing we all come together and on the Miramichi, every day is a story with many stories having happy endings. If anyone is interested in visiting Andros Island and fishing with Shawn for Bonefish, Tarpon or getting permits then visit androsoutdooradventures.com.

Shawn Leadon and Art Mesher

Shawn Leadon & Ken Vickers

May 18th

Adam Curtis - nice Trout	Olivia Donahue and her Striped Bass
Keffer Pitfield, Toronto Ont	Colin Fisher, Toronto Ont

This has been a week where spring fishing was as it should be. Even though numbers of fish landed were not as high as in previous weeks, the nicer weather and ideal water conditions for casting made up for it and anglers had good success landing Salmon and Grilse throughout 50 Miles of the River, with the better fishing occurring in the stretch between Blackville and Quarryville, also we had some of the best trout fishing in years occurring between White Rapids and Quarryville. This past week was also the first time this spring that the fish started moving out and on Monday and Tuesday, what a sight it was to see hundreds of jumping Salmon and Grilse between Upper Blackville and Quarryville - one of the best couple of days in a while for watching jumping spring Salmon. It was a nice sight to see after not seeing many during last summer as most Salmon arrived later in the season or during high water conditions.

After three weeks of spring fishing we now know the fish did arrive in much greater numbers than DFO figures indicated. With water levels remaining at a good height for boating, fishermen should continue to land some spring Salmon into this coming week, along with some nice trout in the lower stretch of the Main River System as well as Striped Bass in the tidal waters. Only Fly fishing is permitted for Salmon and Trout but other methods can be used for catching Striped Bass however stripping Bomber flies across the surface is still the most rewarding method for hooking Stripers.

Most fishermen now adhere to a hook-and-release-only policy for most species but on the Miramichi - famous for its Atlantic Salmon - many believe in "hook and cook" when it comes to Stripers, as a new bumper sticker available in the Area reads, "Keep a Striper - Save a Smolt". So... anglers should get out on the water as there is still lots of good spring fishing remaining on the Miramichi for a while yet. This week floating lines or floating lines with sinking tips are working best when casting for Salmon and Trout but some anglers are still using full sink lines when trolling in the tidal waters. Best fly this week has been the 2/0 Gray Ghost for Trout and Salmon.

May 11th

Aaron Kroeker, St. Davids Ontario	Father & son Ian & Quinn Cavanaugh, Halifax NS
Gino DeBurra, Poland ME	Lobster Season now open. Mmmm...

Overall this has been quite a good week on the water but with such warm weather early in the week, the water levels rose and made for a couple of slow fishing days mid week. Even with the less-than-perfect water conditions, the large number of fish in the system made for some good fishing as almost all of our guests landed fish daily, with one guest limiting out on 4 of his 5 days with 10 landed per day. With the water levels falling by the weekend, some anglers started using lighter lines and smaller flies. On a positive note, the entire Main Southwest Miramichi River system is producing well overall, as fishermen are still landing fish in Boistown, Doaktown, Blackville and Millerton - approximately 50 kilometers/30 miles of Salmon fishing river. We had another week of large fish being caught as the ratio of Salmon to Grilse has been 75% large Salmon compared to 25% Grilse - good for the anglers but possibly not so good for the longterm future of the River - however fishermen are really enjoying it for now.

Our Trout fishermen have been landing some nice 20in+ fish in the faster water of White Rapids and in the Tidal waters. Flies of choice this week have been theBlack Ghost, Magog Smelt for Salmon and Gray Ghost for Trout. The real Smelts have now moved up into our stretch of the river making competition for the fishermen but great feeding for the Salmon, Trout and guests at the lodges. Lobster season has also opened so life is good on the Miramichi.

May 4th

Andy Lispky, Cumberland RI	Roger Lailey, Newbury England
Larry Brown, Haymarket PA	Bill Moor, PA

With the late start to our season we were hoping for nice weather and good fishing for much of the spring season since we had great fishing in the first couple of days in the season - it really looked promising! Although the fishing remained quite consistent, the weather for much of last week was something to be desired, with rain almost every day and below normal temperatures up until Friday, making it tough for anglers to really enjoy themselves - even on days when the fishing was good. All of our guests did land nice salmon this week - some 40+ inches - including a 47 inch'er by guide Gary Colford and his guest Bill Moor from Pennsylvania - despite the weather. Warm weather moved in on Friday and fishermen enjoyed temperatures in the 70's over the weekend, making it a great time to be on the water.

Trout season opened on May 1st and fishermen are catching some nice trout this year. With the water levels staying high and cold, it's too soon to know for sure how many fish are in the system as most are being caught close to shore and so far in the season it is looking like there is no shortage of big salmon. With warmer weather and falling water the fish should start moving more, making for increased hook ups while casting. Anglers were still using full sinking lines and 5/0 streamer's over weekend.

April 27th

Early season anglers	Bill Mather, Elgin Ontario
Nathan Mesher's beauty	Country Haven Cardinal

Finally, after one of the longest winters in years and slow ice-out conditions, anglers managed to get out on the water on Sunday. "All good things come to those who wait" and for fishermen who were lucky enough to have yesterday as their starting date, they enjoyed some great success as almost everyone limited out - once again, another season opening day with over 100 Grilse & Salmon being landed. After talking to other lodges and anglers who fished on the river from Boiestown to Quarryville yesterday, reports were very positive, with close to 1,000 Salmon & Grilse being landed on the main Southwest Miramichi System for a good start to the 2015 fishing season. It seems like each year it's a different fly that's most productive to start the season and this year it was our very own Country Haven Cardinal that was producing the best. However, with rain in the forecast, fishing might slow down for a bit over the next few days - depending, of course, on how high the water rises. The first Salmon of the season for us this year was a tie as Bill Mather from Elgin Ontario and Art Mesher from Waterloo both landed Salmon at 8.10 AM. Nathan Mesher landed the largest Salmon on opening day. With the delayed start to the season this spring, fishermen are expecting to have good spring fishing late into May for Salmon and Trout as well as Striped Bass later in May to early June.

YEAR 2014 River Reports
Fall 2014

(Many of the Atlantic Salmon rivers around the world experienced lower numbers of returning salmon & grilse in 2014 including the Miramichi River system. However, overall numbers for the Main Southwest Miramichi at the Millerton Counter saw an increase in Salmon & Grilse compared to 2013 results, including a higher number of returns than 5 previous years out of the last 16 years on record for the Millerton counter. This adds a positive note to returns on our stretch of river, considering the negative reports being issued throughout the Atlantic Salmon world in 2014.)

2014 count returns for Salmon & Grilse for the Main Southwest Miramichi river. The 2014 counts are in for the Millerton trap net as of October 15th 2014.
2014 returns - 743 Grilse, 568 large Salmon
( 2013 returns - 466 grilse, 377 large Salmon )

These numbers are estimated to represent approximately 10% of the actual numbers of fish going through the counters. Based on this, the actual numbers of Grilse could be 7,430 and large Salmon 5,680 for a total of 13,110 for 2014. In 2013 the actual numbers were 4,660 Grilse and 3770 Salmon totalling 8,430. That's approximately an increase of 4,680 over 2013! There are so many factors in determining the actual numbers from year to year. The numbers for 2014 could actually be higher as in the early part of the season, the counters were removed after the hurricane and became more accurate during September and October when we had low water conditions - more like traditional conditions for the lower stretches of the river - without any counter interruptions. The 2013 count could also have been higher as the river received a number of rises, especially in August, resulting in a number of occasions where net counter removals were needed due to grass and floating debris. With rises of water that normally bring in fresh fish to most rivers in the world, if counters are not operating at the time, it is always hard to know the true numbers for that year. The only thing we know for sure is that there were more fish in the system in 2014 than some of the reports might suggest and if anyone didn’t at least see as many fish than they did over the past 5 years on the lower stretches of the Main River System during most of September and early October, and on the Cains in October, then they were probably not on the River. All this should make for a pretty good Spring Season in 2015.

Millerton Counter

October 16th

Jeff Dow, Paxton MA	Doug Slink landing Salmon on the Cains (Anglers Adventures)	Thomas Hansen, Elsworth Maine Fall Hookbill
Ray Ziener, Connecticut Cains River	April Vokey, BC, with an Atlantic Salmon	Garry Colford releasing April's Salmon

Although there still are a few fresh fish arriving in the lower main river system each day, most of the final week of the 2014 fishing season was spent on the tributary of the Cains River as it was the most productive location to finish off this year's season. Using three locations on the Cains, anglers managed to land some nice Salmon right up until closing day. We enjoyed finishing out the season with our regular returning guests. It was also a treat to open and close out our 2014 season hosting April Vokey as she filmed "Shorelines", a WFN Series with VP Media House which will be airing in January 2015. This week, almost all of our guests landed fish, including April and company. Our guided Canoeing Fishing Day Trips on the Cains, with shore lunch, are always days to remember. Overall, with beautiful weather, fish and great people, what better way to end the season! The most productive flies this week were the #8 Short Hair Undertaker and Black Marabou Leech.

More photos from the 2014 fishing season

Country Haven	April Vokey and Jennifer de Graaf
Canoeing the Cains	April Vokey Topher Browne and Byron final day of the 2014 season on the Cains River
April Vokey holding a fish	Serge and Gary with fish

With the 2014 Fishing season now in the books, here at Country Haven it could be described as the Good, the Bad and the Ugly! The good being that many of our fishermen landed fish throughout August, September and October. The Bad being the slow start to the summer season in June and the heat wave in July. And the Ugly being the hurricane in July that raised the water 12 feet and took any July fish that were in the system up to the headwaters. However, looking back - like they say - a poor start makes for a good end and the fall fishing this year sure made up for the poor start as for over a month, fresh fish arrived daily with some good numbers in September and October and with the good conditions on the lower stretches of the Main river, we experienced some of our best fall fishing on the main river in 5 years. It wasn't as good a season as 2013 or definitely not as good as 2011, but overall, a better season than 2012. Call it luck, good location, or right place - right time because as it turned out, it was another successful fishing season on the Miramichi, with over 400 returning guests from every province, 31 US states and 12 different countries.

Not everyone landed fish - especially in the early part of the summer with the poor conditions and lack of returning fish. We feel bad for each and every one who did not have success but very happy for everyone that did, and we hope that all those who visited with us in 2014 left with fond memories of the Miramichi. From all of us here at Country Haven Miramichi we would like to say "Thanks" for helping us make 2014 as big a success as it was and we look forward to seeing each and every one again in 2015.

October 12th

Jody Plonski, Middletown NY Cains River Salmon	Walt Plonski, Seatle WA Cains River
Wade Evans, Clifton Forge VA Cains River	Doug Slink, Old Lyme, CT (Angler's Adventures) Cains River

With a bump in water levels this week many of the holding fish in the lower stretches of the river moved on, making for some good fishing in the upper stretches of the Main, Nor'west and Cains rivers.

With our having access to three of the better pools on the Cains, in the fall it's a tough job to keep the guides away from the Cains, especially when the river is full of fish like it has been since August. Although we did land some fresh Salmon on the Main river system this week, the majority of the luck for anglers has been on the Cains. With some fishermen limiting out this week, Wade Evans enjoyed landing two 20 pounders in 45 minutes on Wednesday, topping off one of his better fall trips in years. Good weather and good fishing - what more could we ask for to finish off the remainder of the 2014 season on the Miramichi. Flies of choice this week were the #8 Short Hair Undertakers.

October 6th

Charlie Mosher, Albuquerque NM	Ron Halick, Jersey City, NJ
Nancy Moy, NJ	Andrew Moy, Spey Clinic

Anyone who has not seen fish on the Miramichi this week must not have been fishing as almost all of the holding pools are full of fish and there are a good number of fresh fish arriving every day throughout the Main river. All of our guests hooked and landed fish this week with many big Salmon among them. Some of the pools on the lower stretches of the river have had the best fishing in the last 10 years. Dave Goulet, former owner of Classic & Custom Fly Shop in New Hartford CT, who has been fishing the Miramichi for the last 40 years, says he is happy he did not listen to some of the reports before he left home as this week he has been enjoying his best fishing in 10 years. Even though we are seeing and hooking a large number of fish, we expect fishing might even improve over the next few days following the 20 ml. (almost an inch) of rain we received yesterday. This might also help the Cains which doesn't need more fish but does need water.

East Coast Spey completed another successful week of Spey Clinics on the Miramichi with their anglers taking home some valuable tips on casting along with fond memories of salmon landed. Every week throughout the season there are so many special moments but this week's moment goes to Charlie Mosher from New Mexico who has been fishing with us annually since landing his first Atlantic Salmon on his 80th birthday in 2009. In every year since then, Charlie has not been skunked and he thought that might happen this year, however on his 3rd day on one of his last casts, he hooked a 15lb salmon as his 85th birthday gift. His long trip back to Albuquerque will now seem shorter.

With current conditions we are still having the best luck using smaller flies like #14 Undertaker and Bear Hair. Doug Slink from Anglers Adventures landed two yesterday - one in the evening on a #16 Allie Cascade. So anglers must use low water techniques for now but the rain yesterday might change that a bit - we'll see! Tight lines.

September 30th

Anthony Stuart, Pontyates Wales	Bryan Martin, Devon England
Brian Warrington's casting Clinic	Andrew Done, Leysin Switzerland
Nova Scotia Doctors retreat

Fish, fish, fish and more fish have been what fishermen have seen for most of last week as quite a few fresh fish entered the system each day however with some of the nicest beach weather throughout most of the week, catches were nowhere close to what they should have been considering the large number of fish in the system. On Sunday, Gary Berenstine from MA landed four on #8 wet flies but by mid week all the fish being landed were on small #14-16 wets. The water conditions are excellent on the lower stretches of the main river system as the lower it gets, the better the fish hold. Water levels are quite low for the rest of the system but but with the cooler water, these fall fish will still travel to the upriver locations and we are now seeing more fish in our upriver pools in the Doaktown and Blissfield areas than we have seen all summer. In the section of the river between the mouth of the Cains and mouth of the Renous we have seen the most fish in a number of years, due in part to the lower water levels and the fall run arriving at its normal time of September instead of August, like it did in the last couple of years. With fishing there are always excuses as to why the fishing may not be great and the excuse this week has not been the lack of fish but rather the sunny clear conditions. With cooler and cloudy weather yesterday, anglers had much better results than most days with the sunshine that we saw last week. With so many big fish in the system, a bit of rain to freshen things up would be just what the doctor ordered to finish off the season and we would probably have the best fishing of the season. It looks like there is not much rain in the forecast until next weekend so we are hoping for cloud cover and will continue using the smaller fly patterns for now.

Last week we hosted our 8th annual UK Spey Week with a large number of returning guests, great instructors and with this group, even when fishing is not the best, it's always one of the most enjoyable weeks of the season. www.devonflyfishing.co.uk/miramichi.html. This coming week we will be holding our annual US Spey Week and we will again be hosting East Coast Spey from New Jersey with instructors Jody Plonski and Andrew Moy. www.tightlinesflyfishing.com . We expect another great week of fishing and clinics on the Miramichi.

We opened our 2014 summer fishing season in June hosting April Vokey and we will be finishing off the season with April as she will again be staying with us on the Miramichi during the final week of the season.

Flies of choice last week were #14-16 Undertakers, Orange or Red Butt Bear Hair, and #16 Black Bear with some anglers having luck using leaders as small as #6. It takes a bit of skill to land 20+ Lb. Salmon using 6 Lb. leaders but by using smaller flies it eliminates the big knot that would be in the eye of the hook, so the fly floats much nicer on the water. As always, every week our guides go "above-and-beyond" to provide the best chance for every guest to have success. With only 15 days remaining in the 2014 fishing season, there is no better time of year to be on the water and to find a pool with lots of fish and to enjoy the remainder of the season. Tight Lines.

September 19th

Karl Arbogasd, Plains PA

Roger Lailey, Newbury England

Peter Cherry, Ann Arbour MI

Peter and Guide Gary Colford enjoying the moment

Carol Cherry, Ann Arbour MI Landing her 20lb Salmon

With another week of fall fishing in the books it's not all doom and gloom on the Miramichi, in fact, depending on who you talk to, you might hear quite the opposite. We feel very lucky to have had as much success as we have throughout most of the summer and fall so far. Even though it has not been the best of years, we have had worse! This week our anglers did manage to land 23 Salmon with 3 exceeding 25 lbs, 2 grilse, and we lost another 11 Salmon with fishermen seeing close to 1,000 jumping or rolling fish throughout the week. Everyone fishing from the mouth of the Cains to the Blackville bridge area this week have seen fish. It's music to our ears when guide Gary Colford says he has seen as many Salmon this week as he has in any week since 2011. Our best results came over the weekend or earlier in the week with a couple of slower days mid week. Overall, numbers of fish landed this week have not been as good as in some past years but most fishermen have been quite happy with the numbers of fish seen - if not hooked - and were amazed at the large size of some Salmon. The Renous is still too low as is much of the Cains. Although conditions are perfect for most of the lower stretches of the river, a couple of feet rise in water levels would help to improve fishing on the entire river. We are not sure what next week holds as not a lot of rain is in the forecast but we will keep our fingers crossed that the fish keep coming and start taking flies better. Flies of choice this week were the #8 Woof Woof, #8 Undertaker and the Black Bomber.

September 13th

Peter Gubb, Hampshire, England Main river fish	Peter Gubb, Hampshire, England Cains river Salmon
Pippa Lloyd, Bath, England	Mike Parker,Johnstown NY Main river fish

The first week of September has seen a good number of fish in the lower Cains with anglers picking up fish on most days - many on Bombers and #8 & #10 wet flies - with a trickle of fresh fish arriving daily in the Main river system, right on time after the full moon and high tides. In the lower stretch of the river there has been a big push of fresh fish over the past three days in the lower stretch of the River and the water is at a good height for holding fish but with the cool conditions, they are travelling right through. Fishermen saw over 100 travelling fish in some of the pools yesterday, with many big salmon among them. The 8 salmon and 1 grilse we landed yesterday all had sea lice on them while the fish landed on the Cains did not. Flies of choice this week were the #4 Black Bomber on the Cains with #8 Undertakers and #6 Montreal on the Main river. Anyone sitting at home waiting for statistics from the counters to decide on when to go fishing have been missing some good fishing this week as most locals do not put much stock in the counters. We should also remember that the actual numbers from the counters are approximately 7 to 10% of the actual number of fish moving through - according to the DFO. All that matters is that there are lots of fresh fish in the system, conditions are ideal and water height is great for the lower river pools - especially from Blackville to Quarryville - with pools like the Orr Pool and home pool at Ted Williams White Birch lodge having the best water levels in years for the fall runs. However, water levels that are good for one stretch of the river may not always be good for other stretches of the river or tributaries and as of now, even though the lower stretch of the river is ideal, the upper stretches of the Main river, Cains and Renous could all use a couple of extra feet rise in water levels for better fall fishing. On the positive side - for the upper river lodges and pools where low water and the water temperatures are this good, the fall runs will travel through much lower water than the summer fish would to get to their destination. If all the fish we are seeing this week continue to move up the Main river then there should be some good fall fishing throughout the entire main river system.

Here at Country Haven we get 90% of our fishing guests returning throughout September and October because of our access to good private fall water from the Main, Cains, Renous and Nor'west rivers. As of now, our fall season is almost fully booked however we work very closely with a number of other local outfitters who may still have openings and whom we would be happy to recommend to anyone who has not yet made a booking.

With Atlantic Salmon fishing - and nobody knows for sure what can happen - it could be a good fall to be on the river if these fishing conditions continue. "Tight lines and listen to your guides"!

Summer 2014

September 1st

Guide Dan with a Cains River Salmon	Ladies do it best
Good Luck Kiss	Lobster time on the Miramichi

As September rolls in on the Miramichi, so do many returning friends and fishermen - many who have been coming to the Miramichi for as long as they can remember.

With reports of lower-than-normal returns for much of the season so far, everyone has an opinion. Some who are worried that the lower returns might last into the fall - but just can't stay away, and those that say the fish will come - if not in summer, then in the fall. With the latter in mind - even though we again did have better fishing in August than in July this year, we did not have the four big rises of water that we experienced last August. Those rises brought in a lot of fish that normally might have waited until September or October. So, without any major surprises like a flood or a heat wave, conditions are looking good for an old fashioned fall run. With the run traditionally starting around September 10th it is always a great time of year to be on the Miramichi river system. Even though the Main river is normally the most productive river in the system, Guide Gary Colford likes to spend the remainder of the season on the Cains, and Darryl Tucker will do the same on the Renous if conditions are right. One thing we do know for sure is that the Cains will certainly have fish!

Every week our fishing guests are made up of many great people from almost every walk-of-life from around the world. This past week we again enjoyed the company of Jim Buckmelter who returned again - for the 7th Year. What amazes me most about Jim, is his passion for Atlantic Salmon fishing. Each year he drives all the way from New Mexico to spend 3 months fishing for Atlantic Salmon at some of the best places in Eastern Canada. He started in Labrador in mid June, July in Newfoundland, August in Nova Scotia on the Margaree river and here, with us, on the Miramichi, then off to Quebec for much of September. Jim may be getting on in years but he is really enjoying the life that most Atlantic Salmon anglers can only dream of. Although this is not his best year of fishing, so far he has landed over 30 Grilse and Salmon with most fish landed in Labrador in June but he landed his largest fish and has seen more fish on the Miramichi and its tributaries in one week than he saw in all the other stops on his trip combined, so.. depending on whom you talk to, it's not all doom and gloom. Although this past week was not as productive as last week, there were still a good number of holding fish in pools in the lower stretches of the Main river and lower stretches of the Cains in pools that traditionally hold fish at this time of year, with a sprinkle of fresh fish arriving daily. Many of the anglers who put the time in on the water were rewarded including local guides Pete, landing 2 in his pool on a #10 Undertaker over the last couple of days, and Jim Steves, landing 4 on an Orange Carter Bug Black Hackle. Anglers who were fishing stretches of the river between the mouth of the Cains and Blackville over the weekend - including the Brad Burns Campbell pool - saw the most fish of the season so far - approximately 100 on Sunday alone - so with the cooler and wet weather over the next few days and a bit of rain forecast for this coming weekend along with a bit of luck from the fish gods, we could have a great fall. Still... always remember two things that my uncle - who was a fishing guide - said a number of times over the years, "It's not the money you make, it's the money you save." and "It's not the fish that's gone by but the ones that's coming" that determines success. So "Tight lines" and Welcome to another fall of fishing on the Miramichi.

August 21st

Photos of three of David Turberfields six fish landed in the past 3 days - 5 on a wet fly, 1 on a bomber.

Erin Manion, Delafield, Wisconsin

In the later part of last week we had fairly good dry fly fishing for holding fish. We were hoping this would continue but another big rain and a 6 foot rise in water levels made us think that there might not be much fishing until later this week but with high dirty water and not a lot of wading pools being fishable, anglers that did fish from the river bank had good fishing on Sunday, Monday and yesterday on the lower stretch of the main river, where the high water brought a run of fresh fish into the system. There was also a bit of good news for the upper river fishermen for the upcoming week and weekend as unlike the last couple of schools of fish that passed through our stretch of the river and then went up the Cains and Baltholomue rivers, these fish appeared to be Main river fish as yesterday, a good number of grilse were seen in the Upper Blackville area above the mouth of the Cains. However, when water is this high, it is hard to know just how many fish are moving up because they travel all over the river - especialy the big Salmon - and like so many other times over the past couple of seasons, these fish won't be counted in the Millerton counter due to the fact that they remove the nets because of the high dirty water. It seems that for anyone wants to catch fish on the main river system they need to be fishing in every conditions as it changes daily and it's all about traveling fish and being in the "Right Place at the Right Time". Now that the water is falling and some wading pools are again becoming accessible, if these numbers continue, we could have some good fishing for quite a while. All of the fish hooked since Saturday have been on a #6 LT Special until last evening at least when David Tuberfield from Connecticut landed 2 nice Salmon using a #4 Christmas Tree. There still is high water on the Main river and the guides have been watching some nice Salmon moving upriver past the lodge all morning. If these fish that we are seeing continue up the Main River System - with the water a bit lower in the upper stretches of the river - it should be a good time to be on the water in the Doaktown and above areas - especially over the weekend.

Bob Bowser from Moncton caught a nice Grilse in Pete's pool Thursday evening when this big Bald Eagle decided to give him a fight for it. We are not sure if this means that they are scarce or that it just looked good to him! Bob is a "hook and release" guy so he released the fish - the Eagle probably did not approve. Click on the photo for a larger view

August 14th

Jezkava Bowen, Kingston ONT	Steven Scott, Fredericton, NB
United Rentals Group

Did someone say this was an "up and down" season, or what! Last week, the first few days saw a lot of fish holding in some of the pools and as a result there was good fishing, but a two foot rise in water made Thursday and Friday very tough fishing days. However, by Saturday evening, a splash of fresh fish started moving into the Main River system again so some anglers had decent fishing on Sunday and Monday on the Main river and on Tuesday and yesterday on the Cains. Some of the fish landed over the weekend were 'hook bills' with sea lice. The flies of choice have been #8 Undertaker for Main River fishing and #10 Whiskers and #6 Peach Carter bugs on the Cains. Water temperatures are great and levels are falling to a good height for our low-water pools on the lower stretch of the river. The Lower Cains is still a good height and the Renous is now a bit too low but they are not being fished much as of now in any event. The weather forecast is calling for more rain tonight and tomorrow so we are hoping it will not be too much for our stretch of the river. August is always one of the best months for dry fly fishing and this week was no exception as all the fish we landed were hooked on dry flies. Some anglers who return each year from places like Ireland and Scotland, that come in August, say that rolling 10-12 fish a day using dry flies - even without landing any fish on some days - can be as much or more fun than landing fish on a wet fly back home, where salmon seldom take dry flies. Anyway, again this year, so far, our anglers have been doing better in August than they did in July so we are hoping this trend continues.

August 7th

Neighbour Peter Clark

Johnathan Ingram, Edmonton Alta, 1st Salmon

We have had great conditions and some decent fishing for anglers that were on the water this past week. There are not a lot of fresh fish entering the system but some of the holding pools that normally hold fish this time of year are looking great with hundreds of fish in a couple of them. With fish holding more, it gives fishermen a better chance as they can now go to the pools and know they will actually see fish instead of just trying to be "in the right place at the right time" as has been the case for much of the season so far. Neighbors' on the river - Peter and Sylvia Clark - had a great morning yesterday with both of them limiting out. Peter had 2 salmon and 2 grilse while Sylvia caught 4 grilse. 7 of the 8 fish were landed on Peter's own #10 Burdock Dry Fly. They are two of the better anglers on the river with Peter being considered by many to be one of the best Trout fishermen in the province - especially on the Cains.

August is a good month for dry fly fishing and the #8 Green Whiskers has been working well for us this week.

We have had a bit of beginners luck this week as 12 year old Tyler Murdock, from Ottawa, landed his first Atlantic Salmon on Monday and 9 year old Johnathan Ingram, from Edmonton Alberta, landed his first Salmon on Wednesday.

Conditions on the Cains are good but water levels are rising a bit after the rains we had yesterday. The lower the Main river gets, the better it will be for us as long as the temperatures stay cool - we have a number of low water pools that we haven't had a chance to fish often due to higher-than-normal water levels over the past couple of seasons.

In any event, over the past few seasons, August has had better conditions than July and with conditions being so important to Atlantic Salmon fishing, we are hoping for good fishing to continue with the fish holding as they are and for more fresh fish arriving in larger numbers which would improve the fishing even more for the remainder of the season.

July 30th

Fresh from the Sea	William Martin, Fayetteville AR
Ted Ramsaur, Cedar MT, NC	Showing how it's done

We have recently experienced a bump in water levels which has kept river temperatures cool. On Sunday there were 47 Grilse and 25 Salmon and on Monday, 20 Grilse and 17 Salmon passing through the Millerton counter- a better start this week than most recent weeks on the river. These numbers don't always seem to mean much as everything depends on conditions and they are based on approximately 7-10% of the actual fish that might be moving through the main river system. If we assume 10% is reasonable, this means there could be 720 fish on Sunday and 370 fish on Monday. These estimates are not great numbers compared to previous July counts but but on the bright side for the river, if not for the fishermen, we are seeing and catching more Grilse than Salmon this week. So often, including spring fishing, we see a ratio of 3 to 1 Salmon over Grilse, so seeing some of these fresh Grilse with sea lice has looked good to the guides. We hope this trend continues for a while and that these fish are part of the Grilse runs we normally catch earlier in July. Conditions are good for all rivers in the system, with better numbers of fish being seen in the lower stretches of the main river and the Cains. This week we have not seen as many fish on the main river above the mouth of the Cains which makes fishermen think that many of these fish may be heading into the Cains. We have not had a lot of success on the Renous so our anglers will continue to fish the lower pools on the main river and lower pools on the Cains as August arrives and we will hope for the same success we saw last August which turned out to be the most successful month of our 2013 summer fall fishing season. Over the years, on our stretch of the River, we have had some of the best fishing success in August, when fish tend to be plentiful. If water levels are high, the fish keep moving through so we catch them from shore - like much of last August - but in the lower stretches of the river when the water levels are low, fish tend to hold up more than they do in June and July, making for some great dry fly fishing. Anyway it's "goodbye" to 2014 June and July fishing so bring on August, September and October! Lately,#10 Undertaker and #10 Christmas Tree flies have been the most popular choice

July 24th

David Baeza from Valladolid Spain	Jason Andalo, West Roxbury
One of the Big Salmon Tyler Coughlan has been putting through the Counters	Jeremy with a beautiful Atlantic Salmon

With the high water conditions resulting from Hurricane Arthur last week, it seemed like the best place for fishing would be upriver as the anglers who were lucky enough to be fishing in Doaktown or above had the best luck from the run of fish that went through our area during the high water the previous week. Depending on who you talked to on the river, some said it was the worst week ever, while others had good luck being in 'the right place at the right time'. Fishing Atlantic Salmon depends very much on conditions - even when there are good numbers in the system - so if numbers are below normal and poor conditions exist, it can make for tough fishing. Most of last week was again 'hit and miss' for most anglers on the river - including us - as we fished close to 20 pools throughout the week with our best luck being from the weekend on as the river is finally starting to look like a salmon river once again as some of the better numbers coming through the counters are now reaching us. Most of the fresh fish that we are now catching are Grilse, even though there are a lot of big salmon going through the counters, such as the "fish of a lifetime" that Trout fishermen Jamie Heine of PA. hooked into on his first day of Salmon fishing on Monday - taking all his line, all his backing and almost his rod. The water was starting to warm up a bit yesterday but the cooler weather and showers made for a great morning for fishing this morning. It has been such a crazy start to the fishing season this year and it again reminds us how lucky we are to have what we consider to be the best group of guides on the river, because no matter what the conditions are, they never stop trying their best - each and every day - to put our guests on fish. Every day we see these results from the guests who might not have had the best of luck on their fishing trip but still re-book again for next year - all wanting their same guides. Sometimes when fishing is not the best it makes us feel so lucky to be running an Atlantic Salmon lodge and not a different species lodge because Atlantic Salmon fishermen are undoubtably the very best. Some of our guests have been returning to the Miramichi for 50 years and have seen it both good and bad, and like a longtime Atlantic Salmon fishermen from the U.S. told us last week - "a bad day of fishing for Atlantics' is better than a good day for all the other fish species combined! If you can get only one it is worth it." We suspect that is why true Atlantic Salmon fishermen stand out from all the rest. Rich or poor, professional or novice, on any given day everyone can be equal when it comes to fishing, especially for Atlantic Salmon. We are not sure what to predict for the coming week as conditions look promising on all the rivers we fish and there certainly are fish entering the system, but this year has been proof that we can be fooled. The flies that have worked best are #8 Christmas tree , Undertakers and a #10 New pattern Peacock Body Green Machine that Jenna Tucker just landed 3 grilse on.

July 14th

Amber/Ernst & Young crew at Country Haven

Geoff Giffin playing an Atlantic Salmon island pool

We've had a less-than-optimal start to our 2014 summer fishing season but are hoping that the worst is now behind us. We had a slower-than-normal start in June because of the lower numbers of returning fish - due in part to a later-than-normal spring. By late June, better numbers of fish started entering the system however a heat wave hit - a week of 100F weather - which brought fishing to a a quick halt. After the week of abnormal heat and everyone on the Miramichi doing a rain dance, we finally got our cooler weather and rain - all 150 ml./6" of it - in the form of a hurricane called Arthur, with a 10 foot rise in river levels which cooled the water. This brought in some nice fish that swam as fast as possible to get to the headwaters to avoid all the anglers. By mid week, with the water falling, fishermen again started landing fish on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We did not fish on Saturday and it turned out to be one of the better days in a while on the river. With the main river water still higher than normal, fishermen landed some fish yesterday on the lower stretches of the Cains and the Renous rivers.

So with improving conditions, everyone is hoping for much better summer fishing throughout the coming weeks. If the old saying "a poor start makes for a good end" proves true, come fall we will need to hide in our basements to avoid being run over by all the Salmon.

June 26th

April Vokey, Chilliwack BC with the Country Haven crew

Wade Evans, Clifton Forge VA

Landed by April Vokey

The 2014 summer fishing season on the Miramichi has been under way now for over a week and the first week was nothing to write home about, however, the past three days have looked promising - probably as a result of the high numbers of fish that passed through the trap net near Chatham on Friday. 28 Salmon and 42 Grilse were counted. We all know that these counts are not always accurate as the numbers counted represent only 5-10 percent of the actual numbers of fish entering the system, but it suggests that there could have been between 700 to 1400 fresh fish entering the system on Friday. The days before and after Friday have seen lower numbers so it's tough to know the true numbers from these counters - so much depends on the conditions each day. High Water, low water, and sometimes, with very high water when fish like to travel the most due to dirt and debris in the rivers, these counters are sometimes not used for days. Overall however, it does give an idea of approximately how many fish are entering the system and on high number days we can usually see the results upriver within a few days with more fish sightings and hookups.

Since Sunday there have been higher numbers moving past our stretch of river. Yesterday, from noon into the evening, we have seen the greatest numbers this year resulting in some nice salmon being hooked on both the Main Southwest and the Renous rivers. Traditionally - with the exception of the Rockey Brook Salmon that enter the Main River early June - the Main river summer season has always been the best from late June or early July on. In the past few years, however, some anglers have become spoiled with good fishing from early June on. This year, with a later spring and colder ocean water, many locals think the better fishing should be just starting.

Last week saw more Striped Bass hooked than Salmon and some of them were over three feet long. Taken on #6 and #8 Salmon flies, some were hooked as far upriver as the Doaktown area. Stripers generally put up a so-so fight and are not quite as much fun to catch when you are fishing for Salmon. With the better daily numbers of Salmon we are now seeing and the water at a good height and temperature after a couple of rainy days, we are really looking forward to some good summer fishing over the next few weeks.

The fish we did land this week were landed on #6 White Wing, Butterflies and #6 Christmas Trees.

Our first 2014 Summer Fishing season Atlantic Salmon was landed by April Vokey. April and crew will be fishing with us again from October the 10th through the 15th.