First Cast Coming Right Up!

The time is finally here! We've been waiting all season for our First Cast Youth Fishing School which begins next week. We think it is important to reach out to others in sharing the sport of fly fishing and, in doing so, preserving our rivers. In order to sustain this resource, we must educate younger generations. As mentioned in a previous blog entry, our program is modeled after Fly Fisher Apprentice Program director Phil Genova's book "First Cast."

Our topics include fly tying, fly casting, and environmental education. One mentor group is coming all the way from Tennessee. They're a father/daughter combination and will be touring New Brunswick and St. John - including whale watching and seeing the tide at the Bay of Fundy - before joining us in the rapids for the school.

We hope next week's school will positively impact the groups' fly-fishing experiences, and connect them with the river for many years to come. Look forward to a post-school report!

Bald Eagles on Miramichi River

Bald Eagle. Source: Wikipedia

Along our stretch of the Miramichi River, we’ve enjoyed observing a family (three juvenile bolides and two mature eagles) of bald eagles since opening the lodge in April.  As bald eagle populations have begun resurrecting in Canada over the past few years, we’ve begun to associate their presence with their primary food source – fish. This excites us, for obvious reasons, but we’ve also gained additional respect for nature: even when we think fish are absent from the river, a bald eagle will swoop down from nowhere and return to the sky with the family meal. (They didn’t get the “catch and release” memo, apparently!)

Here’s a snippet of information from a Canadian government fact sheet on the bald eagle.

The scientific name for this powerful predator is Haliaeetus leucocephalus. (Haliaeetus means “sea eagle” and leucocephalus means “white head”.) Adult females are generally larger than the males, though both have the same characteristic plumage. The juvenile birds are a mixture of brown and white until they reach four or five years of age. At maturity, between four and eight years of age, the birds have dark brown feathers on their bodies and wings, snow-white feathers on their heads and tails, and yellow legs, eyes and beaks. As singular as their appearance, the eagles’ call is a haunting series of high-pitched cries, similar to a gull’s call but delivered more quickly and with more apparent urgency.

To read more about the history of the bald eagle in New Brunswick check out this link.

Other birds we see regularly include osprey and cormorant (and many more). Come see them with us!

What More Can You Ask For?

Salmon. Photograph: Murdo Macleod. As featured on http://www.guardian.co.uk.

Descending water level, cooler temperatures, full moon, high tides and, most important, "leapers" makes for a great week of Atlantic salmon fishing. River conditions as of July 27 are good on our stretch of the Miramichi River. We have really been seeing the salmon jump as they move up the river, and are inspired in knowing fresh fish are hitting the system again.

Since the water was so warm last week, we were thankful for several rainfalls which have cooled the river off a bit. With the river temperature now in the 60's, it will be very interesting to see the salmon and grilse return count at the end of the month. The river is full of fish and this is just July.  It really goes to show what a little hard work and conservation does to establish a healthier river system.

As we move into August the days begin to shorten and that means we're already gearing up for our fall season. Someone we admire, Joan Wulff, has wisely said, "The best cast is the one with the fly in the water." We agree, and hope you'll join us this fall!

Looking Ahead ...

Hopewell Rocks, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada. The Flowerpot Rocks. Source: Wikipedia.

It’s time to get serious! The salmon and grilse returns for the Miramichi River have been really impressive so far in July. The grilse report as of July 15th was 1,222, and the salmon number was 393. Only a percentage of the returns are able to be counted, so the numbers are very encouraging.

As we begin to descend the downhill side of our summer season, we’d like to remind readers of a few travel options in New Brunswick (from New Brunswick Tourism Guide):

• Cruisin’ with the Whales- find whales, seals, dolphins and birds in spectacular show of marine life.
• Fresh Fine Dining - local cuisine is a key part of the experience
• A Day in a Soldier’s Life - visiting the Historic Garrison District of Fredericton
• Backstage at the Opry - Miramichi Country Music Opry

If you are driving from Boston or New York, these options might pique your interest and provide worthwhile diversions for the road trip: 

• Head Harbor Lightstation - one of the oldest lighthouses in New Brunswick
• Reversing Rapids - a head-on collision between one of Eastern Canada’s biggest rivers and the world’s most powerful tides
• Walk the Ocean Floor- The Hopewell Rocks

Do not forget about our upcoming events:

• First-Cast Fly Fishing Clinic (August 22-25)
• Fall Fishing ( September 1st-October 15th)
• Wingshooting for Woodcock (September 15-November 15th)

Stacked Up And Ready To Go

Like most of the Atlantic Coast, the weather in the Maritimes has been very hot and humid over the past week. Rain is forecast this week, and we hope a proper “set-in” rain will materialize and raise the river while lowering its temperature. Thankfully the river temperature had lowered to 75 degrees on Sunday, slipping out of the 80’s where it had been for a few days. 

Since successful fishing is the result of knowing the conditions, we’ll give you some good news and not-so-good news.

Good: Fish are stacked up in Quarryville waiting to come up the river. We were there over the weekend and took the chance to stop to view the salmon holding in Indian Town brook from atop the Quarryville bridge. Indian Town Brook is a cold water spring that runs into the main river. In the mix of salmon were small grilse around 12” to the real big lads we are all looking for to take our fly.

Not-So-Good: The conditions are delicate. If the water does not rise soon, or the river temperature does not go down the results will be something most will not like to see. With this said, if all goes as forecast, our forthcoming clients will have optimal fishing conditions since we know there’s quite a large population of fish just waiting to come up river.

We send a hearty “Tight lines” to all, along with a reminder to practice good sportsmanship on the river. Everyone has a sphere of influence, and we want to make sure we, as enthusiasts, demonstrate good land and river stewardship. Please remember conservation while the water is so warm … if you do not have your salmon in by five minutes, let it go so it can survive for the next sportman/sportwoman to catch.

Pass It On

Over the last several weeks the fishing has really picked up. Tourism across the province is reaching its busy season, and the Miramichi River is at its prime. Though we’ve had warm days by New Brunswick standards, it’s nothing we can’t handle. But, it does remind us of the value of cooler temperatures and, of course, reminded us of winter! 

Specifically, we reflected on our New Brunswick book reviews we wrote for several months while the lodge was hibernating. Many clients responded favorably, so we thought we’d recommend a summer book – particularly if the East Coast heat wave is affecting your ability to be outdoors. Our recommendation is timely, too, as it’s a great preamble to the rapidly approaching First Cast Youth Fishing School we’ll be hosting in August.

“First Cast, Teaching Kids to Fly-Fish” is by Phil Genova. Phil is founder and director of the Fly Fisher Apprentice program. The book is full of content that reminds us of proper, practiced basics that all too often we’re quick to look past in our casting pursuits. We forget the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) method when we’re out on the water, so a reminder to return to the basics and relax is always welcome advice.

I am starting to believe Atlantic salmon are like horses - they sense the tension on the water and go into a “flight” mode. This is not tested or proven, of course, but, at minimum, it makes sense to me that tension and stress effect the quality of our cast, and that certainly isn’t what we’re looking for when landing fish is the primary goal.

At MBR, we hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday week, celebrating Canada Day and Independence Day, and will leave you with a quote from Phil’s book. “Pass on the tradition.” Whether that means taking your own children - or just someone who doesn’t have an opportunity - out on the river, or simply reading the book we each have a chance to “pass it on.”

Bring It Green

Bring on the salmon! Fishing has been great over the past 2 weeks, with river conditions ideal for the pools directly outside the lodge. A mix of salmon and grilse have been caught over the last week, and our scouts have been giving great reports of fish being landed from Doaktown to Blackville and on down the Miramichi River. July looks promising! 

Are you traveling in July? If so, where are you going? If you’re coming to Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge, we’re eagerly anticipating your arrival but, even if you’re not, we thought we’d share some travel tips for “Traveling Green” we found online at About.com.

Green Tips: Preparing for Green Travel

• Purchase electronic-tickets for airline travel whenever possible. Less waste. If paper tickets are lost, they may cost $75-100 to have replaced.
• Enjoy walking tours. Walk where sensible.
• Use public transportation when available.
• Use the hotel van instead of renting a car. Use the bus or local transit system. Share taxis. Less pollution, and you can leave the driving to others.
• If you're driving, turn your motor off when idling. Encourage tour/bus drivers to turn the motor off when idling.  Don't allow anything to be thrown out of your car windows--ever.

What You Can Do to Travel Green

• Book flights with airlines that recycle the waste created when serving food and beverages to passengers. British Airways, for instance, has a very strong environmental agenda. Southwest Airlines recycles all cabin waste, and was the first to offer electronic ticketing systemwide.
• Use the hotel van instead of renting a car. Use public transportation in your destination city.

Green Tips: Before You Leave Home

• Turn water heater to "Vacation" or lowest setting.
• Turn off AC/heat or adjust the thermostat to protect plants, etc.
• Turn water off at outside connection (to prevent flooding should a pipe break while you're gone). When you return, turn on the water slowly and check for problems.
• Lower the temperature of waterbed heaters at least ten degrees.
• Stop your newspaper. You may be able to donate it to a school.

We hope you’re enjoying your summer, and look forward to hearing about your travels. Leave us a comment here, or on our Facebook page!