Fall Arrives, And So Do The Salmon!

When we look across the river and see the leaves changing from their healthy summer green to vivid shades of red, orange, and yellow, we know fall has arrived. We welcome the clean, crisp air and know the river will soon be full of salmon and eagerly anticipate the challenge of the fall run.

Fly patterns are similar to the foliage colors we enjoy here in New Brunswick: orange, red and different shades of brown. (Get your #8- 10 Bombers and Shrimp patterns ready when you come to see us in the fall!)

If you’ve fished with us previously, you know we have some of the best low water pools on the Miramichi River. September traditionally produces our largest salmon of the season. In fact, over the past three years the Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge record Atlantic salmon has been landed in September. And it could be you this year!

Check out last year’s winner, Paul Smith, here, and if you’re up for the challenge of beating that record, give us a call. We have some space available and are ready to share the glory of the New Brunswick fall with you.

Increase In Numbers Gives Hope To All

Inspired art etchings over 20,000 years ago?
An international symbol representing “wild?”
Mentioned in the Magna Carta?

The answer is “yes,” and our friends at the Miramichi Salmon Association explain how few fish have attracted as much attention throughout the ages as the Atlantic salmon.
We all know Atlantic salmon numbers have been down for the past few years, but this year salmon and grilse returns are catching up quickly with the final numbers of last year’s total return.

If you are an avid Atlantic salmon angler this is the year to experience the “Salmo salar.” Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge is very excited about the fall run of salmon, and we want you to experience this invigorating angling opportunity.

Conveniently located on the banks of the Miramichi River in New Brunswick, anglers visiting Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge can literally wake up, strap on their waders and begin fishing. The lodge offers private bedrooms with private baths, incredible meals and professional guides. We have received a four star rating from the Canadian grading authority.

ASF Auction Winners

Bill Donald of Chatam, New Brunswick, used the private fishing waters auction item he won at the 2008 Atlantic Salmon Museum’s Spring Salmon Fling fundraising dinner on August 16 at Miramich Black Rapids Lodge.

MBR donated two rods over one day, fully-guided fishing trip on our private pools on the Miramichi River. Bill brought his friend, 2007 winner Bill MacKinnon, of Doaktown as his guest.
The morning of the 16th was one of the coolest we’ve had since the spring, and there was lots of fog on the river. While the water is higher than typical August levels, the salmon were still jumping. Daryll Curtis guided both men all day, and the weather turned out perfect as the day progressed.

”The fishing could not have been any better than it was today,” said Daryll, when they returned to the lodge for dinner that evening. They experienced the joy of salmon rolling all around them and spent the evening sharing fish tales with big smiles on their faces.

Limited space is still available for the legendary Atlantic salmon fall run on the Miramichi River. The Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge is well regarded as the finest low water salmon pools on the southwest Miramichi River. Fishing conditions for the 2008 season have been exceptional, and the fall run is setting up to be one that Atlantic salmon anglers will not want to miss.

For more information contact Westervelt Sporting Lodges 800-281-7991, or visit us on the web at www.miramichiblackrapids.com.

The Long Kiss Goodbye

From packing the same exact lunch for over fifty years to only using a black bear green butt fly, Atlantic salmon anglers have many traditions.

Paul Smith was fishing the home pool at Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge pretty hard last September. At about 8:40 a.m., he hooked a salmon and using his Hardy Swift 8 weight, 10-foot fly rod, Hardy Sirrus #3 salmon reel, and his trusty green machine fly. He landed the fish after a fifteen minute fight, aided by the excellent coaching of his guides.

Paul has been fishing salmon since he was a young boy, and it is his special tradition to kiss any salmon he hooks before he releases it.

Thanks for letting us share your tradition, Paul. And if you’ve got a special tradition of your own you’d like to share, send it our way!

Pool Etiquette

Picking the perfect fly, casting the perfect cast, and laying out the perfect amount of line is all part of the perfect process if you’re hoping to land a sacred Atlantic salmon.

And if you want to land a large Atlantic salmon, you also have to know how to work a pool properly. When fishing in a group, pool rotation is very important.

The Margaree Salmon Association makes the following pool etiquette recommendations:

When it becomes your turn, you will start at the upstream end of the group of anglers, and follow the group through the pool. While moving through the pool, it is the usual practice to take 2 casts and then take a step downstream. Be careful not to move too far out into the pool near the fish.

This may cause the fish to move away or cause them to be less likely to take a fly.
A dry fly may be cast up or downstream depending on your preference of presentation. Wet flies are cast downstream and across the current, usually on a 45 degree angle. Casting wet flies upstream increases the risk of foul hooking fish and causing unnecessary damage to the fish.

Pool rotation can be summed up very simply: Take your turn, cast, and move. When you arrive at a pool, and other anglers are there ahead of you, it will be expected that you wait your turn before entering the pool. A waiting area is usually obvious where waiting anglers gather until it is their turn.

At Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge, our guides organize and maintain a low angler to pool ratio in our private fishing pools. If casting in a relaxed environment on the cool, quiet Miramichi River, with top-notch accommodations right at the bank, appeals to you, give us a call. We have spots available for the fall run and are happy to confirm your booking.

A big "Thank You"

On behalf of all the staff at Miramichi Black Rapids, we want to thank all of our anglers who have made the season a success so far.

At the end of June we watched the Miramichi river raise as high as 3 meters. We watched her peak on Canada Day, making it almost impossible to fish for a few days. Despite the bad news, the providence reports of salmon fishing look promising so we are hoping for the best.

On July 8th the river was just about down to a decent height for wading in the rapids and we are set up to land a whale of a salmon. The weather has been ideal for the last several days and each day it warms up a little bit more. There is a small breeze during the day but it slows down nicely in the early evening.

The river should be in great condition for those fishing the Miramichi Classic. Good Luck to all the anglers who will be participating.

“A reel expert can tackle anything. But can you tackle this?”

This old "fish saying"” really hit home when we had a father-son combo here recently from Kansas. Dakota, a thirteen year-old angler, accompanied his father to fly fish for the first time ever, and was able to get some action out of a Miramichi Atlantic salmon.

The father-son trip was an opportunity of a lifetime for both Dakota and his father. They started it off with an adventurous canoe trip down the Miramichi River from Blackville to the banks of the river in front of the lodge. They fished hard each day, with the best action on the last evening.



We are getting geared up for the second half of the Atlantic salmon season. The salmon are coming up each day, and the only way you will get one is to get your line in the water. You do not want to miss out on the experience of a lifetime…so pull out your black bear green butt and give us a call!