Catching and Releasing - It Feels Great!

The 2010 Atlantic Salmon season is off to a great start! A client who has been fishing with us for several years caught and released a nice grilse and a 15-pound salmon this morning using traditional spring flies. We wanted to capture it in a picture but he said it was bad luck! 

We’ve been at the other end of the river for the last several days and had a nice 23 pound salmon on within an hour of hitting the water. She was down deep and did not want to come up; she was very close to being landed then back out she went again. The sun was shining just right that day so we got a really good look at her. She looked like a torpedo! We realized we couldn’t land her within the proper time limit so we gave her some slack and sent her on her way down the river. Almost immediately we had a grilse right back on.

The salmon are really tightening our lines this week.

NOTE:

See how to properly catch and release your salmon on the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s website.

Smelt In The River

When the Atlantic salmon fishing season opened on April 15, the smelt had already made it up river, meaning the hungry salmon can’t be far behind! We’re back in Canada and excited to be hitting the river.

The light rain predicted over the next day or so will keep the river up, which is good for fishing from the boat. There are still some beauties up river waiting to come down right past us in the rapids, and we’re eagerly waiting to hook and release them back into the Miramichi River.

Doug Underhill had some good pointers on how to get ready for spring fishing in his fishing report on April 8. Doug writes a nice report every few days. You can read more about him on his website.

Over the winter we lost a dear friend of ours, Anne Pearson. She fished with us for many years and enjoyed both spring and fall fishing. Last year she caught and released a really nice 46-inch salmon she was very proud of, as were we. This spring will be dedicated in her honor, and her traditional fishing week will now and forever be Pearson’s Peak Week! Tight Lines for Anne!

Maine Tour and Season Kickoff

The spring season kick off is in full force! Kevin McKinstry, Westervelt Sporting Lodges Manager, and MBR Lodge Manager Katherine Hughes headed to the Maine Sportsman’s Show (April 2-4), where many attendees were interested in the lodge. Even more fun was catching up with current clients at our booth, where we were visited by a special guest, Lucy,  the National Field Champion Cocker Spaniel, from Dixmont, Maine.

Congratulations to Paul and Elley from Bethel, Maine. They won a three-day fishing trip for the 2010 fishing season and we thank them for stopping by our booth at the show.

Augusta, Maine, was very welcoming during our stay. We had two great dining experiences: the first at Slates in Hallowell, just down the road from Maine’s state capitol building and the second at the Wharf, which is just down the main drag from Slates.


If you are traveling through this summer (maybe en route to MBR!) and are looking for a nice place to eat, stop by Slates. You can read their reviews on Urbanspoon. Good music and the Maritimes go hand-in-hand, so you definitely don’t want to miss the Wharf. You can also see their reviews on Urbanspoon. Kevin is a chicken wing expert of “world renown,” and highly recommends the wings served at the Wharf.

The week was finalized by having lunch at The Anglers' Club of New York in Manhattan with new friend and author of “Land of Little Rivers” Austin McK. Francis. His website is: http://beaverkillpress.com/ and is positively beautiful to visit.

Bonding Experiences

Only five weeks until the season opener on April 15. What better time than now to start planning your summer? If you are looking for the experience of a lifetime we have the opportunity you don’t want to miss. Both Mother’s Day (May 9) and Father’s Day (June 20) are approaching, and what better opportunity is there than spending a weekend with your children (or parents) at Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge?

Working with New Brunswick Parks and Tourism on the upcoming travel season, we’ve developed a package that allows children to come at practically no cost! See the Bonding Experience link on the New Brunswick Tourism Website for more information:

While we’re looking ahead on calendars, we will remind you of another opportunity later this summer: our fly-fishing clinic in August. Not only does it offer time on the river complete with fly-casting instructions, it also includes exposure to some cultural influences, like a scheduled tour of the Miramichi Salmon Association Hatchery. For more information check out the details on our website.

The Miramichi River has been an important part of the province history for many years. We hope its legacy will be shared with many future generations.

We look forward to seeing you on the river in about five weeks; start the countdown with us!

Now Available In German!

With a distinct interest in Atlantic salmon fishing, Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge decided to make it easier for our fellow outdoor enthusiasts in Germany by translating our website; going from English to German is as easy as a click on the German flag at the top of the page.

If you have friends, family or acquaintances who speak German, please share our new “adventure” with them as this site launches. It’s directly accessible at: 

http://de.miramichiblackrapids.com

We are looking forward to developing new relationships with angling enthusiasts in Germany!

The River: Now and In The Future

 

Now that the exciting Winter Olympics are over, we can shift our focus to opening day of salmon season: tying flies, checking equipment, and packing our bags.  As we have mentioned it’s been a mild winter in New Brunswick compared to the last few. However, it is still unpredictable to say exactly when the ice on the river will recede.

Many who have been calling to book have been concerned about the number of salmon in the river. The numbers are not like they were thirty to fifty years ago. But as we’ve also mentioned, both the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) and the Miramichi Salmon Association (MSA) are working hard to promote the longevity of the river systems. The spotlight should also shine on other organizations such as DFO, DNR, The University of New Brunswick (UNB) and the Miramichi Watershed Management committee (MWMC) for their hard work and dedication to improving the Atlantic salmon numbers, one project at a time.

Miramichi Black Rapids Lodge understands the history of the area and importance of the river to the community, which is one reason we have gone totally catch and release. Along with eight public outfitters and a number of private clubs we have become a member of the ASF’s Live Release Program. We want to support the hard work of all organizations focusing on the preservation and conservation of the Miramichi River.

A great way to follow the latest river challenges being faced is through the Miramichi Salmon Association (MSA). Their quarterly newsletter is very informative: http://www.inmgroup.net/msa/salmonnews 

So as you start tying your flies, please keep the future of the Miramichi River in mind. We look forward to seeing you on the river – in the next six weeks, and over the next 60 years!

Wintry Mix

Snow. It’s one of those things you just can’t make happen when you need and/or want it. Mother Nature has a way of exerting this control, as has been the case with the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Thankfully they’re getting snow now, as is the case at MBR in New Brunswick.

Admittedly, we’re excited about the hockey and can’t wait to see the results of tonight’s game. We cheer for both Canadian and American teams, and have also had a lot of fun watching the curling. What are your favorite events?

Let’s hope Mother Nature doesn’t fool us with an extended snow period this spring. We keep a weather forecast active on our site, (at the bottom of our additional links page), if you’re interested in how April is going to unfold. We’ll be posting river conditions as we count down the days until the season opener.