[oldschoolskunk]

So I'm going to be in PEI in early July. Was thinking of making a day or two trip to Blackville NB so I can fish the Miramichi. I know it's probably not the best time of year but would like to give it a go anyway. Any suggestions on a guide?
Will be a budget trip so unfortunately no fancy lodges but a good bed and breakfast would be helpful.
Thanks,
Gordie

 

[Back Eddy]

Ideal Time

Go go go go

 

[SCOTIAN]

You can rent Wilson's pools for 100 bucks a day without a guide if you want go that route...thinking about doing that myself in may plus there is place that rents tree houses for 80 bucks a night... I had my wife sold on treehouse

Early of July there should be fish, with all this snow hoping the water will still be high.

Any more questions feel free to shoot me a message

 

[gt05254]

No recommendations on a B&B, but early July can be the best time of summer to be on the Miramichi. That's when I'll be there (lol, among more than a couple other times). Oh, and as a non-resident, you must be guided by a licensed guide...so while you may be able to rent a pool for 100 bucks, you still have to pay a guide 1, unless you know a guide 2 that will take you.
Gary

 

[SCOTIAN]

I'll call wilson's tommorow and see if you need a guide to fish on their pools, man New Brunswick makes things complicated in Nova Scotia we just pay extra for a salmon license

 

[SCOTIAN]

http://newbrunswicksalmonfishing.com/index.php

This may be of help

 

[gt05254]

lol, trust me, if you are not a New Brunswick native, you will need a guide to fish: (it is very easy to google the fishing regulations for New Brunswick, btw)
From their 2015 regulations book:


Information for Non-Residents
•
Non-resident anglers require a licensed guide when fishing for sea-run Atlantic salmon, or when angling for any species on Guide Required Waters after the designated date.
•
Non-residents may fish without a guide on Fish New Brunswick Days but require an appropriate licence if sea-run Atlantic salmon, or landlocked salmon (greater than 48 cm and less than 63 cm) are retained.
•
A professional guide (Guide I) is permitted to angle and hook a salmon on behalf of his or her licensed client. The client is considered to have hooked the salmon and may tag the fish, provided it is of legal length.
•
Professional guides (Guide I) and their clients cannot fish at the same time.
•
Gary

P.S. New Brunswick is completely C&R, single barbless hooks this year. The regs were printed before that went into effect, so the note above about tagging a fish is incorrect.

 

[SCOTIAN]

Ohhh man for the first time I wish I was a resident of New Brunswick.... thanks to a s**ty spring lobstering, I maybe can convince my wife on a two or three day trip.... But more than likely I will be sleeping in my truck again on the margaree and the river phillip

 

[Guernseybass]

a cheaper option would be to stay at the restigouche motel for $80 a night, and fish the public water on the matapedia for between $30 and $60 :


https://www.saumonquebec.com/TheRivers/GaspePeninsula/Matapedia/SectorsMapFees/default.aspx

http://www.cgrmp.com/

you can buy a license for a sector when you get there, depending on the conditions and where the fish are

 

[reelstory]

Fee Disagreement

https://www.saumonquebec.com/TheRive...s/default.aspx


I question the fees listed above as I usually pay $80 plus per day for the non-controlled sectors as a non-resident. Receive a 25% discount when purchasing 7 days of permits. Have not fished there the last 2 years though, so they may be getting benevolent.

 

[Guernseybass]

https://www.saumonquebec.com/TheRive...s/default.aspx


I question the fees listed above as I usually pay $80 plus per day for the non-controlled sectors as a non-resident. Receive a 25% discount when purchasing 7 days of permits. Have not fished there the last 2 years though, so they may be getting benevolent.

you might be right, unfortunately i can't access the CGRMP website from here at work, but that should have the correct offical fees for NR's.

http://cgrmp.com/rates.html

still amazingly cheap compared to other Gaspe rivers lodge and fishing prices imho.

 

[reelstory]

still amazingly cheap compared to other Gaspe rivers lodge and fishing prices imho.

Completely agree, and I can fish the uncontrolled sectors of the Bonaventure, and others at about the same rate as the Matapedia. C'mon June!

 

[Halifaxangler67]

Wait & See

I spend a lot of time fishing for Atlantics.
Last season:
Miramichi, Blackville: 4 days in 3rd week July
Miramichi, Doaktown: 4 days starting August 10
Restigouche, Glen Eden: 5 days starting June 19
Restigouche, Kedgwick Lodge: 7 days starting August 30
Labrador: 6 days staring July 5

Last years numbers on the Miramichi were at record low returns. I made two trips up, and was appalled at the lack of fish. Pools that normally are full, and sections of the river that you normally see splashing fish making their way upstream were quiet...
June on the lower Restigouche was disturbingly similar. Better numbers for the upper camp, but they have better holding water, and deep pools for the fish to congregate and ready for the spawn.

I seriously wonder if we are on the edge of the demise of the species in NB, NS, and PEI.

And for further consideration, my numbers in Labrador (where I have fished since 1994) were at about 35% of previous years...

I hope I am wrong.

 

[Guernseybass]

I spend a lot of time fishing for Atlantics.
Last season:
Miramichi, Blackville: 4 days in 3rd week July
Miramichi, Doaktown: 4 days starting August 10
Restigouche, Glen Eden: 5 days starting June 19
Restigouche, Kedgwick Lodge: 7 days starting August 30
Labrador: 6 days staring July 5

.

i was going to say i want your life Chris, but ouch thats a lot of cash not to catch fish.....:Eyecrazy:

salmon fishing even at its best is a high input low return game, but with these plummeting runs i think its best to minimize your lay out if you can and also be mobile - have the ability to switch rivers or regions at short notice.

 

[gt05254]

It was a tough year on the Miramichi, no doubt, but I managed to land fish in June, July, September and October. One thing is for sure, if you don't have a line in the water, it is highly unlikely that you will hook a fish. Folks that are looking for a sure thing don't last long as atlantic salmon anglers.
Hope you find the river you're looking for and have an enjoyable experience!

Gary

 

[gregor 42]

Folks that are looking for a sure thing don't last long as atlantic salmon anglers.

Gary

Well put, Gary. As someone once said "there's more to fishing than just fish".

On the other hand, I understand where folks are coming from as big bucks are often required and of course there are no guarantees even if you're in prime waters.............same old story......should have been here last week, should come next week, water too high, too low, too dirty, too clear and a myriad of other factors.

So as you say "Folks that are looking for a sure thing don't last long as Atlantic Salmon anglers".

 

[pork]

I definitely agree with Gary's statement. The best I ever heard it put was, in order to be a successful salmon fisher, he or she must have an inexhaustible supply of optimism.

If you want to catch salmon, you just have to take a leap of faith at some point. Even during poor years, people still catch fish. One of those people might be you.

 

[dragonfly]

catching fish

one doesn't get into fly fishing/spey rodding to catch fish!!!

 

[Halifaxangler67]

Fishing for other things

Lads,

I agree that there is way more to fishing than catching. My most memorable time last season was experiencing a full dragonfly hatch along the banks of the Restigouche...with hundreds coming out of the water and emerging from their larvae all at same time. An absolute wonder to see.

However, I'm dedicated to fishing, and I have a geographical advantage to take last minute opportunities as I am a 4 hour drive from normally decent fishing. My post was certainly not meant to cry "poor me", but more a commentary on the extreme concern I have for our salmon.

I grew up in Halifax, a one hour drive from some very prolific salmon streams, The LaHave, Stewiacke, and Musquodobit Rivers all had great runs of fish. In my 20's, (now 47) these rivers had annual rod catches in the 2-4 thousand fish, and they are all now virtually extinct. These numbers are very similar to the runs of our loved Gaspe rivers...

I hope I am wrong...as I have 2 sons whom I hope to see follow my love of the river.

 

[gt05254]

Here's hoping your sons DO get to follow in your footsteps!
Gary