Good Fishing Right Now!

Although we are experiencing a small heat wave right now,the fishing has been fantastic because of the raise of water last week. The Miramichi and all it's tributaries have a very good run of salmon and grilse going this week and it's looking like it will be a very good year for our beloved salmon. No wonder sportsmen from the U.S. and all over the world have been flocking to this area for decades to try and catch one of these great fighting fish! But don't let anyone tell you it's easy to catch an Atlantic Salmon.It can be sometimes,but usually not,even in good conditions and with fresh fish in the system. The photo in this post is of Donna Aguillon from Chilliwack,British Columbia.Donna loves to fish salmon and trout and I guided her yesterday while she fished the Main Southwest Miramichi.Although she was fishing open water during optimum conditions,she had a half-mile of prime water all to herself. Many outfitters emphasize the fact they have access to private pools,but the fact of the matter is they fish as much open water as they do private.Although she had fish jumping and rolling all around her,Donna could not get a strike.Not willing to admit defeat,I suggested we take a look at the mouth of a spring brook right in the middle of Doaktown. Sure enough,right there in the middle of the village at the mouth of the brook there was a pod of sea-run brook trout,with a large salmon laying down from the trout.After watching them for a bit,I noticed one would rise up and snatch a fly off the surface and settle back down into the pod. I tied on a large brown and white bomber for Donna and she proceeded to catch four nice sea-trout before all the action put them down.Usually the fish must be rested before they will take again and this was the case yesterday.But by that time it was getting quite warm,so we called it a day and finished off with a nice tour of the area. This is not the first time that these beautiful trout have saved the day after being frustrated by the elusive Atlantic Salmon. Along with all the wildlife Donna saw,including moose,eagles,ducks and lots of pilated woodpeckers,she had a great day on the Miramichi. We are also seeing a lot of buck sign while scouting for our deer hunters.This time of the year,the bucks are travelling together and we were surprised to see as many as four big bucks running together in one of our areas. Ken and I both believe it will be a banner year for taking one of these huge Northern Whitetails. The resident moose draw was just held and again the controversy over the draw is running rampant. Although the DNR has tinkered with the system to try and make it fairer,there are still many residents who have been applying for twenty plus years and have yet to be drawn.Hopefully,sometime in the near future,a system will be in place that will allow these unlucky hunters at least one tag in their lifetime. I believe a non-resident has a better chance of being drawn for a tag under the present system than a resident,so do not be afraid to apply if you are a non-resident looking for a moose hunt. All in all,this is shaping up to be a great year for wildlife and the sports who are out there pursuing the abundant fish and game we have in our area. Hope to see you all soon!