Recent rains make for dangerous conditions on many rivers

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MIRAMICHI - To no one's surprise, there is lots and lots and lots of water everywhere. I believe the salmon are heading up river with life-jackets on.

It will be a while before anglers can safely get to the rivers again. On the positive side, it is certainly good for the fish and will shoot many up to their spawning grounds.

* W. W. Doak and Sons in Doaktown said there was not much to report considering water conditions were sky-high. It will certainly be a while before anglers can safely resume fishing.

Flies of choice would be bigger flies or even streamers.

* Herb Barry Sr. of Herb's Fly Shop on the Station Road in Blackville said that if the water was any higher we would need an ark. No one was fishing, and it would be dangerous to try. He did hear a motor boat Tuesday, but even that is pushing it with so much debris in the water. He felt that if there is no more rain this week, we might get fishing next week.

Flies of choice were big flies and big Butterflies.

* Curtis Miramichi River Outfitters in Blackville said there had been good fishing before the water came up, but as of Tuesday there was no one fishing. It was dangerous to think about angling or canoeing with present water conditions.

Flies of choice were "maybe a Blue-Smelt streamer."

* George Routledge of George's Fly Shop at the mouth of the Renous River in Quarryville said it was not only dangerous to even consider fishing, but it was impossible to get out anywhere. There had been fish caught up to Saturday. He felt Sunday would be the earliest possible day that anglers might get out if the water dropped and we do not get more rain. The island at Quarryville was not only covered, but the alders on it were also covered. It was higher than spring-run-off.

Flies of choice should be big and bright.

* Jim Laws of Miramichi Hunting and Fishing in Newcastle, Miramichi said his shop was almost surrounded by water, so it is a sit and wait situation, and the forecast is still calling for rain. The rivers were spring-high.

Flies of choice would be spring streamers, if and when.

* Syd Matchett of Trout Brook Fly Shop on the Northwest Miramichi said the water was dangerously high, even on the Crown Reserve stretches. If the water drops, anglers might cautiously get back by the weekend if there is no more rain. Syd advised anyone going to tie flies to make Smurfs or gray-blue patterns because on his way home from work, the water was so high it was up into the bushes and the salmon were feeding on blueberries. He said that comparatively, we have received a year's rainfall in two weeks.

Flies of choice would be very big Cossabooms and big Butterflies.

* Debbie Norton of Upper Oxbow Outdoor Adventures on the Little Southwest Miramichi said they had good fishing before the high water. Nine-year-old Kirsten Silliker caught her first grilse. Now she doesn't want to go swimming; she'd rather go fishing. Brent Winer, aged 15, also caught his first grilse last week, so it was a week of "first-timers." In the Juniper area on Sunday, Bonnie Wright landed a grilse and lost another on a fly tied by Scott Domcaster. But now the water is far too high everywhere. Norton said they could run a boat it is so high.

Flies of choice would be big Yellow Butterflies and Green Machines with white tails.

So I guess the bottom line is, we all need a boat with very specific measurements. It must be 300 cubits in length, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high if we are going to get out and "on the water."

* Doug Underhill is a Miramichi writer and avid salmon fisherman. His column appears on Thursday.