Vol. 51 October 2022

October Leaper

Hi everyone,

Summer field work is wrapping up but we still have a busy fall season ahead of us. Our team has wrapped up our annual electrofishing sites for juvenile assessments, and once again helped DFO with a number of their annual sites. Together, we share data and build our long-term data series. We are also gearing up for beaver dam management, and appreciate the many tips about dams that have been passed along to us. We are moving ahead with our traditional broodstock programs that feature broodstock (adult salmon) from the Cains River and the SW Miramichi River (Juniper site). We are partnering with various outfitters and guides to retrieve adult salmon, and will also be working with some NBCC Miramichi students to collect broodstock in Juniper.

Keep our photo contest in mind while you’re enjoying the river this fall! Photo entries are due by October 15, and the contest is once again generously sponsored by the AV Group of NB. More details can be found on our website.

While you’re on our website, you can check out our river cam! Thanks to collaborators and supporters, there is a live feed of Bullock’s Lodge in Boiestown where you can watch river conditions.

The Miramichi Salmon Association continues to work with the partners of the smallmouth bass eradication working group. Although our working group successfully treated Lake Brook and a portion of the SW Miramichi River, the project took a disappointing turn in the past weeks where we were not able to treat the lake. Fortunately, our efforts on the river side bought us some time to figure out next steps. Carrying out this first phase was a monumental effort, and I appreciate all the staff and volunteers who stepped forward to execute this project. A team of staff and volunteers came together on September 28^th to successfully remove the barrier fence located just above Slate Island Lodge. I want to send a special thank you to the folks at Slate Island, Moose Call Camp, and McKiel Camp for their patience and assistance this season.

As we head into the fall season for angling, the MSA wants to once again share the DFO number to report suspicious activity. This number is answered 24 hours per day, and 7 days per week. The number is 1-506-857-6328. We can all play a part in protecting Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi.

We are moving into a hectic season of meetings and fundraisers, but it’s nice to come together in person and continue to move the MSA forward as an organization. I look forward to seeing you over the next few months at various events, including the Fredericton Dinner (Oct 5), Saint John Dinner (Nov 4), our upcoming board of directors meeting (Nov 18), and various committee meetings.

Robyn

Newfoundland Salmon Fishing

Successful bidder will be treated to 5 days for 2 guests with transportation from Deer Lake airport on Sunday August 6, 2023 to the Lodge, and return on Friday August 11, 2023. All meals, accommodation, boats, motors and licensed guides at the Lodge included. 2 guests per room with private washroom facilities and 2 fishers per 26 foot Lennon canoes and guide. Lucky bidder will be picked up at the Deer Lake Airport, Newfoundland *Refreshments of choice and tip are not included. Successful bidder will be responsible for their own flights.

Mountain Channel 

Four Rods over Two Full Days- Enjoy one the most famous pools along the lower stretch of the Main Southwest, and one of the most pleasant lodges anywhere. Includes full accommodations (arrive mid afternoon on Day One, depart after noon on Day Three); meals and guide service included. Trips must be taken during a mutually agreeable time in August during the 2023 (Donated by Ben Kaley) Value: $2500

Hardy® Demon Fly Rod

9’ 7wt and Hardy Ultralite ASR Series Salmon Reel - This 4-piece Hardy Demon series of fly rods features a new formulation of the award winning Sintrix 330 material  for increased strength to weight ratio and improved in hand balance. 

The ultimate cassette system reel, the new Hardy Assisted Spool Release reel features a fast, easy-to-use spool release system that actively frees the spool at the flick of a switch and automatically engages the new spool with a simple push fit.  

(Donated by Pure Fishing) Value $1500

White Birch Lodge 

For many years, this was the fishing camp of baseball legend Ted Williams and this is your chance to cast a line in the very same salmon pool. This White Birch Lodge fishing trip is for two guests and two days of fishing in the summer or fall of 2023. Arrive and fish the evening of day one, fish all day on day two, and fish the morning of day three before you leave. Includes two nights of lodging, meals and guide.

(Donated by Joe Walsh) Value $2400

Rivers Tweed, Tyne, Dee, Deveron, Findhorn, and Spey – what do these world-famous salmon rivers all have in common? They each provide up to date information on their fishing through a FishPal website. The FishPal site provides links that show you fishing conditions, forecasts, recent catch statistics, detailed information on the river’s fishing lodges, their availability for you to book a trip, and a host of other handy information for prospective anglers. The Miramichi shares the FishPal platform with many of the world’s other top salmon rivers, providing you with the same information on each of them. Check it out by clicking the link above.

On the evening of Friday, November 4, 2022, the Saint John Committee of the Miramichi Salmon Association (MSA) will be holding its annual ‘MSA Autumn Run Dinner’ at the Delta Brunswick Hotel where we will be kicking off the 70th Anniversary of the MSA organization as well as the 150th Anniversary of the oldest operating fish hatchery in Canada, located in South Esk, NB. The MSA has been managing and operating the hatchery for the past 25 years! Additional evening activities will include presentations on MSA’s ongoing conservation programs & activities as well as always popular live and silent auctions. 

For up to date information on fishing conditions and the latest catches in the Miramichi please check out Brad Burns fishing report posted on the FishPal Miramichi site by clicking the link below. 

Field Program Update 

As the summer comes to an end, so do many of the MSA field programs for the 2022 season. Over this year’s field season, we have successfully completed all of our earlier programs, such as our Smolt Estimate, Traditional Fry Stocking, Cold-Water Habitat Restoration, Snorkel Survey, and Juvenile Atlantic Salmon Assessment. Our final field project of the season will be our Beaver Dam Management program which is vital for salmon spawning this fall.

The Traditional Broodstock Collection program has started and will continue over the next final weeks of the fall salmon run. Fifteen pairs of mature adults will be collected from Juniper with the help of the NBCC Environmental Technology class. An additional fifteen pairs will be collected from the Cains River with the help of local anglers. All fish will be brought back to the hatchery for spawning, adults will then be released into the river, and eggs will be kept until they are ready to be stocked as fry in 2023.

After we complete autumn field work, we will focus on analyzing data from this summer and completing reports to share with our members. We will also collaborate with other conservation groups to investigate research opportunities and plan next year’s field activities.

Dylan Hyland, Cole Johnson, and Amelia-Mae Walker conduct maintenance work at a cold water site.

MSA staff collect water temperature data for cold water sites

MSA staff fish smolt wheels on the NW Miramichi as part of our annual smolt estimates 

 Dungarvon Broodstock Collection

Our field crew will be heading out on September 30^th to collect adults from the Dungarvon Barrier as part of the Dungarvon Fry Stocking Program. Thirty pairs of mature adults will be collected and brought back to the hatchery for spawning, after which they will be returned to the Dungarvon River. These eggs will incubate over winter in our newly renovated Broodstock Building and the hatched fry will be released late spring/early summer of 2023.

Autumn at the MSA is a busy time for everyone, including the MSA development office in Fredericton. We have a number of fundraising events planned between now and Christmas including the popular MSA Fredericton Gala Dinner and Auction honouring long time MSA employee Jo-Anne Linton on October 5th at the Fredericton Inn. In addition, the MSA will be hosting our annual MSA Autumn Dinner and Auction on November 4th at the Delta Brunswick. This year's Saint John dinner is of particular importance because it will kick off a year of celebration and events focused on the MSA's 70th anniversary. Simultaneously, we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the MSA run hatchery in South Esk - the oldest operating fish hatchery in Canada. We are expecting a good turn out for both of these dinners and tickets are selling quickly!

The MSA would like to thank the various dinner committees that make our fundraising events possible. We appreciate your ongoing commitment to selling dinner tickets, finding live and silent auction items, and attending dinner committee meetings. These events would not be possible without your efforts!  We would also like to take a moment to thank our live and silent auction donors and dinner table sponsors. Whether it be purchasing a dinner table, donating a fishing trip or a pair of homemade mittens, we appreciate all you do to support salmon conservation efforts and the MSA - many hands really do make light work! Finally, thank you to everyone who purchases a ticket and attends one of our upcoming fundraising dinners. Attending a fundraising dinner is probably the easiest, and certainly the most entertaining way, to support MSA. 

In addition to the dinners on the horizon, we will also be presenting our annual online Carleton County Christmas Auction which will be packed with lots of items of interest to the angler or outdoor enthusiast on your Christmas list. Keep you eye open in coming editions of the Leaper and on our social media platforms for a link to the auction. Also keep an eye on your mailbox for our 2023 MSA calendar which highlights much of the history of the MSA over the last 70 years.  

We've been busy getting out 2023 calendars ready! This year we decided to highlight the rich history of the MSA. Our in-house creative genius, Vanessa McLaughlin, along with MSA's communications committee chair. Greg Sprague, have done a fantastic job of collecting interesting factoids about the MSA and our long history with the Miramichi and salmon conservation. We hope that you enjoy looking through some of the many historical photographs and interesting text she has put together. Expect to receive your calendar in the mail in the coming weeks. 

Upcoming MSA Events

• MSA Fredericton Dinner --- October 5th
• MSA Saint John Dinner --- November 4th
• MSA Board of Directors meeting - November 18th - Freeport, Maine.
• MSA's Carleton County Christmas Auction - launching mid-November