ASF Rivernotes 10 Sept 2021

September, September. In so many ways the best month of the year for those thinking about Atlantic salmon rivers. The stressful water temperatures are dropping, and fast. There is more water flowing with the predictable early autumn rainstorms, not to mention the occasional hurricane. As a matter of interest, Hurricane Larry is passing across Newfoundland this weekend.

On the rivers the air is crisp. Less smoke and haze, and the leaves beginning to turn wherever deciduous trees grow.

There is excitement because Atlantic salmon have more energy, feeling more urgently the need to migrate upstream. And in some jurisdictions the season for anglers will soon end.

On the border, Canada has loosened somewhat the entry rules, at least for those fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 pandemic. But the Delta variant has caused more traffic jams at places like the New Brunswick – Nova Scotia border.

It is September, something to celebrate – but still it is not the beginning of an average autumn. But for Atlantic salmon there is no difference. The urgent necessity to head upstream is as strong as ever. So too is the September irritability that drives them to swipe at a fly on the water surface.

Take a deep breath. And think how important those rivers, and those wild Atlantic salmon, are to your own sense of wellbeing.

The data used for the Quebec River Notes are sourced from various river websites, social media and Quebec government sources. Information can change without prior notification regarding prior year comparative figures.

York, Dartmouth, and Saint-Jean Rivers

Listed below are the statistics to Aug. 29 which appear on the Zec Gaspé website.

York 494 captures (including releases) 4 366 rod days (3 592 in 2020)
Dartmouth 207 captures (including releases) 1 305 rod days (1 036 in 2020)
Saint-Jean 164 captures (including releases) 684 rod days (628 in 2020)

Please visit to register a release:

https://saumongaspe.com/riviere-york/declaration-de-remise-a-leau.html

Rivière Bonaventure

En date du 4 septembre 2021, jusqu’à ce jour, l’APSB rapporte que 1 140 poissons ont été capturés, dont 694 saumons gracié et 446 madeleineaux récoltés.

En 2020, les pêcheurs sportifs de la rivière Bonaventure avaient cumulativement capturé au 5 septembre, 963 poissons, soit 657 saumons relâchés et 306 madeleineaux récoltés.

Rivière Madeleine

La passe migratoire n’est pas en fonction depuis quelques jours dû à la pluie abondante de la fin de semaine dernière.

Cumulativement, en date du 2 septembre pour la saison 2021, 1 634 poissons ont franchi la passe migratoire dont 780 saumons et 854 madeleineaux.

1 692 poissons (898 saumons et 794 madeleineaux) ont été dénombrés jusqu’au 5 septembre 2020.

Rivière Matapédia

Cumulativement au 6 septembre, 678 poissons ont été capturés, dont 353 relâchés et 325 récoltés.

Au 7 septembre 2020, les pêcheurs de la Matapédia avaient pêché jusqu’à ce jour 1 146 poissons, dont 674 relâchés et 463 récoltés.

Rivière Mitis

En date du 6 septembre, la Mitis continue sa performance incroyable. À ce jour, 749 saumons et 999 madeleineaux ont franchi le piège de comptage pour un total de 1 748.

Au 7 septembre 2020, la montaison de la Mitis se chiffrait à 1 475 poissons dont 738 saumons et 737 madeleineaux.

Au 8 septembre 2019, 878 poissons (448 saumons et 430 madeleineaux) avaient été transportés en amont de la cascade naturelle.

Miramichi

ASF’s Bill Taylor writes:

Suzanne, Kelsey, her fiancé Cody and I spent the Labour Day weekend on the headwaters of the Little Southwest Miramichi. 

The river was in super shape following a couple of days of steady rain post Storm Ida. The river came up more than a foot, cresting on Friday night setting us up for ideal weekend conditions. 

Water temperatures dropped from low 60’s F to a cool 53 F after a couple of nights of near freezing air temperatures. We had to stoke the wood stove every night and morning to take the chill off.
Fish were taking advantage of the good water conditions and were moving steadily through the pools. Barren pools one evening had several new fish holding in them the next morning. We all hooked fish, and released three nice salmon and three fiesty grilse, lost a couple at the net, had a few long line releases and rose too many to keep track of. Most of the fish had been in the river several weeks but a couple, including a handsome 10 pound jack were fresh run fall salmon.

The salmon were beginning to transition from summer flies to standard fall patterns. We had a couple on Green Machines and the others were all on an Ally’s Shrimp or Cascade. We tried some dry flies in the afternoons and evenings and could raise fish but none would commit. I think the water was just a little too cold.

The web editor would add that more rain will be improving the conditions further, due to a “sideswipe” by a northwestern arm related to Hurricane Larry’s passing.

Nathan Wilbur, ASF Director of Regional Programs, writes:

On Labour Day Weekend, the Southwest  Miramichi in Boiestown had perfect water conditions. 

The Atlantic salmon were so excited to get that first flush of cold water in September after a few long weeks of warm water in August. 

This can be a very productive time to fish for Atlantic salmon – they’ve been cooped up in cold water refuges during summer and then once the rain and cool water arrives in September the salmon are able to spread out again. 

There were many out fishing in the Boiestown area and there were several hookups throughout the morning. Great to see fish and good water.

Don Ivany, ASF Regional Director of Programs for Newfoundland and Labrador, writes:

The big news is that most regions throughout Newfoundland and Labrador finally received some very much needed rain, following extended periods of low water levels experienced in all regions of the province for some time this year.

Also, cooler air temperatures during the past week or so have led to a significant drop in water temperatures, which now average in the low teens C.

Unfortunately, some regions, like the West coast of the Island, received excessive rain resulting in flood conditions in this area. This made angling impossible on many of these rivers for the past week, resulting in a somewhat disappointing end to the regular season for anglers who normally fish these rivers.

In contrast, a few rivers in Central Newfoundland just to the East of the Gander River, including the Terra Nova River and Gambo River, remain very low. There has also been an improvement in water levels on the Avalon Peninsula rivers and most rivers in Labrador.

Central and eastern Newfoundland may see much more rain as Hurricane Larry lashes the island.

The regular angling season on the Island officially ended on Sept 7.

However, the season remains open on sections of the Humber River, Exploit’s River, and Gander River, for catch and release angling only, until Oct 7.

In Labrador, all rivers officially close for the season on Sept 15.

Perhaps the best good news story this year is a significant improvement in salmon returns to most rivers in the province this year compared to returns during the past few years.

Hopefully, this trend will continue.

Western Newfoundland

Heavy rain during the past week or so caused flood conditions on many rivers in Western Newfoundland making angling near impossible on some rivers.

Yet a few fish were being caught in some areas. For example, Bob Mercer hooked a couple of grilse on Flat Bay Brook this past week-end despite high water levels.

The Lower Humber continues to produce some very large fish including one that was release by Jessica Duffney recently that was estimated to be 40 lbs.

In fact, it has been an exceptional year for hooking large fish on the lower Humber so far this season, which has also fished well for grilse. Note; the Lower Humber River remains open for release angling until Oct 7.

Central Newfoundland

The Exploits River has had an exceptionally good season and as of Sept. 5 , DFO fishway counts indicate that 37,010 Atlantic salmon have been counted at the Bishop Falls Fishway. In fact, fresh fish are still entering the river. Angling continues to be fairly good on the river but is now restricted to catch and release only angling until the river officially closes on Oct 7.

Water levels on the Gander River have been exceptionally low all this season. However, there was finally some heavy rain in the area this past week and the water level rose from about 12.5 cubic metres per sec (cms) to 50 cms.

Water temperatures also dropped and are now averaging about 13 C. Dave Vardy, reports that as a result of improved water conditions angling picked up considerably on the Gander River where for the past week anglers enjoyed fairly good success.

Dave Vardy also reports that the improved water levels have allowed many fish that were in the lower section of the river to move upstream, where there are now reports of many fish in the upper reaches of Gander Lake, preparing to enter the feeder streams for spawning.

Unfortunately, rivers just to the east of the Exploits, such as Terra Nova River and Gambo River, did not receive any of the recent rain and they remain extremely low, as they have been all season. But at least water temperatures are starting to cool down. This area desperately needs rain!

It is quite possible that the Terra Nova and Gambo will see a significant drop of rain as Hurricane Larry sweeps across the eastern half of Newfoundland.

South Coast

Many of the South Coast rivers also received heavy rain during the past week or so which saw water levels rise sharply and water temperatures start to cool down. Most rivers were almost too high to fish immediately after the rain but as levels started to recede an odd fish was hooked here and there on some of the rivers up to closing on Sept 7.

As noted, it is probably good that anglers will be off these rivers when Hurricane Larry hits on Sept. 10 and 11.

Avalon Peninsula

Periodic rain on the Avalon Peninsula during the past week or so resulted in improved water levels on most rivers in this area of the province.

However, reports indicate that many fish had already migrated up stream and as a result angling was fairly slow.

Maine’s drought task force convened in late August, and concluded that even with the gift of rain from Hurricane Ida, there was not enough water falling on the state, overall. Looks like there could be a second opportunity for aid, as outliers west of Hurricane Larry are dumping on Maine as this is written on Thursday afternoon.

Certainly the rain will help, both improving flows and decreasing water temperatures.

Narraguagus

The rain that did hit the state improved the flow on this Downeast River, and brought through the counting fence on Sept. 3 one large female salmon.

That brings the total so far to 17, with 14 being multi-sea-winter salmon and 3 grilse.

Kennebec Watershed

Recently there has been electrofishing sampling on some headwaters, including Temple Stream prior to the Walton’s Dam work and culverts being replaced.

Alta River

Chris Buckley sent a note that fishing success has improved on the Alta River in the last half of August. The river was low most of the summer, but August rains raised it at the end of the season.