Welcome to Brad Burns Fly Fishing
This website offers the books On the Cains and Closing the Season, and shares with my fellow Atlantic salmon devotees information about the Miramichi River’s Atlantic salmon fishery. Other books by me such as Maine to Montauk and Black Spruce Stream can be purchased through my “author’s page” on Amazon at this link.
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Do you have any questions for me about the Miramichi or Atlantic salmon fishing in general? Just e-mail me at bigbass@maine.rr.com. To read Miramichi salmon blogs and fishing reports select Miramichi Salmon Blog from right side of the menu bar near the top of the screen.
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Fishing Friends – It has been a few years since I was on the Miramichi for opening day, but with the ice going out in time, and decent water conditions available, I couldn’t stay away. I had half forgotten what a great adventure a trip to Miramichi country is at this time of the year. The ride up from Falmouth was like rewinding the past couple of weeks. It certainly isn’t summer here in, …Read More →
Click on the IMG link for a movie by Country Haven of ice moving in front of their lodge. IMG_3287 There is definitely something stirring about watching the ice leave a major river like the Miramichi, and in knowing that it signals the beginning of another season of Atlantic salmon fishing. One of the things that makes the Miramichi ice out interesting is the unpredictability of its timing. I have seen recent years, …Read More →
Rivers Tweed, Tyne, Dee, Deveron, Findhorn, and Spey – what do these world-famous salmon rivers all have in common? They each provide information on their fishing through a FishPal website. Using a very attractive format the FishPal site provides links that will 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, …Read More →
As I said in the “Springers or Spring Salmon” blog that I posted on March 3, the success of the Scottish salmon season often seems to be a harbinger of what will take place during the summer on the Miramichi. That’s not surprising I guess since many of the Scottish and Miramichi salmon both spend their winters together off the west coast of Greenland. But there is nothing more difficult to predict than the, …Read More →
After the long winter the Miramichi River finally ices out, and last fall’s spawning salmon who have spent the winter safely resting under the ice, find themselves again swimming in open water. As of opening day, on April 15 these fish haven’t eaten in months, and they have lost a sizeable percent of their body weight. These spring salmon aka kelts are anxious to get back to sea, and before they make that move, …Read More →
Fishing Friends: The MSA US fund raising season is history for another year, and thanks to the generosity of the many donors and financial supporters it was the most successful in memory. All the auction winners have been notified and the auction items are being fulfilled. Next year we expect to be back with a hybrid event that will have both in person and virtual formats. The date of Feb 4th 2023 is already, …Read More →
Fishing friends – If you haven’t yet registered for the MSA USA Winter Event Feb 5th to be held at the Portland Country Club or through virtual attendance, now is the time. If you are buying a table but don’t have all your names or meal selections yet, no worries, there is plenty of time for that, but please get your tickets now so we can stay on top of attendance. Here is the, …Read More →
In my last blog post I showcased a historic canoe that will be offered during the MSA US auctions and dinner season beginning on January 28 and running until Feb. 8. The dinner itself, including raffles, silent auction, and live auction will be held at the Portland Country Club in Falmouth, Maine on Feb. 5. You can also attend virtually – including bidding and buying raffle tickets. I said that over the next few, …Read More →
Another salmon season has come to a close on the Miramichi. I’ve pasted in some pictures of ice forming up including these shots that Darrell Warren sent me of the Cains River from the deck of my camp at Mahoney Brook, and some photos that Byron Coughlin took down at Doctor’s Island (click on them for full size). I think things would have solidified a couple, …Read More →
The final counts for the season on the Miramichi River and its tributaries are taken on October 31. These include the fish counting traps in Millerton and Cassilis manned by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans DFO, and the barriers on the Northwest and the Dungarvon that are run by the Miramichi Salmon Assoc for the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources DNR. The traps catch a varying percentage of the run that, …Read More →