best place for salmon fishing in Canada is the Miramichi River

Salmon flies feed indiscriminately in Spring, try Lefty’s Deceivers, Wooly buggers and Muddler Minnows

Before heading to the sea, young Atlantic Salmon, called parr, spend the first few years of their life living in their birth rivers and streams. In their 2nd or 3rd spring, they undergo a final change and become smelt and head off to the ocean until they grow large enough to spawn.

Canadian Atlantic Salmon Smolt

Parr reach the stage of smelt once they reach the length of about 15 cm/ 5.9 inches. Atlantic Salmon from both sides of the Atlantic meet up in the water off Greenland.

Spring flies for Atlantic Salmon

Choosing a fly is simple as there are many types to choose from and tied on 0/2 to 3/0 hooks. Use flies that replicate the look of smelt and other popular bait fish.

 

Atlantic Salmon are feeding indiscriminately at this time of year. Give it a go with unweighted salt-water flies like Lefty’s Deceivers You can also try Wooly buggers and Muddler Minnows.

Full Sinking Tip

Use a full sinking or sink tip line with a short, stout leader. Casting is viewed by locales as a poor way to fish and only done by amateurs.

  • Once the entire line is out, slowly reel in the line until either a fish is on or the fly appears. Repeat several times. Each time, reel in with a different speed. Remember this is not a race. Use moderate to slow speeds.

When the water is low, use a slower sink tip or even a floating line. Cast to the shore using slow to medium retrieve speeds. Try the same area about 10 times before moving to a new location, but don’t cast into the same spot each time.


Salmon Fishing Boats

The best boat for fishing in rivers are flat bottom boats, kayaks, fishing pontoons or jet boats. Fishing pontoons, kayaks and jet boats allow you to go in really shallow water without having to worry about a prop. However, if in a jet boat make sure your scope’s screen is in good condition because if it scopes up debris, it will shut down the engine and it may not start again

Best Salmon Fishing in Canada

The Miramichi is a river on the east coast of Canada in the province of New Brunswick. It’s an ideal river to fly fish for Atlantic Salmon, but the season doesn’t open for Atlantic Salmon until April 15th.

 

The Miramichi is a good river to make use of wet flies. Although dry flies are just as useful. Cast your bait just in front of where the salmon are located and you are bound to land one in short order.

 

The ice is usually off the river with a sharp cold winter air of about 35°F to 45°F/2°C to 7°C. Spring Atlantic Salmon fishing techniques work up until the middle of May.

 

Smelt enter the Miramichi River at about the same time as the Atlantic Salmon and even though the water is cold, the Atlantic Salmon make a good feast of them as they enter the river.