King of spring: black salmon fishing underway

Fishing options throughout Aroostook County during April and early May are limited. Dedicated anglers who brave the cool, wet and muddy conditions of ice out fishing generally experience slow action. Bait casters enjoy random action while fly flingers get far more exercise than rod bending results.
    Just a two-hour trek to the Miramichi River in New Brunswick or the Restigouche and Matapedia in Quebec will reward Crown of Maine sportsmen with fast and furious salmon fishing and large fish. Best of all, costs  are minimal, most local sportsmen already own the right tackle and even novice nimrods and youngsters can experience action.
These spring fish are actually called black salmon, and although they have lost weight and some of their silver sheen during the winter, they are still hard fighting fish. As soon as the ice clears from a waterway the salmon will begin to move down river toward the sea. Coincidentally, the salmon’s outgoing trek often overlaps the incoming spawning run of smelt, which offers an unlimited food supply. Anglers take advantage of the salmon’s ravenous appetite by casting flies that resemble smelt, and action can be faster than any other time of year. It’s possible to catch and release more than a dozen fish a day, with some weighing more than 20 lbs. on certain rivers.
Atlantic salmon rivers are scarce throughout North America, but Maine is within easy driving distance of a dozen world-famous salmon streams in New Brunswick and Quebec. During the regular season the pools are crowded and overfished, and much of the Canadian water is privately owned or too expensive for the common fisherman to afford. It’s not unusual for salmon fishing clubs to charge a member or guest a thousand dollars a day for boat, guide, meals, accommodations and fishing access. Over the years pursuing the king of freshwater gamefish has become a sport affordable only to kings and the wealthy.
Early season black salmon fishing is different however. There is no private water. All pools may be fished by everyone until the regular season begins June 1. Prices are reasonable, with many Canadian camps providing guides, boats, room and board as well as rods, reels, and flies for as little as a hundred and fifty dollars a day for non-residents. During the summer, Atlantic salmon are very difficult to hook on a fly and harder still to land. Spring salmon aren’t as selective or as wary of flies, and are found all along the stream’s edges rather than schooled up in specific pools. The long hours, determination, and expertise of summer fishing aren’t required to catch spring salmon.
Many salmon fishing purists look down their noses at black salmon angling, and say the fish don’t jump, seldom take the fly on the surface, and are logy during the fight. Backed by forty years of experience I say that’s malarkey! I’ve seen black salmon come to a fly and strike with a big splash before it has moved a foot. I’ve also seen spring salmon jump clear of the water half a dozen times, and the heavy current during spring run-off actually adds to the fish’s fighting power.
Anglers from all over Aroostook County look forward to casting for black salmon on the Miramichi, the Cains, the Matapedia, the Renous, and Restigouche rivers, and each is only about a two and a half hour drive. A nine-foot, nine or 10-weight rod, and a reel that will hold 200 yards of backing and has a sturdy drag system are a must. A full sinking line or a sinking tip line with a lead core weighted tip and 20 lb. test leader will get the fly down deep in fast, tea-colored water. Colorful flies and smelt patterns with lots of silver and some crystal flash, on huge size 2/0 to 5/0 hooks are perfect for enticing, hooking and holding spring salmon. Try a Renous special, a smelt, a golden eagle, a Silver Rider or a Mickey Finn as starting patterns, and don’t worry about precision casting for spring salmon.
Precision casting and long, delicate casts aren’t necessary to fish black salmon. The fish aren’t spooky or line shy, but for best results the fly needs to swing near the fish since they won’t travel far to strike in the dingy, cold water. The guides will know the pools well and anchor the boat to allow moderate length casts and the best line swing in the current.
Interested Aroostook anglers who have never enjoyed black salmon fishing won’t have a problem getting advice and information in our region since many regional fly casters visit Canadian salmon rivers once or twice each spring. Just ask around at the local sporting good stores or fly shops. The camps and guides on the rivers I’ve mentioned are too numerous to list, but Pete Dube at the Restigouche Motel in Matapedia (418-865-2155) and Jerry Doak of Doak’s Fly Shop in Doaktown (506-365-7822) along the Miramichi can offer advice on camps, guides and current conditions.
Since spring weather is so unpredictable, a variety of clothing must be packed, with an eye to layering against cold and protection from wind and wet conditions. I’ve fished in snow and sleet one day and in sunglasses and short sleeves the next. A full rain suit is always a must and don’t forget to pack waterproof gloves, ski hat to cover your ears and a brimmed hat for rain or bright sun. Don’t skimp on warm clothes because you can always take layers off, but you can’t wear what you don’t take along. Be sure to bring a camera too, because it’s likely you might just land the largest fish of your life. Salmon in the 36- to 46-inch length are caught on a regular basis, and many by first-time black salmon anglers.
Atlantic salmon are king of the fresh water game fish and any devout fly fisherman who hasn’t spent time in a cedar canoe floating a tree-lined valley waterway casting for salmon has a hole in their angling resume. Under current circumstances, black salmon fishing may have to fit the bill, but be assured that you won’t be disappointed. The rivers are fairly close, the price is certainly fair, and the fish are biting now, so make some plans. It may be your first black salmon trip, but it won’t be your last.