Many years ago Maine boasted several top notch salmon rivers, and my Dad often drove south to wade cast the Penobscot, Dennys and the Narraguagus. Over the last 50 to 75 years, the returning number of salmon to these waterways have dwindled and nearly disappeared due to pollution, commercial overfishing and the building of dams. Throughout New England, states have labeled Atlantic salmon an endangered species and closed all fishing seasons. Here in Maine, there’s a federal law mandating no open season on these once-prolific game fish.
For Pine Tree State anglers, however, and particularly Crown of Maine fly casters who hold a penchant for the silver King, there is another alternative. New Brunswick and Quebec have dozens of elite Atlantic rivers open to fly fishing with large, healthy runs of fish annually. For most Aroostook anglers a handful of these top-rate Canadian salmon waters are a 2- to 2-1/2 hour car trip — certainly no further than the drive to southern Maine rivers used to be.
Fishermen from far and wide visit the Canadian Atlantic salmon streams from April until June to enjoy the fast and furious spring black salmon run. As the fish that have spent the winter in their home rivers return to the sea just after ice out, the fly fishing is fabulous, inexpensive and even private pools may be fished by everyone for a few weeks. Unlike the wary, often finicky summer fish moving upriver which are difficult to entice to strike, it’s not uncommon for even novice casters to hook up to a dozen black salmon daily.
June 1 through the end of September marks the open season for bright salmon, and a few rivers even allow some October fishing. Years ago my Dad and I would travel to Tabusintac Bay, New Brunswick to hunt Canada geese around Halloween. We would shoot waterfowl each morning and fish salmon on the Tabusintac or Tracadie Rivers after lunch until supper time. The Miramichi River system may be reached via the Renous Highway from Perth-Andover, just across the border from Fort Fairfield. There are private pools and camps run by outfitters, but a great number of public stretches and lots of knowledgeable guides available too. High-end luxury camps offer exclusive fishing water and super accommodations, excellent food, guides, and boats, but may be pricey. Local guides near Blackville, Doaktown and Newcastle will take on two or even three fishermen daily at exceptionally reasonable fees.
Travel to Van Buren, cross the border to St. Leonard and drive to St. Quentin and Kedgwick and finally Matapedia where the renown Restigouche, Matapedia, Patapedia and Causapscal salmon rivers flow. From private pools and lodges with exquisite accommodations, government owned and daily leased private stretches of river, to do-it-yourself public pools to wade or float your own canoe, there’s a location and price range for everyone. There are well over 150 designated salmon pools on the Matapedia River alone.
While you might imagine that the greatest thrill is the unexpected strike and sizzling runs of a silver torpedo, accentuated by water-flailing leaps and somersaults, there’s much more. For myself, some of the most breathtaking moments and memories occur as the sun sets beyond the hills while my canoe lazily swings to the sound of lapping water and a large salmon porpoises in the pool just below. The anticipation is electric!
If you’ve ever played and landed a trophy 3- or 4-pound landlocked salmon here in Maine, imagine expanding that thrill 5- to 10- fold. Twenty pound Atlantics are common and 30-pound brutes are often caught weekly, and even a 10- or 12-pound slab of silver will put you through your paces. Many local sportsmen will already be equipped; a nine-foot 8 or 9 weight rod, and a sturdy fly reel with floating line and at least 200 yards of 20-pound backing and a tapered leader with at least a 10-pound tippet. A few single- or double-hooked flies in size 4, 6 and 8 in patterns such as a black dose, Jock Scott, rusty rat, green highlander or undertaker, and a handful of colorful Bomber dry flies should do the trick.
Extremely warm weather has made summer fishing challenging on all regional salmon streams this summer, but I’m a big fan of late-August and September outings when the water temperatures drop and fish become more active and aggressive. Also, fewer anglers are on the pools and often the price for lodging, fishing permits and even guides drops a bit. As beautiful as summer is along any salmon river, you just have to experience the autumn kaleidoscope of foliage as a background to a high-leaping Atlantic salmon.
No devoted fly caster should go through life without at least one visit to a salmon river, and there are many close at hand for Aroostook sportsmen. Talk to a friend who salmon fishes, go online and check out the rivers I’ve mentioned, or make a couple of phone calls. It’s simple to arrange. Leave on a Friday after work fish for the weekend and return on Sunday evening for two days of fishing and perhaps a lifetime of memories. For me, Atlantic salmon truly are the Kings of freshwater – take a trip and see for yourself this season.
