Since 1953 the Miramichi Salmon Association (MSA) has worked toward the preservation of the wild Atlantic salmon and the enhancement of salmon habitat. At the MSA we are constantly striving to build and strengthen our membership, so we encourage you, if not already a member, to please join our ranks. 
Your monthly resource for MSA conservation updates, Miramichi Watershed Information, upcoming MSA Events and much much more.
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Vol. 48 July 2022
President's Update -
Dr. Robyn McCallum
Hi everyone,

June was relatively cool with plenty of precipitation, although the last week or so brought more seasonal temperatures and conditions on the river. The MSA continues to participate in the warm water protocol led by DFO, and as any restrictions come into place, we will communicate with members and supporters.

DFO released the 2020 and 2021 salmon numbers last week. We were pleased to see a slight increase in 2021 numbers over 2020 and 2019 numbers, but there is still an overall trend of decreasing populations.

I want to thank Paul Valeri and all the volunteers and staff involved in organizing First Cast the last weekend of June! We had many youth participants who matched with mentors to learn more about the sport of fly fishing. We look forward to next year’s program, and continuing to engage with the next generation of salmon conservationists and enthusiasts.
As more and more anglers enjoy the river, the MSA wants to once again share the DFO number to report suspicious activity. This number is answered 24 hours per day, and 7 days per week. The number is 1-506-857-6328. We can all play a part in protecting Atlantic Salmon on the Miramichi.

Overall, many anglers are having great luck on the river. The high water and relatively cool temperatures have made for perfect conditions for salmon. We are noticing not many fish holding up in cold water pools yet, as they haven’t needed to, but I’m sure this activity is on the horizon as we experience more summer-like conditions. It’s great to see a strong run of fish so far this season.

The MSA field team is digging into cold water restoration and soon, our juvenile assessment through electrofishing. We also continue to prepare for the smallmouth bass eradication to remove this invasive species. We have also recently partnered with the Hammond River Angling Association on their project for monofilament bin recycling. This is an initiative to place fishing line recycling bins across New Brunswick. Discarded line is harmful to wildlife, and the MSA has worked with Hammond River to install 5 of these recycling bins throughout the watershed- at Wayerton Bridge, near Burntland Brook Pool, at the Somers Bridge, near the Upper Blackbille Bridge, and in Quarryville. Anglers are already using these bins, and we are pleased to see them put to good use!

Finally- a quick update on membership. We no longer send our membership renewal reminders by mail. If you purchased a membership last year, you will receive a reminder by email when it is time for you to renew. Renewing membership is easier than ever with our online membership forms, but if you prefer to pay your dues over the phone or via cheque in the mail, you can still do so! All the instructions you need to renew your membership are at miramichisalmon.ca/membership/
The MSA is always looking for new members and supporters! There is strength in numbers as we advocate for Atlantic Salmon and the Miramichi River. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the MSA, please call us at (506) 622-4000, email admin@miramichisalmon.ca, or visit our website. 


Have a great week!
A Fun Evening at the 2022 Icebreaker BBQ
On Saturday, June 4th the MSA held the annual Icebreaker dinner where we honoured the Wade family and recognized their significant contribution to the development of the outfitting industry in the Miramichi. We are happy to report that the event was well attended and a good time was had by all! The evening featured a fantastic silent auction, some excellent musical entertainment and a live auction with a huge variety of items. The MSA would like to thank all the volunteers that helped to make this event a success. We would also like to thank everyone who donated items to our auctions and all the participants who attended. We truly appreciate your ongoing support for the MSA! Below are a few pictures from the evening.
Miramichi legends Vin Swazey and Manley Price enjoying the Icebreaker.
Thank you to the musical performers who kept the crowd entertained!
Past MSA presidents Bud Bird and Mark Hambrook enjoying a chat with Dawn Jack
Richard Wade receiving a recognition plaque from MSA Chair Joe Palmer.
MSA Director Gary Tanner auctioning a few items. Thanks Gary!
Morris Green providing a great history of the Wade family - thanks Morris
DFO Salmon Stock Assessment
DFO recently released salmon count numbers for 2020 and 2021. Although returns were still diminished, there was an improvement in 2021 when compared to 2019 and 2020. To read the full report please click the link below.
Miramichi River Stories - Episode 1
The MSA is excited to introduce our Miramichi River Stories video series. MSA history is inherently intertwined with many of the beloved characters who worked at fishing camps and communities that relied on the MSA to help conserve healthy runs of Atlantic Salmon. As part of an effort to document this history, the MSA Communications Committee has launched an initiative to gather and preserve the oral history of the Miramichi as told by local icons, and to document the long and storied relationship between the local community, the MSA, and Atlantic Salmon. The series features interviews with iconic members of the angling community.

In our first episode, Mervin Green talks about what makes a good fishing trip.
FishPal Miramichi
Have you had a chance to check out the FishPal Miramichi site? If you haven't, we recommend you have a look. The website contains lots of information about local fishing conditions, available water and much more. MSA director Brad Burns has been writing a weekly Miramichi fishing report and posting it to FishPal. The site is easy to navigate and has listings for a bunch of rod days that are for sale to the general public. Check out FishPal by clicking the link below.
MSA YouTube
If you haven't had a chance to check out MSA's YouTube channel you should really have a look! It's a great place to catch up on MSA happenings and events, our bi-weekly President's update and videos related to our Miramichi River Stories project. To see any or all of these videos, just click on the link below.
MSA's First Cast
We are pleased to announce that the the MSA's First Cast program returned this year with a bang! For those of you who don't know, First Cast is a fly fishing mentor program where both children and adults learn about salmon conservation and fly fishing over the course of 2 days. Hosted at the Salmon Museum in Doaktown, the first day of the program includes classroom instruction on fly fishing and salmon conservation followed by a tour of the NB Salmon Museum, a delicious lunch, a tour of the Miramichi Canoes facility and some fly casting instruction on the lawn of the museum. The second day consists of a day of fly fishing at a salmon camp in Blackville with a BBQ and wrap up gathering. We are happy to report that we had over 35 individuals join us for this years program. Below are a few pictures from the day.
One of our junior First Cast participants sporting a new MSA ballcap and sunglasses. Safety first at MSA!
MSA Program Coordinator, Butch Dalton, preparing a BBQ lunch for participants
Report Suspicious Activity!
It is up to all of us to protect our Miramichi river! If you notice any suspicious activity, please call DFO’s 24-hour reporting line at
1 (506) 857-6328
MSA's Bruno Bobak Memorial Art Contest Winner
The MSA's 2022 Bruno Bobak Memorial Art Contest wrapped up earlier this month and we would like to send out a big thank you to everyone who submitted artwork. Grade two student Diep Nguyen from King Street Elementary was selected as our overall winner. Congratulations Diep! Picture below is MSA biologist Lyndsay Jay-Keating awarding the winning school a framed print by Molly Lamb Bobak titled "First Night". Thank you to all the participants and to the Bobak family for sponsoring this contest. For a look at all the artwork submitted please click the link below.
Lyndsay with a framed print for our winner -Diep Nguyen from King Street Elementary
The winner of our MSA Swag Bag Draw was grade two student Ivan Connors from Blackville School.
Miramichi Fishing Report
By all accounts, there has been some pretty decent fishing in Miramichi as of late. With many fish coming into the river system, anglers have been reporting good catches of both large salmon and grilse. Water temperatures and levels have been good and anglers are seeing a lot of fish moving. Pictured below is MSA director Andy Dumaine with a dandy 22 pounder he caught and released on the lower SW Miramichi. Congrats Andy! To read the full fishing report please click the link below.
MSA Director, Andy Dumaine with a nice bright Atlantic salmon fresh from the sea!
Monofilament Bin Project
The Monofilament Bin Project is an initiative by the Hammond River Angling Association to place fishing line recycling bins across NB. Discarded monofilament fishing lines are harmful to wildlife and can last over 600 years in the environment. The MSA has partnered with HRAA to install five of these recycling bins at accessible locations along the Miramichi watershed including the Wayerton bridge, Burntland Brook Pool, the Somers bridge, the Upper Blackville bridge, and in Quarryville.
Brian D. Moore Scholarship Update
This year's Brian D. Moore Legacy Fund scholarship recipient, Ellie Smallwood, has been busy working on her communications project.
Her project uses visual media to explain our field programs and conservation work. The first episode of Ellie’s series details our Smolt Estimate Program. Congratulations Ellie on a very well done and informative video. Check out her video below.
Upcoming MSA Events

  • Director Day at the MSA Hatchery --- July 18th
  • MSA Fredericton Dinner --- October 5th
  • MSA Saint John Dinner --- November 4th



Still not a member of the Miramichi Salmon Association?
Membership in the MSA is the perfect way to express your passion and support for the Miramichi River, for the Atlantic salmon who make it their home, and for the vital work being done by the MSA to protect and conserve both for today and tomorrow!

Miramichi Salmon Association | 506-622-4000 | |www.miramichisalmon.ca