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. 46 May 2022
A Message from the MSA President -
Dr. Robyn McCallum
May 2022 Update

We had a great time at the NB Sportsmen’s Show in Moncton in April. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat, signed up for a membership, purchased swag, or learned more about our programs.

Fishing regulations were released from DFO on April 14th, the day before opening day. Despite advocating all year for necessary changes to the striped bass and Atlantic Salmon recreational fisheries, there were no changes announced for the 2022 fishing season.

Regardless of our knowledge of more spawning grounds for striped bass, their movement further upriver, and their exploding population, there were no alterations. Like last year, anglers can retain up to 3 striped bass per day, and cannot have more than 3 striped bass in their possession at any time during the season, from April 15 to Oct 31.

The size window to retain striped bass is 50 cm to 65 cm. There will be a closure of the NW Miramichi River spawning grounds later this spring during spawning season, where the department releases a variation order for 5 days of closure. We will communicate any updates as they become available.

For Atlantic Salmon, the Minister of DFO has only announced the spring fishery regulations, which remain the same as last year. These include a max catch and release of 5 fish per day between April 15 and May 15.

We are hopeful that recreational angling for salmon will go back up to 4 fish per day for catch and release for the summer and fall season, instead of the 2 fish per day it has been at, but we have not heard any differently yet.
Icebreaker Barbeque
Honouring the Wade Family
Tickets Available NOW!
The MSA Icebreaker BBQ will be held on June 4th at the "Dome" across from the Central NB Woodsman Museum in Boiestown from 4pm until 7pm.

This year the MSA will be honouring the Wade family and Wade’s Fishing Lodge for their part in the history of the Miramichi outfitting industry. For more than 50 years, the Wade family name was synonymous with the Miramichi and salmon fishing. We look forward to celebrating the Wade’s rich Miramichi history together!

Come on out for a fun and casual evening featuring a great BBQ, a live auction, a silent auction, and some fun draws. We will also have musical entertainment throughout the evening.

Tickets are available now by clicking the link below.
MSA "Spring into the Season" Auction
Our "Spring into the Season" auction is up and running and will be open for bidding until May 8th. There are a bunch of great items to bid on including fishing trips, artwork, a Orvis Helios rod and reel outfit and much, much more.


The MSA would like to thank all of the individuals who donated items to our 'Spring into the Season' auction and a special shout out to our corporate sponsors.
Hatchery Update
by Holly Labadie
The snow has melted, the grass is starting to turn green around the hatchery, birds are singing, and our spring smolt collection program will be underway soon! Our Quarantine Building has been disinfected and had small repairs done to have it ready for the season.

Our two current year classes of salmon at the Miramichi Salmon Conservation Centre, collected in 2020 and 2021, are doing very well. The 2020 group has been thinned into more tanks to reduce their densities as they grow and decrease stress levels. Some of these fish will mature in the fall of 2022 and will be the first spawning adults for our fry stocking programs, which will see fry released in late spring/early summer of 2023. The 2021 group will see its first spawners in the fall of 2023.

Our salmon fry from the Cains River and the Main Southwest River in Juniper are in incubation boxes and have started to hatch. They will remain in our facility for 1-2 weeks of hand feeding, once their yolk sacs have been absorbed, and then be released back into their natal streams in June. We anticipate over 100,000 fry to be released as part of our stocking conservation program.

We have 2 new heat pumps installed in our Broodstock Building to replace an old oil furnace. MSA continues to make efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and advocate for climate change initiatives within our organization. We strive to continue to make upgrades and environmentally friendly improvements at our facility.
New environmentally friendly heat pumps installed in our Broodstock Buildings at MSA headquarters in South Esk, NB
Congratulations to our Raffle Winner!
CONGRATULATIONS to Robert Creamer of Saint John who was the winner of our 'Spring into the Season' raffle. We hope you have a terrific time! A big thank you to MSA Director Grant Brenan for donating this awesome trip to a great fishing lodge!
Field Season Update- May 2022
by Lyndsay Jay-Keating
Our 2022 Field Season here at the MSA looks like a busy one! Listed below is an outline of the programs our MSA staff and field crew will be tackling this year. 
 
Smolt Estimate:
Our Smolt Estimate has just started for another year. This year, we will have two smolt wheels on the Northwest River and one smolt wheel on the Dungarvon River. 
 
Through the use of smolt wheels, the MSA provides smolts for research and study purposes to many partners: 
  • Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF)
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)
  • University of New Brunswick (UNB)
 
Stocking:
Eggs from our 2021 broodstock collection are starting to hatch and transition into alevin. Once they become fry, they will be ready to be stocked back into the Southwest Miramichi River in June.  
 
Electrofishing: 
Juvenile Atlantic Salmon Assessment on the Miramichi River will continue this field season. This program will occur during the latter part of the 2022 summer.
 
Coldwater pools:
Our MSA team will follow up on past cold water pool restoration sites by performing snorkelling surveys, recording cold water temperature data, and assessing sites for possible clearing of minimal debris obstructing water flow. We will also have in the works a new cold water refuge project in collaboration with Dr. Antóin O’Sullivan. More information on this new project will be available soon. 
 
Broodstock:
Broodstock collection of wild salmon will resume this coming fall on the Southwest Miramichi River for our 2023 stocking program. 
 
Beaver Dams:
Our beaver dam management program will continue as we plan to have potential sites assessed early and ready for the project to start in the fall. We also hope to install two more beaver dam flow devices in vital salmon spawning routes. 
FishPal Miramichi
Looking to go Fishing? Check out the FishPal Miramichi website for all you fishing information.
FishPal is updated with all kinds of useful information about fishing in the Miramichi including a fishing report, latest catches, river levels and temperatures and available fishing water.
2022 MWMC/MSA Science Day
2022 MSA Photo Contest
Submit your photo for a chance at a $250 CA$H prize
Attention photographers! On April15th the MSA launched our annual photo contest sponsored by AV Group. We look forward to receiving entries for this contest which runs until the end of fishing season on October 15th. Check out the great cash prizes or submit photos by clicking the link below.
First Cast MSA - June 2022
Do you love fly fishing and have a child or grandchild with whom you’d like to share the fun and satisfaction of the sport?  If so, on Saturday, June 25 and on Sunday, June 26, the Miramichi Salmon Association will host our 10th annual First Cast MSA, a free event for everyone (young and old) who are eager to learn about the sport of fly fishing for Atlantic salmon. This is an excellent opportunity for a “relatively experienced” fisherman to bring along someone who is new to the sport and, with the help of volunteers from the MSA, participate in a two-day mentoring experience guaranteed to be the start of a life-time of fly fishing. 
First Cast participants in front of the Atlantic Salmon Museum in Doaktown, NB
First Cast class of 2016
2022 Brian Moore Legacy Fund Recipient
Ellie Smallwood
Ellie Smallwood, a second-year student at Mount Allison University, was the first recipient of the Brian D. Moore Legacy Fund (BMLF) scholarship. The BMLF was established by a group of Saint John-area MSA Directors in 2021 to honour past MSA Chair and long-time MSA Director Brian Moore and his lifelong dedication to Atlantic Salmon Conservation. To celebrate the supporters of this successful initiative in honour of Brain, a luncheon was held at the Union Club in Saint John on May 27th. Thank you to the staff at the Union Club for hosting such a great event and to the Saint John MSA Dinner committee for putting it all together!
MSA Director Gord Mouland and Sue Moore with Ellie Smallwood, the Brain Moore Legacy Fund recipient for 2022
MSA President Robyn McCallum updating the patrons at the Brain Moore Legacy Fund luncheon held on May 27th at the Union Club in historic Saint John
A full house at the Union Club to celebrate the first recipient of the Brian Moore Legacy Fund scholarship - Ellie Smallwood.
Wildlife Trust Fund
Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Twenty-five years ago the Department of Natural Resources established a non-governmental agency to further wildlife conservation in New Brunswick - The New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund (NBWTF). The NBWTF is managed by17 volunteers who represent hunting, angling, trapping, aboriginal, naturalist and environmental groups in New Brunswick. The NBWTF has funded 2453 applications since 1997 which represents over $24 million in awarded funding - including over $600000 to the Miramichi Salmon Association. Thank you for helping the MSA with salmon conservation efforts in the Miramichi and congratulations on 25 years of success!
Miramichi Fishing Report
by Brad Burns
Spring fishing for kelts on the Miramichi continues to provide solid action. The daily release limit on the Miramichi is 5 salmon or grilse, and many anglers are achieving that every day. Weather has been something of an obstacle with a fair amount of rain that periodically dirtied up the water, and some very cold, windy weather. That appears to be changing later in the weekend, and the week of May 1 is forecast to see a return to normal high temps of 14C or nearly 60F. The Miramichi received a half inch of rain in the last 24 hours, and water levels are increasing a bit, but it should not be a serious raise of water. Everything looks quite good for later in the weekend and next week. 
Angler, Jeff Curtis, who caught this salmon on a black ghost.
Anglers doing a little trolling on a gray day in the Miramichi
2022 MSA Annual Report
The 2021 MSA Annual Report is ready and available. Please click the link below to have a look! The annual report is a good way to keep in touch with the great work the MSA is doing to conserve and protect Atlantic salmon in the Miramichi. We encourage you to have a look! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
Question Corner with Rick Cunjak
After a long winter of answering questions for the Leaper, we have decided to allow Dr. Rick Cunjak a little uninterrupted vacation time this summer. Rick will be back answering salmon related questions in September 2022. Thank you for all your time and effort answering our questions Rick! Enjoy your vacation - see you in the fall.
Upcoming MSA Events

  • MWMC/MSA Science Day ---- May 6th at the Fredericton Inn

  • MSA Annual General Meeting ---- May 7th at the Fredericton Inn

  • MSA Icebreaker Dinner ---- June 4th in Boiestown

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