The Ultimate Guide to Fishing in the Maritimes
“A bad day fishing beats a good day working.”
That quote probably holds true for most outdoor pursuits. However, when in the Maritimes, to improve your odds of having a good day freshwater fishing, read on.
New Brunswick’s Mighty Miramichi
If Hollywood ever decides to remake A River Runs Through It, I certainly will not audition for it.
However, after getting my feet wet on New Brunswick’s Miramichi River, I can at least tell stories about “the one that got away.”
I didn’t really get my feet wet in the river (although at times I’m sure fishing guide Brian Peterson wanted to chuck me in!), but I did get them wet metaphorically-speaking, with respect to fly-fishing.
My experiences deep-sea fishing in the Florida Keys and spin-fishing Canadian streams and lakes are not the same as fly-fishing a renowned river. But there I was, on one of New Brunswick’s best, trying to do my best Brad Pitt-as-Paul Maclean imitation.
I spent an hour or two getting some fly-casting lessons from another guide. But casting on shore and casting while standing in a boat in a river are completely different tasks. That’s why fishing guides sometimes require a saint’s patience.
After coming close several times, I finally hooked him—in the back of his nylon shell—and his only response was a wry smile and the comment, “Couldn’t have been that bad if I didn’t feel it…”
He offered some pointers, then helped me hook a four-pound salmon. “Keep it tight! Keep the tip up!” he exhorted as I tried to land the fish.
It jumped—once, then twice—a beautiful flash of silver splashing in and out of the water. Peterson readied the net to bring it in…and then it spit out the fly and swam off. Such is the fishing life.
The river also offers striped bass fishing. Looking for a Miramichi alternative? The Restigouche River is another good option. The Saint John River provides opportunities for bass, sturgeon and musky.
Cape Breton’s Legendary Margaree River
New Brunswick’s Miramichi is not the only legendary river in the Maritimes. I’ve also had the opportunity to fly-fish in the Margaree River, on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island—another world-renowned salmon fishing spot.
This excursion, with a group of colleagues, involved walking the river in hip-waders.
Alas, my luck was no better than in the boat. However, one group member did manage to snag an unexpected catch. Another relatively inexperienced fly-fisher, he became quite excited while “fighting” what he had on his line, reeling it in…and pulling in an old boot floating down the river. The look on his face was priceless.
Nova Scotia’s waters also offer good opportunities for several trout species and both striped and small-mouthed bass. For trout, check out Lake Ainslie and the Musquodoboit River. The Annapolis River is a good place to wet a line for striped bass.
Fishing Tips
Aside from “keeping the tip up” and not hooking your guide, what other fly-fishing tips does Peterson offer?
“Learning to cast properly is important,” he says. “To learn how to cast, tie a piece of yarn on your leader and practise casting in your yard.”
That works for other rods, too. With a spinning or spin-casting rod, tie a rubber plug to the leader.
Equipment is important, too—especially the lines. “In high water, you need a heavier line,” he says. “It’ll sink quickly. As the water gets lower later in the season, switch to a lighter line.”
Before going anywhere near a body of water with a rod, get a licence—and learn the province’s fishing regulations. Each one has different rules about what you can catch and keep, and what you can use to fish. For example, on the Miramichi, you can only fish for salmon with a fly-rod. And they’re all catch-and-release.
Prince Edward Island: Small Island, Big Variety
Sitting in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, nestled between New Brunswick in the west and Nova Scotia in the east, the island of PEI joins those two provinces as a hotspot for fishing for Atlantic salmon and trout. It’s also good for striped bass.
The Morrell and West Rivers are good sea-run brook trout rivers. They’re also good for Atlantic salmon, as is the Mill River. Looking for striped bass? Try the Hillsborough River.
Like all the Maritime provinces, PEI offers some good saltwater fishing opportunities from shore, or deep-sea fishing from a boat.
Newfoundland-Labrador: Best for Brookies
First time visitors to Newfoundland often get asked to “kiss-the-cod” as an initiation. But if you’re looking for freshwater fish, you can’t beat it for brook trout, the most popular fish for anglers there. And we’re not talking about small fish—we’re talking about trophy brookies, up to 10 pounds.
Some of the best places to catch trophy brook trout (a.k.a. speckled trout) include Andre Lake in northwestern Labrador with three rivers nearby: the Quartzite, the Comeback and the McKenzie.
Fishing for Atlantic salmon is also popular on The Rock. The best places are the Exploits, Gander and Humber Rivers.
But in Newfoundland, just about any place is a good place to fish. While out for a morning paddle on Long Pond, in St. John’s, I saw someone wetting a line along the shore, most likely fishing for brown trout.
