Our 2018 salmon season is officially open! and as usual we`re getting anxious to see what this season will bring. Each year’s different and we’re always hopeful for of great season with plenty of salmon. This winter was a cold one with plenty of snow and seem to last forever. Spring was cool and wet putting us about two weeks behind schedule. Our rivers typically get their first Salmon between the last week of May and first week of June. With the later than normal spring the first fish are just beginning to show up this week.
Despite the late spring the Bonaventure is in great condition.
Our first guests arrived on May 29th for a couple of days Spey Casting lessons with Neil Holding. They were in fine form for opening day.
Poirier Pool is always on of the best nearly season.
On June 3rd we were joined by eight wonderful ladies from Montreal. All beginners and all eager to learn the art of fly casting and angling for Atlantic salmon.
All dressed and ready to go, what a great group of ladies!
Our guides were all gear up and eager to teach and after a few days on the river, everybody was having a wonderful time. Casting was great but unfortunately the catching wasn’t. A couple of our guides reported seeing a few fish here and there but nothing to get excited about yet.
Spey casting 101 and doing great!
The latest we have ever gone at Camp without catching salmon is June 7th. It looked like we were going to set a new record but thanks to Camp Bonaventure regular, John Frost from Denmark and our master guide John Law, a fine 12 pounder went into the books, June 7th.
John Frost with Camp Bonaventure guide John Law with the first salmon of the new season, congratulations John! well done.
Water condition are perfect for this time of the season, clear and running cool. The weather man is calling for a few showers by mid week and cool whether which should maintain water levels. The Bonaventure is flowing at 75 cubic meters per second, The Grand Cascapedia at 95 and the Petite Cascapedia at 50. The Bonaventure is just starting to see its first salmon. A couple of big fish we holding in Poirier pool on Saturday , but wouldn’t take a fly. The Grand is beginning to produce and a coule of nice fish have been landed. You’ll have to wait until next week for the Petite, it opens on Friday the 15th.
Early season fly’s
The first week is always a bit exciting, everyone is looking for that first big fish of the season. This time of year, we are fishing our high-water pools from top to bottom, you just never know where a fresh salmon will be holding.
With one fish in the book for the week the hot fly was John Frosts Naglie. I’m sure next weeks fly choice will be a little more elaborate.
Until next week,
Tight Lines,
Glenn
