Cape Breton

[Chaz]

Anyone ever fish there?

 

[raftman]

It's funny you bring this up... my wife & I are planning a trip up there this coming July. I'm excited to try for some Atlantic Salmon... and all those Brookies!

Chaz - when are you planning on going?

We are mostly going to camp in the Cape Breton Highlands Park.

 

[Chaz]

Early stages of planning. I'm not sure if I want to spend a lot of time fishing for Atlantic Salmon, even though I'd love to catch at least 1. They can be quite difficult to catch a good guide can put you on fish though I think it would more like September than July that they'll be in the rivers.
As for brookies, that's another issue. They will be there and there will be big ones there, brookies bigger than anything ever could in PA.

 

[geebee]

I would caution against booking any lodging or guides before you go - Atlantic Salmon fishing is a lottery whenever you go, but Canadian salmon fishing fell off a cliff this last two years :

http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Gulf/asir/count?period=1031&group=1

in a year of cool weather and decent flows, that is a environmental disaster.

Ireland and Scotland were similarly poor. the one bright spot according to the ASF is the rivers on Englands North East coast - like the Tyne where hatchery fish were used to re kickstart the run - now some 31,000 fish run it each year - 20% hatchery, 80% wild.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/383580/8804.pdf

compare that to the Margaree which had 77 fish in 2014, and you can see what your odds are sadly.

if you're visiting the area, i'd hit the salter brookies and sea run browns.

just my .02

 

[dryflyguy]

On a vacation up there with my wife, I spent one day on the Margaree River. It was a bust - i never even saw a salmon.
I was told that the run was pretty poor that summer - about 8 years ago now.

But we enjoyed visiting the area - Cape Breton is really a beautiful place. And we passed some really nice looking small streams that apparently - from what I've read - provide some nice WT fishing.
I didn't try them then. But if I ever go back, I would take a smaller rod and try them

 

[raftman]

Did you folks get to check out Kejimkujik National Park while you were up there? We'd like to make our way down there after exploring the Highlands.

Chaz - Agree about the brookies; I'm pretty excited to explore that area. If you look up info about the parks, you'll find some stream & fishing info also.

Geebee & dryflyguy - Thanks for the heads up on the Atlantic Salmon. Sad to hear about the numbers.