June 8th, 2026
We officially kicked off our summer salmon season by welcoming back 91-year-old Hal Howard from New York and his fishing companions. Hal has been making the journey to the Miramichi for over 30 years, spending many seasons with guide Amy Jardine before joining us at Country Haven, where he has been a valued guest for the past 17 years.
One of the highlights of Hal's annual visit is reconnecting with his longtime friend and former guide, 92-year-old Miramichier Pete Randall. Their friendship is a wonderful reminder of the lifelong connections that the Miramichi continues to create.
The first summer Atlantic Salmon of the season was landed on June 5th by Harold Berry of Maine. Remarkably, Harold also landed the first summer Salmon of the season in 2024, doing so on June 6th. It's a tradition we'd be happy to see continue!
Overall, the group enjoyed good fishing conditions and a memorable week on the water. Our anglers experienced a variety of action, including hookups with Atlantic Salmon, sea-run Brook Trout, Striped Bass, and Shad. We couldn't ask for a better group to help us open another summer season at Country Haven.
A welcome rainfall yesterday has improved river conditions, and water levels are looking ideal as we head further into June. We are optimistic that many more bright Wild Atlantic Salmon will be landed in the coming weeks.
So far this season, the salmon landed has fallen to the ever-reliable #6 Christmas Tree fly, a proven Miramichi classic.
As always, we look forward to sharing more stories and photos from the river as the season unfolds.
Tight Lines
