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Published by William Carpan, 2018-03-14 13:47:09

2018 SMRA NEWS Online (NXPowerLite Copy)

2018 SMRA NEWS Online (NXPowerLite Copy)

Page 1

SMRA NEWS Online / spring 2018

St. Mary’s River Association

Page 2

ST. MARY’S RIVER ASSOCIATION Greetings!
I’m Mac the Snap,
The St. Mary’s River Association is a chari- Caretaker of Silver’s Pool
table, non-profit organization providing lead- & your guide as you enjoy
ership and engaging partners to enhance, SMRA NEWS Online.
protect and promote the St. Mary’s River
as a healthy ecosystem for Atlantic
salmon and other native animals and
plant species as well as a rich community
resource.

Our vision:

“Health for the river, the
Atlantic salmon and our
community.”

SMRA News is published by the

St. Mary’s River Association as a
service to our members.

The opinions expressed are
those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the policy of
the St. Mary's River Association,
the editor or the publisher.

Memberships, suggestions and How about starting with a
comments are welcome. tour of the St. Mary’s River?

Website: Our tour is called Paddler’s Paradise.
https://www.stmarysriverassociation.com/ Along the way you’ll experience the
Facebook: St. Mary’s River Association river as it is today & as it was many

Address all correspondence to: years ago when I was hatched.
Just click the link below.

St. Mary’s River Association

PO Box 179 Sherbrooke, NS Canada

B0J 3C0 or by e-mail at https://www.stmarysriverassociation.com/paddlers-trail-virtual-tour.html
[email protected]

Registered Charity # 89145 0975 RR0001

Cover photo of MacKeen’s Pool by Deirdre
Green.

Publishing, design, layout, editing and adver-
tising by: St. Mary’s River Association’s

Information Technology Committee.

Page 3

EDITORIAL our Rock Island Pool, West Branch St. Mary’s.

Welcome to our first issue of SMRA NEWS Online. We introduce you to Mac the Snap, the old snapping
turtle of Silver’s Pool. I hereby nominate Mac as
In addition to the material presented in paper SMRA’s official mascot, should we decide to appoint
version we add much more & use modern technology one.
to improve the reader experience.
Today we are seeing considerable evidence pointing
All in glorious living colour! to bad forestry practices as the main factor causing
extensive degradation of the St. Mary’s River’s habitat.
Other benefits are:
SMRA is repairing damage from past industry sins as
• No printing cost - a saving that can be Atlantic salmon face new challenges like global
directed toward river projects warming & aquaculture issues.

• Improved accessability for disabled - Most See our Habitat Committee update herein for a
computers & mobile internet devices can enable progress report. Other committee reports are here as
spoken text well and, of course, our Presidents message.

• More media options - Our online newsletter We humans are the source of most environmental
can feature videos & sound degradation. We are a huge worldwide threat made up
of over 7.5 billion individuals. Each of us bears a
• Website links - We can link to our website or responsibility to minimize our own individual impact on
other Internet websites, just a click away the planet we love & depend on for the future of life on
earth.

• Advertising income - Improved circulation at- Many of us understand this and are doing our best to

tracts more advertising $ leave things as we found them, or even better. Many

• Enables PDF downloads of the newsletter to don’t. That’s the problem.

mobile smartphones and tablets so that you can I hope that most of our members accept their
environmentally responsibility and encourage others to
enjoy reading or sharing it in the wilderness do likewise.

• Paperless saves trees - Demonstrates One tiny sacrifice we members could make would be
SMRA’s commitment to environmental to do without a paper version of this newsletter. In my
stewardship opinion its scope is limited & its time has passed.

The paper SMRA NEWS is still B&W. That’s because Instead we could hand out a 1 page colour glossy
commercial colour printing using modern laser tech- brochure that refers readers to SMRA NEWS Online.
nology still costs 3-4 times more than B&W. Laser
printing was invented by Xerox in the 1970’s. One It’s better & it’s the future, save a tree, please!
would think that by now the technology would be ma-
ture & cheap. Maybe the reason is that those R & D Bill Carpan, Stillwater NS, 2018
dollars just can’t be justified on obsolete technology.

I hope you try our Paddler’s Paradise river tour. It
shows a new way that technology can help make our
outdoor experiences more interesting & enjoyable.

We also invite stories & pictures that you might
contribute to make the river tour more complete, like
Paul Tuttle’s article herein about the Tuttle camp at

Page 4

Presidents Report pects of SMRA business and wish her a wonderful
and fulfilling retirement. Thanks Joanne but please
by: Scott Beaver don’t be a stranger!

Good day to you my friends of the St. Mary’s River. I would like to remind folks that although we have
The 2017 year is now in the rear view mirror, and I been busy there is still much to do regarding salmon
would like to chat about our accomplishments. recovery. In the future we will be looking towards a

Our Stock Enhancement Committee is responsible for West branch pH program as well as investigating ac-
the release of 60,000 salmon fry and 21,000 sea trout cess issue projects. We have an extensive report on
problem culverts and other access issues currently
fry during the spring of 2017. This committee captures ready for an action plan. As you can well imagine our
the fish, holds them until pick up or delivery to a NS volunteers are stretched to the limit, we are always
Fisheries fish hatchery in the province, and then looking to boost our membership, our volunteer base
and our funding sources. I would encourage you to
release the offspring back to our river. They deserve visit our website and renew your membership or just
a lot of credit for the work they are doing. Looking to drop in at our Interpretive Center and see how you
can help.
the future, much of the committee’s efforts will be
focussed on a more stable, longer term kelt rejuvena-
tion program and continued sea trout enhancement

efforts. Another important concern to us is an alternate and

Our Habitat Enhancement Committee has reached a accurate way to count salmon in the river. A more
mile stone of $1,000,000 of habitat work! All I can say
precise count of the number fish in our river will help
here is “if you build it they will come”. We have us acquire funds for habitat work, continue with stock
already observed an increase in the number of enhancement, mitigate access issues and set up pH
salmon redds in the restored sections of the river.
projects. DFO estimates indicate that the number of
Coupled with work done in stocking, this is a trail returning adult salmon required for spawning
blazer to salmon recovery. Thank you everyone
escapement, so there is no chance of extinction, is
involved in this wonderful project. approximately 3155 fish. A healthy population of
salmon means we just might once again see a

2017 was our Paddlers Paradise Committee’s first salmon angling season on the great St. Mary’s River.

year with a visual presence on the river. At the road- How cool would that be?
side, you may have noticed our Paddlers Access

signage. These signs help

visitors who come to the

area, looking for a day of ac-

tivity on the river. We have

heard a lot of great feedback

from them. A very popular

fall paddling event brought

out paddlers in droves. Keep

your eye open for a similar

paddling event for fall 2018.

The 2018 season brings on
considerable change for us

here at the SMRA Interpre-
tive center and how we do

business! Joanne Mailman,
our manager of 17 years has

retired. Her tireless efforts
will be a great loss to our or-
ganization and we will miss

her. I would like to extend
our gratitude and thanks to

Joanne for her many years of
dedication towards all as-

Page 5

Molly’s Fish Story Tucking the net under my left arm, line unravelled and
floating around, I work my way through the murky wa-
ter. After two casts I forget about the net and as I
glance down it slowly disappears. My first thought is to
leave it and find it when the water recedes, but logic
prevails. Using the reel end of my rod I gently tap the
bottom until I can feel the net. I move my foot next to
giving it an upward kick that makes it visible and within
reach.

That achieved, fishing continues and soon I am back
in the action. My second trip back to shore is no easier
and this time my line has managed to coil itself onto a
hanging tree branch. As I near land I feel weighted

somehow. What’s wrong? Looking down I notice my

vest pockets bulging with water, thanks to my retrieve

I’m all ready for an evening fish – alone. Stillwater of the sinking net. I empty the vest of water and out fall

Slim is busy in his shop. My attire won’t likely start any my car keys, several fly boxes and my fishing license.

fashion trends – dark green chest waders that are too I bend over to do another retrieval, off comes my hat

long on a 5 ft. frame – the red suspenders do just that and the fish escapes the net. Everything is either

– suspend. My hand-me-down vest fits like a sleeve- afloat or submerged.

less coat. My brown hat is almost a fit, a cross be-
tween a Tilly and a bucket. I also have Slim’s compact Luckily I save the trout and retrieve all the rest. Ex-
collapsible fishing net clipped to my vest, so I’m ready. hausted, I lean against the bank wondering whether I

should give fishing another try or quit while I’m ahead.

I arrive at the small sea-trout destination I picked for I decide to fish. Making my way along the waterway I

this evening. My fly of choice is a freshly tied beetle
imitation, a dry fly tied by Slim dear. There isn’t much notice that my line seems to be snagged. I can’t find
evidence of feeding trout yet, except for a bit of activity the source of the trouble until I tuck the beloved net
at the far corner of the pool. The water is high from a under my arm. Then I realize that trout # 2 is still in the
big rain and I must wade chest deep through a deep- net with hook in place.

water mud-hole to reach the submerged island in or- I decide to quit.
der to cast a fly over those trout.

The action begins quickly and I must use Slim’s net Brenda ‘Molly” Carpan, Stillwater, 2008

since I’m surrounded by water. Net in hand I reach for

the trout and miss. This startles the trout and he jumps

around like he’s full of popcorn – he’s to my left, then

he’s at my right, three moves ahead of me and I’m not

gaining. My fly line is around, over, under and behind,

but somehow the fish is now twisting in the net.

Reaching shore while explaining the process to the
fish and myself was very challenging but I was lucky. I
dispatch the trout and hide it in the grass, and then I’m
beckoned by a gentle slurp on the water.

Page 6

2017 Habitat Committee Report

The SMRA has completed the fourth year of the multi-year West River (St. Mary’s) Habitat Restoration Pro-
ject. The 2017 work built on the restoration started in 2014 and to date almost twenty kilometers of the river
has been completed. The restoration includes a variety of structures that are aimed at creating a narrower
deeper channel with more pools. The upper portion of the picture shows the narrower channel with more
meander on the restored section as compared to the bottom portion of the picture where no work was done.

The narrower deeper channel increases juvenile survival over the summer and reduces winter ice production
that causes spring time damage to the river.
We have also planted numerous trees to reduce bank erosion and provide more shade along the edge of the
river. Another part of the restoration work is to use a “Sand Wand” to remove sand from the gravel spawning
beds on two of the tributaries to the West Branch. This enhances spawning conditions for both salmon and
trout.
What is even more exciting is the increased number of salmon using the restored area to spawn. Prior to
starting the work in 2014 a survey found only salmon 25 - 30 redds (places where salmon spawn) in the entire
restored area and this fall there were almost 200, a six fold increase. A similar section of the West Branch,
where no restoration has been completed, has had no significant change in the number observed redds. This
highlights the preference spawning salmon have for the restored habitat.
This restoration work is expensive and we could not have been able to proceed without the financial help of
our funding partners DFO (Small Craft Harbours & Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program),
the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, NSLC Adopt-A-Stream, and the Royal Bank.

Page 7

IT Committee Update

The St Mary’s River Association web site launched over a year ago is well positioned to keep our audience
informed. This year, working with the Paddlers Paradise Committee, we added content related to St. Mary’s
river pools; including maps, pictures and stories of long ago days on the river that will educate and entertain
the reader. We invite you to go to the Paddlers Paradise section of the RECREATION tab on the website
and click on Virtual Tour to explore further. Look at the Silver’s Pool or Goldmine pages to get a feel for the
importance of our river in past times.

View the slideshows on our Home Page that will give you a glimpse of some of the activities that our mem-
bers have participated in this past year.

We are also active on social media – specifically Facebook and Twitter. We post daily communications to
keep our river friends informed on our activities and interests. Links to news items or videos published by our
partners and other organizations have proven to be quite popular

We ask you to take some time out of your day, and look us up on Facebook or explore our website. You
might be surprised at what you will learn.

Lastly, for those of you planning to attend the biennial Antigonish River Association October auction and din-
ner, please consider purchasing your tickets online through our online Gift Shop later in the year.

Left - Banner from our website
www.stmarysriverassociation.com

2018 Bi-annual Salmon
Charity

Dinner Auction

Events planned include: Saturday, October 13, 2018
McKay Room
• Fly tying forum
• *NEW* Modern Spey casting lessons Student Union Building
St. FX University, Antigonish NS
& demonstrations
• *NEW* Rod building
• *NEW* Cork turning

Page 8

Paddlers Paradise Committee Update

2017 was a packed season for implementing our Paddlers Trail on the East and Main branch. We installed signage at
four river access sites and eight paddlers trail sites. The first access site is located at the bridge in Denver just off
Highway 347 and the second is at the bridge in Aspen. The third is on the main branch just off the Waternish Road

near the beginning of the Stillwater. The final access site is located off the num-
ber seven highway at the mouth of Archibald’s Brook just below the Ford Pool.
This is the final location to get off the river before the rocky run to Sherbrooke.
The signage is a two foot by two foot sign with an orange canoe on it and is
quite noticeable for folks in search of the access point.

The virtual Paddlers Trail on our website is still under construction, so some
locations may show only a map. Our Goldmine location is one I would like to
bring to your attention and is worth checking out. The link you would see from
your smartphone QR code reader while on the river is:

https://www.stmarysriverassociation.com/goldmine.html

Check it out!

Don’t forget to go to our web page where you can see all the virtual river sites
as well as our East and West branch data logger live readings for water levels
and recommended paddling conditions. If you are driving past our interpretive
center I recommend dropping in to enjoy the museum but don’t forget to view the large four by eight virtual map on the
front of our building. Really neat stuff!

For 2018 we will be working with Warren Robertson from Scope Digital Media on a promotional video show casing the
St. Mary’s River Paddler’s Trail. This will be approximately 3 minutes long and intended for multiple uses. Also we will
be planning signage for a similar West branch Paddlers Trail which you can expect to see in 2019.

See you on the river,
Scott Beaver

Page 9

2017 Entering the water for the paddling trip
2017 Preparing for departure

2017 Paddling the line

Page 10

Stocking Committee Report

DFO Update

DFO recently advised the Saint Mary’s River Association of the outcome of a recent internal meeting regard-
ing approaches to the Southern Upland Intervention program. These decisions were made based on ge-
netic and demographic considerations as well as capacity considerations for Coldbrook and other involved
work units. Highlights of that meeting are as follows:

• In 2018 DFO will support a modest rearing program of 450 smolt at the Coldbook facility. The smolt will
be collected evenly from the Lahave and St Mary's rivers. The primary purpose for this gene banking
program is an attempt to ensure that the unique St Mary’s Atlantic Salmon continues to survive.

• DFO has no plan to collect kelts from the St Mary's in 2018 due to the limited capacity at the Coldbrook
facility and the potential that those kelts may be related to smolts collected in 2016.

Truro Agriculture College

Although understandable, it was very disappointing for SMRA to
learn that DFO has neither the resources nor facilities to support a
kelt program in 2018. In an attempt to explore a possible alternative
solution the SMRA met with key staff members and visited the
facilities of the Dalhousie’s Truro Agriculture College. They have a
very modern facility that is not running at full capacity that appears
to be capable of supporting a kelt program. In addition they have a
very educated and experienced staff that is very enthusiastic about
supporting a kelt program. They are currently involved with DFO on
the West River, Sheet Harbour smolt project. It is SMRA’s intent to
further pursue this potential opportunity with DFO.

Trout Program

We are committed to the betterment of fishing on the St Mary’s
River and one of our goals is to significantly increase the sea-trout
population of the St Mary’s River and in so doing preserve the long
term health and well being of the species. With the continuing
support, direction and authorization of Inland Fisheries we are now
approaching the successful completion of the second year of our
trout stocking program. The first year was 2016/2017 and the
second being 2017/2018. The program involves the capture of a previously agreed to number of large male
trout angled from the St Mary’s as defined and authorized by a special licence issued by Inland Fisheries.
The captured fish are closely managed and delivered from the river to the Fraser’s Mill’s Fish Hatchery. At
the appropriate time the males are stripped and their milt is used to fertilize the eggs stripped from females
supplied by and retained by the hatchery. After several months the trout develop to the point where they are
starting to loose their feed sacks. At that point they are transported and released into the previously scouted
brooks and head waters of the St Mary’s. The first year’s program yielded approximately 21,000 fingerlings
being dispersed in approximately 13 brooks. Our expectation is that our second year efforts will yield a
similar number to be dispersed.

However we must be aware that there is a lot of pressure on the Fraser’s Mills fish Hatchery in terms of the
demand for allocation of trout and as such there is no guarantee we will be approved in subsequent years.
We are, however, hopeful that support from Inland Fisheries will continue and with careful management the
trout population on the St Mary’s will return to the previous highs.

Page 11

Left - Sandy Barnhill & Allan MacDonald
capture a wild kelt salmon for the project.

Right - Scott Beaver prepares to trans-
port a kelt salmon to a holding facility.
Left - Chris Sinclair captures a kelt
salmon for the project.
Below - Girl Guides help out by releas-
ing juvenile trout in a tributary.

Page 12

Our 2017 sea-trout stocking program
Mary’s River. SMRA partnered with N
Fisheries & the Frasers Mill Hatchery.

Page 13

on the St.
NS Inland
.

Page 14

St. Mary’s River photographs, starting from top, clockwise
Fall colours on Melrose Lake, one of the East Branch’s deep lakes, sanctuary for trout & salmon during hot, dry
weather. Photograph by Deirdre Green.
Harrison’s Pool, Silver’s Pool, Underwater Photographs by Gilbert van Ryckevorsel.

Page 15

Page 16

Hi again, Mac here.
Male snappers like myself pretty

much stay at home.
It’s our females that wander.
This story is about a girlfriend of mine
named Tina Turtle. One day Tina
headed down toward the Meadow Pool

from my place …….

In the winter of 2003 George Sutherland wrote a SMRA News article called “SPECIAL MEMORIES
OF THE ST. MARY’S RIVER, GUYSBOROUGH COUNTY”. The full article can be found on our website.
This is an excerpt from it.

TURTLES

I started both of my boys fly-fishing when they were very young. Michael was under ten years old and wanted
to try salmon fishing. We headed for the St. Mary’s and on the way down he asked if we would see any

turtles. I replied “maybe”, but didn’t want to get his hopes up. We went up to a spot above the Meadow pool
where we wouldn’t disturb anyone. We were upriver from where I normally begin, so I decided to go first as I
didn’t want Mike stepping into any holes.

We had just begun when I heard Mike yell ”Turtle Dad…BIG turtle.” I called back that it was just a sod and he
should continue on. “Big Turtle!” he yelled. With that he ran out of the river and threw his rod on the bank.

As I looked behind me I suddenly saw a head the size of my fist on a neck sticking several inches out of the
water. I watched in awe as the biggest turtle I had ever seen slowly drifted past me. Mike and I watched to-
gether as the fishermen below on both sides of the Meadow pool parted and watched as the turtle passed

through.

- George Sutherland, New Glasgow, 2003

Editor’s Note: Mac was named by his old friend Gilbert
van Ryckevorsel. The St. Mary’s River is Gilbert’s favorite
stream on which to photograph Atlantic salmon
underwater.

On most visits to Silver’s Pool Gilbert found Mac waiting
for him. They became friends. A visit to eastern NS
wasn’t complete without some quality time with Mac.

Gilbert is an honorary director of SMRA. The photo-
graphs of Mac are Gilbert’s.

Gilbert’s shadow, a “selfie” by
Gilbert van Ryckevorsel

Page 17

Passing it On boat they should also be part of your child’s fish-
ing equipment when shore fishing near deep or
Don MacLean
fast-moving water. Sun screen, sunglasses and

insect repellent should also be part of your

I often praise sport fishing as a lifelong sport equipment.

which you can participate in from a very young Make Sure They Have Fun-When you go fishing
age well into your senior years. Many of us have and don’t catch anything it can be pretty discour-
been fishing for so long that we have forgotten aging, especially for a young angler. Try to stack
who introduced us to the sport but it many cases the odds in your child’s favour by fishing where
it was a parent. In the case of my brother and me you have a good chance of catching something.
it was our Mother. While Dad took us hunting This may be a perch lake or a stocked trout
Mom was the one who took us fishing. She had pond.
grown up with her sister spending a lot of time

outdoors and she loved to fish, and pick berries. Take Your Time-Slowing down to fish with your
While I may not have inherited her love of berry children will let you see many things that you
picking I can certainly trace my love of angling to might miss in your race to get to the next trout
those early fishing trips. pool. Birds, frogs, salamanders, minnows and

dragonflies are all part of the angling experience.

Sport fishing and kids are a great combination as Seeing nature through a child’s eyes can help

children have a natural curiosity combined with a remind us why we want to be outside in the first

sense of adventure which is important for all an- place. Nova Scotia Sport Fishing Weekend will

glers. These days, with increased concerns be held this year on June 02 and 03. On this

about getting children physically active, sport weekend Nova Scotia residents, and non-

fishing can play an important role in getting them residents, may fish without a general sport fish-

outside. In addition spending time in the outdoors ing licence. While children do not require a li-

exposes them to the natural world and the impor- cence during the season,zzzzzx adults do, but

tance of clean air and water for both us and the not on this weekend. It is a great way to get back

fish. When you introduce children to sport fishing into the sport or introduce a new angler to sport

it is important to remember some key points: fishing. With all the pressures on everyone these

days it is often an effort to find the time. Make

Start Simple - A short trip, close to home is a the effort, you will be rewarded many times over.

good way to introduce them to sport fishing. It is
important to make sure the kids are comfortable. Tight Lines

Cold weather, rain and flies can sour any new
angler on the sport. Try to pick your days so you Don

will have a good time on the water.

Use Simple Equipment-Equipment which is easy
for a child to operate is essential if they are going
to enjoy the trip. A spinning rod with a bobber
and bait is hard to beat. Both are easy to use, as
well as effective, and they will be able to cast
with it in a very short period of time.

Safety-Safety is always a priority when on, or Chris Sinclair’s Paradise
near the water. This is even more important
when fishing with children. While everyone
knows they need life jackets when fishing from a

Page 18

An overview of salmon returns. A bright spot has to be the Restigouche, which,

Variable to say the least. excluding the Matapedia, attained 134 per cent of
its minimum conservation requirement. Overall, the

During the off season, anglers like to get together, number of large salmon spawning in the Res-
tigouche was a 20-year high. However, anglers
tie flies and chat about fishing. On a recent stormy may not have noticed because of poor fishing con-
winter day, I was having coffee with a friend and
fellow angler and our conversation turned to ditions for most of the season.

salmon returns and the apparent strength, or lack Closer to home, returns for the LaHave and the
thereof, of the various rivers and areas. Sackville were also variable in 2017. The LaHave
saw runs (combined grilse and salmon) of 350 fish
Comparing recent returns of Atlantic salmon can in 2011, 63 in 2014 and 218 to October 31st this
help us understand short-term trends. They also past year. On the Sackville, 48 fish were counted
reveal big differences between rivers. Monitored in 2011, 10 in 2014 and 35 to October 31st.
We must remember that most counting facilities
rivers in the United States and Canada show wide
regional differences and year to year fluctuations.

Angling reports from Quebec rivers were generally only record a portion of the fish that pass and num-
favourable throughout the 2017 season. The Ma- bers across the board are far below those of the
tane and Cascapedia rivers posted better returns 1970s. In specific streams and rivers, where suc-
than the disastrous 2014 season but did not reach
2011 levels. 2011 is generally considered the best cessful conservation and restoration has been car-
ried out, populations have rebounded.

year in the past decade. However, on the What does this tell us? Probably nothing concrete
Matapedia, grilse numbers were down significantly, other than the fact the runs are variable and in

leading to a smaller overall run than in recent some areas in real trouble, and near historic lows.
years. Fortunately, rivers in the Northumberland Strait

The Penobscot in Maine was a bright spot. More and Western Cape Breton area continue to support
than 800 salmon and grilse entered the river in relatively heathy returns, but lack counting facilities
2017, about three times the 2016 run, and the best to confirm observations.

in the past six years. Salmon are responding to the Some concerns raised.
effort of ASF and partners to remove dams in
Maine and improve fish passage. In recent weeks ASF has received emails from
several concerned conservationists in Nova Scotia

The island of Newfoundland had a more sobering about the use of sinking lines when the fish aren’t
story to tell. For the second year in a row returns to biting. People rake them through a pool where
monitored rivers on the island dropped sharply. salmon are laying and foul-hook the fish.

The Exploits River, which traditionally has the is- The gear is legal, and I know many skilled anglers
who use sinking lines ethically and effectively, but
land’s biggest run, had 15,530 fish pass through
the Grand Falls fishway. More than 41,000 were in marginal fishing conditions I recommend against
counted there in 2011. The situation island-wide it. Perhaps people just need some advice, or per-

led DFO to implement mandatory live release in haps they’re trying to hook a salmon on its body. If
August. you see anglers hooking salmon by their bodies,

Compared to the lows of 2014, rivers in the Gulf of please contact the proper authorities and let’s
St. Lawrence posted slightly better returns to hope they respond
.
counting facilities in 2017 but still were low. The Revised Management strategy
Miramichi system reached 76 per cent of its mini-
As many of you may know, DFO is embarking on a
mum egg deposition requirement (83 per cent on
the Southwest, 60 per cent on the Northwest). Still new management system for salmon populations
there were some areas for optimism, for example, in the Gulf Region. While the details are still being
worked out, the new system will enable a river-by-
the Cassilis trapnet on the lower Northwest
Miramichi had the highest number of returning river management approach, instead of the system
which makes one set of rules for the entire area.
large salmon since 2002.

Page 19

The new system will use the precautionary ap-
proach as an overarching principle. It will have
two reference points, the limit reference point (LRP)
and the upper stock reference point (USRP). Above
the USRP, populations will be considered healthy,
and could potentially allow for a limited recreational
harvest. If returns dip below the LRP, salmon are in
trouble. Meanwhile, the space between the two
points will be considered the cautious zone for man-
agers. The lower you go in the cautious zone, the
more restrictive the management measures should
be.

The LRP is like the warning light that comes on in
your vehicle when fuel is low. You can keep driving
but it’s risky.

No matter the system of rules in place, it will be up
to anglers to lead conservation on our salmon rivers
and it is safe to say, that without organizations such
as the St. Mary’s Rivers Association and its dedi-
cated volunteers, salmon populations would be in
much worse condition. Thank you for your great
work and I look forward to seeing you on the river
next season.

Lewis Hinks, ASF Director of Programs for Nova
Scotia and PEI

NIMRODS CAMPGROUND

Operated by
St. Mary’s Fish & Game Association

• Tenting
• Trailer Park
• Dump Station
• Showers

Open: Mid– May to Mid-October
Phone 902-522-2441
Stillwater, Nova Scotia

www.nimrodscampground.ca

Sherbrooke Garage Ltd.

Phone: 902-522-2881
Fax: 902-522-2276
P.O. Box 280

Sherbrooke, N.S. B0J 3C0

Page 20

Greetings from the Protected Area on the Eastern Shore that could be
Nova Scotia Salmon Association
extended to the St. Mary’s River, and meeting to dis-
cuss a proposed management change from conser-

The past year vation limit system (minimum egg deposition model)
has been a busy to an upper and lower limit reference point system
one for the (phased management model based on the precau-

NSSA and for tionary approach and a river by river management
river organiza- approach). Currently this system is only being ap-

tions across plied in the Gulf Region, and even then, it will only be
Nova Scotia as tested initially in the Miramachi, but as this system
salmon continue was one of the adopted recommendations by the Min-

their decline and isterial Advisory Committee we expect that it will soon
as we and be applied more widely. Of course, there were many

dedicated river (many, many) other meetings as well but those few
organizations, were the most time consuming and the ones that may
such as the St.
impact upon the St. Mary’s

Mary’s River As the Nova Scotia Regional Salmon Council for the
Association, Atlantic Salmon Federation, we have also worked
hard to represent our stakeholders and NS issues on
work tirelessly to stave off extinction and foster recov- the national and international stage. Recently I trav-
ery. As the provincial spokes body for the Wild Atlan- elled to New York to provide the Atlantic Salmon Fed-
tic Salmon we work closely with our NGO partners, eration US and Canadians Board of Directors an up-
date on salmon activities and issues in Nova Scotia.
like the SMRA, and government departments to rep- During the presentation I was able to highlight the
resent our affiliates interests and to try and effect work that has been done by the St. Mary’s River As-
sociation. Through our affiliation with ASF we can
positive change for Atlantic Salmon through advo- bring our concerns and the concerns of our affiliates
cacy; policy development, implementation, and influ-
to much greater prominence. Through ASF and our
ence; primary research; and logistical and technical programs and initiatives we will continue to support
support. Over the past year we have tried to achieve work on behalf of our affiliates. Please feel free to
these objectives through numerous meetings, pro- reach out to us at anytime and I hope to see you out
at our AGM on March 24th at the Courtyard Marriott in
jects, and initiatives. Of course, our two major initia- Halifax and our spring celebrations.
tives being the NSLC Adopt-A-Stream program,

which under the excellent management and direction
of Amy Weston and Bob Rutherford recently passed
the 2,000,000 m2 of habitat restored and 200,000

trees planted benchmarks; and the West River pro-

ject, which under the management by Dr. Edmund Kris Hunter
Halfyard has completed 2 years of helicopter liming NSSA President (and former SMRA director)
that benefit the river and the surrounding forest for

years to come and saw the installation of a second

lime dosing tower. Be sure to watch out for celebra-

tions this spring for both initiatives. There has also

been a renewed interest in our Fish Friends program,

with NSSA director Stephen Booth and new member

Tim McGee trying to expand and seeking new sup-

port for the program.

Other activities this past year include meeting with
various DFO departments in both the Maritime and
Gulf regions, meeting with provincial fisheries, liaising

with stakeholders, and working on issues such as
aquaculture. With regards to DFO we have been

busy on several fronts the main three being the
changes to the Fisheries Act, the proposed Marine

Page 21

SMRA Alumni FUNDING PARTNERS & VOLUNTEERS -THANK YOU

We are grateful to receive funding from our generous

We have a photo album called SMRA Alumni that is Supporters whose financial assistance makes the work of
dedicated to all who served the St. Mary’s River As- the St. Mary’s River Association possible.
sociation as Directors, Officers or Employees since Thank you to the following:

its incorporation in 1979. The album can be viewed at • The Elizabeth Wakeman Henderson Foundation

https://www.stmarysriverassociation.com/smra-alumni.html • NSLC Adopt a Stream Program
• Atlantic Salmon Conservation Federation

Please help us make it complete by contributing miss- • NS Student Careers Skills Development Program
ing or improved photographs and information to the •
• Canada Summer Jobs
SMRA Interpretive Centre or sending via email to
Recreational Fisheries Conservation
Partnerships Program

[email protected] • Small Craft Harbours
• Michelin Canada Granton Plant

• Royal Bank Blue Water Community Fund

• Sage Environmental Fund

• Cumberland County River Enhancement

Association

• Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s

• All donors who gave to our Bi-Annual Dinner/
Auction Event – we couldn't do it without you!

ALSO ....
To all our volunteers, a great big thank you!
Thanks to your generous contribution of knowledge, time
and energy, we can accomplish our important goals..

Page 22

The Coffey House, St. Mary’s River, parents farm.
Nova Scotia, Canada
Working to keep the daily chores on track would not
Cochrane Hill is the pinnacle of a lovely drive from have been for the weak. Her days would have started
Sherbrook to the village of Melrose. In 1877 gold fe- at daybreak or before, a hearty breakfast prepared for
ver arrived at Cochrane Hill. the miners, lunch boxes filled for the day in the mines,
and dinner to be prepared for the main meal of the
day and I am sure a bed lunch came after. She’d
have dishes to be washed, pots to be scrubbed, bak-
ing, daily cleaning of the establishment and doing
laundry as required. Regardless of how we see it to-
day, I’m sure many memories were made that regret-
fully were not recorded.

During my time seeking information on the Coffey
House I spoke with a number of elderly folks in the
area. One story that amused me was from the late
Muriel MacKeen of Aspen. I often recall it, hearing her
voice and hearty laugh at the end.

Several years later, after the Coffey House had disap-

peared, Muriel and a friend went there to pick blue-

berries. According to Muriel the largest blueberries in

all of Guysborough County grew here. However,

there was a problem. Above the voice sounds of

Many miners came for the work and extra housing these two ladies catching up on the gossip of the day
was needed for these workers. During the gold dig- a swishing sound could be heard. Eventually one
ging days of Cochrane Hill a beautiful house was built stood up from picking and witnessed the largest black
snakes skimming across the blueberry patch on their
on the east side and on the lower banks of the St.
Mary’s River. The location of this previously standing way to the open mine pits. As forklore has it, snakes
three-story dwelling, from the Waternish road view, is guard the entrance to mines where gold can be
directly across from the cabin known as the Bells of found.

St. Mary’s today, now owned by the Harpell family. Mrs. Rebecca (Fraser) Coffey passed away in Febru-

Access to the Coffey House, as it became known, can ary, 1924. At the time of her death she was living at
the Crow’s Nest, across the river from the Coffey
be reached either from a road off Route 348 or by
river. I followed the road back a few years ago and it House. Rebecca was laid to rest in the Glenelg
was a difficult journey at best. This, no doubt, would Cemetery, located off the Lead Mine Rd. near Danny
have been the main access to the Coffey House and Kirk’s home and blueberry fields, on the knoll of a hill
was then much more pleasing to the traveller than it is beside the tranquil waters of the St. Mary’s River.

today. RIP dear Rebecca.

The proprietor of the Coffey House was Rebecca Fra-
ser, first daughter of Hugh R. Fraser and Elizabeth Brenda Carpan, Stillwater, 2018

Ann (MacDaniel) Fraser. Rebecca was born August

8, 1858, and grew up on the family farm in Waternish. Carole Gartside
She married James Coffey on November 22, 1881, at Barrister, Solicitor & Mediator
Amherst, Nova Scotia. His occupation was listed as

clerk. By 1891 Rebecca was listed as a widow, living Law Office

with James’ family. By 1901 she had relocated to her

parent’s farm and it is believed at about the time she 33B Greening Dr.
became proprietor of the Coffey House that would Antigonish NS B2G 1R1
have been a wee distance downstream from her
(902) 735-2600

Page 23

Member of the Year God’s children know how the old river flows, uh-huh
God’s children know how the old river flows, yeh-yeh
This year our board of We casts our flies where the old river flows
directors chose life And floats them over a big fish’s nose
member Bill Carpan for Teachin’ us well how the old river flows, yeh-yeh!

his volunteer work on Now the groove starts, fading toward the end ....
our Information Tech-

nology Committee.

Bill’s photo is from the Gotta fish that river, it flows it flows
70’s. Today he’s not Gotta go to church, I knows I knows
exactly as shown. Gotta plant my seeds, in rows in rows

Bill penned this song as Gotta mend my jeans, I sews and sews
Gotta mow my lawn, it grows and grows
a celebration of life,
Gotta feed my rooster, he crows and crows
spirituality & his
Gotta drive my car, it goes and goes
thoughts of the St.
Mary’s River. He hears Gotta wash my face, my nose my nose
it as a soulful gospel Gotta call my sister, and bros and bros
song with a hint of kick- Gotta face that wind, it blows and blows
ass zydeco & a nose of Gotta help my friends, and foes and foes
pure old country blues. Gotta water my flowers, my rose my rose
Gotta open some doors, and close and close
Who Knows?
Gotta float my boat, I rows and rows

We don’t know how the old river flows, uh-uh Gotta get some of these, and those and those
We don’t know how the old river flows, oh-no Gotta fix her hair, with bows and bows
We might get where the old river flows
If we watch the shags, seagulls and crows Gotta pay the man, I owes I owes
No one knows how the old river flows, oh-no! Gotta see my baby, I goes I goes
Gotta light my candle, it glows and glows

Gotta shake it all to, and fros and fros

God He knows how the old river flows, uh-huh Gotta hit my highs, and lows and lows
God He knows how the old river flows, yeh-yeh
Gotta win my fight, with blows and blows
We just know that she goes and goes Gotta shoot my arrow, with bows with bows
Startin’ in the highs and flowin’ to the lows Gotta wash my fingers, and toes and toes
We’ll never know how the old river flows, oh-no!
Gotta play my horn, I blows and blows
Gotta bring it on down, I slows I slows

Fish they know how the old river flows, uh-huh Gotta be so happy, no woes no woes
Fish they know how the old river flows, yeh-yeh Gotta watch TV, the shows the shows
If the water is good and the fish they grows Gotta read my bible, I knows I knows
Leapin’ and splashin’ where the water slows
Fish they know how the old river flows, yeh-yeh! Gotta weed my onions, I hoes and hoes
Gotta send for the doctor, I'm low, I'm low

Gotta move on past, the so and sos

Li’l kids learn how the old river flows, uh-huh Gotta weigh the cons, and pros and pros
Li’l kids learn how the old river flows, yeh-yeh
In their little boat they rows and rows Gotta play my bass, with bows and bows
Gotta get so cool, I froze and froze
Divin’ and swimmin’ without any clothes Gotta be so tired, I doze and doze
Li’l kids learn how the old river flows, yeh-yeh!
Gotta strip right down, no clothes no clothes
Gotta vote today, I chose I chose

Elders know how the old river flows, uh-huh Gotta write my story, in prose in prose
Elders know how the old river flows, yeh-yeh Gotta get real tall, I grows and grows
They learned from God and the fishes and crows Gotta get on home, I spose I spose

Recalling’ precious times with the people they knows To record this, contact Bill at (902) 318-5117
They studied hard how the old river flows, yeh-yeh!

Page 24

Indian Man Pool - Photograph by Brenda Carpan

Page 25

Silver’s Ledge
Photograph by
Bill Carpan
Early Morning
St. Mary’s
Estuary
Photograph by
Brenda Carpan

Harrison’s Pool,
photographed by

Page 26

SMRA EDUCATION & INTERPRETIVE CENTRE NEWS volunteers were uppermost.

By Joanne Mailman, Manager There are a couple of people I wish to thank. Dr.

Hardy Eshbaugh, thank you for your support thorough
out the past 17 years. Your generosity and kindness
will never be forgotten.

Also, lastly but most importantly, I wish to thank Flor-
ence Duffy. I was greenhorn with little knowledge of
salmon fishing when I first started working at the Cen-
tre and knew very little about the rich history of the
fishery in the area. She took me in hand and taught
me everything she knew. I am eternally grateful. Flor-
ence was my trainer, mentor, greatest supporter and
most importantly she became my friend. We shared a
lot of laughs, frustrations and successes.
Thank you so much.

To all of you, I wish you much success in all your fu-
ture endeavours on the river.

Tight lines!
Joanne Mailman & Florence Duffy at Dinner Auction Joanne

In 2017 the Centre saw 2,791 visitors. That’s 39,115
since we opened in 2001. Our summer students this
year were Jenny Kaiser and Dakota Croft.

A few summer events included:

• Participated in Sherbrooke Village River Days

• Trout release with Girl Guides

• Hosted Nova Scotia Nature Trust Sobey land

dedication

• Co-ordinated SMRA/Royal Bank tree planting

• Set up display at Sherbrooke Liquor Store

staffed by Jocelyn Ellis and Donnie Barnes

• Hosted Zone Management Advisory Committee River Days display

meeting, provided lunch for group

• Canada Day yard sale

Members Gwen Boutilier and Ralph Jack painted the
front entrance of the Centre, which provided a much
needed facelift. Ralph and Sandy Barnhill also in-

stalled the new building sign. So stop by this summer
to have a look.

This is my last Interpretive Centre Report as Man- Crew installing smolt wheel
ager. I have decided that after 17 years, to try some-

thing new…..retirement. It’s been a long journey with
many ups and downs, but for the most part, tremen-

dously enjoyable. The highlights are too numerous to
recount but meeting so many new people, working
with dozens of students and hundreds of dedicated

Page 27

Here we see girl guides helping
us by stocking brook trout in a
tributary.

Volunteer group planting trees in order to help stabilize an eroding river bank.

Page 28

Page 29

HIGHLAND HOME BUILDING CENTRE Peter Archibald Forestry

6384 Route 348 RR#1 Aspen NS B0H 1E0 Home: 902-833-2422
Cell: 902-867-7198

ANTIGONISH SHERBROOKE • Harvesting
902-863-6242 902-522-2091 • Mulching
• Thinning
Home Owners helping homeowners • Excavating Peter Archibald
[email protected]

H.W. Angus Funeral Home CBDC Guysborough County
(902) 533-2770
256 King St., P.O. Box 221
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia Self-Employment Benefit Program

B2H 5E3 Program Provides:

Phone: (902) 752-2545 • Entrepreneurial support
• Financial assistance to eligible participants
Email: [email protected] • Workshops, coaching, mentoring, business plan assistance.

Sponsored by:
Employment Nova Scotia

ST. MARY’S SHOOTERS
ASSOCIATION

Safety first, last and always

• Responsible family fun

• Learn new skills under the guidance of provincially
qualified instructors and safety officers

• Numerous organized shoots and events

• Rifle, pistol, shotgun and air gun skills training

We support the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, NS

Hunter Safety Course, and NRA Eddie Eagle Safety Pro-

gram. www.smsa.ca

233 SOUTH RIVER ROAD PO Box 7
Antigonish, Nova Scotia 8000 Highway 7
B2G 2M6 Sherbrooke,NS B0J 3C0
PH:902-863-6833
Fax: 902-863-1916 Contact us at:
[email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
www.antigonishrental.ca Tel: 902-522-2005
www.thebestsmokedsalmon.com

Page 30

Page 31

Photographs by
Chris Sinclair

Left: St. Mary’s River
Hemlock Forest

Above:St. Mary’s Brook
Trout

Right: Dry Fly

Page 32

NOTICE TO MEMBERS dress below up to the 1st day of April, 2018. Any member
GENERAL ANNUAL MEETING of the Association may submit nominations for candidates
for any or all of the open director positions.
and BOARD NOMINATIONS
Nominations are open this year for the offices of Vice-
The Annual General Meeting of the St. Mary’s River Asso- President and Secretary. Nominations shall be in writing
ciation will be held on Sunday May 27, 2018 at 2 pm at signed by the nominator and the nominee using the Board
the Education & Interpretive Centre, 8404 Highway 7, of Directors Nomination and Consent Form available be-
Sherbrooke NS. All paid-up members are eligible to vote low or from the Secretary at the address below or at the
at the meeting. Memberships will be available for those Interpretive Centre during open hours or on our web site at
wishing to join or renew their membership. http://www.stmarysriverassociation.com

There are currently 13 open director positions. The All are welcome to attend.
Nominations Committee will be considering nominees for
these or any other positions that become open. The mem- Gweneth Boutilier, Treasurer
bership may also submit nominations. In accordance with Email [email protected]
the Association’s by-laws, nominations from the member- or mail to St. Mary’s River Association, PO Box 179,
ship at large will be received by the Secretary at the ad- Sherbrooke, NS B0J 3C0

SMRA Board of Directors Nomination and Consent Form

Please return this completed form as soon as possible in person, by mail or electronically. Candidates for
President must reside in Nova Scotia.

Nominations will be accepted by the Treasurer on or before the 1st of April 2018.

Nominee for Board of Directors (Please Print)

Full Name _____________________________________

Position Applied for ________________________

Mailing Address ____________________________________________________

Telephone Bus ( ) _______________ Res ( ) _______________

Email ____________________________________________________________

I, ____________________________________, am a Member in good standing and hereby consent to my
nomination as a candidate for election to the Board of Directors of the of the St Mary’s River Association, for a
two-year term of office, subject to my election. I am prepared to subscribe to the aims and objectives of the
Association as stated in the St Mary’s River Association Memorandum of Association.

Signature _______________________ Date: _____________________

Sponsor of Nominee (Please Print)

As a Member in good standing of the Association,

I nominate the above nominee for the position of ____________________.

Full Name ______________________________________________

Position nominated for ____________________

Mailing Address ____________________________________________________

Telephone Bus ( ) _______________ Res ( ) ________________

Email __________________________

Signature: _________________________ Date __________________ Form 001

Page 33

SMRA Online Gift Shop

For your convenience, SMRA now has an online gift
shop.

SMRA Memberships, fly posters and branded clothing
can now be ordered online. We can also accept dona-
tions online.

Payment is done through PayPal, which enables payment by
a PayPal account OR your credit card.

Shipping is by Canada Post Expedited Parcel.

We sell online:

• NS Salmon Fly Poster
• SMRA Memberships
• SMRA Sponsoring Memberships
• SMRA Corporate Memberships
• SMRA Baseball Caps & Shirts
• Tickets To Dinner Auction (available in

September, 2018)
• You can now make donations to SMRA

online

Would you please
direct me to your

Turtleneck
Department?

Page 34

What do these Atlantic salmon wet
flies have in common?

That’s right, they all originated in
Nova Scotia!

Frome top right clockwise:

Cosseboom, Black Bomber, Ross Special,
NS Classic, Pink Panther, Interceptor,
& McCoul Special.

Page 35

Silver’s Pool Salmon
by Two Artists

When the late artist Joe Crilley saw
Gilbert van Ryckevorsel’s inspiring
underwater photograph of Silver’s
Pool salmon, he had to paint it.

He did so and then gave the painting
to Gilbert. Today it hangs on the wall
of Gilbert’s home in Mahone Bay, NS.

Page 36

Page 37

George F. MacDonald & Sons
Bulldozing & Trucking

∗ Bulldozing
∗ Trucking
∗ Excavating
∗ Gravel
∗ Road Building
∗ Snow Removal

RR# 5 New Glasgow, Nova Scotia B2H 5C8
Bus: 902-922-2007 Fax:902-922-2411

E-mail: [email protected]

Page 38

Dan Macintosh

Dan Macintosh was one of the more noted of the St. Mary's
River guides. An easy-going man who died in his seventies,
he made his living off the land, trapping, fishing, hunting, and
guiding sports. His fame lives on, not only in the stories told
about him but also with the popular Macintosh salmon fly,
which he is credited with perfecting. The following was re-
lated by Duncan Crowell.

I remember one time Dan said to me, "Do you like salmon?"
"Yeah, I love it."

So he reached up on the set of deer horns he had there an'
he took the .22 down.

"Come with me," he said.
"Where are you goin'?"
"For a salmon."
"With a .22?"
"You haven't seen anything yet," he said.

We went down over the bank of the St. Mary's, right under the what Dan said the thing would weigh. "My God," the American
little green bridge that ran across. Oh, there'd be about six or said,
eight inches of water in there, and here were these big
salmon layin' in the water, movin' their tails just enough to "That's deceiving. That salmon doesn't look that big."
keep them against the stream. He stuck the .22 down. "Ah," he said, "that's one of them bolt salmon. They're de-
Phew! Up comes a salmon, belly up. It never hit him, just ceiving as hell."
stunned him. So he grabbed it by the tail an' said, "Here, take
that an' take off up over the bank with it." Later on I heard They used to have bounty at one time on porcupines, twenty
Phew! an' here he was comin' with one. -five cents. What Dan used to do, in addition to the snout, he
used to take the pad, the front paws, an' make two more snouts
They were fishin' there one time an' he had caught a salmon. out of them; they looked the same. So he got seventy-five
There was an American there, and he wanted to buy it. The cents for each porcupine. They'd take the snouts into the
American had been fishin' for several days an' hadn't got game warden. He'd count them an' give you a check for what-
anything. He said, ever it was. So this day, Dan took about a five-pound paper-
bag full of 'em in. The game warden dumped them out on
"Mr. Macintosh, how about sellin' me that salmon?" his desk an' counted them back into the bag again. Of course
"Well, okay. Give me a dollar a pound." they were no good to the game warden after that, so he threw
"How much does it weigh?" them into the wastepaper can. Then he went into the next room
"About eleven pounds," Dan said. to get a check to write out for Dan. Dan picked it out of the
"Oh hell, that salmon would never weigh eleven pounds." wastepaper can an' shoved it down under his coat. He paid him
"Well," he said, "there's one way to find out. for the snouts, so he left. Next day, he sent them through with
We'll go into Sherbrooke an' weigh it." the mail-coach driver to sell them again.

So they started up over the bank to go to one of the stores.
When he was comin' up the bank, there was a drift bolt there,
one of these square drift bolts. Dan reached down, picked it
up an' shoved it down the throat of the salmon, into the belly
of it. So anyway, they weighed it an' it weighed pretty close to

Page 39

Dan lived right on the bank of the St. Mary's, an' he used to
set a net the whole way across the river about two o' clock in
the mornin'. Around five, he'd look at it again an' take it up of
course. Then he'd give whatever he'd caught to the mail-
coach driver to take through to Antigonish to sell for him. One
day, an American said to him, "Mr. Macintosh, how far up here
do the salmon run?" Dan said, "They take the water to my
place an' they take the coach from there to
Antigonish."

He was quite a lad.

This is from a book titled Guides of the North Woods by Mi-
chael Parker, Nimbus Publishing Limited, Halifax NS, 1990. MacIntosh Dry Fly, tied & photographed by Bill Carpan.

The painting of Dan Macintosh is by Joseph Crilley. Below—Dan MacIntosh & family with pet whitetail deer.

Page 40

IN MEMORIAM DONATIONS:

SMRA is thankful to receive in-memoriam donations from friends and family of people whose
angling experiences on the St. Mary’s River contributed to their enjoyment of life.

We will provide an in memory card and send them to family and friends acknowledging that a
donation was made in memoriam by you. A tax receipt will be issued to the donor.

Please mail donations to:
St. Mary’s River Association PO Box 179

Sherbrooke NS Canada B0J 3C0
Your donation will help us in our continued efforts to help the wild Atlantic salmon.

THANK YOU!

St. Mary’s District
Lions Club

6 Main Street Dinner meetings 2nd—4th Thursdays, 7pm
Sherbrooke, NS Lion’s Club Community Centre
Sherbrooke, NS
902-522-2800
We serve our community, our province, our country, the world.

LLOYD HINES –MLA TATE CONSTRUCTION LTD.
GUYSBOROUGH-EASTERN SHORE
GENERAL CONTRACTORS
-TRACADIE
New Construction/Renovations/Siding/Roofing/
9996 Hwy 16 Unit P-1 Foundations/Eavestroughing
Tel: 902.533.2280
Member of New Home Warranty
Toll free: 1.855.511.2280
Fax: 902.533.3039 FREE ESTIMATES
Bus. 902-863-4318 Fax. 902-863-3549
Email: [email protected] 4001 Hwy #7 RR#5 Antigonish NS B2G 2L3
FB: Lloyd Hines MLA Guysborough

Eastern Shore Tracadie
www.lloydhines.ca

Page 41

From the Shallow End of the Pool you will keep getting what you
with ole Hookbill always got." He went on: "You
see my flock have have been
observing the river for thousands
After an absence of many years I decided to visit one of my of years and have been trying to
favourite places, the shallow end of the pool. You see it’s convey to you people that the
there I get perspective on life, on mother nature, on what river is dying and very little is be-
really matters! At the shallow end of the pool there is ing done to restore it. You see,
peace and there is hope.
as a flock, we have done ok. As
a matter of fact our numbers are increasing. How can that
You will not find 'facebook' there but rather 'faithbrook'. be, you ask? You see we have been afforded a place to
There is 'twitter' there but it comes from the 'birdhouse' grow our young. However, you have decimated the nest-
and not the 'whitehouse'. And there you can get ing and growing habitat for our marine life.”
'linkedin' with the wisdom and understanding that goes
back to the very beginning.
“Look Hookbill, here it is in a nutshell! There is 'natural
wisdom' and there is 'artificial intelligence'. You have
When I was last at the shallow end been the victims of 'artificial intelligence' for too long. So,
of the pool, my old friend the 'Hookbill, the solution is simple, listen to the crow, and
crow was sitting on a dead limb, embrace 'natural wisdom' and replace and restore what
on a dead tree, looking over a you have destroyed. Hookbill, its time to draw a new 'river
nearly dead river. And then I heard map'. There is a better way to do fish management, a
him cawe: way which will ensure 'you will not get what you always

"Hookbill, I was just thinking of the got'.”

words of Henry Ford: "If you keep “Just ask the crow!"
doing what you have always done,

SINCLAIR CANOES

J.W. Sinclair Prop.
902-485-1881

Traditional style wood
and canvas canoes.
15’, 16’,17.5’ length.
Also poles and paddles. 3230 Route 376,

Pictou, NS B0K 1H0

Page 42

The Waddens and the Ackroyd Fly

Many of the St. Mary’s River old-timers fondly re-

member the Wadden brothers, Eddie & Bunny, from
Westville NS. They were true angling pioneers, prov-

ing that fly fishing for Atlantic salmon in salt water
can provide great sport in and around river estuaries.
They developed streamer fishing for sea-run brown

trout in the salt water and angled giant striped bass
in Guysborough county surf.

Most of all, they had fun. Bunny was the quiet one. Hook: The Ackroyd
Eddie was the more sociable of the two, always Tag:
ready to help a novice or spin a yarn. Eddie, often Tail: Long shank spey-type hook,
carrying a glass of “orange juice”, entertained the Body: sizes 6 - 3/0
bankers at the Ford Pool with his stories and antics.
These men were experts. They knew their sport well, Fine oval silver tinsel
designing and tying flies to support their habit.
Golden pheasant crest topped with
Eddie’s favourite salmon fly was the Ackroyd. He’d tippet strands
often tell stories about an especially large salmon he
caught or lost on an Ackroyd. As he got worked up First half, yellow seal’s fur (or angora
by recalling the excitement of his experience he de- dubbing)
veloped quite a stutter, regaling his audience. Second half, black floss

Eddie liked a large Ackroyd in the cold water of fall Oval silver tinsel, yellow hackle ove
Rivers such as the Margaree, or early spring on the the yellow seal’s fur and a black long-
East River St. Mary’s. He also fished a small hair fibered Spey hackle over the black
wing version in the summer. He loved that fly. If you floss
try it, you may experience some of Eddie’s excite-
ment and also share the thrills of many anglers who Teal or mallard flank
lived well before Eddie’s time.
A pair of cinnamon or white turkey tail
Historically, the Ackroyd belongs to the family of Dee Rib: strips, tied flat on top
strip winged flies. These are very old flies (early
Throat: Jungle cock, drooping below the hook
1800’s) originating from the famous Scottish river Ab- Wing: shank
erdeenshire Dee, commonly called the Dee. The Dee

flies are very special, with their characteristic turkey
wings and long spey hackle. Ideally the Dee fly is tied
on long-shank light or medium weight hooks, dressed

thin & sparse, allowing them to sink more readily in
heavy water.

The Ackroyd is a fairly simple fly featuring a yellow Sides:
and black body, nicknamed “the poor man’s Jock
Scott”. The fly in the photo was tied by four-time
world champion classic fly tier Jim McCoul of Brook-
field NS. Specifications are as follows:

Bill Carpan, Stillwater, 2008

Page 43

NS Hatch Chart
People get ready, there’s a hatch a’comin!

Page 44

Photograph by
Gilbert van Ryckevorsel

Juvenile Shad
Photograph by
Gilbert van Ryckevorsel

Page 45

Underwater Photographs by
Gilbert van Ryckevorsel,
Mahone Bay, NS, Canada

Photograph by
Gilbert van Ryckevorsel

Page 46

The Wrong Bull As is customary, we were rotating the pool, and

This tale is from a 1996 book, although we were not upset that he had stepped in
front of us, some anglers would have been.
HOOKED!, by Lowell R. De-

mond of Bridgewater, Nova Sco- Before this young couple had arrived, there had been

tia. I knew him as a likeable
gentleman when he was Presi- quite a commotion going on in the pasture among the
cattle. Herman and I had been watching this off and
dent of the LaHave River
Salmon Association. Lowell re- on, and it appeared to us that a very large bull was
tired as Principal of Bridgewater exercising his authority with a cow that was in heat,
and there was a smaller bull who was also interested.
High School in 1994. Many
thanks to him for giving us per- The big bull constantly butted the smaller bull, and on
occasion became quite aggressive with him. The
mission to publish this.
young fellow wanted a sniff, but the old bull was de-
Bill Carpan, Stillwater NS
termined this was not to be. This caused the young

bull to become frustrated, and he mooed and bleated

The Margaree is one of the most picturesque rivers in and frothed at the mouth. Sometimes he got so exas-
Nova Scotia. Located in Cape Breton, it runs through fairly perated that he pawed the ground and the dirt would
high hills with mixed hardwoods and is especially colourful fly right over his back into the air. While all of this was
going on, the herd was working its way towards us
in the fall. It also is one of the best salmon-producing
and getting closer.
rivers in the province and is known for its large fish.

Herman and I like to do some fall fishing and on occasion Before long, the young bull left the herd and started

we journey to the Margaree. towards where the girlfriend was sitting on the bank.

There are a lot of good pools to fish on the river and, He was still making his strange sounds and pawing
although the fishing pressure is rather heavy, if you scout the ground, and she had her eye on him. Closer and
around, you can usually find a pool with fish in it that is not closer he came and finally she yelled out to Herman
crowded. One such pool is the Seal Pool, on the lower end and me, "Is that animal a bull?" We told her it was,
but not to worry about him, as we considered him
of the river.
harmless. The bull kept coming, and she panicked

To get to this pool, you park along the highway and walk and began to cry.

down a steep bank to a large, open pasture. I don't know
if this is common land or not, but there are usually about The boyfriend was downriver quite a distance from
us, and we called to him and told him his girlfriend
one hundred head of cattle pastured there on the large needed help. Herman also became concerned and
acreage. There are few fences, and the cattle have
access to the river. suggested we throw rocks at the bull, as he was now
within throwing distance. The boyfriend reeled in his

One fall, Herman and I were fishing at the Seal Pool, fishing line and was now heading upstream along the
taking turns rotating down the river. A number of fish river bank at a fast pace to her rescue.

were showing in the pool, and on my second trip down, I
hooked about a ten-to-twelve pound salmon. It put up a There were lots of good rocks to throw, because the
good fight, and since catch and release was required of river bottom was all gravel and had rocks from one
inch to six inches in diameter. Herman and I would
large salmon, I reeled it in as quickly as possible and reach in the water and get a rock and throw it at the
Herman helped me release it. We then continued on bull. We continued this until I picked up a wet rock
fishing.
about the size of a softball. When I went to throw it, it

After we had been there about an hour, a young couple slipped out of my hand and came very close to hitting
appeared on the scene. He was a fisherman and she the boyfriend on the head. If it had hit him, it might
was an observer, and for the purpose of this story, we have killed him or at least caused him serious injury.
will call her the "girlfriend." She had brought a cushion and This scared the heck out of me, but before I could
found a good place to sit where she had a good view of fully comprehend the seriousness of my action,
the river. He, meanwhile, walked down over the bank Herman hollered, "You're throwing at the wrong bull."

and started fishing in the river below us.

Page 47

These six words changed the whole situation around. St. Mary’s River Bridges of History
When the girlfriend heard what Herman had said,
she stopped crying, seemed to forget the bull and
started to laugh. The boyfriend, too, thought it was
funny. The bull turned and started in another
direction, and I, having recovered from my scary
throw, nearly fell in the river as a result of my weak-
ened condition from laughing, and my relief at not
hitting the boyfriend on the head. The young couple
quickly gathered up their belongings, and the last I
saw of them, they were scurrying up the steep side of
the pasture to where their car was parked.

Often when I am fishing near a field or see cattle
along a river, which is not uncommon, I think of this
incident, and when I do, I wonder about three things:

(1) how the story sounded when the girlfriend or
boyfriend told it,

(2) If I had hit the boyfriend on the head with the
rock and killed him, whether or not I would
have been charged for a criminal offence, and

(3) What would the verdict of the jury have been?

Bridges

Above: Stillwater Footbridge
Left: West River St. Mary’s Footbridge
Below: Week’s Covered Bridge, Aspen, 1950

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St. Mary’s River

where the river meets the
Atlantic Ocean.

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Email: [email protected]

www.sawmilllanding.com

Page 48

In Memory of Friends

The St. Mary’s River lost some of its best friends and valuable
members of our community in the year past.

First was Colin (Duke) Coady of Stillwater. Duke served as a
SMRA Director for several years, then started SHOPS, Sherbrooke
Opportunities Society, in 2009 to provide education for disabled
people in the area. He was the driving force behind SHOPS and
president of the group when he died suddenly in April, 2017. His
love for politics and ability to fix most anything mechanical made
him a very valuable community resource.

Next was Jack Duffy of Waternish. Jack passed while on a trip to
Newfoundland doing what he loved, fishing. He was a Director of
SMRA for several years, always ready to help with river projects like
our smolt wheel or habitat restoration. Jack loved telling fish stories
and was an avid hunter as well.

Then we lost Paul d’Entrement of Aspen from a long fight with
heart disease. Paul was a NSSA Director, then SMRA Director for
many years. Paul was always ready to lend his support when
needed. He participated in habitat restoration projects, revision of
SMRA’s constitution, stocking and assessment projects. His
outgoing & friendly personality earned him many friends in his
travels over the years.

Finally, in February 2018, we lost Florence Duffy, wife of Jack,
from Waternish. Florence was long-time SMRA Director. She was
project manager for construction of our Education & Interpretive
Centre in Sherbrooke, then served as Treasurer of the Association
for several years. Florence was adept at fund raising & helped the
organization immeasurably, always ready & able to take on chal-
lenges.

We’ll miss them all, but
we’ll remember them
from their lasting contri-
butions and joy they
gave us.

From top right,
Duke Coady,
Jack Duffy,
Florence Duffy, and
Paul d’Entremont

Page 49

Fly Tyer’s Corner

The Duchess

by Jim McCoul, Truro NS

For more Jim McCoul & Bob MacDonald flies see
https://www.stmarysriverassociation.com/fun-page--river-arts.html

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Page 50

The Tuttle Cabin on Rock Island Pool

If there's one thing my father, Ralph Tuttle, loved to do
above all else, it was to go fishing. fly fishing for Atlantic
salmon in particular, and preferably on the St. Mary's
River. He tied his own flies and made his own fishing rods,
he was also a renowned expert on the subject of how and
where to catch salmon.

After many years of fishing on the St. Mary's and living in
tents while doing so, an opportunity presented itself to ac-
quire a piece of land near the Rock Island Pool on the
west branch of the river. During the summer of 1969 the lot
was cleared, logs were cut and the following year the
cabin was constructed.

Having the cabin made it much easier to go fishing and
that's what my father did every chance he got. I tagged
along on many trips to fish the spring run on the east
branch of the river. I remember a few names from those
days, Wes MacDougall, Ray Buckland, and

Ralph Tuttle, left, sharing yarns with another angler Gordon Macintosh to name a few. It was quite a thrill

whenever one of them would land one of those big fish.
Later in the season the salmon would run on the west branch, then it was a matter of stepping off the cabin porch and
he was on the river.

From the first days at the cabin until about the mid-eighties the fishing was very good and on a good day you could
limit out in ten minutes if you wanted to. There was a noticeable decline in salmon numbers from that point on though,
as most are aware, and they have not rebounded since. Dad's reasoning for the decline was in line with many people's
thinking: habitat destruction, acid rain, overfishing on the high seas, etc.

Dad passed away in 1997, he was able to enjoy his cabin and fishing right up to the end. When you think about how
passionate he was about it, he was fortunate to have such a place and to live in a time when the wilderness was still
largely unspoiled.

My son now has the cabin and we're giving the old place some much
needed attention. My little grandson loves it there too and caught his
first trout last summer. There's a picture of my father hanging above the
fireplace, I'm pretty sure he'd approve of what we are doing and he
would be elated by the fact that his great-grandson loves to go fishing.

Paul Tuttle, 2018

Editor’s note: I recall one spring when Ralph Tuttle had great
fishing on the East Branch, catching several large early run
salmon where other highly skilled anglers failed. He just seemed
able to find a salmon wherever he fished! In photos I’ve seen of
Ralph holding salmon there is never blood on the fish. That’s be-
cause he didn’t like to land his fish with a gaff as most anglers
did. He preferred use of a compact Hardy tailer that he carried, a
snare-type device that tailed & landed his fish cleanly. A few
years later gaffs were prohibited and others, including myself,
carried tailers as well. But, in my opinion, Ralph was first to do so
on the St. Mary’s River.


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