Recent News
Seasons on the Fly Summer Show 2019
Bill Hartnett Passes
It’s with a very heavy heart that I tell you that Bill Hartnett passed at approximately 3:30 this morning. His son Shawn was able to watch much of his Beloved Notre Dame football with him yesterday. The legacy he leaves behind at our Camp speaks for itself. I wish I had some “before” pictures from 2008😊 His “unique” personality and the many stories and memories which are legendary will never die.❤️🙏
Michael French—Atlantic Salmon Sweetness
Guide Michael French, shown right, doing what he loved.
It is with the deepest sorrow that we have to report the very sad news of the passing of Michael French. Mike, “Frenchie” had just joined the Restigouche River Lodge guide team only a couple of seasons ago. In addition to losing a wonderful fellow the Atlantic salmon world has also lost one of the very best guides. It did not take long for Frenchie to learn the Restigouche River and I am sure he related all of his many seasons of guiding on the Saint John to his new river, The Restigouche. Michael loved being on the river. I know he was happy settling in at the lodge where he could feed his passion for Atlantic salmon fishing and guiding. He was in his glory while being on a big river fishing or guiding. Woods and water, bird dogs and Atlantic salmon, this was his world, with an occasional trip to the Far East! Frenchie could get you a fish, a big fish, as can be confirmed by his RRL sports. A joyful and knowledgeable conversationalist, in addition to his great guiding skills, our few guests were very fortunate to have spent a day on the Restigouche with Mike. Such a delightful and easy going man, I will miss Michael immensely, as I am sure will the partners, staff and guests of the Restigouche River Lodge. In closing this sad note, I would just like to think that Frenchie, while passing in his sleep, was in the mist of dreaming of a big salmon on!
—William Hartnett, RRL September 3, 2021
Looking Forward To A Virus Free Time-The Joy of Atlantic Salmon Fly Fishing is Coming Back
I think we can all agree that we have had just enough of this rotten Covid-19 virus. The Restigouche River Lodge has gone through two tough seasons and we somehow have managed to keeps things going. It has been the partners desire to provide the necessary weeks, allowing the staffs benefits to stay in effect. The lodge also benefited from the small projects and lodge maintenance that has been completed by the girls and a few of the guys. We do have our sacred cows! We have been able to bring in a few Canadian anglers and that’s kept our sacred cows fishing.
This season has been our worst year for water levels, the only thing that has saved the river has been the cold nights. We have taken some nice fish despite the conditions. Home pool produced two nice salmon the first week in July, so don’t overlook these early July weeks, they have great potential for size and numbers year to year. I am all not doom and gloom and looking at the prospects for the rest of the year things could get very interesting. There are for sure good numbers of fish that have not entered the Restigouche and when we get some water and we will things could light up. We could be looking at some great bomber fishing in the coming months.
Getting back to this rotten virus, it is looking like we are gaining somewhat on its demise. Most of us have received their second shot and it looks like the border will be getting open in August. We have some late August and September dates available, you just might get on the Restigouche River after all.
It is a bit early for us to start building the 2022 calendar, but that is where the next season finds us. If you are considering fishing Atlantic salmon with us next season now is the time to book your trip. We believe that there will be a big interest in acquiring Atlantic salmon water in the coming season. It has been an Atlantic salmon-less two years and enough is enough!
Join the staff, the girls and our guides to welcome back the Atlantic salmon fly fishing at the Restigouche River lodge in 2022, and for some of you this fall.
Great News Just Announced-Canada to Open U.S. Border
The Government of Canada has just made the announcement to open the U.S. Canada border as of August 9th 2021.
Go to the link below for more information:
Arrive Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/splash-arrivecan.html
New Brunswick Department of Justice and
Public Safety New Brunswick Travel Registration
Office Phone: 1-833-948-2800
https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-border-measures-reopening-1.6107988
Ice on the move 2020
Ice on the move. photo credit Seagull Cooling
The ice is running on the Restigouche River! As of April 14th the river ice is not moving at the Restigouche River Lodge in Mann’s Mountain. This photo from Seagull shows the Restigouche River from Camp Harmony looking down river. Yes all this stuff is on its way to the lodge once it gets going. The Restigouche is backing up the Upsalquitch River and doing some flooding there. Follow us on Friends of the Restigouche River Lodge for updated information.
Happy Easter
The Restigouche River Lodge wishes everyone a Happy Easter and Passover. Stay well and keep safe.
Passing of Dave Brandt
It brings us great sadness to post this information of the passing of Dave Brandt. Dave was a magnetic Catskill Fly Fishing Legend, he was the head instructor at the renowned Wulff Fly Casting School, past President of the Catskill Fly Tier’s Guild and inducted into the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum Legends in 2017. Dave tied those traditional “Catskill Style” flies, always a favorite at all the fishing shows. Nothing like those dry fly’s with the wood duck wings! Sadly for us he never got to the RRL as we had planned. We will all miss Dave and the RRL’s deepest condolences to his wife, family and friends.
Restigouche River Lodge 2021 Week Request List
Toby with Mark’s Atlantic
Salmon anglers are becoming more aware of the very large Atlantic’s that enter the Restigouche River from May through early June and into the second week of July each season. At the Restigouche River Lodge we fish the first prime holding water on the Restigouche. This fact has enabled our guest to land many of these magnificent salmon yearly. Anglers worldwide are interested in booking these weeks making the opportunities of booking a week increasingly more difficult each season.
The Restigouche River lodge policy gives anglers at the completion of their week the opportunity to re-book the week for the following season. If they choose not to take advantage of this opportunity the week comes available to the public. We are building this list now, if you would like to be added please follow the instructions below.
Email the Restigouche River Lodge at info@restigouchelodge.com with your request to have your name placed on the list. Include your email, phone number and if you are looking to book one or two rods. Each request (one per angler) is limited to two rods, if your group is larger just have another member of your group make a request. When a week becomes available anglers will be contacted by the order of the list, (order of the list formed by date and time of receipt of your email request) you will receive a phone call and email with the next angler on the list notified by the hour. The Restigouche River lodge has formed this list so as to give our followers an equal fair opportunity to book one of these great weeks on the Restigouche.
Salmon Fishing Club-Facebook Post
We occasionally post a photo on the Facebook group the Salmon Fishing Club.
We were delighted to see this post from on their site!
Hamish Young, Admin • July 5, 2019
We’re going to randomly pick some of the members photos shared on this page as the club
background picture. Hopefully everyone is happy with that, if you have an issue please get in touch with the Admin team
RRL guide Michael and guest Anthony with a very special Restigouche River Atlantic! The boys did a fine job that evening, not only landing this one but another of equal size. The action took place early June, 2019 in our Ledges Pool. Needless to say I, Anthony and frequent guest Jim Elie finished off a bottle of single malt scotch that night.
Fly Fishing Show Pleasanton, CA — February 21-23, 2020
The Restigouche River Lodge is busy traveling the Fly Fishing Show circuit. Next stop is Pleasanton, Ca. We are looking forward to a great show and visiting with the increasing RRL West Coast guests and lodge followers.
