LaHave River Salmon Association

The trout season is about to open. Anglers should remember.....!!!!

The NS Sportfishing Season opens tomorrow. Please familiarize yourself with the differences between a Brown Trout and an Atlantic Salmon

Our Annual General Meeting is today, from 1pm to 3pm. Members can participate virtually via WebEx here: https://tinyurl.com/3kyvtft9 Becoming a member is easy and free. Go to the Nova Scotia Salmon Association website and hit "Join for Free"

Please consider joining the Nova Scotia Salmon Association for FREE. There is strength in numbers ! https://www.nssalmon.ca/join

A nice documentary about south west Nova Scotia and some of the issues we face. https://youtu.be/-RofIKevqss

From the online RFAC 2 meeting last night for our region, the subject of invasive species was one of the main topics . The pics below will show the spread a...nd increase in numbers over the decades. The Department of NS Inland Fisheries have done phenomenal work addressing 2 new introductions in RFAC 2 with one being Piper’s Lake in Pictou County. However, we all need to play a part in this to help stop the spread of invasives and further protect our native species .

Up coming fly casting school with Bucky Devine.

Hey Everyone I am sharing the Nova Scotia Salmon Association survey again. Don't worry they are not after your favourite fishing spot. Your information could help direct important conservation work for the Lahave. Survey: http://bit.ly/NSSALocalKnowledgeSurvey. The survey asks several questions regarding where species and their habitat are located in the river, where habitats have changed over time, and unique streams and brooks that we should look into.

Hello Everyone, Due to the increase in cases of Covid-19 in the province, we have decided to forego the in-person meeting on November 24, 2020. Instead the NSSA and the LRSA will be co-hosting a virtual meeting during the same times. The information can be found on The LaHave River Salmon Association Facebook page or the Nova Scotia Salmon Association Facebook Page. ... Closer to the date we will email and Web ex link to log into the meeting, so please continue to RSVP. If you require technical support please inquire about this in your RSVP. Thank you for your cooperation.

Remember everyone, that if you wish to attend the meeting on November 24. You ned to RSVP to the LRSA facebook page.

The Nova Scotia Salmon Association invites you to our upcoming watershed meeting for the LaHave River and Petite Rivière Watersheds: When: Tuesday, November 24th, 2020 | 6:30 - 8:30pm | Atlantic Time | Where: Best Western Plus Bridgewater Hotel | 527 Highway 10 Cookville, NS B4V 7P4 |... Covid-19 restrictions: A maximum of 50 people can attend the meeting. To reserve your spot please RSVP by Messaging the LRSA Facebook page with your email address. Your Information will be forwarded to our registrar. You will be notified of specific Covid-19 regulations upon registration.

The Nova Scotia Salmon Association is looking for Community and Local Knowledge about the Lahave River. Survey: http://bit.ly/NSSALocalKnowledgeSurvey. The survey asks several questions regarding where species and their habitat are located in the river, where habitats have changed over time, and unique streams and brooks that we should look into.

Some beautiful autumn colours on the Lahave this weekend. All fish were released alive and well.

WILD ATLANTIC SALMON DIE AS RIVERS GO DRY - CLEARCUTS IN THE CAPE BRETON HIGHLANDS NEED TO STOP. What happens when you clearcut entire forests on Crown land th...at feed one of the last rivers in Nova Scotia that have WILD Atlantic Salmon? When government fails to take into consideration WATER - which is life...and recklessly allows large companies to exploit our forests - this is what happens folks...lack of water trickles down from the highlands into this river, water levels fall, temperatures rise, algae blooms and fish die. We are facing times of drought...a lot less rain. Therefore it is important to call upon government to create plans to restore our forests - to protect our water - the fish...and all that water supports. No more bailouts to keep these companies going. They have done enough damage. We are lucky...if our well goes dry - there are things that we can do. Not so for the wildlife and fish who depend on this river for life. The image of the clearcutting is old...and does not represent the present situation. It's sadly worse and continuing.

No one knows lakes and rivers like anglers and we need their help to protect our freshwater! If you like to fish please take our 5-minute survey on invasive fis...h in NS. It doesn't matter if you toss a line once a season or every day, your thoughts matter. The info we gather helps us and other organizations make informed decisions about protecting our native biodiversity. Fill out the survey http://bit.ly/InvasiveFish_Survey for a chance to win a $30 gift card to Bass Pro Shops!! See more

Awesome news !!!!

We were invited to help with surveying some tributaries last week. Just a few pics of some of the little beauties we found. Thanks Coastal Action.

Hopefully the beginning to a great success story!

Nice morning for restoration work on Cooks brook. A gratifying project aimed at improving water flow and encouraging the realignment of the natural shape of the river. These kinds of projects are crucial for healthy fish habitats. Now if we could just get some rain!!!

***Margaree River Closure*** Atlantic Salmon and trout need cool, well-oxygenated water to ensure good health and the energy required to successfully spawn in t...he fall. Our lack of rain this season, combined with record high temperatures has resulted in a need to close the river to angling. While open areas remain, we'd recommend taking this opportunity to go to pursue other activities around the river like swimming, tubing, paddling, or visiting friends and businesses along the river. And, hope for rain . OFFICIAL NOTICE: Close time variation order MAR-VAR-2020-095 is in effect such that angling for any species of fish by any method in the waters of the Margaree River, Inverness County, Nova Scotia from the East Margaree highway bridges upstream to the Cabot Trail bridge (also known as Creamery Bridge) on the Southwest Margaree River, upstream to Doyles Bridge on the Northeast Margaree River, and the Gallant River upstream from its confluence with the Margaree River to the highway bridge on the East Margaree Road; as well as the Southwest Margaree River upstream from the Cabot Trail Bridge (Creamery Bridge) to the Scottsville Bridge is prohibited from August 7, 2020 at 16:00 hours to December 31, 2020 or until further notice. LINK TO THE OFFICIAL PAGE: http://www.mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Mariti/Orders-Registry/Report

Thank you to CARP for giving us the opportunity to create this tutorial, and to Bucky Devine our expert fly tyer for demonstrating the Mickey Finn! We hope this will give some guidance to all the fly tyers out there and spread some awareness on invasive species.

Some interesting finds in the bass stomach content analysis from Friday. A mole completely intact and a large lure swallowed whole, hook and all. Also found juvenile gaspereau and various insects. Not much these fish don’t eat.

Here is our 2020 bursary winner Amber Barkhouse . Presented to her at Cooks Falls pool on the LaHave River while practicing six feet separation. Congratulations Amber.

Morning out at Mailman’s pool and Frideaux Falls before it got too warm. 6-bass 1-pickerel Catch of the day - 18inch bass (sadly sacrificed a rod tip) We also got to deliver the Q rod to our lucky winner! Have fun on the water Kendall!

Fished school house and clay bank pools with a total of 18 caught, 13-pickerel 5-bass. During analysis it seemed that juvenile gaspereau were the primary targets of both fish - 14 gaspereau found in one 12inch pickerel, you can see the impact these invasives have on our native species.

FLY ROD WINNER Again thanks to all who entered! Remember at 500 page likes you have the chance to win a 100$ spin gear package from woodwise outfitters so tell your friends! Congratulations Kendall Flanagan!!! You’re going to have so much fun!

Stay tuned! 5pm tomorrow (Thursday) we will be announcing the winner of the fly rod! Thanks to all who entered!

The Contest for the Fly Rod has closed. But due to an overwhelming response, we are going to offer a $100 spin gear package from Wood Wise Outfitters when we reach 500 page likes. !! Win a free fly fishing rod !! In the heat of the season, we want to share the joy of fishing with you! The LaHave River Salmon Association thrives on educating everyone on the importance of conserving our rivers, native fish, and fishing responsibly. In an effort to reach as many people as we ca...n, the contest will end once we have 100 likes on our Facebook page How to Enter -Follow/ Like our Facebook page @LaHaveRiverSalmon -Comment your favourite fish! For luck, we also encourage you to share this giveaway or tag your fishing buddies to help us spread the word. This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only, free shipping included. limit one entry per person. Giveaway not affiliated with facebook.

Took a tour of the LaHave River salmon pools, perfect pass time to stay in touch with nature when the water is too warm (or too low) to fish.

A successful day at Bruhms Lake on the LaHave. To protect the salmon is to rid the waters of the invasive chain pickerel and smallmouth bass. Todays total: 17 Biggest catch: 22 inch pickerel

The Nova Scotia Salmon Association kicked off a Covid-19 delayed start to the field season deploying temperature loggers across the Southern Uplands last week. ...The team divided up and covered the 75+ sites in 7 watersheds in just a few days. Along the way, we spotted freshwater mussels, lampreys in their nest, lots of deer, and some interesting flora including carnivorous pitcher plants and lady slippers. All good signs of a healthy ecosystem that salmon and other fish species depend on. The loggers will be retrieved in the fall and their precious data will be analyzed and used as a piece of the puzzle to identify locations of high and poor quality habitat and potential future locations for conservation or restoration.

A nice morning on the river learning water safety, fishing out chain pickerel, and of course, practicing social distancing.

Found this mid century video. It discusses research and obstacles on the LaHave. The Salmon face new obstacles today. It is not time to give up. We need to make changes and fight for the health of the river and Salmon. https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=576153862992482&_rdr

We need to take innovate, focused and possibly drastic steps to save and enhance the population of Salmon in the LaHave River and the whole south Uplands Salmon population.

We are very excited to have Robyn Lohnes join the LaHave River Salmon Association as an intern for the summer season! She is a 2020 Park View graduate and will be pursuing a BSc at the University of Western Ontario in the fall. With her enthusiasm for environmental conservation, biology, and fishing we’re sure she’ll be a great addition to our team!

One of the many things to do on the Lahave. Part of the Historic Canoe route, Morgan's Fall to Wentzell's Lake. Next trip will be Wentzell's lake to Brigewater

AS INDICATED BEFORE, I CANNOT OPEN LINKS IN FIREFOX BUT CAN USING CHROME From Nick Little, Regional Staff Officer Conservation and Protection, Fisheries and Oce...ans Good Afternoon, Please be advised that Variation Orders MAR-VAR-2020-068, MAR-VAR-2020-069 and MAR-VAR-2020-070 regarding salmon angling seasons and bag limits in Nova Scotia have been signed and posted to the Orders Registry. The Orders can be accessed online using the links below. MAR-VAR-2020-068 Order varying the close times for angling for salmon in certain waters of Nova Scotia http://www.inter.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Mari/Orders-Registry/Report MAR-VAR-2020-069 Order varying the close times for angling methods in certain waters of Nova Scotia http://www.inter.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Mari/Orders-Registry/Report MAR-VAR-2020-070 Order varying salmon fishing quotas in certain waters of Nova Scotia http://www.inter.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Mari/Orders-Registry/Report

Did you know? Coastal Action offers a number of wetland services including Wetland Delineations and Wetland Functional Assessments.If you are planning a devel...opment project, such as building a new road, draining an agricultural field, or any other construction where a wetland may be impacted, a delineation is your first step! It will tell you the boundaries and type of wetland within your project plan, and is often required prior to obtaining a wetland alteration permit. For more information, contact Molly at [email protected] .

For day 3 of National Invasive Species Awareness Week Jillian of Mi'kmaw Conservation Group shares a number of their fish related projects and how chain pickere...l factor in to this work. You can learn more about their work at https://mikmawconservation.ca/ Thanks to all of our #NISAW partners: Adopt A Stream East Coast Wild Foods Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute Mi'kmaw Conservation Group #INVASIVESPECIES

Here is the schedule for Invasive Species Awareness Week. We will release a new video each day on our Facebook page and website. Thank you to our amazing partn...ers who are developing content for this program! Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute Adopt A Stream East Coast Wild Foods Mi'kmaw Conservation Group www.annapolisriver.ca/nisaw #NISAW #INVASIVESPECIES

Please have a look at this post as for example NL will not be selling Non Resident Salmon Licenses for the first time in 125 years.

We’re committed to the conservation and protection of Atlantic salmon populations. The population in the inner Bay of Fundy is endangered under the #SpeciesatRi...sk Act. We have received reports of the illegal capture and retention of endangered Atlantic salmon on the New Brunswick Petitcodiac River and its tributaries. The public is reminded that it is illegal to kill, harm, harass, or capture these endangered salmon. If you suspect illegal activity, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-565-1633 or call your local Conservation and Protection office: http://ow.ly/61qQ50zAJdI See more

Interesting Read https://www.cbc.ca//nova-scotia-brook-trout-genetic-analys

Opening Day has finally arrived but please enjoy your fishing in a safe and responsible manner. Sportfishing is open here in Nova Scotia and is permitted fr...om shore or boat. However, fishing derbies are not allowed. Here are some guidelines to follow while we get out and enjoy the outdoors in a safe manner in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. If you have a private boat launch you are free to use it. Information on the use of public boat launches will be released shortly. Please be mindful that if you cannot fish safely, do not go fishing. If you cannot meet all the Covid19 orders, guidance, and remain at least 2 meters (6 feet) apart, please defer your plans to fish. Nova Scotia’s guidance measures recommend anglers look for unoccupied areas to fish and maintain the six-foot separation protocol when meeting up with others. Specific guidance includes: Residents only fish with members of the same household. Maintain physical distancing (2 metres or 6 feet) from other individuals you come across. Do not share vehicles with individuals outside of your household. Fish locally Wash your hands frequently, especially around communal areas such as gates, etc. Adhere to all travel advisories and self-isolation requirements. Adhere to all municipal, provincial and federal closures (e.g. parks, infrastructure, etc.). Don’t share fishing gear with others. Each angler should have their own fishing gear (rod and reels, flies, bait, lures, towels, pliers, and other personal items). If you are going to your cottage purchase items such as food, propane, etc. in the community you live in and not where your cottage is. Tight lines everyone and have a safe and enjoyable fishing season!!

: Mary McKinnon; Graphic design by Jennifer McKinnon

Here's a feel-good story to kick off your week. When the dams were removed from the Elwha River, on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, no one really knew how long ti would take for the river's fish populations to recover. What biologists have found is remarkable.

Scott Beaver here the President of the St. Mary’s River Association. I wanted to share this example of an ongoing tragedy in our own Country. The example I sha...re today is the Mount Polly Disaster that took place back in 2014. Even with all the environmental regulations and modern-day practices regarding open pit mining in a country like Canada the Indigenous peoples and area residents of Quesnel Lake, BC are still battling 6 years after the disaster took place. https://commonsensecanadian.ca/mount-polley-making-people-/ For the people of Quesnel Lake, waking to the news that the mine's tailings impoundment had collapsed was the start of a long nightmare one that continued on February 1st, when the BC government amended the company's permit to allow it to continue dumping mine wastewater into Quesnel Lake until the end of 2022. https://e-activist.com/page/57815/action/1 It is difficult for me to understand how we as a society continue to let these projects move forward in places where mining has no business what so ever. For that matter its hard to understand how we even got to the point where projects like this are even considered for some locations especially now with climate change and dramatic unforeseen weather events. The accident at Mount Polly certainly reinforces our fight against Atlantic Gold for Cochrane Hill and shows one of many concerns we have with this massive project. We must protect what we have on the front end of this proposed project and not allow it all. We certainly do not want to find ourselves in a similar predicament as the Indigenous peoples and area residents of Quesnel Lake, BC. I will be writing a letter to support our friends on the opposite coast and just maybe they will do the same for us. https://www.thegoldmineconversation.com/take-action-1 We are doing all we can here as volunteers to fight off the wolves. Let me tell you it’s tough and doesn’t happen without a toll. I wanted to take this time to thank all the great people who have contributed to the battle we are in to save our precious river! Remember if we let them take the St. Mary’s River, no where in Nova Scotia is safe from what is the beginning of the third gold rush here in our province. Thank you from the bottom of my heart folks and I know you can be sure future generations will thank you too.

Cermaq abandons controversial NS expansion....... https://www.cbc.ca//salmon-farming-giant-cermaq-abandons-n

Almost at that point.????

It's #NationalWildlifeWeek! To celebrate, we’ll be sharing some species facts from our wildlife-focused projects, starting with the American Eel! Learn mo...re about our ongoing American Eel population study at our website: http://bit.ly/2nfNx0F or contact [email protected]. For National Wildlife Week resources, be sure to check out Canadian Wildlife Federation's page!

Meet the Team! Born and raised in Halifax, NS, Molly graduated from Dalhousie University in 2016 with a B.Sc. in Biology and Sustainability, where she focuse...d on ecology and freshwater fish habitat research.She then completed her M.Sc. in Environmental Science at Saint Mary's University Halifax in 2019, where she studied the environmental effects of historical gold mines on wetland invertebrates and surrounding habitats. Aside from environmental science research, Molly is passionate about promoting science communication and education, and in her spare time enjoys gardening, hiking, and nature photography. See more

Biannual Dinner & Auction Benefit for Wild Atlantic Salmon While things are on hold for now we still have our sights set on Oct.17 2020. Many of us have more ti...me inside and based on the number of online posts we are doing lots of fly tying. Please consider donating some of your flies to our dinner. Salmon flies, trout favourites or striped bass ties are all great sellers at the auction.Maybe a dozen marabou flies is just what you need on Oct.18 on the West River? See more

It is soon that time. https://news.orvis.com/fly-fishing/video-the-creek-2

This morning, Council expressed their position on a proposed open pen salmon farming operation being considered for our area in a letter to The Honourable Keith... Colwell, Minister of Fisheries & Aquaculture and copied to Premier Stephen McNeil and Hugh MacKay, MLA for Chester-St. Margarets. Based on a number of concerns, including conflicts this project has with local commercial activities, residential use in the area, and environmental issues, Council for the Municipality of Chester has stated that, "At this point in the process for a marine aquaculture licence and lease for open pen salmon farming by CERMAQ; and, based on the information provided to Council to date, and the consistent and substantial public concern expressed, Council believes the potential risks outweigh the potential benefits to our community's long-term interests. Therefore, Council wishes to express our opposition to the expansion of open pen salmon farming in the coastal waters surrounding the community."

Do you want to build career skills and make a difference to the environment? Apply by March 23rd to work with us as a #CleanLeadership summer intern: www.CleanLeadership.ca. The Clean Leadership summer program (formerly known as the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps) provides students age 15-30 with environmental work experience, an enhanced appreciation of the environment and their community, and develops skills for life-long learning (including team-building and leadersh...ip skills, increased knowledge for future employment and/or education ventures, and the ability to give back to their community and their environment). This program is a partnership between Clean Foundation, Nova Scotia communities, employers, and youth. ***** We're proud to be a #CleanLeadership host. Apply to join our team as Lahave River Conservation intern this summer: www.CleanLeadership.ca. Deadline to apply is March 23 rd ! See more

WHERE SILVER OUTWEIGHS GOLD . . . The most asked question along the St Mary’s River is Build a gold mine here, are they nuts ? . .... . Check out the full story in this edition of the Atlantic Salmon Journal