The Miramichi Watershed Management Committee just released its 2006 annual report with great news and a renewed sense of optimism for our beloved Miramichi River. For example, the salmon smolt study that has been ongoing since 2001 is showing a huge increase in the number of smolts leaving our river on their journey to the ocean to mature. In 2001 it was estimated that there were 500,000 smolts heading out to the ocean, in 2004 this number was estimated to be at 1.1 million which resulted in fantastic fishing two years later ( 2006 ). The numbers were estimated this year to be over 1.3 million, so with any luck our 2008 run should be even better. Email me at wilsons@nbnet.nb.ca for a copy of the full report.