PROFESSIONAL GUIDES



The Quality of guides can make or break a fishing trip. We are fortunate to have some of the best guides on the Miramichi. Our guides are New Brunswick #1 Certified Professionals with many years experience and fully trained in first aid and CPR. Our guides know our waters and will help you choose the right fly and equipment to suit the water and weather conditions.
- Byron Coughlan, OWNER -COUNTRY HAVEN LODGE AND COTTAGES


KEN VICKERS

Ken is a native Miramichier whose family for generations has been guiding fishermen from all over the world for flyfishing for Atlantic Salmon. Because of the love of fishing Ken has never ventured very far from his roots on the Miramichi making a living guiding and spending his days off fishing. Ken knows the lower stretch of the Main Southwest Miramichi and some of its tributaries as good as any guide on the Miramichi with over 25 years of experience guiding for a number of outfitters on the river including 7 years at the Doctor’s Island Salmon Club in Blackville. Ken has been working with us at Country Haven since 1993 and has been head guide for the past 7 seasons. Great at teaching beginners the art of fly fishing sometimes doing it daily throughout the summer and with Ken being one of the best casters on the river he sets a good example to learn from. He also does many of our guided Canoeing and fishing day trips throughout the season.

“ Although I ‘ve been guided on the Miramichi by Ken Vickers for many years now, it was evident in just the first few hours together what a quality, knowledgeable and friendly guide he would be. 5 stars!”

Paul Carlton
Affordable Adventures
Portsmouth, NH



JEREMY VICKERS

Jeremy is Ken’s younger brother from the guiding family of Vickers. Jeremy also grew up spending his days on the rivers and his evenings listening to his dad Stafford and Uncle Max, well known guides throughout the river system, chatting about the catches of the day. Jeremy has over 12 years guiding experience on the Main River and its tributaries and has been with Country Haven full time for the past 5 years doing many of the guided canoeing and fishing day trips we offer our guests. Jeremy has done over 100 day trips a year during the last 3 seasons, mostly on the Lower stretch of the Miramichi, knowing every ripple and rock. He knows where to fish and where not to, where wildlife should be and the stories of the Miramichi. Jeremy is also great at teaching beginners the art of fly fishing, sometimes for hours, teaching casting to perfection.

“ We have traveled from Toronto four of the past five years to participate in the canoeing and fishing day trip with Jeremy. The fishing, food and scenery are great and Jeremy is wonderful”

Bill & Janice MacDonald,
Toronto, Ontario


DARRELL WARREN

Darrell has been a life long resident of the Miramichi River with his father Ralph also being a river guide, guiding for most of his life at Boyd's Fishing Lodge in Gray Rapids and the Dean Barr Fishing Lodge in Blissfield. Darrell grew up learning from some of the best! With 27 years of experience Darrell has guided for a number of years for Pinkhams’ Fishing Lodge at Quarryville, guiding and making friends with a clientele of fishermen mainly from the State of Maine. Darrell has also been guide and warden for a number of years at the Sevogle Salmon Club on the Sevogle River, a tributary of the Miramichi River system. Most of his life has been spent on the river or in the woods, depending on the season. He is very knowledgeable about nature and the New Brunswick species of wildlife. Darrell has been with us for 8 seasons and is what we call a 'flycasters’ guide' - knowing where, why and how fishermen should present their fly to the wiley Atlantic Salmon, for the best results.

"I fished with many good guides over my many years of fishing the Miramichi but I think Darrel Warren is one of the best darn guides on the Miramichi, 'cause after all, I taught him everything he knows."

80 years old Harry Kearney
Maine Guide
Caribou, Maine


ELVIS COUGHLAN

Elvis , for the most of his life, has been a life-long resident of the Miramichi, spending a few of his younger years traveling throughout Canada and most of the United States. Over the years Elvis, like his father before him, spent a lot of his life as a seasonal guide or in the lumbering business. Most of his twenty years of guiding experience has been guiding fishermen on the Miramichi and Renous River for such lodges as the Miramichi Renous Club, Black Rapids and the Gray Rapids Lodge. Elvis has been with Country Haven for the past 6 seasons and is as dependable and productive as any guide on the Miramichi River system. Over the years some fishermen have started calling Elvis "The King”, not for his singing but for his uncanny ability of getting fishermen to hook into fish.

“ I landed 57 Spring Salmon and grilse over the weekend. The best I have ever done anywhere. Elvis played a big part in my catches”
Jerry Dugal
Durham, Maine


PETE RANDALL

Pete was born in Moncton, New Brunswick and started fishing the Miramichi at an early age traveling the hundred miles to the Miramichi for day trips with his father in 1952. Over the years Pete has been adventurous traveling all of Canada a number of times, most of the United States and many parts of Europe. Pete spent 12 years of big City life in Montreal and another eighteen in Toronto, has always enjoyed fishing, whether for Rainbows on Georgian Bay, Atlantics in Newfoundland and Labrador or on the Miramichi. Pete has never been one to back down from a challenge whether coaching a Junior Hockey team to the Ontario League Champions or as recent as in 1998 when he traveled 10600 km from St. Anthony, NFLD to Squamish, B.C. covering all of Canada by snowmobile in 46 days.

But Pete says with a grin that none of his life challenges has been much greater then some of the 30+ lb Atlantic Salmon he has landed since returning to the place where his fishing all began here on the Miramichi. Over the past 16 years Pete has fished and canoed all of the Miramichi River and its tributaries, guests love him for his stories and smile. A day on the river with Pete is a day worthwhile. Pete is great with beginning and teaching dry fly and Bombers fishing.

“ To our guide Pete thank you for a great day on the river. Your guidance and instruction was just right for each member of our family”

Bill Fisher
Midlothian, Virginia


RANDALL CONNORS

Randell grew up in the Upper Blackville area of the Miramichi Valley and like many of the river guides is steeped in Miramichi tradition as his mother’s family owned and operated Campbell’s fishing lodge for many years. Randell has become a world traveler living and traveling all of North America and many far away places such as Mexico and Asia. A Jack-of-all-trades and a Master of them all from a paratrooper to carpenter, commercial diver to truck driver but his favorite of all is being a fishing guide. After seven previous years on the West Coast chasing Steelheads and Kings it was time for Atlantics and home on the Miramichi. Randell has been with us at Country Haven for the past three seasons doing much of our up river packages as he knows the up river pools better than anyone growing up fishing them as a kid. He is excellent with beginners and flyfishing instructions and adjusting to the condition with different techniques throughout the season.

“Randell is a wonderful fishing guide, knew the river like the back of his hand.”

Dennis Musgrave
North Pole, Alaska



EACH OF OUR GUIDES HAS UNIQUE QUALITIES THAT SET THEM APART FROM EACH OTHER BUT ARE ALL BROUGHT TOGETHER BY THE MIRAMICHI RIVER AND THEIR LOVE OF ATLANTIC SALMON FISHING. WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE SUCH QUALIFIED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE GUIDES WORKING FOR US HERE AT COUNTRY HAVEN. IT'S A PLEASURE TO KNOW THEM AND WE ARE SURE YOU WILL FEEL THE SAME AFTER A DAY OF FISHING WITH THEM ON WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THE WORLD'S BEST ATLANTIC SALMON FISHING RIVER.



Melinda, Jeanie, Terri & Bev
To everyone at Country Haven, thanks for hosting our group for the great weekend!
Particular thanks to the gang in the kitchen. Their cooking was a feast 'fit for a king'
and their good humor and laughter brightened the lodge.
- Dean Kesel, Washington, DC


Country Haven Crew
Just to echo my verbal thanks to you and all your great staff,
may I thank everyone for a super 13 days at Country Haven Lodge.
You should enter for Canada's Premier Holiday Facility.
They all showed a team led by great leadership on your behalf.
- Ronald Jones, Berkshire England.


FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FLY-FISHING FOR ATLANTIC SALMON, CONTACT:
flyhook@nbnet.nb.ca
Tel/Fax No: (506) 843-9010
Toll Free: 1-877-359-4665 (1-877-FLY HOOK)

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