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Pictured here at the Wilson family homestead in the early forties are my great-grandparents Willard & Sade Wilson with Uncle Purdy sitting on the left and Aunt Maisie on the right . Note the old wooden spoked wheels on the trailor and the canoe . The canoe is known as a ” lap streak ” vessel , it is simply thin flat boards app 6 inches in width that overlap from the bottom up . The cracks were filled with black tar and heated with a gas torch to melt the tar into the seams . These boats were very heavy but stable and of course were leaking most of the time . In 1873 my great great uncle James Wilson would travel with a boat of this type all the way to Chatam Head ( known as Miramichi City today ) to purchase boot-leg liquor . He would pole all the way back to McNamee ( 60 miles ) where he ran a small tavern , until one foggy night upon leaving Chatam Head he was robbed and murdered for his goods . This is documented in a daily newspaper of that day, of course the culprits were never arrested .

“During the early years fly fishing success was measured in numbers, not any more, Wilson’s is proud to say we promote “Live Release”, we are doing our part to help build a brighter future for the Atlantic Salmon and our beloved Miramichi River” – Keith Wilson , fourth generation.

Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, the uncle of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt wrote of his fishing expedition to Wilson’s on the Miramichi River in 1862. The Wilson Camp at that time was located at Bloomfield Ridge, 18 miles upstream from McNamee. Grace Wilson, daughter of William Wilson, managed the camp; from about 1855 until her death in the early 1920′s , it was at this time that Willard Weston Wilson took up the trade catering to Fly fishermen at the Wilson Family Homestead in McNamee .

These photos depict the operation at McNamee during the earlier years. Roosevelt’s trip started in New York by ship to Saint John N.B., then on to Bloomfield by stagecoach. The tally of $306.69 for two men included meals, lodging, guide service and transportation. He included a cost of $10.00 for “delicacies”. An “historical perspective” of Wilson’s Sporting Camps Ltd. can be seen in our dining room in McNamee. The book includes many interesting stories, quotes and photos from both past and present clients and employees.

For nearly 150 years, the Wilson family has been in the business of creating great angling memories for our clients on the Miramichi River. Come join us this season and start your our memory bank!

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