Main River

Main River rises in the Long Range uplands beside Gros Morne National Park and runs east to the sea at Sop's Arm, in White Bay. It was named a Canadian Heritage River for its wild, undammed course, and it carries a run of Atlantic salmon and grilse into some of the quietest country on the island. DFO lists it under the Sop's Arm River, with Main, Doucer's and Natlin's and their tributaries.

This page covers the lower river, from the Paradise Pool gauge down to Sop's Arm. Above it the river is canoe country. The river rises and falls fast with rain off the uplands. As a rough guide from the Paradise Pool gauge, it fishes well between about 7 and 50 m³/s and is high over about 140. Wet flies and a riffling hitch take grilse in July, and a dry fly earns its place in low, clear water.

It is Class 4: two salmon a season under 63 cm on tags 1 and 2, and 3 released a day. Sunshine Pool, from 150 m below to 300 m above the falls, is catch and release only, and so is the Northwest Branch. No one may fish within 23 m below the falls at Sunshine Pool or Wardens Pool, and the Northwest Branch is closed from 300 m below to 300 m above the falls at Wardens Pool. A non-resident needs a licensed guide or a resident relative. Services are thin: plan on Deer Lake or Baie Verte for supplies.