Allan Thomas “Allie” Mullin

1906 - 1969

Allan Thomas “Allie” Mullin was born on December 20, 1906 in Exmoor, New Brunswick. He was the son of the late Katherine (nee Matchett) and Thomas Mullin. He lived all his life in the house in which he was born, as did his father before him.

Allie had polio when he was very young. This left him nearly deaf, but as he aged he learned to communicate eloquently in ways other than speech. At the age of 18, he was stricken with tuberculosis. Though tormented by his illnesses, even after 62 years of living on the bank of the river, fishing it day in and out, as a boy, young man, and a grandfather, he never lost his enthusiasm. The rivers and forests were Allie's life, and it was there that he lived it as a professional fishing and hunting guide.

He started guiding in the early 1930's. At that time he guided for Bill Craig and Jack Hare. From 1952 to 1968, he was the manager and caretaker at Fourmen Lodge. Allie, along with his brothers and sons, built the Lodge in 1952. It is located on the Northwest Miramichi River near Sunny Corner, New Brunswick. Most of his guiding was concentrated on the Northwest Miramichi River and its tributaries, but he also guided on the Cains River. He fished every river in Northumberland County, but his love was for the Northwest Miramichi, probably because he was born there. He knew every pool and rock by name. He even knew the best time of day to fish each pool. He loved fishing the “McLaughlin Pool” located on the South Branch of the Sevogle.

Allie caught his first fish when he was 8 years old. The largest fish he caught weighed 38 pounds. It was taken in 1947 at “Joe Wall's Pool.” His favourite place to fish was anywhere the fish “were taking.” His son recalls a day when he was haying with his father. Allie stopped the horse, looked out over the river for a few minutes and said, “I think the fish are biting.” Without uttering another word, he unhooked the horse from the mower and went fishing. He once told his brother that he got the greatest feeling when the fishing season started.

He started tying flies when he was 13 years old, tying on a vise that he made from a file. He had an old barred-rock chicken whose feathers he used to tie his earliest flies. Because the best materials were difficult to get, Allie used the standard furs and feathers from the hides of local forest animals. Like most tiers, he experimented with flies and, naturally, had his own favourite patterns that were very productive. One fly in particular was a small, very short double hook tied similar to a bear hair with an orange butt. His favourite fly over all was a “Brown Fairy.”

Allan Thomas Mullin had many, many friends and admirers on both sides of the border. One friend in particular was W.W. Lewis of Clyne Maxon Inc., New York, New York. Mr. Lewis made a film called “Men From Fourmen Lodge.” Allie was the angler and naturalist who worked with Mr. Lewis in the film. In point of fact, the story was about Allie. Mr. Lewis said, “Canadians have taught me a great deal about life and wilderness values; none so much as Allie. He was altogether a man of rare perceptive qualities and many talents, not the least of which, a virtuosity with the fly rod, together with an uncanny knowledge of the habits of anadromous fish.”

To further acknowledge respect for Allie Mullin, in 1970 a plaque was anchored in a boulder within the water boundary in a Sevogle River pool. The plaque read, “Allie's Pool.” “In memory of Allie Mullin, angler, naturalist, guide and friend of man. Placed here by anglers of Canada and the United States.” The small tablet was a modest gesture from those who shared the woodsmoke and the thrill of the strike with this most unusual man. New Brunswicker's, especially Miramichier's, can be extremely proud of the contribution made by Allen Thomas Allie Mullin in preserving the honorable reputation of a guide, angler and fly tier.

Brown Fairy

Tag: Oval gold tinsel

Tail: Golden Pheasant crest

Body: Fiery brown wool dubbing

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Hackle: Brown hackle palmered over the front hald of the body

Throat: Brown hackle fibers

Wing: Strips of bronze mallard

Flies tied by Allan Thomas Mullin in the Late 1950's