Salmon fishing, Chavanga river, Kola Peninsula.

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Vasil Bykau

Early spring at the mid of June. 

So the end of May and the beggining of June were characterised by:

1.      High water level

2.      Low water temperature

3.       Low salmon activity

4.       Few fishing pool available

5.       Few fresh fish in the river

6.       Most of the fish caught were Autumn fish (Osenka)

Most productive pools were calm deep places that were covered from the main stream by big curves or massive boulders in the river. Attempts to fish in the main stream were not productive at all, it was too hard to control a fly in such a mass of the water. We were limited in choosing the right possition and had to fish calm spots near the shore line. Fishing salmon near the bottom required to use heavy sinking lines and leaders. We tried to fish wast amount of territory but most fish were holding in those areas not far from the bank where the current is not so strong.

Our steps:

1.       Choosing deeper areas with not such a strong current

2.       Using heavy sinking lines and leaders

3.       Using big and heavy flies

4.       Presenting flies near the bottom across the whole deep place

Next days situation changed. It was important for us the amount of fresh original wate in the river, as there was mass of melting water from the ice and snow upstream that prevent fresh fish from entering the river from the sea.

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Cold spring of 2017. Salmon fishing.

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Vasil Bykau

Salmon fishing season  in 2017 has been delayed by 3 weeks. In recent years we got used to early start of the season, but this year is truly unique. A large amount of snow and ice on the banks of the river and in the tundra, even in June. Warming caused a massive rise in the water level, which became the main cause of problems for our fishermen. So, in the period from 04 to 06 June, the water level in the Chavanga river increased by 35 cm. In my opinion, in the beginning of June the water in the river was one meter above normal.

First of all, we lost most of the productive pools. The banks of majority pools were flooded with water and inaccessible for fishing. Cable pool and Pokosy camp pool with several pools downstream were the only available places to fish.  Due to the enormous level, we were not even able to fish pools like Clay and Island pool which are usually fished well in high water level. Sometimes Estuary rescued us where the stream of water spread fanwise along a wide channel.

Unusually cold water also affected the activity of salmon and prevented fresh fish from entering from the sea. With water temperature of 2 degrees, it was difficult to count on active fish. The usual catch in May is a mixture of salmons that stayed in the river from autumn and fresh springers. Kelts dominated our catching statistics, they were very active while getting ready to go back to the sea. Autumn salmons occupied the deepest and quietest parts of the river. As a rule, we caught them together with the Kelts. The physical condition of the autumn salmon was lower than last year's. The size and weight of the fish caught was one third less than last year.

In principle, the situation in late May and early June 2017 repeated the situation that we observed in mid-May 2014. The same late spring brought us melting snow and ice, a rapid rise of cold water and a mixture of Kelts and small autumn fish in the results. However  a large amount of good sized sea trout were caught while the temperature of the water was still below 5 degrees.

But the statistics of 2014 set us up for an optimistic scenario of events.

After a flood on the Chavanga River, the water level became comfortable and the temperature stayed just below 10, one of the most successful periods of salmon fishing in the last 10 years has arrived.

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Giovanni Swierczynski

 

Our dear friend Ianus has sadly passed away, he has been a true salmon angler, i would say one of a kind. We often enjoyed his great humour and legendary stories about his salmon adventures. May his soul rest in peace and he continues fishing Chavanga salmon in heavens. We will miss you Ianus....

RIP

Ianus and Bazyl at the Strelna camp

Ianus visit to the Petropavlovsk fishing shop

Dinner time, Strelna river camp

Icha river, Kamchatka trip

JUne, Strelna river camp

As usually, presentation!!!!!

Lanch at the Icha river bank

waiting for a dinner, Icha river camp

Ianus, Flavio and my legs, Icha river

Chavanga lodge, Ianus and wild horses

Autumn 2016, Strelna salmon

Old pics of Chavanga lodge

Ianus and Eduardo, Strelna river

Dinner at the old Chavanga lodge

Flavio and Ianus, Icha river trip

Flavio and Ianus, Petropavlovsk - Kamchatski, Icha river trip

Ianus and his favorite pool, Ianus Pool, Strelna river

Helicopter flight

Island Pool, Chavanga river, Ianus and Vasil

Old Chavanga lodge, dinner time

Lubbe Ferrysson and Ianus,  Chavanga river, June of 2014