Fly Fishing in Russia 1

In these next few fly fishing travelogues we’re vising Russia. In the east lies Kamchatka, an almost 1500 km peninsula shaped like a spear, and divides the Okhotsk and Bering seas.

A wild an largely untouched territory, Kamchatka is widely regarded as one of the earth’s last paradises. Around 300 years ago it was full of volcanoes and geysers - 29 of these volcanoes are still active. For many years the peninsula was a military zone, but was opened up to the public in 1991.

You can only get to the peninsula by air or sea. And you really need to have transport once you get there if you’re to explore it properly, and that means chartering a helicopter. The peninsula has around 14000 rivers and springs, though not all of them worth exploring. However, the wealth of natural resources, especially pacific salmon make the trip, and the helicopter charter, well worth the money. Kamchatka has 13 native salmonid species and around two thirds of all Pacific salmon spawn there.

The price of fishing there can be high, though absolutely worth it for the wonders to be found on the peninsula. Quite apart from the truly dramatic, magical landscapes, in your fishing trips to the remoter lodgers you can expect to fin wild rainbows, stealheads, salmon or chars. The best time of year to go fly fishing on the peninsula is September and October, plus there are fewer mosquitos to be expected at that time of year.