Monday 3 July 2017

30lb Start

Date: Afternoon 1 July and 2 July

Air Temp: 16C
Water Temp: 10C
Water Height: 1.1m
Number of Rods: 16
Number of fish Caught: 12
Biggest fish: 30lbs Keith Webster
No 30+: 1
No 20-29lbs: 1
No 8-19lbs: 9
Grilse: 1
Sea Trout: 0

Weather: Cloudless skies, soft downstream wind.

Managers Comments: On Saturday morning I left the Varzuga River. Spring there in the south Kola had just seemed to burst through the tundra in time for our departure at the season’s end. It was interesting taking the chopper north across the peninsula, more and more snow lying the further north we got. Coming from the south kola, the north feels a little like I've gone back three weeks in time. It’s difficult to believe the amount of snow still left on the tundra bearing in mind it’s July!

Guests and guides ready for the week
 
Arrival on the Yokanga was as exciting as ever. I do love the atmosphere here. It really is fantastic, especially when getting off the helicopter for the first time and stepping out to that breath-taking view up to Boulder Ally and down to the famous Lyliok.

The Friday evenings fishing is always a good one to go out and get familiar with the river again, see the height and perhaps get back in the swing of the cast. Any fish is an added bonus and one of our guests managed this.

Keith had an evening of epic proportions. He firstly went on a good hike up to Lake and was almost immediately into a lovely fresh 15lber. Fishing on down with no success Keith came back for a cold beer and redeployed down to Home Pool, again rather quickly hooking up. Andy B was there to watch the show and reports that for the first ten minutes Keith thought it could well be a rock, then decided it was perhaps a small kelt. Then I think the fish finally realised what was going on, kicked into gear and took off down towards Lyliok. It was at that point it all clicked, not a rock and certainly not a kelt. A short while later after a good battle Andy safely, and expertly I might add, netted Keith’s 30lber! Congrats Keith, an epic start to the season and a fish of a lifetime.

Keith's 30lber
 
30lber ready for release
 
Today was the first official start to the week, it was a very bright hot day, which admittedly is rather nice to have after the brutal spring we've been having so far. The fishing wasn't bad at all in comparison to the previous week. We are certainly heading in the right direction and reports of moving fish in Lyliok and in other slow water patches around the river. We may well begin to start fishing a little further up river soon if the river keeps dropping at this rate.
 
Toby Burrell 

 
Rod in ice in July