Longest Day

Date: 21 June

Air Temp: 7C

Water Temp: 4C
Water height: 1.9m
Number of rods: 13
Number fish caught: 4
Biggest fish: 16lbs Roberto Trabucco
No 30+: 0
No 20-29: 0
No 8-19: 4
Grilse: 0

Weather: Thankfully the sun came out again and the wind dropped substantially since the previous day.

Summer on Yokanga

 

Manager's comments: Today was the longest day of the year and I would like to start today’s ramblings by showing the difference between this and last season. The two photos below speak for themselves but it just goes to show how wildly different this season is. In fact much of the snow around the lodge has melted since we arrived so it is a lot less white now than it was just a few days ago. 

 21 June 2017

 21 June 2016

 

The river remains very high compared with any season ever experienced on the Yokanga and the water has dropped a degree in the last day as a result of yesterday’s rain melting some of the snow. The high water has made some of our usual beats, such as Upper and Lower Norcamp, unfishable. We are fishing Island and Waterfall with the rest fishing Poachers to Crows Nest. Even the water closer to the lodge is very restricted at the moment and we have had to create a beat rotation where we swap fishing spots at lunchtime. There are simply limited places that salmon could rest and hold.

 

Leaning in to one

For the moment, the fish remain very elusive. The party landed three fresh fish today and one autumn run fish. Roberto T landed a nice 16lber from Lake, the biggest of the day. Valery N managed another fresh fish, a 15lber, this time from the Pots and Bill W had a 12lber below Waterfall. It was a stunning blue-sky day on the river so in that sense it was a lovely day to be out fishing even if the rewards were slim.

 

Valery N with his fish from Pots

People are using a variety of sinking tips, often with intermediate running into 7.5ft of T14. Big flies are very much the order of the day. Heavy tubes tied three inches or more in length would be about right. It is a ‘big job’ to cast this sort of kit!

Stunning day for a picnic lunch

 

The fish will undoubtedly come but we are very much still at the front end as a result of the conditions. Similar conditions prevail on other rivers on the Kola. It is disappointing and frustrating for everyone but it should be said that the guests in camp are being incredibly philosophical about it. The party has got on well and there have been plenty of laughs around the bar after dinner.

Henry Mountain