Fantastic Start

Date: Evening 16 and 17 June

Air Temp: 21C

Water Temp: 11C

Water height: -4cm to -6cm

Number of rods: 14

Number of fish caught: 39

Biggest fish: 28lbs Henry C

No 30lb+: 0

No 20-29lbs: 6

No 8-19lbs: 32

Grilse: 1

Weather:

The team arrived in Murmansk to find balmy warm weather with scarcely no wind at all and full on sunshine. The views from the helicopter were amazing and we flew over some spectacular scenery when landing at the Gremikha Camp on the lower Yokanga to drop off four Russian fishermen. The same weather continued for Sunday, the first full day of fishing. It is hard to imagine that the weather has turned from winter to summer in the blink of an eye.

Team assemly

Manager’s Comments:

The group arrived at the lodge shortly after 2.30pm and there was some eager anticipation of what the week might bring after some incredible quality fish the previous week. Especially the huge fish landed by Ismo U which has officially gone into the book at a still possibly conservative 41lbs. Accurate length and girth measurements were taken but accurate weighing was not possible. The average of all four established salmon formulae comes in higher than the 41lbs now recorded and it is clear from the photograph that this is indeed an enormous salmon.

After a quick late lunch/early dinner, all 14 fishermen headed to the river to see if they could open their account. The majority were already back at the bar by 10pm and the team total for the unguided evening was seven spanking fresh fish all between 12-21lbs. A very nice start to the week.

Wall to wall sunshine

Sunday dawned and we were greeted by the forecast sunshine and 21C at breakfast time! With the wall to wall sunshine the salmon did not give themselves up easily and everyone had to work hard for them. Stephen C had two, 16lbs and 21lbs from HJome Pool and Lyliok respectively. It was not until the afternoon that his fishing partner Jonathan M caught up landing three on Lyliok in quick succession.

Stephen C with his 15lber

The lodge saw two first ever Atlantic salmon for US fishermen Paul and Bill K from Lower Norcamp. Also from the US, Paul I landed his personal best a 19lber and his fishing partner Ken M landed three, 12, 14lbs and 15lbs from Lyliok and Crow’s Nest. There seem to be a good number of fish in this size class by the way.

Elsewhere on the river, Anders continued his run of threes (having landed three on the first evening) and took a further three from Poachers. Fishing partner Marc took one.

Henry C had an evening to remember. A short stroll down to Pump and he landed three fish in the short 50 yard stretch. Each fish was progressively larger with the last two at 22lbs and 28lbs respectively, the final one his largest salmon to date. Quite a finish to the day.

It was hardly the perfect weather day for fishing but the results were very good with nearly 40 for the team in a day and a half. This is traditionally the best week of the season (based on experience back to 1998) and with a normal winter and spring, the timing would appear to be spot on.

Henry Mountain