Sunday 10 June 2018

Week 2-9 June

Date: 2-9 June

Air Temp: -2 > +8 C
Water Temp: 6 > 7 > 5 > 6C
Water height: +30 > +8cm
Number of rods: 8
Number of fish caught: 14 (+sea trout and ++kelts)
Biggest fish: 26lbs Eric B
No 30lb+: 0
No 20-29lbs: 4
No 8-19lbs: 10
Grilse: 0

Weather:

Very cold, windy, snowy and bitter.

Manager’s Comments:

After a few great early spring fishing weeks (ignoring 2017 as a freak year), this week reminded us what a hardcore place the northern Kola Peninsula can be in the early season. Wow, that was cold!

Cold weather on the Yokanga
Having said that, I could not have more respect for the team who fished hard throughout the week into the face of the wind, snow blizzards, sleet and so on. Full marks for effort. Equally the two first time salmon fishers Eric and Jake – who both ended the week able to Double Spey, Single Spey and Snap-T off either shoulder a good 25-30m!

Fresh Yokanga Silver
Charlie never stopped covering water – an accomplished caster now and kept Jake (his brother in law to be) enthused and laughing. I think they are the first group of Yokanga fishers to average two bankside fires a day – one with coffee and a second with lunch.

Yokanga picnic lunch
Dean and Chris, who have seen it all before and had epic early weeks over recent years, kept everyone laughing with great evening stories, nurturing a sort of challenge mentality in the whole team to not let the tough conditions win.

It was lovely to see Alan again, an experienced Yokanga fisher, who with guide Young Vova fished all the hours and landed some nice overwintered salmon.

Alan into a fish
Pete and Michael fished hard all week (and Pete danced hard at the final evening party)  - and ended with some good results, finding a few lovely fish along the way.

Pete before the dancing
All in all a great team, supported by Pasha, his guides and lodge staff. However, a very, very tough week’s fishing, described by retired Head Guide Andrey (now evening guide) when giving Eric the biggest fish of the week medal at the final evening party as “terrible, but fun”. I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Peter Rippin