Superb Start to the 2019 Season

Date: 8-11 June

Air Temp: -1C to 30C

Water Temp: 11C

Water height: +5cm to -3cm

Number of rods: 14

Number of fish caught: 21

Biggest fish: 35lbs Andy E

No 30lb+: 2

No 20-29lbs: 8

No 8-19lbs: 11

Grilse: 0

Weather:

When the team arrived in Murmansk at 10am local time the weather was a steamy 27C. Tropical style rainstorms and thunder were over the Kola Peninsula and it had measured 30C at Yokanga Lodge that day. Quite something for early June!

T shirt weather in Murmansk

Sunday was very cold and windy with everyone grateful for a hot shower back at the lodge. Monday was a pleasant turnaround with temperatures in the low to mid teens and thankfully little wind making casting a pleasure.

Lyliok in stunning weather

But what a change in the weather on Tuesday... We woke to very strong upstream winds, low cloud, the air temperature at -1C and persistent snow. This combination meant no flying in the helicopter and sensibly none of the guests chose to even try and fish water close to the lodge.

A change in the weather

Manager’s Comments:

Water conditions on the Yokanga are nothing short of ideal for this time of the year. The water height is such that you can see all the features of the river and the fly swings nicely in all the favourite places.

Great water clarity at Heron Point

The week kicked off with Jake C landing the first fish of the Yokanga lodge season and his first ever salmon which weighed an impressive 21lbs. Andy E and Sam A both landed a fresh fish in Lyliok on the first evening so it was with some excitement that the party went to their beats on the first full day.

Jake C with his first salmon

Charlie M had a great start to his week with three fish weighing 28lbs, 22lbs and a ‘small one’ of 18lbs.

Charlie M with one of his three

The two camp managers wandered down to the Home Pool to have a few casts at Heron Point and lo and behold lucked out with a fresh 33lb cock fish!

One of the camp managers gets lucky

Monday was a red-letter day for Sam A and Andy E up at Sand Island and Cliff. Andy started his day with a 16lber from Sand Island and then landed his largest salmon ever, a fresh cock fish of 35lbs, in front of the keystone at the top draw of Cliff. Sam landed three, 11lbs, 14lbs and 17lbs and collectively they both reported plenty of other action. Dean M took a cracking 27lber from Upper Norcamp adding to the tally of fish over the magic 20lb mark.

Andy E with his 35lb cock fish from Cliff

After some superb quality salmon in the first couple of days, Tuesday was sadly a write off given the atrocious weather conditions.

Sam A with one of his three

The river is at a good height and has great clarity so most are using light sink tips (10 ft of slow sink) or intermediates. There seems to be no real need for huge flies and indeed there is a preference towards small tubes or even doubles in the usual garish colours.

This is the first week of the season and as expected we appear to be at the front end of the run. As ever it is a bit hit and miss as to where you might bump into a resting salmon. The quality of the fish is absolutely as we would hope for at this time of the year. The forecast seems set to be cold for the rest of the week but that will hopefully not deter the salmon from taking our flies when we can get out on the water again!

For regular readers of the Yokanga blog, we will be bringing you a mid-week update on a Wednesday and then a weekly report on a Sunday this season.

The wifi has been poor so we have had limited contact with the team down at the Gremikha Camp but word has reached us that they have landed a few fish, notably a brace of fish over 30lbs to Greg V.

Peter Rippin and Henry Mountain