2019 Season Review

Sadly, the Yokanga 2019 season has already come to a close.

We did not have the bigger numbers that we sometimes get on the Yokanga but the three-week season will go down in the record books as having one of the highest percentages of big fish that we have ever had. In the first two weeks the average weight was over 20lbs. The quality of the fish was undeniably excellent.

Another quality salmon from the Yokanga

The weather was unusually cold for the most part and unusually wet too. Just as water levels were getting to an ideal fishing height for the beats, rain each week pushed the height back up again. Looking for a needle in a haystack was the expression used by many of our regulars!  

A rare sunny day at Crows Nest pickup point

Despite less than ideal conditions, a total of 41 fisherman landed the following large salmon over the three weeks:

50 salmon of 20-29lbs

17 salmon of 30-39lbs

1 salmon of 43lbs

Matt H with a 32lber from Home Pool one evening

Barely an evening went by without someone being given a grey 30lb Yokanga cap and there were many delighted guests who landed their largest salmon ever. Congratulations to Colin J who landed his personal best which was a monster 43lb fish measuring 46.5 inches by 26.5 inches.

30lb and 40lb caps at the end of Week 2

As many will have heard, there was a tragic accident in the second week when head guide, Red Sergei, drowned in a boating accident. With 25 years’ experience on the river and a favourite guide among fishermen, he will be much missed. Our thoughts are very much with his family. Following the accident, the police have opened an investigation and have effectively closed the season prematurely after just three weeks.

Red Sergei will be much missed

Farewell to the 2019 season

We will much look forward to being back there again next season. If you are considering fishing the Yokanga in 2020, please do register your interest now. 

Henry Mountain and Peter Rippin

Week 22-29 June

Date: 22-29 June

Air Temp: 2C-15C
Water Temp: 9C-11C

Water height: -2cm to +38cm to +18cm

Number of rods: 15

Number of fish caught: 80

Biggest fish: 37lbs Matt Harris

No 30lbs+: 4

No 20-29lbs: 18

No 8-19lbs: 55

Grilse: 3

Weather:

During the latter part of the week the weather was summery for the very first time this season. Air temperatures started at a cool 6C first thing but then rose well into double figures when the sun came out. Winds were normal and changing from upstream to downstream and there were a few extended sunny spells.

Blue sky day on Yokanga

Manager’s Comments:

On Wednesday, fishing partners Robert B and Ian R had an excellent start with a 25lber and 27lber respectively when fishing Island.  The 27lber was Ian’s personal best but just shy of the critical 30lbs for a Yokanga 30lb cap. Next time Ian!

Reindeer at 7 Islands

Paddy F was fishing the Hourglass on Crow’s Nest and hooked into a significant salmon which turned out to be a quality 32lb cock fish. As a result, there is now one less grey Yokanga 30lb cap in the storeroom!

Matt H found one of the very first grilse of the season but then hooked into something larger just as I had joined him at Heron Point in the Home Pool for lunch. It proved to be a lovely 21lb hen fish.

Bill and Matt in the Home Pool

I spent a day with Gerald K up at 7 Islands on Thursday and he caught a fresh 18lber in the very bottom of the left hand draw. The fish was determined to try and take Gerald down into the pool below but somehow, he managed to keep it from disappearing downstream and it was netted at the bottom of the island. Patrick M landed his personal best salmon, a 22lber from the Home Pool the same day and then equalled it the following day at Crow's Nest.

Patrick at Crow's Nest

Island continued to produce on Thursday with Jack M landing three fish up to 19lbs. In addition, he had a very exciting encounter with another salmon. Jack elected to cast a short line in order to get a better swing over fish lying closer to the shoreline. Bill Drury was there to witness things but something huge followed the fly as they both saw the large amount of water displaced as the fish took a look. Having given the fish a minute or so to return to its lie, Jack cast again and this time the fish both followed the fly and this time actually took. Line streaked off the reel but somehow the line jammed on the reel and despite Jack trying to follow and Bill pulling at the reel, sadly the hook was pulled loose. While it is a disappointment to lose what was clearly a very large fish, it is encounters like this that keep us coming back.

A smiling Jack M

Friday, the last day of the fishing week, was one of the more clement days of the season with initial cloud cover turning to warm sunshine. William M started the day with a 20lber from Poachers and Colin R-W with a near identical 22lber and then later an 11lber from Beach. Many thanks to both of them for collecting scale samples for me!

Ringed plover

Martin V had his best day of the week and racked up four fish for the day with a remarkably honest 19.5lber. Perhaps one of the rarest specimens on the whole of the Kola Peninsula!

Beer o'clock after fishing 

The finally tally of 80 fish is the best week of the season so far. The quality of salmon remains extremely high and the condition of the fish is nothing short of excellent. The 10-12lbers are so deep and fat. Clearly they are finding some extremely good food at sea! They are also great fun when hooked and fizz around the pool jumping in an attempt to shake the hook.

Matt H with a 32lber from Home Pool this week

It is interesting to note that we have caught relatively few sea liced salmon so far this season, perhaps in part due to the cooler water temperatures combined with the higher water levels than we might normally expect at this time of the year. There were several salmon caught with long tailed sea lice on the very last day of the week and this coincided with water temperatures rising to 11C. It would appear that everything has been moving through the system more slowly than usual.

Henry Mountain