Trip to the Yudoma & Urak Rivers near Okhotsk (Lena R. drainage) - Part 2

This self-made mouse imitation is a typical lure for taimen, used by Siberian fishermen

Our team have passed the falls of the Yudoma River

In this area the river is divided by the rocks into several channels.  The total drop of the falls is over 3 meters.  In the holes between the falls our spinn-fishermen have landed several taimen up to 18 kg.    

The second boat with a team of 3 is passing one of the drops.  There is a deep foam "barrel" below it.   

Telgi River is one of the tributaries of the Yudoma R.  In most places it is swift & shallow. 

In the lower part of the Telgi River we have found lots of good size lenok.  This fish belongs to the sharp-nose species of lenok.   

Numerous lakes of the Yudoma River valley are populated by roach, Northern pike and good size perch.  This perch had bitted a black Intruder.   

Northern pike was very numerous in some lakes and slow, deep channels. 

After 3 days of rainy & foggy weather we have finally heared the sound of coming helicopter. 

Urak River is waiting for us!

To be continued...

Trip to the Yudoma & Urak Rivers near Okhotsk (Lena R. drainage) - Part 1

Yudoma River is situated in the north of the Khabarovsk region, at the border with Sakha-Yakutia Republik.  The stream is over 800 km long; it begins from the glaciers of the highest area of the Suntar Khayata mountain ridge.  We had come to Okhotsk by 3.5 hour domestic flight (AN-24 plane) from Khabarovsk.  The idea was to float & fish the rivers of both the north & south slopes of the Arctic-Pacific divide.  The first leg of the route was 1.5 hour MI-8 helicopter fligh from Okhotsk.

Out of the chopper you see mostly mountains.  This territory is almost uninhabited by humans.  The highest point of the Suntar-Khayata Ridge is Mus-Khaya mtn (2995 m).  This is one of glaciated areas of the Russian Far East.  Image - Arka River, trobutary to the Okhota R. 

Helicopter is leaving, and the group stays with a pile of equipment at vast gravel bar of the Yudona River.

 

The broad valley of the Yudoma River has numerous lakes - they number 5,000! 

Most of them were never fished. 

Far from the river the larch forest looks "oppressed" due to the wet soil, permafrost, and harsh climate.

The water of the Yudoma was a little milky because of the runoff from the glaciers.

"The Yudoma Gates" is the most spectacular area of the whole river

We were moving downstream with 2 rubber rafts. 

In most places the river is not complicated and could be rated 2. 

There is only one area with serious falls (see Part 2).

On the second morning I had managed to land a little Siberian taimen. 

The fish had bitted a large "articulated" streamer. 

To be continued...

Yudoma River

Yudoma is a big river – it is 820 km long. Yudoma is the biggest tributary of the Maya River, which flows into Aldan. Aldan belongs to the Lena R. drainege. The name "Yudoma"comes from the word “edoma” which means “steep bank with deposits of ancient ice”. Exactly in the layers of this type of soils the frozen carcasses of wooly mammoth and other extinct animals were found.

Middle reaches of the yudoma River

Yudoma is very diverse: it has complicated falls (rated at least III), short canyon stretches, areas with “braids”, long deep pools with sandy bottom and slow current. The most interesting stretch of the river is 150 km from the Yudoma Gates (small spectacular canyon) to the Dikiy (Wild) Falls. The only way to get to the river is helicopter charter from Okhotsk. The upper part of the drainage is not populated. Here there are only some native Even reindeer herders. The river valley has about 5000 lakes.

Unloaded helicopter comes up, and the group is left on the gravel bar on small pile of gear

"The Gates" - the most spectacular part of the river "Braided" area with numerous channels "Wild Falls"

Fishermen go through the "Wild Falls"

The river has typical fish fauna of mountainous Siberian streams: taimen, sharp-nose lenok, Arctic grayling, whitefish, and burbot. Numerous lakes of the wide valley of the Yudoma host Northern pike, yellow perch, and roach. The fish density in the main river channel in summer is rather low - most of Salmonids spend warm part of the year in tributaries.

This little taimen was landed with "Articulated Streamer" Sharp-nose lenok from the Telgi River, tributary to Yudoma

Northern pike is numerous in slow backwaters, and can be caught in the main stream as well

Trophy yellow perch was found only on some lakes