Testing of a new model of a trout-spey type fly rod - Part 2

Testing of the Kola Salmon 2-handed rod: 5-6 wt, 5 piece, 340 cm (11.1') long; weight 122 g (4.3 oz). 

Situation: swift stream 25-40 m wide; 1-2 meters deep.  High water, slightly murky; end of the spring flood.
 

June 4, flight across the narrow neck of the Kamchatka Peninsula.  It is still spring at 61*N. 

The streams have cut through the ice-crusts formed during long winter, and flow in ice banks.

Bigger rivers have no ice, but the water is only 4-5*C. 

 Golden rhododendron is one of the early flowers of the area.

This period the smolts of Pacific salmon (chum salmon at this image) are migrating into the sea.  The typical approach to any freshwater predator in Kamchatka is the use of different smolt imitations, presented near the surface or deeper. 

The river Ichiginnyvayam is famous by trophy Arctic grayling.  The only problem was that the fish have recently finished the spawning, and were not feeding yet.  Probably, cold & windy weather was also the cause.  In any case, the streamers (same as the nymphs) did not work at all.  

After trying different approaches I have managed to catch some nice fish up to 1.2 kg   The tested rod appears to be powerful enough to handle 13' sink tip; the total length of the head of the line was about 36'.   The rod bends a lot when you hook even a small fish, but it has enough backbone to land nice size fish in the current.  

The most strange & beautiful part of grayling is its dorsal fin.  This is a typical fin of the Kamchatka subspecies of Arctic grayling.  Some scientist consider it to be a separate species Thymallus mertensi.

The only fly that had worked that day was tiny (#10) bright wobbler fly.  These "flies" are the last resort on the days when nothing is biting.   

This is the only drink appropriate for the true fishermen in Kamchatka Peninsula.  Do you know what the Russian fishermen say? - "Fishing is drinking in waders"

Testing of a new model of a trout-spey type fly rod

I have got a possibility to test a new rod of a Russian firm Kola Salmon.  This rod belongs to the type which is becoming popular - a trout-spey rod.  The rod is 5-6 wt 5 piece, 340 cm (11.1') long; weight 122 g (4.3 oz).   I have taken this rod along to a non-fishing trip to the northern Kamchatka. 

The first water which I was able to fish was Bering Sea near the abandoned village Korf.  

In this village there is a working airport of the district center Tilichiki. 

Korf is situated at the long spit between a marine bay and a shallow estuary. 

   

Fire-engine

 Old pier

Olyutorski Peninsula at the opposite side of the huge marine bay

I was using 5-weight line with 13' sink tip made out of Rio T8 material.  Most of the catch were 2 species of flounder. 

Starry flounder on shallow places is easy to catch with a fly.  The fly should move slowly, near the bottom.  

Comparing with flounder, greenling is rather spooky.  It is often following the fly, but rarely biting. 

The best "fly" to catch greenling is a bright wobbler-fly, retrieved with jerks in the middle layers.   

The biggest trophy of the day was huge marine sculpin. 

The rod which I was planning to use only as a grayling tackle appears to work well in marine conditions. 

To be continued..

First time at the Delaware River

In May 2011 I was invited by my friend Bob to visit him at the Delaware River.  The weather was wet, but not windy. 

Bob's camp is very simple and basic.

This place is considered rather dangerous for non-fishermen..

 Bob has a wooden canoe with which we were planning to float the river.

Nice stretch of the river - no roads and no houses

Trout was not active on the surface, so I had spent some time pursuing a quarry new for me - shad.  This huge anadromous herring was biting tiny (#10) & bright wobbler-flies.  Shad was found in the pools.  

I was also able to catch two little brook trout.  One was caught with a Pluchille streamer, and another - with a wobbler-fly. 

Bill was having some luck with dry flies & rainbow trout, but no trophy specimens were landed  

In one of the pools I had landed a little walleye, which bit a 3" long yellow wobbler-fly

A goos protecting its nest.

First time in Atlantic ocean - fishing with a fly and no fly rod

In May I was in Portland, Maine.  My friend Chris had invited me to go out into the ocean to catch some fish. The fishing is done at the depth of 50-60 meters with a jug cast out of a pound of lead.  The jig has a treble hook on the bottom, and a big single hook with a plastic "worm - on top.  60 cm (2 feet) above the jig there is a loop, which is used for attaching a primitive "fly".  Normally this fly consists of bright synthetic fibers tied to a huge hook.    

I have decided to tie more complicated flies with some flash on 6/0 hooks.  When fishing from a boat with many other fishermen, it is a good idea to show the fish something different.

Early in the morning we had come to the Ogunquit town at the Maine sea coast.  We have booked two places at the famous fishing boat named "Bunny Clark".  This boat is a holder of many IGFA records, including a 35 kg (77 pounds) cod. 

 When our jigs first came to the sea bottom, the new bright flies started to work well.  This fish is haddock.  

This little cod had also decided to bite a fly.

 Generally, over a half of fish were caught with a jig, and only about 30-40 % were biting a fly.  

This strange creature is called sea raven. 

Wolf-eel's teeth can bite through a rubber boot.. 

In the end of an excellent fishing day we have got a bonus - a group of 15-20 Greenland right whales had passed nearby the boat!

Sorry, I am in a trip to USA till May 25, 2011

Sorry, I am in a trip to USA till May 25, 2011.

Mikhail

Trip to Congo, Africa, fall 2010 - Part 2

Upper part of the Loutete R

 Waterfall at a small creek

 Loudima River

 Loutete R.

 Loutete R.

 Canyon at the Loutete R.

Nkenke River during a rain-flood

Rapids at the Congo River near Brazzaville

 Congo River near Brazzaville is not suitable for navigation..

To be continued..

Trip to Congo, Africa, fall 2010 - Part 1

In October-November 2010 I have visited Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).  This was a business trip, not aimed at fishing.  The area where we were working in the field is populated; it does not have fish stocks interesting for sport-fishing.  

Atlantic Ocean near Pointe Noire (the only sea-port of the country).

 Thunderstorm at night

 The upper part of the Loutete River has big gradient

 Lots of creeks of the area have waterfalls. 

 The area of the town of Loutete is too dry for jungle forest; it is covered by savanna type vegetation.  Gallery-forests are found in some creek valleys. 

 One of the mountains has a through hole near its top.

The same cave - the view from inside

Local ladies with kids are going home ofter working in the fields

 Processing fish

 Our helper Mabala with a small seine

 In the Boko-Songho village

 Dugout boats made of mahogany wood (Niari River)

 Dense vegetation along a creek

 Traditional, home-made chair

To be continued ...