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"
Excellent post! Great photos and a magnificent grayling. Very nice.
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