Kola River!

Ever heard about the river Alta in Norway? – well the Kola river is almost equivalent to Alta in size of fish caught.

Since we started in the Kola the largest trophy was a 44 pound fish! Also over 25 Salmon over 32 pounds and plenty of salmon in the region of twenty pounds.

Below is a short history lesson on the catch in the Kola as it can be!

Giants!

2007:

Five (5) gigantic Salmon well above Forty pounds were caught in June – as well as 30 salmon in the range of 32 to 36 lbs. Plenty of salmon in the twenty pound bracket were caught too.

In total the Kola River produced roughly 1800 Salmon between 120 rods No where on earth is there a better chance to get into one of those monster salmon than on the Kola River.

2008:

Our guests landed 2600 Salmon during 10 weeks of fishing.

The most productive week saw 512 salmon landed during the second week of July. We had many high scoring rods with 30 to 60 salmon a week.

Again, this year, we managed to land many Salmon well above thirty pounds, and some even bigger were lost.

The spring was cold and fairly slow. By the middle of June things started to pick up and we had very strong runs of fresh salmon arriving, due to good water.

Listening to Arni Baldursson and what he has to say – “I have now fished the Kola for 10 years and before that I had never caught a salmon over 30 pounds.

During my previous 30 years fishing I had landed 25 salmon of between 20 and 30 pounds.

Big Salmon

Now having fished the Kola river for 10 seasons I have landed over 100 salmon between 20 and 30 pounds and 4 salmon over 30 pounds plus a 44 pound monster.

This is the reason I am hooked on the Kola river. I as other anglers will however still have to accept problems on the Kola river due to the river being so close to Murmansk.

It is difficult to handle 100% the poaching on the river no matter how well we manage it, so you may expect to run into a stranger while you are fishing during you week.

We cannot guarantee you a 40 Pound salmon, but here is what we will promise you:

• Arranging for your invitation letter to Russia.
• Assistance in arranging for a visa to Russia.
• Welcome upon arrival at the Murmansk airport by our staff.
• Round trip from Murmansk Airport to the Kola Camp by bus.
• Twin comfortable room in the Kola camp (single room for extra charge)
• Sauna in the lodge.
• Breakfast – eggs and bacon or Russian pancakes,  cheerios, yogurt, juice, coffee, tea etc.
• Lunch, the guide takes the lunch for you to the riverside.  Packed sandwiches, hot soup, cookies, coffee or tea.
• Dinner – I am not going to promise you the best dinner in the world, but we will try our best to please you.
• Wines, liquors, beers and soft drinks are sold at the lodge.
• Fishing, 2 rods fish each beat on rotation basis in order for you to fish the whole river during your week. We have the 7 prime beats of the Kola river,  6  days of fishing, 7 nights accommodation.
• 1 guide and 1 boat for every two anglers.
• You will find a satellite TV in the camp, and there is mobile connection.

here is what we cannot promise you:

• We cannot promise you that you will be completely alone on the river, you might see now and then a local angler/poacher during your week.
• Not all guides speak fluent English, most of them speak a little but not much. But they are excellent guides and will keep you safe at the river.
• We will not promise the best food in the world. The food at the Kola Camp is adequate but not A La Carte Cuisine!

Kola River – The Destination for Trophy Atlantic Salmon.

Kola is the largest river on the Northern Kola Peninsula emptying into the Barents Sea. No wonder the entire peninsula derives its name from it.

Kola Camp

The Camp is situated about 250 miles above the Arctic Circle just below where the Kitsa (a major tributary and a very fine salmon river in its own right) joins the Kola.  Kola/Kitsa fishery is renowned for its exceptionally strong, large, and numerous salmon.

 Season in Kola

The season opens in June and the entire month is dominated by the fresh run of the multi-sea-wintered fish averaging between 17lbs – 30lbs. Some monsters are caught in excess of 40lbs. There are no grilse in the river at this time.

Early June

The early weeks of June will see high and cold water conditions. Characteristic of the early season dictating the use of heavy tackle, fast sinking lines, large flies and tubes.

Normally towards the 3rd week of June, the fishing is done with floating lines and lighter rods. About that time the water levels drops and the temperatures rise, creating optimal conditions for both fish and the fishermen.

Which rods?

Very often we are asked what rods should be used, double or single-handed. Our opinion is that the double-handed rods are a definite advantage, especially in the early season.

During the latter part of June one can successfully use the single-handed rods.

The fisherman should expect to catch 1 to 3 fish daily and given their size and strength, they provide one with more then adequate doses of adrenaline to get through the day.

Far North!

Also it’s good to remember that being this far North, you can fish 24 hours a day and double these numbers.

Your guides will take you daily to fish the different pools and the boats prove very helpful as there are many miles of water to cover.

The Salmon

Most of the salmon ascending the Kola end up in the Kitsa — their spawning grounds. The Kitsa provides superb fishing in more intimate surroundings, as it is somewhat smaller than the Kola.

Temperatures!

Night air temperatures around this time range between 45 degrees Fahrenheit and reach into the 70 ies  during the day. Water temperature is typically between 45–60 degrees Fahrenheit.

First week of July

The first weeks of July sees higher air temperatures and lower water conditions. Grilse start running – adding numbers to the caught fish and sheer joy so typical for these juvenile leapers that eagerly grab your flies.

Towards the end of July the run tapers off, however the fishing remains strong as fish are plentiful throughout the entire river system.

Rising water and air temperatures can combine to create more challenging conditions. Smaller flies and stealthier approaches are the order of the day.

Dry fly fishing and the riffling hitch techniques come highly recommended at this time.