24th May 2005
We now have our three lower camps up and running for the
2005 season and Middle Varzuga has had a wonderful few days, 124
salmon were landed on the first day, increasing to a marvellous
214 salmon today. Added to this the camp is now in wonderful shape,
the new cabins have been very well received and the ice around the
duckboards is rapidly melting as we enjoy bright sunshine during
the day.
Temperatures have been in the mid teens today and the water temperature
has been rising steadily, peaking at 6 degrees today though dropping
at night due to a lack of cloud cover. The Varzuga is still high
and running fast though dropping equally quickly, averaging just
over a foot a day at this early stage and we are finding more of
the pools here at Lower Varzuga are becoming fishable as the water
drops past the bushes on the banks.In comparison to Middle
Varzuga's fishing records, Kitza and Lower Varzuga have been very
slow. Kitza are yet to land their first salmon and Lower are on
a total of 4 for the two days. The water is very high at both Lower
Varzuga and Kitza, though falling steadily, and we are fishing with fast
sinking lines to get down and find the running fish.
We expect to continue to need to use fast sinking lines for
the next week or so.Kitza, being lake fed, is a colder river than
the Varzuga and is running very high, though again this situation
is on the change and we expect to see the salmon within
the next day or so.
Charlie White writes: As you can see from the above
it is a mixed bag on the Varzuga and in reality the season is simply
a full week late. The latest phone call from the river this
morning told me that they have now landed their first fish
from Kitza which gives great encouragement as experience
tells us that once the first run starts in earnest it continues
apace. we can only look forward to further reports of great numbers
of fish being caught on the lower beats which will surely follow.
30th May 2005
After a slow start, which can be largely attributed to the late
breaking of the ice, the fishing at Lower Varzuga and Kitza really came into its own
towards the end of the week. We caught 218 at Lower and 76 at Kitza which was a superb
effort and was the result of some very fine fishing in difficult water conditions. The
weather has been quite extraordinary and fishing the Varzuga in shirt sleeves in the
middle of May was a new experience for most!
Middle Varzuga had a simply staggering week with 1,057 to ten rods.
The weather has now turned and the north wind we are experiencing is cold but so far it
has not adversely affected the fishing to any great degree.
We took 55 at Lower Varzuga yesterday, 35 at Kitza and 62 at Middle Varzuga which are
excellent scores. Pana had 5 salmon yesterday but sadly Upper did not connect, however
they did take 5 on the first afternoon and the fish are slowly but surely getting to those
higher camps.
Fishing continues to be most productive with sinking lines and tubes but with the water
temperature creeping up to 9 degrees today we hope that it will not be too long before we
make the switch to intermediate and floating lines. The air temperature is hovering at 8
degrees but the wind chill factor is making it feel significantly colder at present.
The birch buds are just beginning to open and the main run of fish has certainly started
and we look forward to bringing you more news soon.
6th June 2005
As we enter the middle phase of the third week of the season here at Lower
Varzuga the run of fresh fish continues.
Last week a team of 10 rods new to the river released 224 salmon at Lower Varzuga and
Kitza, and there was an excellent total of 293 for our returning team at Kitza and Lower
Varzuga. The water at both camps remained high for this stage of the season but is now
falling at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a day here at Lower Varzuga and it is wonderful to see
the details of the pools emerging as the water subsides. The warm weather these past two
days has already had an astonishing effect on the surrounding landscape, the birch and
pine trees opposite the camp have taken their summer colours and the grass has begun to
grow a fresh summer green and I expect that it will not be long before we are carpeted
with flowers.
With the Lower Varzuga and Kitza changeover tonight the respective fish scores this
morning currently stand at 71 for the Lower Varzuga group and 58 for Kitza's team.
Middle Varzuga's team of rods had a very successful last week and the camp is looking
immaculate now that all the ice and snow has completely melted. Our team of 10 rods caught
and released 423 salmon for their week prompting smiles and tired fishing arms all round.
For the first two days of this week, Middle have so far released 68 fish.
Our higher camps, Pana and Upper Varzuga have welcomed their second group of clients this
week and we look forward to seeing the catch statistics increase as the salmon run the
length of the river into these higher beats.
Pana has had a slower start to the season this year, releasing 36 fish to six rods for
their first week of the 27th May to 3rd June, evidence of the extraordinary weather
patterns on the south coast of the peninsula this year.
Upper Varzuga meanwhile released 94 salmon to a team of seven rods, the majority of which
were new to the river. A lovely fresh hen fish of around 16 lbs was released by Doug
Unkles whilst Paul Sullivan and Ben O'Connor were both set for celebrations after
releasing their first salmon. At this stage of the second week of the Pana and Upper
Varzuga season we are currently standing on a total of 28 at Pana and 26 at Upper Varzuga.
13th June 2005
Summer has now hit the Kola Peninsula with bright sunshine and temperatures
topping 24 degrees. The riverbanks have turned a brilliant green, a beautiful sight
against the backdrop of the pine and silver birch forests and mirrored by the dark waters
of the river. The Varzuga and its tributaries continue to drop at a steady level at a rate
of a few inches each day with a water temperature at the 15 degree mark.
We have now entered the second half of the final week for our lower beats, Lower
Varzuga and Kitza and it is again a shame to be closing Kitza so early. The fish are still
running in very good numbers fresh from the White Sea and catch statistics are hovering
between the 50 and 60 mark each day. At Lower Varzuga, our base camp, the fishing has
slowed significantly. Last week we released a total of 151 and for the first two days of
this last week the score currently rests at 10 for seven rods, some of whom are not only
new to the Varzuga but to salmon fishing itself though it is very heartening that some
Varzuga virgins are no more!
The Kitza meanwhile looks set to enjoy a bonanza week for this stage in the season.
Last week saw our rods release 177 salmon to a team of 10 rods and today sees a very
promising level of 126 in the first two days to a team of only 8 rods.
Middle Varzuga is still catching very good numbers, having released 360 last week and with
a standing score of 121 to our Belgian team of 10 rods in the two full fishing days since
their arrival on Friday 10th June. Two of our team at Middle Varzuga, Nicholas Graas and
Wilfrid de Brouwer released their very first salmon yesterday and from what I understand
the party more than matched the occasion.
The fishing at our upper camps, Pana and Upper Varzuga is flying along and is continually
improving. Last week Pana released 248 salmon in the day and a further 76 on Sunday 12th.
The Pana in summer is one of the most stunning rivers imaginable and it is a joy to have
such a successful day's salmon fishing whilst also getting an Arctic suntan!
Upper Varzuga have not yet returned such fantastic statistics but it is worth remembering
that all Varzuga things are relative; last week saw 122 salmon released including 39 on
the last day. So far, in the first two days of this week they currently stand on 56, with
30 released yesterday,Sunday 12th June.
There is no doubt that there is a smaller head of salmon in the river this season,
certainly in comparison to the extraordinary scores in 2004. Nonetheless a total of 1,058
is certainly not a slow week's salmon fishing !
20th June 2005
Kitza continues to fish extremely well, 126 fish to eight rods in the
first half of the week was increased to an excellent score of 169 to a team of ten rods
for the second half. |
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