Power cut

Yesterday was a really good day over all of the camps. Middle had their best day of the week and finished on 108 fish to their 12 rods. I asked Terry who had stood out from the crowd in terms of bigger catches etc and he simply replied "everybody" which was a nice sentiment but doesn’t help much!

William P-S on the Wires

Kitza also had their best day of the week and put 55 in the book. Tom M and Jamie K went all the way up to the top of the beat and fished their way down. Tom had a staggering day and finished with 18 to his rod.

Terry Malin, the Middle Varzuga manager

Pana is currently the model of consistency and they ended on 50 for their 8 rods. Ian S was the top rod with 15 fish in the day but with fish landed from Poachers Pines to Ponzoi, it looks very well set for the rest of the season.

Igor and Tolik ready for action this morning

Here at Lower we finished with 44 recorded. Bruce B and Brendan G continue to lead the way and furthermore have been out before breakfast and have already landed 6 between them. It has rained almost solidly for the past 24 hours but that has not a chance of dampening the spirits here and everyone has gone out with a real determination to make the most of the last day of the week.

Lucy M in a rare moment of sunshine yesterday

We are in the middle of a 36 hour power cut at Lower Varzuga at the moment. We have dusted off long forgotten generators and are all crowding around the one socket which has enough power to charge phones and computers. Radios are down and communication is by text so the fishing reports are a bit lighter than usual.

Our old generator - not something I expected us to be needing this season

That might also be the case over the weekend as on Saturday I am flying to Pana to spend some time in that camp. Bill Drury will be giving the fishing reports to Christopher Robinson who is currently in the UK and he will update the blog. I will be back on Tuesday when normal service should resume.

Charlie White

To Middle

Yesterday was a really changeable day in terms of the weather. Heavy showers were followed by blue skies which were then followed with monsoon like conditions. I managed to pick the key monsoon period to boat up to Middle to have dinner there. Over an inch fell in that hour and it is fair to say that I was quite pleased to get off the boat and into the warm dining room.

Lucy M with a lovely fish from Beach

The 12 rods there were in great spirits and we had a really good evening. They landed 96 for the day with David C the top rod on 15 fish. Donna’s theme was the 80’s with prawn cocktail as the starter, followed by roast pork and apple pie, all delicious and it was great to see everyone enjoying their week so much.

A full moon at 1am this morning

I got back at around 1am to find that most of our clients had gone to bed as a combination of wind and rain had meant a tiring day. We finished our day at Lower with 48 fish to the 9 rods.  John G-H is much missed and we look forward to seeing him next year. As predicted, Bruce B and Brendan G were our top rods but fish were caught from the top to the bottom of the beat.

Brendan G on the Wires last night

Kitza totalled 28 fish which was a bit slower than we might have expected. However, it sounds from the radio call this morning as if they got over that fact pretty quickly and a party in the kitchen went on into the very small hours of this morning. I could blame the radio reception but I think that the quiet voices that came through over the radio were more to do with a late night rather than atmospherics.

Kitza on Tuesday night - looks perfect

Pana carries on apace and they had a further 51 fish to their 8 rods. Benjamin B seems to be the man this week for the bigger fish and he took a cracking 16lber from Home pool. They have not started the float trip yet but Toby is seriously considering doing that either today or tomorrow as he boated up above camp yesterday and there are obviously fish all the way up there.

Michael G just before he flew to Kitza

This morning is grey and cold but Joe and Lucy M have been out early and landed a fish apiece before a slip and an exploded lifejacket put an end to that. Rearming took place during breakfast and everyone was at the boats on the dot of 9 o’clock, conscious that the week is flying by.

Charlie White

Kitza changeover

We run two weeks of the season where the rods at Lower Varzuga and Kitza swap over after 3 days of fishing. Everyone comments that it feels more like two trips as after the changeover it seems as if you have started a new holiday. The same was true last night. After the mandatory "how did you get on" between the rods changing camps, we flew back to Lower and everyone was raring to try the new water.

Not a bad idea as it turns out as Bruce B and Brendan G have managed to land 16 fish between them before they have set eyes on their guide this morning.

Lucy M on Kitza

Yesterday was a good day across all of the camps but the wind in the afternoon made life much harder than we would have preferred.

The 12 rods at Middle Varzuga finished their day with 75 fish in the book. Alan S and Jeremy H had 8 fish apiece to be the top rods which probably demonstrates how evenly the catches were spread.



Jamie K with his guide at Lower, Sergei

Pana continues to impress and the 8 rods there finished with an even 50 fish recorded. Benjamin B landed the biggest fish of the season so far from Choppy. 21lbs of silver was the perfect way to start the day but in a continuing theme, they lost lots of fish and the action was fast and furious.

The 10 rods who flew to Kitza last night finished with 32 for their last day at Lower. Tom M and Jamie K were the top rods with 7 and 6 fish respectively. We had a really productive morning but struggled with the upstream wind after lunch.

Tudor D on Jannaways

 "Every day was better than the last which is quite something given that the first day was the best day of my fishing life" was one of the comments from the rods we picked up at Kitza. They had ended with 38 in the book with William P-S landing 7 of them. They landed fish all the way up to Rackmans and it is simply stunning up there at the moment.

Tolik in a familiar pose

This morning is not so stunning with very heavy rain. Lunch will be back at camp as opposed to our normal picnic on the bank which can mean a later start to the afternoon than normal but with Brendan and Bruce determined to make the most of it, it seems unlikely that we will be delayed for too long.

Charlie White

Surface action

In a place that is all about salmon fishing it is not unsurprising that quite a lot of time is dedicated to discussing the best tactics, terminal tackle, the argument of nylon against fluorocarbon and many others. What is for sure though is that as our season goes on, we will move away from sinking and intermediate tips to full floaters. We are certainly approaching that time now.

Virginia W on Upper Sviats

Tom M had 8 fish for his morning, all of which took on the surface and as I watched him fish the Wires yesterday afternoon, he had any amount of fish come at his fly. A lot missed as they slashed at it too hard but it barely mattered as the end result was not so much about numbers in the book as it was the sheer enjoyment of seeing such aggressive takes.

In the end he finished the day on 14 fish, helping us toward 48 for our day. Virginia W is doing her best to keep her guide busy and was rewarded with 9 to her rod.

Feorder and Misha - lynchpins of Lower Varzuga

Kitza continues its upward curve and the 9 rods there finished on a tally of 45. Joe M, who has fished this river so many times, showed his knowledge of the beat and was the top rod with 12. They went down to the White Sea last night and whilst it was pretty cold, a few vodka toasts to the extraordinary environment down there certainly took the edge off.

Middle Varzuga continues to be ultra consistent. 76 fish were landed yesterday with Paul C the top rod on 11 fish. He also had a cracking fish of around 15-16lbs from the tail of Birthday. Otherwise their scores were very even across all of the rods and all of the beats are producing fish.

Rhodri D on 39 Steps

Pana has started with a bang. 54 was their total for the day with Doug U the top rod on 14. He landed 10 in his morning session at Ponzoi and his fishing partner Ian S was not far behind. Toby, the camp manager, can barely contain his enthusiasm over the radio and it is great to see them getting off to such a flyer.

It is a mixed today with plenty of blue sky but a cold wind. That has not put off our team who have already shared quite a few fish before breakfast and they are determined to make the most of it. Tonight we go to Kitza for the mid week changeover and I will try to bring some pictures from there.

Charlie White

All camps up and running

Our season on the Varzuga is a very short one. Lower is only open for 4 weeks, Pana the same whilst Kitza fishes for 5 weeks and Middle is open for 7 weeks. The reason for this is that we try to put rods on the river only when we believe that each camp will be at its best.

Therefore, when you have all 4 camps open at the same time as we have now, it is the moment for the river to come up trumps – it did yesterday.

Tudor D just before trying to swim the river rather than wade it

Pana opened their season with 31 fresh fish to the 8 rods. Often in the opening week the main head of fish haven’t quite got to camp and you need to boat down river to intercept them but yesterday they landed fish in and around camp as well as down at Ponzoi which is very encouraging. Domingo P was the top rod with 6 fish but it was a close run thing as to whether he was happier about that or about his beloved Barcelona’s football result!



Virginia W managing to look glamorous whatever the circumstances

Kitza has started to kick in as we would hope having been a bit stubborn so far. The 9 rods over there put 34 in the book with the greatest celebration being saved for Simon H who landed his first ever salmon. Bruce B was also quietly celebrating his own day having landed 9 to his rod.

Here at Lower Varzuga our team recorded 62 fish for the day. Catches were noticeably even across the board but the top rod was Michael S-D with 13 closely followed by Jamie K and Tom M who each landed 8.

Bob M with one of 5 he landed in the afternoon

Middle continues to do very well if not, by its own stellar standards, as well as we unfairly expect it to. 75 fish to 12 rods can only be described as a great day but there was a sense that the rods were having to work harder for their fish than they have in seasons past. Nothing wrong with that as, despite the numbers, no one who has fished here will tell you that it is easy fishing.

The team during dinner last night

Today is grey with a cold wind and for the first time our water temperature, 13 degrees, is warmer than the air (around 9 at the moment) Common wisdom dictates that this does not help the fishing but that did not stop Virginia W landing 2 fish this morning in about 20 minutes or Tom M and Patrick F also landing fish before breakfast. All the camps are up and running and it is all systems go.

Charlie White

A new week

Yesterday was a pretty busy day in Murmansk. We left camp at 7am and took our outgoing guests back to catch the charter flight back to Helsinki. Stories of fish landed, rods broken, sights that had been seen and a general catch up are a great way to start the day.

Lower Varzuga in the sun on Friday

The teams had a lot to talk about. The 12 rods at Middle Varzuga finished with 464 for their week. It sounds ridiculous but in some ways we all felt that the figure was a bit smaller than we might have expected. The 9 rods who fished Lower Varzuga before Kitza finished with 341 in the book whilst the "opposing" team of 10 rods recorded 407, remarkably consistent fishing.

Swans flying over us yesterday

Having waved goodbye to them, we awaited the incoming clients. It quickly became apparent that some had lost their bags. Not a good situation in anyone’s eyes and the team needed to think quickly on their feet. Several texts and phone calls later and everyone was kitted out and on the river. New waders, rods and jackets were sourced from our base camp and some remarked that they were going fishing looking a lot smarter than they had anticipated.

Maryke and Bill setting up lunch

As ever, a few fish under your belt makes most situations feel rather better and Michael S-D proved the point by going up to Wires last night and landing 5 before dinner.

Jamie K has also landed 5 fish before he meets his guide and with reports of fish landed from Kitza, Middle and Pana, the week has started as we would hope and I look forward to bringing you more news from here tomorrow.

Charlie White

Where did that go?

There is something very odd about experiencing 24 hour daylight. The days never end and roll into one another with barely a notice period. It may be something to do with that which explains why time goes so fast and it is hard to believe that we are just about to embark on our last day of the week already.

The one thing for sure is that when the fishing is like this, it is sensible to make the most of it and our team at Lower have been doing just that. Some get up early in the morning, some fish after guided hours and some fish after supper with the result being that there is barely a minute when someone is not fishing. All of which led to a further 110 fish being landed yesterday to the 10 rods. Stuart L emerged as the top rod with 22 to his rod for the day but was closely followed by Craig C and Marc W.

Douglas B on Heli

 Marc "retired" his own tied fly last night, the Finn’s Gold, once it had landed 40 fish – not bad for one fly. Whilst the young guns put in the hours, it has been Douglas B who has caught the selector’s eye and at the age of 80, he decided not to come into dinner last night as he wanted to carry on fishing. A final tally of 17 was deemed sufficient before he came in.

Craig C with one of 20 he landed yesterday

Middle Varzuga is beginning to show signs of normal service being resumed and they finished with 103 to their 12 rods. Peter W accounted for 17 of those whilst John R and Jim F had 11 and 10 fish respectively. Terry reports fish all the way from Party to Korevi Pots and that they saw plenty more fish.

Glenn, our fixer of everything, in the sun this morning

Kitza surprised us a bit. We would normally expect catches to go on an upward curve from day one but they landed 19 fish to the 9 rods which was a bit lighter than we would have hoped. Much like Middle, their numbers will climb steadily. A later than usual response to the radio call by Ollie this morning betrayed the rather obvious fact that it was Craig P’s birthday yesterday and it seemed likely that one of Kitza’s legendary kitchen party’s had been much enjoyed.

Stuart L, soaked but happy

Proving that the weather can do what it likes this far north, it is a stunning day today with not a cloud in the sky. Graham , Paul, Stuart and Douglas were out this morning and have all landed fish before coming in for breakfast so we hope for more of the same. It is an early start tomorrow morning so the next blog will be on Sunday when I will try and round up what we have finished with for this week – it is going to take some tallying.

Charlie White

Personal bests

There have been times in the past when I have got very frustrated with the camp manager at Middle Varzuga. Every morning and evening, at an agreed time, we radio each other to ensure that everything is going well and to find out about the days fishing. Not unnaturally, one of the key points is to find out how many fish have been caught that day. Very often the manager at Middle will tell me he doesn’t know, is not sure or that he hasn’t spoken to everyone which can be quite frustrating. I now take it all back.

Paul P with one of 10 he landed yesterday

The team here are fishing every hour that they can and keeping track of where everyone is and what they have caught is almost impossible. However, after finally rounding them all up we deduced that the 10 rods had landed 124 fish in the day. Personal bests were being broken on what felt like an hourly basis but in the end Graham J was the top rod with 21, Craig C landed 20, Marc W had 19 and various others reached double figures for the first time.

Graham J - top rod with 21 fish for his day

We landed fish up and down the river but our bottom beats are still the most productive. We are now fishing with intermediate tips, half inch tubes and at times, size 6 flies. Next week will probably see us switching entirely to floating lines and fly sizes will decrease but as ever, we are in the far north and making any firm predictions about what next week will hold is not always the best policy.

John M on Moskoi Island

Kitza had another 22 fish for their day with Craig P landing a beautiful fish of around 15lbs from Sashas. They decided to explore the upper river a bit more yesterday which was a great success. They knew that there were probably more fish below the camp but were prepared to forego the extra numbers to fish in such a stunning place.

Middle Varzuga finished with 69 in the book which is without doubt a great days fishing but was a bit slower than we might expect given what we landed here. Theories abound as you can imagine and it is simply a matter of time before the main run hits that camp but in the meantime there is a certain swagger to the guides at Lower knowing that they are outfishing what is normally the most productive camp.

Stuart L on Jannaways

This morning has seen a complete change in the weather and it is currently pouring with rain. The least bothered about that is probably our 80 year old veteran, Douglas B, who found that he was awake at 5am. Deciding that he just as well fish as stare at the ceiling he landed 5 fish before breakfast and has given us all the lead for the day.

Charlie White

Pana and Kitza

Yesterday was a busy day in the helicopter. We first took Toby and Beanie up to Pana and as ever, it was great to catch up with the team of guides and camp staff who have been there for so long.

The river looks perfect up there with Hippo Rock just showing, they had got five boats ready to go, the cabins are up and running and now we just need to add rods.

Pana from the air

Following that we took the team who had been fishing here at Lower over to Kitza and swapped over with the 10 rods who have been fishing over there. We try to do the changeover quite quickly as otherwise it can feel as if everyone is hanging around a bit but there is inevitably some delay as tactics are swapped, beats discussed and advice freely given.

Alicia, Arlena, Toby, Natasha and Beanie at Pana

There was much advice to go around as the 9 rods at Lower put a further 63 fish in the book yesterday with Stephen T having his best day of 13 from Sviats and Moskoi.

At Middle Varzuga they seemed to suffer from a mid week lull and the scores during the guided hours were not that spectacular but the home pools of Generator and Bear saved the day and the 12 rods finished with 62 recorded. Jim F, having not been out here for 7 years, remembered what he was doing and finished with 14 for his day.

Eric W with one of 28 fish he landed in 3 days at Lower

Kitza had a slightly slower day and they finished with 22 and a lot of those fish came from Reel and Spey. As soon as we had landed at Lower the team had their rods up and were fishing the home pools. It was clear that dinner was going to be delayed so we had a staggered evening as everyone came in when either tired or sated.

Marc W made the best of it and landed 10 fish from Wires whilst also losing a further 9 more. His shell shocked expression when he came back in is the kind of reaction we are all hoping to see.

Kitza last night, still quite high

This morning is bright but there is a tough upstream wind. Not that that mattered to Craig C who went out before breakfast and took 2 fish from Heli. Everyone was bang on time for breakfast and the enthusiasm levels are as high as I have seen – let’s hope for more of the same today.

Charlie White

Up to Middle

After an extremely successful day’s fishing at Lower, I went up to Middle Varzuga to visit the team there for dinner. It takes about 45-50 minutes to get there by boat and whilst wrapped up as best I could, I was pretty cold by the time we got there and was grateful that Terry and Donna had got the fire blazing and the drinks ready.

Hayward F with one of 17 he landed yesterday

They had had a very good day and finished with 93 fish for their total. In amongst the fresh fish they landed, they had also lost roughly the same again, landed twice as many kelts, accounted for 4 decent sized pike and an endless succession of biggish grayling – it was clear that they had been very busy all day. A delicious dinner ensued which certainly kept me much warmer on the way back.

Getting back at just after midnight normally means that you return to a quiet camp but last night there were a few who were keen to celebrate their day and they were right to do so.

Snakes at Peartiha pool at Middle

103 fresh fish to 9 rods is a superb day of sport and it seemed a shame not to mark it with a few vodkas. Hayward F had comfortably the most productive day of his fishing life and accounted for 17 fish whilst Craig P put 20 more in the book.

At Kitza the team landed 32 for their day and again, the catches were spread very evenly although Jo A was the top rod with 7 fish landed from Reel and Camp pools. We will fly over there tonight for the weekly changeover and I will try and take some pictures of the water height for those of you coming later in the season.

Craig P with the perfect springer at Moskoi

Today we will take Toby and Beanie to Pana with the Russian team and set up that camp which will welcome its first guests on Saturday. Having spent time at Lower learning the ropes, Toby is raring to go and to have charge of his own camp.  Beanie was here last year which is always a massive help as it can be daunting being dropped in the middle of the tundra and being told to get on with it.  Having seen it all before makes it much easier.

Toby and Beanie - looking forward to welcoming their first guests of the season

It is a beautiful day for flying with a blazing sun and very little wind. The bright sun does not seem to affect the fishing as you might expect as there is always a peaty tint to the water. This has been proved by Craig P already landing another fish before breakfast so we seem set for another good day.

Charlie White

P.S. A very happy birthday to Braydyn Whalen from his Dad, Marc

Have faith

It doesn’t matter how cool you try to be or how many times you look at the statistics of the river over the years, there is always an underlying doubt as to what you will find year on year. Will the fish run, will they be there in the numbers you hope and more to the point, will they play ball?

The answer is that we should show more faith in the river. Yes, one year will be different from another and catches may vary but the remarkable thing about this river is its underlying consistency.

Ken B on Moskoi Island

Yesterday was a case in point. We started with the brightest of bright sunshine, then had some really cold showers combined with a pretty unpleasant upstream wind, none of which seemed to make much difference.

Here at Lower our nine rods (John, you are much missed) put 95 fish in the book. A very good day by any measure but we lost twice as many more and the action was fast and furious. Michael E demonstrated his knowledge of the beat by landing 20 to his rod and Mark E made the most of an afternoons session on Moskoi to finish with 16 for his day.

Craig P on Bear Island

At Middle Varzuga, the 12 rods accounted for 76 more, with fish being landed from Birthday pool all the way up to Korevi Pots. Given that Lower’s most productive pool has been at the bottom of the beat it would indicate that the main run of fish is only just starting and it seems likely that the catches at Middle have just begun the upward curve that we are so used to seeing.

Michael E with one of 9 he took from Larder

Kitza has started really well and they accounted for 32 fish with Graham J the top rod having landed 8 fish from Spey Pool. Ollie reported a very happy camp with fish landed below and above Clay View.



Sue C on Bear Corner - one of the 11 she landed yesterday

Today is grey and cold but that did not deter Sue C who went out this morning and landed 6 fish from Heli pool in an hour and a half. Craig P joined her and took 3 fish on his spilt cane rod – not a bad way to start the day.

Charlie White

Old friends

As ever, it is great to be back on the Varzuga. We are only here for a short period of the year but we have been doing it a long time and firm friendships have been made.

After too long counting down the days, it is always a real pleasure to walk into the Helsinki Hilton and see so many familiar and friendly faces at the bar. Aware that it is a very early start in the morning, we do all try to make a token effort to be sensible but it never seems to work out that way.

Ken L with a chunky fish landed on Friday

Flying into camp is another moment to catch up with all of the guides and staff who we know so well. The Russians have a reputation for being dour but no one who steps off the helicopter, to be greeted by bear hugs and huge smiles, could ever go along with that.

We landed in brilliant sunshine and it was not long before the first rods were out on the river. Whilst Saturday is really only a bonus day, there are always the home pools to fish and most, if not all, want to take advantage of that.

Midnight last night

 At Lower Varzuga we landed 21 fish before dinner which was a fantastic start. Everyone is normally pretty tired on the first night as it is a long day of travel but the energising effect of a river full of salmon certainly worked its magic and it was not the earliest night we have ever had.

Up at Middle, the extremely experienced team were pretty much in their waders before I had taken off in the helicopter to come back to Lower. They too had over 20 by the time they came in for supper and knowing the rods who fish this week, I suspect they would have had some more after that and some before breakfast this morning.

Rods raring to go this morning

Kitza opens this week and it looks great. It is still quite high but is dropping in really nicely. The rods landed 4 fish in and around camp last night and Ollie reported more being landed early this morning. The new showers and refurbishment of the camp has made it look much smarter but it retains all of its charm.

Craig P with his own design hat. Russian writing to spell Varzuga

We start this morning in bright sunshine and having already landed quite a few fish before breakfast; everyone has gone out with a real sense of hope and excitement.

Charlie White

Stable River

It has remained pretty mild for this time of year and the forecast looks reasonably settled for next week. Varzuga veterans will know how changeable it can be up here and you really do need to be prepared for that cold North wind that on occasions catches us out. I use http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:00000.1.22324 which gives you the forecast at Umba, some 130 km to the west of here.  Like all forecasts you just need treat it as only an indication of what the weather will be; keep your warm gloves and hat in your day pack!

Lunch Pool at Lower Camp yesterday

We had a benign, warm spring day on Thursday. There is a distinct hint of spring in the air and boating down from Middle Camp in the morning we passed skeins of ducks, geese and two pairs of swans all heading north to their breeding areas. The ravens opposite us at Lower Camp have started on their nest – about 5 days later than last year for some reason.

Signs of Spring

The water temperature this morning is 9⁰C and we are debating moving on to intermediate tips, or perhaps even trying floating lines on the shallow tails of some of the pools. Yet the river remains high, we had a few hours of heavy rain in the evening,  and this morning the river is steady, no drop overnight; so the general consensus is to stay with medium sinking tips just now. I suspect that next week, if the river drops off a few more inches, then we can start the change to floating lines.

Geoff F and Sergey setting off this morning

At dinner last night the Lower Camp team of eight were really chuffed to have banked 69 salmon and to have got well ahead of Middle Camp who had a duller day and finished on 40. Not quite sure why that was – something to do with the party on Wednesday night?

Jonathan B with a bright spring salmon at Lunch Pool

Earlier in the week the salmon seemed to be holding back below Morskoy Rapids at Lower Camp however with the increase in water temperature they are starting to run in real numbers and we can see them splashing through to thier way upstream. Toby Burrell, the Pana Fishing Manager is out here this week and willing the salmon on up river to Pana which we will commence fishing on 30 May.

Kitza from the helicopter yesterday

I went over to Kitza in the afternoon to see Ollie and Rosie and to drop off more supplies. They had landed a couple of salmon from Camp Pool and Sasha’s, the river is dropping in slowly and remains at about 5⁰C – if you are fishing Kitza next week expect it to be higher and colder than Varzuga. You ought to have at least a medium sinking tip and a handful of heavy flies. We have suitable flies in camp if you get caught out!

Christopher Robinson