Aardvark McLeod

A new Russian salmon fishing operator called Salmon Junkies has just become operational for the 2010 season. The company is owned and run by Danish salmon fishing enthusiast Steffen Juhl whom many UK fishermen will have met on Russia’s Kola Peninsula. Steffen has managed various camps on the Peninsula for eighteen seasons and he intends to initially focus his new operation on spring and summer weeks at the Acha Camp on the Ponoi and a mainly autumn program on the river Umba. We are pleased to announce that Aardvark McLeod will be his exclusive UK agent for these rivers.

Our expert on Russia, Peter Baxendale, says “I have worked with Steffen Juhl for eight seasons at Umba, Acha and Brevyeni and there is no doubt he is the most knowledgeable and efficient operator on the tundra”. Steffen is looking to offer good value for money with sensibly priced programs that will come in a lot lower than some other operators on the Kola. The spring weeks at Acha average between 40 and 60 fish per rod and you get single accommodation in a timber cabin rather than a tent. The autumn at Umba should see rods catch 10 to 15 fresh run bars of silver per rod at a cost of under £3,600 per rod offering the best value for money salmon fishing on the Kola.

Acha Camp, Ponoi River

As one of the world’s most prolific Atlantic salmon rivers the Ponoi has long captured the imagination of those who have spent weeks on the water in Scotland for not much return. Acha Camp certainly lived up to its reputation this year by producing 407 fish to 6 rods in one of our June weeks giving an average of 67 fish per rod for the week.  Jet boats are used to move between beats, but it is not necessary to fish from them if not desired; wading is the preferred method for most British fishermen. Prime weeks in June will be from £7,470 per rod including international flights and hotel in Helsinki.

Ponoi River – Acha camp – Weekly 10 rods
22–29 May
29 May–5 June
5–12 June
12–19 June
19–26 June
26 June–3 July
3–10 July
10 –17 July
17 –24 July
24 – 31 July

Umba River
The Umba River rises north of the Arctic Circle in the middle of the Kola Peninsula and flows due south through tundra and taiga until it empties into the White Sea. The system is lake and swamp fed and a lack of water is never a problem. With a long season, late May until early October, the Umba and its tributary, the Krivetz, have up to five separate runs of barrel shaped salmon each season. The river is accessed from Murmansk by a four hour road journey in a comfortable VW minibus and the programme is not reliant on expensive helicopter flights. Prime weeks in September will be from £3,575 per rod excluding international flights.

Umba River - Weekly 8 – 10 rods
Summer weeks
19-26 June
26 June-3 July
Autumn weeks
21-28 August
28 August-4 September
4-11 September
11-18 September
18-25 September
25 September -2 October
2-9 October
9-16 October

I have just returned from the River Umba on the south coast of the Kola Peninsula. I fished it in the late 90s for a number of years in June and July but I had always wanted to fish it in the autumn. The Umba got bad press when the Loop boys pulled out in the mid 2000s - there was increased poaching activity and the catches became very inconsistent. It was also known as “that river with big grayling”.

Well some things have changed and others have not – firstly the road from Murmansk to Umba has improved enormously so it now only takes four hours opposed to five and a half. The four hours included a 20 minute pit stop in the great metropolis of Kandalasha on the route out where a welcome can of Carlsberg was produced followed by a not so welcome plastic beaker of Russian Brandy! Our driver was done for speeding on the way back and that also took 20 minutes to sort out. One of the major pluses about Umba is you don’t need to pay for expensive Choppers.

The Russian proprietors have got the message about poaching and now employ a private security firm to patrol the river. They have also built a Lodge above the mouth of the river for Russian anglers and they can keep an eye on any suspicious activity in the environs. Paying Russian fishermen tend to be happy catching a couple of fish a day and they are not too bothered if it is a salmon, pike, trout or grayling! It is more about the party and there is no finer lodge than the upstream Umba Lodge to have one in. The lodge is comfortable with single and twin bedrooms with ensuite shower, loo and basin. There is electric light and heating, satellite TV and sadly both mobiles and blackberries work. The food was excellent and a roaring log fire was most welcome after a day’s hard graft on the river.

You are never going to catch Varzuga-like numbers of fish at Umba but one is going there for the quality of fish and the beauty of the scenery. The week before us saw 59 fish landed to five rods. My party of five caught 50 for our week with one of the rods missing two days. 80% of the fish were spanking fresh with sealice on, and the biggest were around 20 pounds. The majority of fish were between 12 and 16 pounds with a fair number lost in the powerful Krivetz tributary.

The Krivetz is serious off road territory and you have to walk upto 35 minutes to reach some pools. It is a great programme for those who like to work for their fish. Some days you may blank but others you may catch four bars of silver and they can be a serious handful in this powerful section of the system. The scenery in the autumn was more stunning than I was expecting with the aspens, rowans and birches all turning at the same time. Most of the migratory birds had left for warmer climes but the white-tailed eagle was much in evidence along with some extremely fresh bear droppings!

The Umba is not for everybody but it is a comparatively cheap way of fishing in Russia for those who like comfort along with a bit of adventure. You are certainly unlikely to catch ten to fifteen fresh autumn fish back in the UK to your own rod for less than £3,000. And yes- you will catch a large number of grayling and some may be as big as three pounds! All in all a great trip and well worth considering for 2010.

Travel from the UK via St Petersberg to Murmansk (modern Boeing aircraft) or via Moscow is certainly cheaper (c. £550) than the Helsinki Finnair charter at $1,400. On the return leg I had time to visit the Catherine Palace and have lunch in the Tower restaurant which is a great spot 20 minutes from the Airport.