This summer second part of June – we went for a little test trip to Upper Varzuga since we have been looking at this destination for quite a while. After 5 hours drive from Umba we entered the waiting MI8 and off we went all excited for new adventures. The river was very low and things did not look too good. 8 hours later = 15 fish landed, many lost, what a day. Many fish between 8-12 pound, thereby the new name Grand Varzuga, in which we have renamed and with a good reason. All the BIG fish of the entire Varzuga watershed actually ends up here for spawning which make it such a unique place!’
We have managed to get full exclusivity on a long-term lease of more than 30 km of the most attractive and enjoyable salmon fishing on the Kola Peninsula from 2012.
Varzuga river system has one of the largest salmon run in the world, and therefor it belong to one of the most popular and fantastic salmon rivers on The Kola. This charming section of the river will give us access to the most prestigious and remote part of Varzuga; from the Yzia tributary down to the junction with Pana River. The programme will combine the best from the Varzuga watershed with a two-day adventure, where you will float the river from Yzia River down to the Pana River.
Name your own Pool!
Varzuga is a very popular river with anglers from all over the world. No wonder considering the catch records, amazing scenery and wonderful fly fishing pools. Grand Varzuga as we call the camp is located approx. 12 km upstream the Pana tributary. Here the river is medium sized, 30 to 65 metres wide with numerous fast runs and rocky parts, which provides awesome holding spots. There are also slower and deeper parts, where some of the largest Varzuga fish tend to hold. The biggest salmon of Varzuga are actually ‘designed’ to reach this part of the river. Close to the camp there is plenty of good fly fishing water. Not all of the pools have been ‘discovered’ yet, so you could still manage to have a pool named after you!
Unique program – best of the best!
Our Grand Varzuga programme is very unique since you get to fish and explore the whole river: On Day 1 and 2, half of the 10 rod group will be flown by helicopter, 15 km upstream and float from the top beat down to the camp and be ready for dinner. The second half of the group will fish/float from the camp and down to the Pana tributary. On Day 2, the two teams will rotate all of the above, very exiting. You will enjoy amazing scenery during the trip and have the most wonderful pools to fish along the entire beat. The rest of the week the group will fish the entire beat upstream and downstream and transport will be by jet boat.
What to expect?
What to expect? Well please read this statement from Kola veteran and Hard Core salmon angler Philip Bowden-Smith – Philip was one of the first foreign anglers fishing Kola peninsula more than Twenty years ago.
“Steffen – Great news! Grand Varzuga must be the best fly water on the system, although some of the Pana is lovely as well. I remember it still so well that, when I can’t sleep, I can start 12kms above camp on what we knew as Mikes Pool (named after our dear friend Mike Savage) and fish every lie down to Poachers Hut. In fact, on the last day of the last year we fished there, I walked all the way up to Mikes Pool (it was hot and river was low so boats were out), and caught 27 fish in that one pool and I never finished it ! Steffen Please pencil me in for 4 rods”
Like our Ponoi and Umba programme, this programme is priced at nearly one third of the price of other programmes in Varzuga and you get triple the experience.
Ready for a lift off?
Join Salmon Junkies with our new Varzuga program, and believe us, when we say that you can learn more about Atlantic salmon fishing in a single week on the Varzuga than you will in a lifetime of fishing Norwegian or Scottish rivers.
Grand Varzuga is a very versatile beat on the Varzuga system, fulfilling the wishes and dreams of all anglers – the beat is so remote you will feel as if you have made it to Salmon heaven and when you come home, Grand Varzuga will be in your dreams forever, perhaps with your name on the pool!
Ready for a lift off to Grand Varzuga? Not convinced yet?…. watch this….
Hope to see you in Junky World 2012!
Please contact Steffen Juhl for bookings or further enquiries at sj@salmonjunkies.com
All the best,
Steffen & Kåre