Salmon Junkies 2012 season in Grand Varzuga turned out overwhelming well. We landed in only 3 weeks astonishing 731 Salmon. We got 131 Salmon between 10 – 15 Lbs and 6 Salmon between 16 – 19 Lbs. Several really big Salmon where lost weekly (All fish was caught on floating line).
Top rod Stephane Warnier caught 65 Salmon during his week, and several rods average 45 Salmon during their stay. What amazed me was how powerful almost all the Salmon was. Even smaller 6 – 7 Lbs salmon stripped us often for 80 – 100 meters of backing in the first run, and some fish even manage to do it twice. Our beat on Grand Varzuga belong to some of the most beautiful fly water on Varzuga, with fast rapids sections, and Hundreds of pools and pockets sandwiched in between. Grand Varzuga are the most prestigious and remote part of Varzuga river.
Grand Varzuga is located approx. 12 km upstream the Pana tributary. Here the river is medium sized, 30 to 65 metres wide with numerous of fast runs and rocky parts, which provides awesome holding pools. There are also 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 in May / June.
Grand Varzuga is for sure a place where you run a high “risk” of turning into a real Salmon Junky in just one week. Not the worst addiction to have!
