Thank you for your interest in the Kola Reserve on Russia’s remote Kola Peninsula. The Kola Peninsula is the world’s last great stronghold of wild Atlantic salmon, and the rivers of the Kola Reserve are the freshest addition to the big names of the north coast, which maintains a deserved reputation of being home to some of the largest Atlantic salmon in the world. The Kola Reserve is comprised of 2 rivers in this wild landscape, the Lumbovka and the Kachkovka, each unique and offering diverse angling opportunities throughout the week. You are in for a fantastic trip!
From the magnificent lodge built on the banks of the Lumbovka, you will be sitting roughly 70 miles north of the Arctic Circle, in the remote granite and tundra landscapes that the north coast is famous for. The camp is about 205 miles from the town of Murmansk, about an hour and a half’s flight from Murmansk in the workhorse of the skies, the powerful MI-8 Helicopter. This location is also just at the boundary between what is considered the Barents sea and the North Sea.
The fishing season on the Kola is relatively short, but the rivers of the Kola Reserve do have 2 distinct runs of fish, allowing for 2 different times of the year to be very productive to quality angling. The Spring season occurs just as the late melt runoff concludes in early June running until it gets too low and warm in the rivers to maintain quality fishing. The fish this time of year are big and bright, and what the north coast of the Kola is known for. The second season is special with a strain of large autumn run Osenka’s entering the rivers in late August and through September. These fish come in packed with energy to survive an 18 month stay in the fresh water before they spawn. These things are lightning bolts when hooked fresh from the sea.
With these rivers being new to the scene on the North Coast we are still learning what is normal and what potential they hold, but our first season scouting was amazing with what we witnessed firsthand. The average size of the fish was excellent, between 15 and 20 pounds in the spring season. We landed fish to just over 30 pounds, with a few more that were just too hot to handle and our scouting party swore would have tipped the scales higher. It is exciting to say the least, to think of the unknown potential in these rivers and what we will discover in the coming years as we get more time and flies swung through the pools. These rivers of the north coast are known for their powerful waters which produce powerful fish, but many of them can be intimidating to fish. The rivers of the Kola Reserve are the perfect size to be covered by fly anglers so you can be sure to get your fly in front of the monster salmon you came to shake hands with.
Headed out on your next adventure with us? The Fly ShopⓇ has you covered. As a thank you to our travel guests, enjoy 15% off all retail purchases for a year! — the perfect chance to gear up before your trip.
Whether it’s flies, leaders, apparel or a new rod and reel outfit, we’ve got everything you need to make your journey more comfortable, more successful, and more fun. (some exclusions apply)
