Here is the report of my trip to Kharlovka / Litza Wk 22 2007.
Due to this being the first week of the season the normal travel package from Stockholm to Murmansk was not available so we had to make our own way there which added to the excitement and also meant that we got to see a little of Russia too. Our party consisted of Me and Lawrence form England, Rob and Derek from (team) Scotland and Rhodri from Wales. The boys from Scotland and Wales traveled to Lancashire on the Wednesday so that we could catch the flight from Manchester to Moscow via Zurich early on the Thursday morning. Lawrence however had to work all day Thursday and would not get into Moscow until 2am Friday where we would all later meet up.
The flight to Zurich went well apart from being delayed 10 minutes which meant that that catching the connecting flight would be close as we only had 30 minutes in which to do this. We made the 10 minutes back during the flight due to a tail wind but air traffic control had us circle the airport for 15 minutes due to congestion on the runway. This gave us 15 minutes to make the connecting flight where we ran from one end of the airport to the other and preyed that our luggage and especially the fishing gear had made it onto the plane, we got onto the plane out of breath just as the gate was closing and to say that were relieved was an understatement.
On arrival in Moscow we were pleased to see all our luggage coming round on the baggage carousel and then went to get a taxi to the hotel. Once a price had been agreed we set off and this is where the white knuckle ride began. We were leaving the airport just after rush hour and there were 7 lanes of traffic on a 4 lane motorway and nobody appeared to have taken any driving lessons or read the highway code recently. I had forgotten that Lada's still existed as I had not seen one in the UK for 10 years or so. I lost count of the number or near misses that we had and was very glad once we had reached the hotel even though it did take 2 hrs 30 mins.
The next morning we had to get up early to catch the Aeroflot flight to Murmansk and it was the same story in the taxi's again. We met up with Lawrence at the airport and had 3 hours to kill as the flight had been delayed. We were running a little low on Rubles and needed to change some Dollars but the was no where to do the in the section of the airport that we were in so we clubbed together and had a breakfast of beer and chocolate, better than cornflakes and comes highly recommended.
On arrival at Murmansk everything started to look familiar and I was relieved that we didn't have to go through customs there as we were on an internal flight. A minibus had been arranged to take us to our hotel and we sat in amazement as we drove through Murmansk, it looks far worse than we had imagined. We turned a corner then out of the blue there is a 4* hotel which would not look out of place in in Major UK city. After checking in we decided to have a beer or 2 which ended up turning into a 14 hour bender, it was a great night its just a pity not all the group can remember it.
A pic of the boys 6 hrs into the session. From left to right, Derek, Rhodri, Lawrence, Rob, Me (Dave)
I cant remember being woken up at 9am after only 4 hours sleep but was soon aware that I had to be in the hotel lobby quick smart. By now all 10 of the group which consisted of 2 Americans, 2 Swiss, 1 Swede and us 5 were eager to board the helicopter and fly out to the camp.
I was starting to feel really hung over as the helicopter flight seemed to go on for ages and I kept looking at a window that opened as I could sense that I was close to being sick the only things keeping me going was the fishing that lay a head and the fact that Marc one of the Americans looked worse than I felt and that I would not be able to live it down if I was sick in or out of the helicopter.
Views from the helicopter as we flew over the tundra toward the Kharlovka camp. Most of the lakes were still frozen so we knew that the water temps would be low.
On arrival at camp we picked our rooms and selected our fishing partner for the week and were given a guide and then flew out by helicopter to our beat for the first day, well half day. The river was running at +1.27m which was a record high for the camp and the water temp was down at 0.7c. Me and Rhodri were to fish Litza left bank, the nerves were rising and the hangover was fading but everything was to be dashed on arrival to the river. Due to the warm weather some of the large frozen lakes upstream had broken and the river was unfishable due to the amount of ice flowing down the river, a little bit like grue only these were icebergs the size of cars and were totally unstoppable if you hooked one, its quite surprising just how good a hook hold you can get on ice and just how hard 35lb seaguar is to break.
To put this pic into perspective the river is about 80 yds wide and flowing very fast.
When we arrived back at camp we discovered that Marc was still hungover but had managed to land his first ever Atlantic salmon after 10 minutes of starting, the fish weighed in at an impressive 27lbs.
On the second day we fished Kharlovka but the only action that I had was with the kelts. The unusual thing about these kelts is that most are still coloured and look much fatter than they do in the UK and that there is a 50/50 split between cocks and hens. Rob and Derek had had some great action on the Litza landing 2 fish of 15lbs and 18lbs plus numerous kelts as the ice had all but gone.
On the 3rd Day we were on Litza Right bank and on the very first cast I was into a fish which came off as did the next 2, these fish were probably kelts as the river was stuffed with them. The next fish that stayed on was a kelt that put up a good fight. 2 casts later I was in again only this time the fish stayed deeper and did 4 or 5 big runs and took about 10 minutes to land after some serious pressure applied with the B&W Norway.
This fish weighed in at 15lbs.
Two casts later I lost the fly on a snag and had to use a similar pattern which proved to be just as effective as within 5 minutes I was in again to something solid which wanted to head to sea until I persuaded it otherwise, not as heck-tic as the first fight but a deep and dogged fight non the less.
Almost identical to the first and weighing in at the same weight of 15lbs.
What a start to the day, only been fishing for an hour and 2 spring fish plus a kelt or 2 on the bank which was great considering the last 12 months of salmon fishing has been about as lean as it has been since I took up the sport. The next few hours were very quiet and then all of a sudden the fish came back on the take and I caught 2 sea trout of 2.5lbs and 4lbs and some more kelts (bloody nuisance). Back to camp for the evening meal and the nightly ritual of getting hammered.
Due to the camp being under capacity there was one spare beat every day and Justin the camp manager decided that we should draw straws to give 1 group the option of swapping beats if they wished. The beat on offer for the following day was Litza right where most of the action had been and where we had just returned from. I decided to draw first as the odds were higher and to give the other guests a chance as we had been there that day. I drew the winning straw, my luck was in and I was hundreds of miles from a lottery machine, maybe not so lucky after all.
Day 4 we were back on the litza and things had slowed right down with takes very few and far between. My guide suggested that we walk upto Reindeer pool and fish until dinner time.
View upto Reindeer pool.
I went through the pool 3 times, each time with a different fly and then on the 4th run through the pool, wham a real solid take. The fish took line straight away as if it were foul hooked and then it stopped and sulked with the occasional thump of the head and then slowly it started to come back up the pool but then shot downstream as soon as I was level with it. You have no idea how big these fish are as then can hold in the fast current with maximum pressure applied and they can strip line off the reel like you have no drag applied. After 10 minutes I had not seen the fish and started to wonder if this was the monster that I had come for. I started to gain line on the fish and slowly but surly I got it to the net.
This fish weighed 16lbs and gave a very good account of its self.
The next day was quite slow for us although others were hooking some serious fish fish with many tales of fish running 200 to 300 metres with maximum drag applied, great fun for those involved but disappointing that none were landed. Lawrence had the story of the day when he had to play a fish 100 feet up a steep shale banking only for his line to snag and then snap loosing a shooting head, running line and some backing and possibly the fish of a lifetime.
On the next to last day Rhodri hooked into a fish which gave a good fight and was landed about 100m downstream from where it was hooked and it tipped the scales at 18lbs.
The weather started to take another turn. This time for the worse, over the week we had had sun,rain,wind,snow and a bitter cold wind.
About 2 hours after Rhodri had caught his fish we went down river to just above the tide. After about 10 minutes of fishing both me and Rhodri both felt something a little strange on the end of our lines. Rhodri pulled in some black running line and my fly was also attached to the same line 30 yds upstream. i was pretty sure that this was the line that Lawrence had lost 2 days ago and was seriously contemplating tying the line to mine just in case the fish was still on. It took us 10 minutes and a bit of deep wading by the guide to free all the line but we get it all back including the fly but the fish was gone and the hook straightened. We gave Lawrence the line that night as we boarded the helicopter back to camp and he could not believe that we had managed to find his line, a great momento of the one that got away.
On the last day I was so tired for the hard fishing and drinking that had been done I was struggling to muster the energy to and enthusiasm to cast. On the 5th cast i got the most savage take I have ever has whilst salmon fishing, it was like a savage sea trout take only with more weight, line shot off the reel and I lifted but there was nothing there. I decided to check the hook and it was bent beyond belief and the ally tube was bent with a big flat spot in the middle. i have heard of fish doing this but never experienced it myself or know anyone else that this has happened to.
This is what happened to the size 4 loop double, the hook is still pin sharp although its hard to get this on the photo. I tried for over an hour with different flies going through the lie and never got another take or touched bottom no matter what line or tube I put on. We then walked down to Military pool which is one tough walk. It may only be 1/2 to 3/4 mile walk but boy its hard going, there are huge rocks to negotiate and you are forever going up and down the hill side and never staying on the same height.
This is the view down to Military pool. and we were fishing on the opposite bank (left)
No more fish were caught by me or Rhodri but when we got on the helicopter we found out that Steve had caught a 38lb fish on the Kharlovka. On returning to camp a great party was had by all and many vodka's were sampled that night. A great end to a great weeks fishing, not the most fish but without doubt the best trip I have ever been on.
A group pic as we prepared to fly out of camp back to Murmansk airport.
From left to right - Thomas, Beat, Lawrence, Diego, Me, Rhodri, Derek , Rob, Justin (camp manager), Marc, Steve who some will recognize.
On the way home from Moscow we had a whistle stop tour of Red Square at 4.30am on the way to the airport.
Sorry for the poor quality shot but it was quite dark and I ain't too good with the camera.
Now I am back home saving for the next trip and plucking up the courage to tell the wife that I will be off again sometime.
