The Ponoi
The Ponoi River needs little introduction from a fishing perspective. If you fish for salmon, you will already know of the Ponoi and its reputation as one of the finest if not the finest Atlantic salmon rivers in the world. To fish, the Ponoi is like entering a time warp and returning to our home rivers when there were at their very finest. If you have ever wondered what the fishing was like on the Spey two hundred years ago, it may have come close to the Ponoi, albeit not as wild or remote. No other Atlantic salmon river in the world can match the Ponoi’s enviable combination of catch numbers and size.
Unlike many Scandinavian rivers, the Ponoi offers a long season, starting in late May and ending in early October. There are three distinct seasons on the river and two runs, the summer and the autumn run. The autumn run fish overwinter in the river underneath the ice then spawn the following season. This strain of Atlantic salmon is called an oseka. These fish are especially fat and powerful for their size as they need the extra bulk to last the cold winter months. The autumn fish that run the Ponoi have developed a reputation worldwide as being extremely powerful fighters.
Although the wading is excellent on the Ponoi, much of the fishing is done by boat. The beats at Ryabaga Camp can be upwards of four kilometres long, so a jet boat is the most practical way of covering such a large expanse of water. Despite the size of the river, the Ponoi runs relatively shallow and is excellent fly water. Ryabaga Camp has access to over eighty kilometres of perfect fly water that varies in nature hugely. For any salmon angler, these are holy waters and the promised land.
Click HERE to read about a day on the Ponoi at Ryabaga Camp.
2022 Season Availability
July 9th – 16th US$8,990 per rod
August 27th – 3rd September US$16,290 per rod
September 3rd – 10th US$16,590 per rod
Includes: All meals, accommodations, 6 days guided fishing (1 boat/guide per 2 anglers), licenses, helicopter transport from Murmansk. Sat-Sat turnaround.
Excludes: The charter flight cost; return from Helsinki is around US$1,250. Overnight stay in Helsinki, visa costs and gratuities.
The Atlantic Salmon Reserve
The Atlantic Salmon Reserve (ASR) comprises of the Kharlovka, Rynda and the Eastern Litza rivers. These are some of the finest salmon rivers in the world and the home of giants where landing a 40 lbs + Atlantic salmon is a real possibility.
All the rivers that make up the ASR are unique in their character and size, ranging from the challenging spring waters of the mighty Kharlovka and Litza to the charming summer pockets and pools of the Rynda and Zolotaya. They all have one exceptional quality in common, their ability to produce large salmon.
Kharlovka
The Kharlovka flows through a canyon before curling its way to the legendary Kharlovka home pool and the highly comfortable Kharlovka camp. The lower section of the Kharlovka opens out in the final race before entering the sea. Any angler encountering a big fish in this area needs to be well prepared. A large Salmon hooked here is likely to turn tail and head for the sea, leaving a spooled and breathless angler in its wake
Rynda
The Rynda is a medium-sized river that is ideally suited to a 12-13ft double or a sturdy single-handed rod in most heights. The Rynda has 75 pools along its length. Most are medium-sized pools, pockets, runs and glides, and a long cast is rarely needed. Behind almost every rock and hole, no matter how unlikely it may at first appear, there is usually a potential salmon lie. It is an immensely rewarding and exciting river to fish, an authentic fisherman’s river. The Rynda has a strong run of good-sized MSW salmon, evenly matched by a healthy grilse run with a 30lb + salmon every bit as possible as on the other larger Northern Kola Peninsula rivers.
Litza
The river is as scenic as it is majestic. The Litza cuts a deep ravine sided channel through the tundra, only opening out briefly in the lower 1/3 of the river before dropping back into a final white-water gorge, Military Pool and the open sea. For many anglers, a highlight of the week is the Litza Tent camp, where guests will have the opportunity to spend one or two nights, in comfort, on the river. Deprived of just a few creature comforts afforded by the main Kharlovka camp, it compensates by putting anglers a casts distance away from a pool that will hold a 40lb+ salmon at almost any time of the year.
2022 Season Availability; please contact us for current prices and availability. We have good availability on both the Rynda & Kharlovka at present.
If you would like more information then please do not hesitate to contact Olly Thompson or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.