Since the 1970s, government closure has kept a little known fishery on the Kola Pensinsula out of the fly fishing spotlight. For over 40 years, the river quietly hosted an Atlantic Salmon run that rivals the likes of other renowned Russian rivers. In 2017 the river was opened and Faraway Fly Fishing was given exclusive access to scout the water. They found not only a healthy run of potentially trophy salmon (+20 lbs), but also an incredibly diverse river system where unique river features make surface action and sight fishing an every day possibility!
The Belousiha River
Running out from a nearby lake system, the Belousiha flows 12 km across the Arctic tundra before emptying into the Voronya and boasts regular opportunities at 6 – 15 lb fish. For the most part, the river is small (15-30m), easy to wade and ideal for fishing with a single hand rod. Due to water clarity, many anglers enjoy watching the salmon make their way up river before casting to them. Depending on the beat, some sections of water are reachable by vehicle and some by foot through easy terrain. When water levels are low in summer time, the salmon are particularly sensitive to top water action and a well presented fly will make the difference.
The Voronya River
The Voronya is a mid-size, tailwater river with 9 km of fish-able water filled with structure, big shallow tail outs, rocks, deep pools and rapids, all which hide returning salmon. Its a real trophy spey fisherman’s paradise. Most pools are easily accessible by boat or car and setup well for swinging flies. The river has two main sections: above the canyon and below the canyon. Most of the fish caught on the scouting season were big, averaging 13 lbs. The biggest weighed 30 lbs!
