Kharlovka fishing report - Week 23 (1-7 June 2024)
Morning air temperature range: 5 - 9.7C
Water temperature range: 1.8 - 3.9C
Water level dropped slowly from 120cm to 104cm
It's Springtime on the ASR! The polar nights have transitioned into extended polar days, where the sun now barely sets over the tundra. As the snow melts and the rivers swell, the salmon are returning, marking the beginning of another cycle.
Following a long, cool winter with record accumulations across the Kola, the spring months carried on with cooler-than-normal conditions, with air temps mostly in the single digits. Nevertheless, with the rivers on the rise and the ice clearing, we were delighted to welcome first fishermen back to the Kharlovka camp to start the season on the first day of June.
Early spring fishermen are a special breed who understand the challenges and the potential for significant silver rewards. While spring arrived early last season along with good numbers of big fresh salmon, this season’s opening conditions were among the most challenging in recent memory.
Despite this, towards the end of the opening week, the cold swollen rivers began to slowly recede and the water temps rose to 4C, surpassing the temperatures of the Barents sea. The improving conditions resulted in loads of kelts, a midsized osenka from the lower Litza river along with a couple of fresh salmon that were landed on the lower Kharlovka by Alexey and Arkardy from 5 to 8.2kg.
The atmosphere on camp remained electric throughout the week. In addition to being the first to traverse the fresh arctic tracks and cast their flies across the rivers, guests enjoyed the comfort of the new Kharlovka guest cabins. We are also excited to announce our new chef, who has already received rave reviews from both guests and staff alike. Furthermore, we're always pleased to report that all the veteran guides are back to camp for another season. All of this, along with a hot banya every evening in the arctic, kept spirits high throughout the week.
With the rivers dropping more 10cm and warming to +5C by the first weekend, the ASR team is optimistic for the coming days.
Stay tuned!
