Speyducer
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Post by Speyducer on Mar 10, 2008 9:32:05 GMT
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Post by salar76 on Jun 2, 2008 12:33:24 GMT
"Another pretty day here on the Kola river , sun is shining and 15 on Celcius river still rising and is coming big now. Mike Walsh from UK landed a 23 pounder from Home Pool. Thomas Durkop took a 22 pounder from Reindeer , James York lost 2 from net , this is the only news of to day I am affraid"
Is this Mike of Speyducer fame? If so, then that's not a bad start to the week! No news re: TyneTraveller though...
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Post by sinkingtip on Jun 2, 2008 12:49:18 GMT
Yes - its our very own Speyducer and not surprising too.
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Speyducer
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Post by Speyducer on Jun 8, 2008 8:27:45 GMT
Just returned from a tough week on the R Kola - report in full will follow when pictures re-assembled.
Mike
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hf
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Post by hf on Jun 8, 2008 15:17:04 GMT
Mike... welcome back and look forward to the report. hf
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hornet
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Post by hornet on Jun 9, 2008 10:19:20 GMT
Really looking forward to your report and the pics Mike,
ATB,
Hornet
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Post by sinkingtip on Jun 9, 2008 12:45:30 GMT
Aye ..... the bairns have been slaverin at thought of what you've been up to Mike. Better to drip feed them as a sudden torrent of imagery and text may facilitate, in some quarters, unsustainable levels of hyperactivity. Looking forward to it and welcome hame. best regards STip
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Speyducer
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Post by Speyducer on Jun 13, 2008 8:35:18 GMT
Kola '08 Trip: 'Team Scotland' coverged on Heathrow on Thursday evening 29th May, and after decanting luggage to the Jurys Inn, the general banter over a few pints of liquid refreshment in the bar was the anticipation of the forthcoming week's fishing on the Kola. Howard (travel director) had managed to remember to bring the flight tickets, and Robert (fishing director) had exciting news over a brand new reel to be tested with the rigours of the Kola fish. He had also managed to bring about 5kg of shooting heads!! Murray (technical director) couldn't be with us this year (technical problems with his better half!!) at least wouldn't be overweight with the 48 snickers bars he 'smuggled' into Russia in '07! Pat, Jamie, & John (first timers on 'Team Scotland - destination Russia') had not been, at this point, allocated any designated positions at that point, but John was later unanimously appointed as 'beverages director'. For myself, it was to be 'artistic director' (a step up from last year's 'poacher' position methinks....but what sort of artist??). Once the fishing conversations became interrupted by slurring, it was time to hit the hay. Early morning rising on the Friday, all assembled without any missing bags, off to T2. As a group, we were only a mere £200 charges or so in overweight baggage!! A quick cooked brekkie in the local cafe, and off into the sky, direction Moscow. The short time in Moscow was simply spent traversing from the International to the domestic terminals, then off to Murmansk on time. We landed Friday 10pm local time in Murmansk; met by waiting drivers, and the bags were loaded into one truck, and ourselves into a new minivan. A short stop on the way to pick up a few beers , and arrival in camp around 1145pm. None of the previous week's team were up & about, and after ascertaining that the water level was around 1.3m above summer level, and quite cold (3.5 degrees C!!), I did a bit a wandering to have a look at the river and local pools. Looking downstream over the small 'unnamed' pool - last year dubbed Mike's pot as I have a mess of fish out of it!! - which is situated above the rapids into the home pool. An upstream view of the same pool, noting some snow still on the bank edges... This is looking at the bottom of the main rapids out of the Kettle pool above and the downstream view... Looking across the river at the tail of the Kettle rapids Upstream view into the rapids and a downstream view various shots of the rapids, noting how powerful a current the necessarily strong Kola fish would require to negotiate Up at the Kettle pool, about 800-1000m from the camp, a downstream view; this is the bottom pool & take-out point from the Reindeer beat, and very productive. The rapids out of Kettle, shown above, are not negotiable by the raft boats, for fairly obvious reasons! The tailout of Kettle can be great Upstream view of the main Kettle pool The new hut built since last season, at the Kettle pool These show the real beauty of the spring on the Kola, the reason Team Scotland will be returning as long as legs can carry us, and our hands can hold a double hander Returning to camp, and a few hours to prepare for the next day, for the start of the fishing Mike
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hornet
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Post by hornet on Jun 13, 2008 9:39:36 GMT
Ok i'm still slavering, Now show me the fish
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Post by salmonking on Jun 13, 2008 15:58:50 GMT
Hope you had your staff,
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Post by G Ritchie on Jun 13, 2008 16:48:35 GMT
You will have a fight on you hands if you hook a big fish in that water.
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salmo
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Post by salmo on Jun 13, 2008 19:14:42 GMT
Should we open up the debate on running fish again. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
salmo
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Speyducer
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Post by Speyducer on Jun 24, 2008 18:51:24 GMT
R Kola Trip May June 08: First afternoon fishing – on the high waters of the Kitza An upstream view towards the road bridge where we had launched the boats on this sunny Saturday afternoon. We had only started fishing about 3.45pm, and with only a few hours to fish, we had to make our way over a limited river section rather quickly – the swift current would be our friend in this journey downstream. We had stopped to fish the twin tailouts of the road bridge pool, but we were so keen to get started, no pictures taken. This upstream view shows the small pocket on the right, fished through to no avail. Next, it was downstream through the turbulent high water, deceptively cold despite the great warmth from the streaming afternoon sunshine. We stopped briefly at this point in the stream, to fish over and around some nice holding boulders, and when I say boulders, these were about the size of a small family car, so potentially a good holding spot or two. Next stop downstream was a flatter and much deeper pool above the rather stoutly built wooden bridge; again a lovely potential holding area across the whole pool from bank to bank, and right down into & under the central archway of the bridge. Pat was decanted from the boat to do some Right bank fishing, with some tricky wading and casting situations. I was left to beat out a longer and longer line to cover the pool from the rubber boat anchored some way off the left bank The calmer tailout below the wooden bridge, where we hand a lunchtime break last year, when the water was much lower and more manageable. The rapids into the Monster Pool are the next feature I was again decanted from the boat to fish this spot on the Right bank at the neck of the Monster Pool, casting progressively longer across the current, and with each cast expectant on contacting a specimen which the pool is named for as the fly came around out of the main flow to the deep turbulence of the water to my side. The main body and tail section of the Monster Pool is where we concentrated our casting and fishing effort, and with a boat moored (and then let down by the rope at 1 metre per cast – well, that was the theory!) on either side, Pat & myself must have covered every inch of that pool over the next two hours, right into the very spray tips and last vestiges of the magnificent tailout. No contact. No Monsters. Not even a fin to be seen. Our lines were reluctantly retrieved onto their respective metal drums, which were still glinting in the early evening sun, and the wetted flies snipped off the stout leaders, and added to the pockets and boxes to join the previously wet bunch – all manner of feathery offering having been slung across the gorgeously empty space that was the Kitza in full flow. As we sectioned the rods for the short journey back to camp in the Russian limousine, we reflected on our lack of contact, and pondered if others had been more fortunate. Adventures & other stories would be surely swapped over a wee swallie, and plans made for our next day. Mike
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Speyducer
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Post by Speyducer on Jun 24, 2008 19:35:44 GMT
Kola – Mike’s pot revisited Early hours Sunday morning, out for a wee cast or three before brekkie. So, reassembly of the gear, slipping quietly into the still damp waders & boots, and a short march along the crisp frosty bankside from the camp to the nice small holding pool above the rapids into the Home Pool. 13’ Meiser MKS, Skagitty 750, 30lb bs and a ‘steelie special’ on the business end. The brief sleep was rapidly forgotten with the first few tentative casts over the holding areas near the right bank. Didnae take long for the first solid stop, and contact with another spring Kola fish. Power but without the dash in the 4°C water, and after a 7 or 8 minute fight close in, and another 2 or 3 to persuade the fish to the mossy landing platform, and the hand came around the stout wrist of the fish for the first of the week. The fish was co-operative for the few pictures, and after the fly was removed, length was measured at 35”, and girth of 19” – a good 23-24lber as an estimate for the stout fish. However, the fish had not reached that far through the system without some troubles, having escaped the ravages of a net at some point, with some marking and missing scales on the flank, and the left pectoral fin a bit split. The fish recovered well in a couple of minutes, having never left the water at all, and with a couple of powerful strokes of the broad tail, it was back into the ferment of the turbulent river. And the flee – a charteuse fritz headed black offering – originally designed for use in the oft murky & cold waters of the Skeena for the big steelies there. Seems half a world away, and the Atlantics don’t mind. Many more casts were made after the fish than before that first contact, but no repetition. Just a few tufts of moss from the cold bedded boulders strewn in the path of the river by some ancient unseen giant. What a magnificent place, and a true privilege to be able to cast a fly after such possible spring monsters. Breakfast calling, and then the beginning of the ‘real’ fishing day. Mike
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Speyducer
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Post by Speyducer on Jun 25, 2008 4:42:50 GMT
Kola – the players: Getting readied at the camp for the day’s fishing: Jamie and join, newly joined members of “Team Scotland” Arni, John & Robert Jim York, not officially part of Team Scotland, as he’s from the US of A, but a great character with a 2 week stint in Russia! Lucky son-of-a-gun! Arni – always getting you to try the Snaelda!! It’s gonna be THIS big!!! Robert looking out a fly…. A pensive Howard Jamie Pat, my fishing partner for the week, with the Russian limo in the background Rob & Arni Pat – just happy to be here…. Teams assembled, it was bundling into the transport…now where’s that cocktail cabinet?? Mike
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Speyducer
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Post by Speyducer on Jun 25, 2008 5:08:50 GMT
Kola - Taking the railway to Bear After a short journey in the limo, the bumps eased by a few cocktails, www.cocktail.com/recipes/r/RussianBear1960.htm , we arrived at our destined beat for the day – or so we thought! We had but a short ½ mile walk along the main St Petersburg to Murmansk railway, and I can assure you, BIG trains went by with alarming frequency! As the guides carried the inflatables, they had no view except of the few feet of sleepers in front of them, and subdued hearing with the boats slung around their heads, our job was to keep an eye and an ear or two open for the next juggernaut! Looking over into the distance showed snow still on the hills No trains….so far!!! Then, off towards the river itself Top of Bear beat, looking upstream into the Bear lake Tackling up at the tailout A few casts were had from the bank at this gorgeous tailout whilst the boats were being readied…
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Speyducer
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Post by Speyducer on Jun 25, 2008 6:12:14 GMT
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Post by sinkingtip on Jun 25, 2008 12:40:58 GMT
Spectacular water Mike - I take it thats the run off from snow melt ? Does it ever get low (and if so when) or is this a fairly consistent height throughout their season ? STip
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conwyrod
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Autumn on the Conwy
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Post by conwyrod on Jun 25, 2008 18:00:09 GMT
What a fabulous wilderness, apart from the railway that is! Great stuff Mike, keep it coming.
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Speyducer
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Post by Speyducer on Jun 25, 2008 19:50:24 GMT
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