In October of 1996 I had the good fortune to be one of the first
fly fishers to fish the Sopochnaya River. The “Soap” as it has
become known is located on the West Side of Russia’s Kamchatka
Peninsula, just across from the Aleutian Chain of Alaska. A seven
and a half hour flight from Seattle puts you in Petropavlosk-Kamchatsky
Russia (or P.K.). After clearning customs a two-hour helicopter
flight sets you on the banks of the “Soap.”
The flight to the river goes through spectacular mountainous country
awesome sights of live as well as dormant vocanoes, over Alaska-like
Tundra mixed with Paper Birch. The chopper flies low enough to see
much wildlife as the Kamchatka Brown Bear, Steller Sea Eagle, and
many varieties of birds and waterfowl.
As the chopper winds its way through rolling hills and over rivers
you can only imagine what might swim within. Steelhead? Huge
Rainbows? Massive Salmon? Who know, most of these rivers have
never been fished by anyone you or I know, or any flyfishers. Some
of the rivers have only seen native people with spear in hand or possibly
nets, and probably not for many years at that.
I was here as part of a three-man exploratory team sent to the
Sopochnaya River to photograph and fish for what we had been told
was a population of huge Steelhead. Toby Sprinkle (manager of our
Russian operations) Scott Howell (one of head guides in Alaska) and
myself, (photographer/fisherman) made up the team. We were sent by
Kamchatka Fishing Adventures, an American based company which
also owns Katmai Lodge in Alaska. Kamchatka Fishing Adventures is
involved in a joint venture project with “lyanin Kutkh” (Black Raven) of
the Kamchatka Peninsula for purposes of promoting tourism directed
at the fly fishing public.
Basically, most of the peopel on the Kamchatka Peninsula live in PK, or
its suburb, Yelizova. Yelizova is actually where the airport is located,
some 30 kilomters from PK. The remainder of the Kamchatka Peninsula
has a few small towns or villages really, and that’s it. With a size
equalling California and Oregon combined there is quite a bit of room
with no people, and no evidence of any. Vast areas of countryside are
virtually untouched, unlogged, undammed, unfished!
Unfished, this is what interested us!
The Sopochnaya River, we were told, produced immense Steelhead.
Net samples showed this to be true. We heard of Steelhead pushing
40 pounds! Unbelievable you might think, but a possibility we hoped.
30 pound Steelhead are rare enough, but is it possible that there are
40’s somewhere?
This is as good a time as any to say the Steelhead of Kamchatka is
listed in Russia’s Redbook as an endangered species. Recreational
and commercial fishing are prohibited. The Russians are smart
enough to admit they don’t know enough about these fish or how
many there are. Instead of harvesting the Steelhead to extinction as
we might do in the U.S., (and then wondering where they went,) the
Russian government has wisely elected to protect them.
Originally published c. July 12, 2008 on Fly Anglers Online by Ron Gras.