Excitement Builds over Kamchatka Fishing Trips

There are not many places left in the world that can be referred to as genuine fishing frontiers, and that perhaps explains the excitement surrounding the prospect of resumed air service to the Kamchatka Peninsula from Anchorage, Alaska. If Vladivostok Air (www.vladivostokair.us) indeed resumes service this summer, the Kamchatka Peninsula will be easier and faster to reach than destinations in Argentina and Chile. The number of anglers going to Kamchatka is expected to surge.
To be sure, the air service is not assured as this is written. Permits are in place. Authorizations have been given. Glitches have been dispatched. All indications are that this service is a go, with actual ticket sales to begin by the time you read this. We think the odds of this happening are very good.

Current plans call for the flights to operate from July 12 to September 13, with flights leaving Anchorage every Thursday at 6:40 am and arriving in Petropavlask at 8 am the next morning. The return flights are scheduled to leave Petro at 8 pm on Thursday, arriving in Anchorage at 4:10 am. The seemingly odd times are due to the fact that the plane crosses the International Dateline about halfway between Anchorage and Petro. We understand the plane used will be a Boeing 737. Flight time is only four hours. Roundtrip coach class is expected to be $1,790; business class, $3,590.
The agent/outfitters active on the Kamchatka Peninsula are the Fly Shop (www.theflyshop.com), Rene Limeres of Ultimate Rivers (www.ultimaterivers.com), Will Blair of Best of Kamchatka (www.thebestofkamchatka.com), and Paul Allred of Ouzel Expeditions (www.ouzel.com). The angler looking for the ultimate bucket-list trip is bound to find an appropriate itinerary on one of the Web sites above. Steelhead and rainbows top the list of available species, but there are also Kundzha (a subspecies of char), six species of Pacific salmon, and more. There are lodge trips available, jet-boat outings, and float trips. Some of the latter are planned for rivers that have never been fished before.

Here at The Angling Report, we are so bullish on this destination that we’re putting out a blanket call for feedback on trips and promising anyone who checks in with a useful report a place on our Honor Roll. Non-subscribers who file reports will be given a free three-month trial subscription. We are even reaching out to the agents for this destination, asking them to urge booked clients to file reports. To do that, go to our Web site (www.anglingreport.com) and look for the “File a Report” button. Click on it and type away. Our goal is to wind up with multiple reports on trips booked by all four of the agents listed above.
Near press time, we asked the agents above to weigh in on the upcoming season, and what follows is an edited version of their replies.

Rene Limeres of Ultimate Rivers: “We are waiting with guarded optimism for the return of regular direct flight service connecting Anchorage with the Russian Far East. There has been a definite uptick of interest since the announcement by Vladivostok Air. I am steering West Coast clients in that direction, but for East Coasters I am pushing the Moscow option, especially if they are new to Russia and want to work in a couple of days or so touring Moscow and St. Petersburg on their return. With two daily flights from Moscow to Petropavlask, it also opens up much more flexibility in the trip schedule.
“A weekly trip is still my bread and butter, but I will work to integrate my schedule with Vlad’s to accommodate Americans who might want to stay longer. Just keep in mind that the bulk of my business now is from Europeans and well-to-do Russians. I think it will take at least a couple of good seasons for word to spread to American anglers about the new flights. Hopefully, the flights will put Kamchatka firmly back on the radar again.

“Your subscribers may want to know that I am finishing up a book on Kamchatka fly fishing and natural history. If they contact me via my Web site, I will let them know when it goes to print.”

Ryan Peterson of the Fly Shop: “Vladivostok Air’s new flight between Alaska and Kamchatka will be nothing short of a magic carpet ride for fly fishers. It will put the most astonishing trout fishing on the planet only four hours from breakfast in Anchorage. Our summer schedule of float trips, camps, and lodge-based fishing programs will revert to what they were pre-2006, when we last had consistent access from Alaska. Six-night trips and 13-night trips will both be easily doable, with the latter amounting to an exceptionally good value after discounts on the second week. Full helicopter access (instead of partial bus access) will also render on-peninsula logistics smooth and quick. What’s more, with the expected bump in anglers now able to visit thanks to the Anchorage flight, we will be able to expand our season on existing rivers while still keeping camp occupancy to a mere six per trip. Finally, we fully expect to be able to resume exploration of new rivers, which is something we had to curtail in recent years with fewer anglers willing to travel via Moscow.

“We’ve learned and explored a lot on Kamchatka in the five years since we last had an Anchorage flight. We are giddy with excitement and eager to share our new rivers and improved outfitting. The deeper we wade in, the more it blows our minds. It really is that good.”

Will Blair of Best of Kamchatka: “Things seem to be moving forward and all looks to be in good shape. Vladivostok Air has altered its schedule to a Thursday-to-Thursday flight, which will allow us to take guests for one-week trips. I am excited to offer the Oz and Two Yurt rivers to traveling anglers once again. Our programs are turnkey, and we are ready.”

Paul Allred of Ouzel Expeditions: “We have seven weeks working right now. Some are full; other trips have room for more guests. The proposed flight times are great for those fishermen who want a weeklong trip to Kam-chatka. We are eagerly waiting to see what happens.”