Salmon Junkies

Butt: Fine oval gold Tinsel

Tail: Orange and sunburst Tanuki

Body: First half/ golden ice dubbing

Body: Second half/ peacock ice dubbing

Ribbing: Medium oval gold Tinsel

Wing: Black Tanuki

Throat: Yellow hackle followed with a orange badger hackle

Head: Red thread

Hook: Partridge Double Wilson/ Low Water Size 6

Skagit lines were originally developed by the steelhead rats of the Pacific north West to get flies in front of fish regardless of environment. These short high power heads have the ability to make a cast in tight confined spaces, which often means the difference between success and failure.

The new Skagit Flight Shooting Head is the very ultimate design in Skagit lines for maximum flight time, effortless casting strokes and the tightest and sweetest of loops. Based on the extraordinarily successful AFS head, the line features a back end that loads rods deeply and easily and a long, subtle front taper that ensures the energy flows smoothly to the tip, generating gorgeous loops and long, long flight times and distance. The front end has a thick tip that packs a big punch and easily lifts out heavy tips and large flies with supreme ease.

The Pale Orange colored heads, vary in length between 24 ft and 31 ft, depending on the size, and the range of weights ensures that even the most fastidious of casters will be able to tune their rod to perfection. Attach a shooting line to the ultra strong welded loop at the back end and one of RIO’s 10 ft MOW tips or a piece of T-11, T-14 or T-17 (sold separately) to the exceptionally neat, bullet proof front loop.

Rio Skagit MOW Tips are based on the type of sink tips that Skagit maestros Mike McCune, Scott O’Donnell and Ed Ward have designed and used for years. Not only are the MOW tips exceptionally easy to cast, but they give anglers far more precision in depth control, than has ever been possible in the past.

The Rio Skagit MOW Tip concept is simple; keep the tip length the same, regardless of how long the sinking section is. The majority of MOW tips are 10 ft long and feature a combination of floating and sinking line that gives anglers the greatest depth control. (more…)

A solemn quietness was hanging in the air around the Umba river. Now and then a distance cry from a raven penetrated the sky or a breath of wind would rattle the colourful leaves of birches and aspen. Each time a handful of leaves would drop off and soon – very soon – the winter would march in and wrap the infinite Russian taiga in its white dress. Soon all creatures would have to face the cold and the dark, or retreat to their winter caves. I was once again preparing the retreat from my second home, at the Umba riverside. But I could not pack up my rod before I had visited the Krivetz one last time.

The huge masses of water was thundering into the Junction between the Krivetz and Niezma rivers. From the mighty lake Poncho and 7 kilometres down, the Krivetz is dropping several hundred meters and this part of the Umba has drawn hundreds of salmon-fishermen from all over the world. Up here lies the untouched salmon universe and the true Russian folklore. It is possessing both participants and spectators and will anchor itself deep in your soul. It will fuel your daydreams for years to come and it will give you an irresistibly urge to return – year after year. Umba may seem like a small and forgotten community, but this has not always been so. Through hundreds of years, the Umba was the purveyor of big and fat salmon for the court of the Russian Zars. After the revolution the Umba became an attractive resort for the Party-leaders in the Soviet Union. Less than a decade ago, they where probably walking along the same path, as I do right now – heading for the first holding pool – now known as the Office pool.• (more…)

For all our friends going to Grand Varzuga – Bring a bunch of Varzuga Shrimps

Butt: Fine oval gold Tinsel

Tag :  Orange

Tail: Black and sunburst Tanuki

Body: Golden  Flatbraid

Ribbing: Medium oval gold Tinsel

Bodyhackle: Black barred sunburst hackle

Wing: Black Tanuki

Throat: Black barred sunburst hackle

Sides: Jungle cock

Head: Black thread

Hook: Partridge Double Wilson/ Low Water Size 6

This photo was shot today by Nick Podolsky

As you you can see on the two photos Umba river is slowly getting out of its hibernation, and with daily temperature above zero, Umba will be total open within a coupe of weeks. Now just four weeks before we will fish Umba again – Wonderful!

This photo was shot 1 1/2 week ago