Probably you know already about an important event that took place in the ASR. On 16th June, it was announced at Kharlovka that Peter Power has handed over his camps, famous throughout the world, to me, Vladimir Rybalchenko. It was not a simple decision for me to undertake this responsibility of securing the future of the ASR.
An important event took place on the evening of Thursday 16th June. All guests and staff received an unexpected but exciting invitation from Peter to join him for a party at Kharlovka House. Guests were told that he had something to tell them about "the future of the ASR"..............
The story about our second exciting week on the Three Rivers program began in Murmansk airport on a sunny Saturday afternoon when 11 anglers boarded the big white helicopter bound for one of the most beautiful places on earth. Flying over the Tundra in its amazing autumn gown the guests' excited exclamations drowned in the roar of the helicopter rotors. Fifty-five minutes later when the beating of the blades stopped our travelers left the mighty machine in impatient anticipation. The vast majority of them had been here many times before - great to be back!
For seven days the weather played its own wicked game testing the nerves of the fishermen. One day the temperatures went below zero and the wooden bridges and cabin steps got covered by the white frost however the rest of the week was more like midsummer with temperatures reaching to nearly 30 degrees.
This was to be the first of the Three Rivers Weeks with our team of 16 anglers fishing 2 days each on the Kharlovka, Litza and Rynda Rivers. Grouped into teams of 2 or 3 there were miles of river to be covered and for this week the knowledge that the rivers had been unfished over the previous fortnight.
We had a good week, the water level was evidentially tricky but the weather was consistent, fishy mid teen and over cast all week. The boys all prayed for rain but sadly they're desperate vodka fueled psalms where not heard by the powers that be....
It was a truly international party that arrived at Kharlovka camp on 23rd July. There was Jeff from America, an international sportsman who has been the terror of fish and birds worldwide. Then there was Trond and Kristjan from Norway and Iceland respectively who are two of the best salmon fishers from those Salmon rich countries. Eugene comes from the West of Ireland and is one of the few successful organic salmon farmers. Brian and Simon come from the North of the Emerald Isle and arrived without tackle or clothes as these were lost by British Airways.
A varied group of American, English, Scottish, Irish and Danish anglers entered camp this week with some trepidation after reports of 30 degree weather and low water. There can be no doubt that this has been a strange and unusual year not just within the ASR but across the Kola as a whole. The snow pack which had been quite normal lost a huge amount of its water content after hot weather in April the water reserves melting away rapidly in late May.
Last week it was a family occasion on the Kharlovka including 3 fathers and sons, a young nephew and another mum and son team from the countries of England, Northern Ireland, Canada, and Russia. Unfortunately this joyful bunch was arriving to what would turn out to be some of the hottest and cruelest fishing conditions that we have seen this far north for many years.
Due to the poor conditions last Saturday across the Kola Peninsula our latest team was delighted to finally arrive late afternoon in the Kharlovka camp. Peter and Vladimir were also there to greet and welcome our international guests as the came together from the counties of Switzerland, Spain, England and Russia. It was all especially exciting for our new Russian friends as this was one of their first fly-fishing adventures ever.
Our latest team of international guests from England, Japan, Austria, Iceland, and Russia arrived last Saturday to some of the warmest - low water conditions so far this season. Reaching to nearly 30 degrees C on the opening day the rivers started out with a frustrating first evening temperature of 19.4 degrees C.
An interesting mix of international gentlemen arrived to the Kharlovka camp last week from the countries of England, Scotland, US, Spain, Japan and Russia - nearly all of them familiar faces who had been with us many times before.
Last week's Kharlovka team consisted of a bunch of good ol' English mates, a couple of fishing fanatics from Switzerland along with some Great Russia friends - in addition to Sugai from Japan (who returning for the 18th season was going into his third Kharlovka week in a row!) and the super Swede Mikael -who just can't seem to get enough of the Northern Rivers.
Following an exciting opening week with abnormally warm temperatures and plenty of silver highlights for our previous boys, this time around it was our good friend Mikael Frodin who was back again for the 14th time to lead the way for an eager team of Master Class apprentices.
It all starts out every spring - with that long anticipated phone call from our tundra generals Volodya and Kola - arriving early into the camps with their veteran Russian staff to make sure that every detail has been addressed for the big season ahead.
Any information contained in this website is produced in good faith but is only a guideline. The Kharlovka Company Limited cannot be held responsible should the information be subject to change.
KHARLOVKA COMPANY LIMITED
11 Pushkinskaya Street, Office 13-H, St.Petersburg, 191040 Russia
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