Equipment and Flies

As with all Kamchatkan rivers, you must bring all fishing equipment with you. It’s important to be well prepared – the closest fly shop is in Anchorage, Alaska!

For the Exploratory Expeditions, 5 and 6 weight rods are de rigueur. Some people may prefer a 7 wt. for ease of casting large flies like mice and string leeches. It is important to have at least two rods incase of breakage, and because it is convenient to have multiple rods strung up with different line and fly systems.

It’s often possible to fish exclusively with floating lines, but you are advised also to have one line with a medium-fast 15’ sinking tip spooled up to help get your fly down in fast and/or high water conditions.

Floating lines should be matched with 7.5’ 0X or 1X tapered leaders, with spare tippet spools in the 0X – 3X range. Sink tip leaders should be 4’ to 7.5’ with a 0X or 1X terminal tippet.

A successful fly selection will include a combination of smolt, sculpin, leech and dry fly patterns, as well as Kamchatka-specific patterns like mice and baitfish. A mixture of these patterns, totaling 4-7 dozen flies, will be adequate for a week’s fishing. The Fly Shop stocks all necessary flies and we are happy to put together a selection that is specific to your river and week.

• Elk Hair Caddis, Tan #12
• Foam Parachute Adams #14
• Foam Profile Dun, Brown Drake #12
• Nealley Brown Drake, #10
• Parachute Adams, #10
• Scum Dun, Albino #12
• Stimulator, Yellow #12
• Adams Superfly, #12
• Conehead Kiwi Muddler Olive, #4
• Conehead Kiwi Muddler Black, #4
• Flashtail Clouser, Olive/Pink #2
• Kamchatka Baitfish, #4
• Mr. Fox’s Sleech, Pink #2
• Mr. Fox’s Sleech, Dirty Rotten Flesh #2
• Mr. Hankey, #4
• Mrs. Bugger, #4
• Whitlock’s Swimming Baitfish, Shad #4