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 Zhupanova, quality fast-action 7 and 8 weight rods are de rigueur. You’re casting to steelhead-sized rainbow trout living in big water with swift current - you want to gear up appropriately! 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.

Most people will end up fishing about 70% of the time with sink tips and a sunk fly, and 30% with a floating line and a mouse or other surface fly. But much of this will have to do with your personal preference. Some people see the explosive take of their first fish on a mouse on day one and will only want to fish mice from then on, even if it sometimes means fewer strikes. Others prefer the jarring grab of a streamer swung on a tight line, and will thus fish only with sink tips. Regardless, you are advised to come prepared with a heavily weight-forward floating line, as well as a full assortment of sinking tips from light-weight 15’ type 3, to a 200 grain 24’ shooting head.

Floating lines should be matched with 7.5’ 0X or 1X tapered leaders, with spare tippet spools in 0X and 1X. Sink tip leaders should be 4’ to 7.5’ with 10# or 12# Maxima terminal tippet.

A successful fly selection for the Zhupanova will include a combination of smolt, sculpin, leech, flesh and 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 (July only)
• Parachute Adams, #10 (July only)
• Adams Superfly, #12 (July only)
• Conehead Kiwi Muddler Olive, #4
• Conehead Kiwi Muddler Black, #4
• Flashtail Clouser, Olive/Pink #2
• Kamchatka Baitfish, #4
• Egg Sucking Leech, Black #4
• Mr. Fox’s Sleech, Pink #2
• Mr. Fox’s Sleech, Dirty Rotten Flesh #2
• Mr. Fox’s Sleech, Fresh Flesh #2
• Mr. Hankey, #4
• Whitlock’s Swimming Baitfish, Shad #4