Raduga River, Kamchatka

Silver coho salmon

Fishing tour at the Raduga River, Kamchatka Lower reaches of the Raduga River This route into the land of volcanoes and salmon is created at a nice river, which does not require a helicopter flight to get to.

In the upper part the Raduga River is flowing on bedrock

The Raduga River is beginning in the Eastern Ridge not far from the northernmost at the peninsula active Shiveluch Volcano, and joins the great Kamchatka River 35 km from its mouth. In its lower part the Raduga is mending and twisting a lot, and forms riffles, holes and pools. In the upper part the river is flowing on bedrock and forms steep, rocky banks. This diversity makes a river very attractive for flyfishermen. The upper part of the drainage is covered with larch forests, and in its lower part there are treeless, grassy marshes. The river is populated by a very diverse fauna of Salmonids: 5 Pacific salmon (king, sockeye, pink, coho, and chum), rainbow trout, charr, white-spotted charr. The Arctic grayling is here also rather numerous.

Bear «highway» at the Raduga River

In the lower reaches of the Raduga is a site of the town of Nizhnekamchatsk. This is one of the oldest towns of the peninsula. Nizhne-Kamchatsk was founded at this site in 1732. A wooden stockaded town of the same name was constructed in 1703 at the distance of 90 km upstream from the Raduga. That first town was burned during the riot of the native Kamchadal people in 1731, and was constructed again near the Raduga R. mouth. Here you see the old Nizhnekamchatsk — as a local artist sees it. The town used to have a log stockade, but it is absent at the picture.

Wooden church constructed in 1740

The uniqueness of the Raduga is in its micro-climate, influenced by the surrounding ridges which protect it from the Bering Sea weather. Even in the late fall, when at the coast there will be cold winds and fogs, here it will be much milder.

Season: June — October. Duration — 10 days. Size of a group — 2 to 8 fishermen.

Raduga River trout

This silver white-spotted charr was recently feeding in the sea

The fishing in the Raduga River is good from the end of June till the beginning of October.

The fishermen are living in a stationary tent camp constructed at the Raduga River 300 m from its junction with the Kamchatka River. The transfer from the Elizovo airport (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski) to the town of Ust-Kamchatsk (700 km) is made by car, with one overnight in the Milkovo village. A short shoulder with a motor-boat up the Kamchatka River brings the fishermen to the camp.

In the river we often catch a good size charr

Fishing is done from motor-boats (one boat per 2-3 fishermen) with radio contact between the boats. In the camp we have big tents with 3 separate sleeping compartments each (up to 3 fishermen in one tent). It is also possible to stay in wooden cabins. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in comfortable canteen.

Raimbow trout landed in the channel of the Azhabachie Lake

Itinerary: Day 1 Meeting at the airport Elizovo; visiting a supermarket to buy beverages, etc. Minivan trip to Milkovo (300 km) — about 4,5 hours. Hotel, dinner.

Day 2 Breakfast, trip to Ust-Kamchatsk (7 hours). 30 minutes motor-boat trip to the Raduga camp. Lunch, evening fishing. Dinner.

Days 3 — 8 Breakfast; fishing, lunch in the camp, fishing, dinner. During the stay at the Raduga camp (on request) it is possible to organize a trip to the famous Azhabachie Lake (10 km one way). At the lake you could see the spawning grounds of numerous sockeye salmon and different wildlife, first of all — brown bears. The cost of this excursion is included into the tour.

Day 9 Breakfast, ,motor-boat trip to Ust-Kamchatsk (30 minutes). Car trip to Paratunka near the Elizovo airport (on the way — dinner in the Milkovo village). Hotel at the hot springs with natural hot swimming pool.

Day 10 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski, shopping, transfer to the airport.

The Azhabachie Lake is famous by numerous brown bears

In the tour cost are included:

• Meeting at the airport; help at the airport on the departure day. • One night in hotel in Milkovo on the way in. • Boat transfer to the camp and back. • Food in the camp; service and guiding, including the use of the motor-boats for the fishing. • Sleeping bags with bed sheets. • Sauna, shower, drying room at the camp. • 110/220 V AC power at the camp. • Fly-tying tools at the camp. • Catch-and-release fishing license. • One night of hotel at the Paratunka hot springs (standard rooms for 2-3 people). It is possible to upgrade this accommodation for additional fee.

In the tour cost are not included:

• Air fares to and from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. . • Car (minivan) transfer to Ust-kamchatsk and back. Transfer from hotel to the airport at the departure day. • Beverages, tobacco, repellents. • Food in hotels during the transfer. • Fishing tackle, lures and flies (could be purchased at the camp). • Other service, not included into the preliminary agreements.

In the Raduga Rivr there are lots of good size grayling

Additional excursions which could be organized for a separate fee:

• 1 day helicopter trip to the Geyser valley. • 6 hour fishing trip into the Avachinskaya Bay (rockfish, flounder, greenling, cod, pollock, suffron cod). • 2 day halibut fishing in the Pacific ocean. These additional excursions should be discussed and booked in advance — not later than for 3 months before the beginning of the tour.

The biggest bird-of-prey — the Steller’s sea eagle

The fishing tackle, clothes and personal gear for Kamchatka is the same as you might need for the trip to Alaska or Northern BC in the same season. The same concerns the selection of the flies.

In the upper part of the Raduga River there are lots of rocky pools where we catch trout and resting coho salmon

This early coho had entered the river about a month ago, in August

4700 meter Klyuchevskaya Sopka Volcano

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