Fishing Tours
Sport fishing in the Sea of Okhotsk, rivers and lakes
The Russian Far East is a very rich and unique area. In recent years hundreds of fishermen, mainly from Western Europe, visited rivers of Magadan region. Here is the real kingdom of salmon! Some species are migratory. They come in to rivers from the sea to spawn (salmon and char). Rivers of the Sea of Okhotsk basin are the home of different kinds of Pacific salmon, such as pink salmon, chum and coho. Sockeye and chinook salmon can be also seen there. Among the numerous anadromous fish there is Dolly Varden char, rare yellow-mouth char (char Levanidova) and brown trout, which can be more than 1 m long. Many rivers of the coast are rich in big Arctic grayling. The fishing is very exciting in the Kolyma River basin. Here you can fish goldilocks, grayling and pike. Rivers and lakes of our region are very convenient for fly fishing. Our tour company has a big experience in organizing specialized tours for fly – fishermen.
The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the richest seas of the World Ocean. More than 600 species of fish dwell here. Sea fishing not far away from Magadan is interesting and diverse. Here you can catch halibut, flounder, sea bass, cod and many other species of fish. Crab fishing is also interesting. Crabs are especially tasty if they are cooked right on the beach. Sea fishing tours can last some hours or we can organize multi- days tours along the scenic coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. In many places mountains come close to the shore, slide rocks go down up to the water. Low shingle spits are formed in river estuaries. Such places are very convenient for tent camps.
Sea fishing
The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the richest seas of the World Ocean; There are more than 600 species of fish. Sea fishing in the region of Magadan is interesting and diverse. Here you can catch halibut, flounder, sea bass, cod, pollock, and many other fish. Sea fishing can be organized as a sea trip for a few hours or as a serious, multi-day trip along the picturesque coast. Sea trips for small groups up to 6 people are conducted by small Japanese speedboats. The fishing locations are Svetlaya Bay, Tikhaya Bay, Chirikov Cape, Nedorozumeniya Island and Zavyalov Island.
Fishing for halibut at Taran Cape (Koni Peninsula)
One of the most coveted trophies for anglers in Magadan is halibut. We have white – barked halibut here. As a rule, it is not very big. The average weight of a harvested halibut is 6-12 kg, the biggest are up to 20-25 kg, well, only occasionally caught halibut can weight more than 50 kg. There are also bites of such specimens which are simply impossible to take out. Halibut refers to flounder fish, but this is not a typical bottom fish. Halibut is one of the major predators of the Sea of Okhotsk, not taking into account a few sharks here. It eats everything that moves and can climb into its mouth. In stomachs of the halibut people can find a wide variety of fish and invertebrates - all what is found in this location. Fishermen generally catch halibut from a power boat with special marine tackles which can quickly lift a fish from the depth. As a rule, the usual bottom fishing rods or spinnings of a salmon class cannot even withstand halibut of the average size. Halibut loves herring. However, this delicate fish easily slips off the hook. Salmon (head or tail) is very good as the bait, or a piece of another fish (flounder, cod). It must be the size of a fist. At the same time a variety of artificial baits, silicone tooling, various pilkery and spinners, dzhiggolovki must be in the arsenal of a modern angler. Halibut is caught mainly near rocky, steep banks, in areas with uneven rocky bottom and depths ranging from 15 to 50 meters or more. The tackle is unwound to the bottom and it is bounced, occasionally dropping to the bottom. Halibut bite is usually felt as a weight suspended to the tackle. This is a very strong fish. Salmon of the same weight will be weaker.
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is one of the favorite pastimes for Magadan citizens. In winter, roughly from February to April, a dark continuous line of fishermen and their cars can be seen on the ice of the bays, especially in Gertner Bay which is a 20 min - 30 min. away from Magadan. Smelt and navaga move in the water as shoals and hour wait can turn to non-stop fishing, which leads fishermen to a complete delight and make even beginners get excited of the catching process. We have no doubt that you will be enchanted by the smell of freshly caught smelt… only fresh cucumbers can smell so! Also we can arrange fishing in the Melkovodnaya Bay (150 km from Magadan), near the Balagannoe settlement at the coast of the Amahtonskogo Bay. A tour program can also include a lunch in the open air with the preparation of the fish caught on the spot of fishing.
Сrabs catching
Another type of fishing that is not available, as a rule, for the citizens of the central parts of Russia is catching crabs. It is a fascinating and unique process. It is more like hunting than fishing. The way of crabs catching is very humane. In order to pull it out from the water people use special fishing tackles, so-called krabolovki (crab catching gear). According to the rules of sport fishing one fisherman may not have more than 5 such tackles. There are many varieties of crab catching tackles. The simplest is a heavy metal hoop, a meter in diameter, with a large mesh net pulled on it. In the middle there is a special pocket for bait. You can put a favorite crabs’ delicacy there - fresh herring. Also, a long rope is attached to the hoop, so that it is lowered and raised from the water horizontally. At the end of the rope there is a float - a piece of foam or a plastic bottle. The crab catching tackle is ready.
In our region there are some species of crabs, but people catch basically just two of them - prickly and blue. The blue crab resembles Kamchatka crab, the prickly one is more massive and covered with a variety of acute, long spikes. These two types of the crab are smaller than Kamchatka crab, but still average adults have a considerable weight - more than two kilograms. For crab fishing in winter you need to make holes in the ice (they should be of greater diameter than the ones for fish catching - at least 20 cm.). To do this, use special ring drills or strong ice screws. A meter high ice poles placed on the ice like chess pieces on a board are very impressive. In summer crab catching tackles are arranged with the help of boats. " A hunter" sits down in a rubber boat, sailed from the coast for a few tens of meters, puts a piece of herring to the center of crab catching tackle and lowers it to the sea bottom by fixing the float on the sea surface, so that later you can easily find the tackle. Having arranged all the "traps" you can return to the shore and wait.
About 30-40 minutes later, it makes sense to check them. If crab feels a herring, it probably got in and slowly eats it. Typically the carb eats for a long time - it's a pretty slow sea creature. To catch the crab it is enough to lift fast a crab catching tackle out of the water – your trophy cannot run away. After the crab is pulled out you should put it into the bucket and lower a crab catching tackle back. After a while, you can "harvest" once again. It should be noted that the crab catching in a certain period of the year in the specified amounts is absolutely legal here. There are only a few limitations when you are not allowed to take females (so-called snatka). They should be immediately released. And you cannot take small crabs (if the size of the shell is less than 10 cm). It is also prohibited to catch crabs in the period of “perepantsirovka”, so-called "molt". To distinguish the female crab is simple. There is visible bright orange or burgundy caviar under its shell. Honest fishermen do not hurt a female crab. As a rule, other crabs are boiled and eaten right there on the sea shore. Such crab is the most delicious. The secret is simple - it is boiled in seawater. Crab meat absorbs delicate sea flavor. It cannot be done if you boil it at home. It is better to use scissors to cut the shell of the crab.
Licensed salmon fishing
If you stay in Magadan and don’t fish for salmon - it's just a waste of time! There are legends about salmon fishing and almost all Magadan citizens- young and old, men and women and even children are fishermen. If you want to store up fish and caviar for winter you should go to any salmon fishing license areas, located at the Ola, Arman, Jana and Tauy Rivers, as well as sites at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk - Nyuklya, Gornyak, Solenoe Lake, and some more. First sockeye salmon starts spawning, then pink salmon, and then as if waiting for their turn chum and coho salmon start spawning. As for the red caviar, it is the main product for which people catch salmon. It is very popular in Magadan. Especially people like so-called "five-minute caviar" representing just caught salmon caviar, after being five to seven minutes in a supersaturated solution of salt (tusluk). Some people boil water with a bay leaf, some with pepper and other spices. After tusluk is cooled down, caviar is lowered to it. It must be previously separated from any membranes. It must be constantly stirred for 5-7 minutes, then filtered off and finally you get the most "real" salted caviar. Some people eat it with black bread, spread with a thick layer of butter and sprinkled with finely chopped green onions. Only here in Magadan you can eat caviar with spoons! However, there are other ways of eating red salmon caviar - from ordinary classical pancakes to the extraordinary exotic Japanese sushi salads of Magadan manner.
Fishing in the Yana or Tauy Rivers
We offer our guests a fishing tour in the Yana River. It takes you about 3-4 hours to get there from Magadan by car. On the way it is necessary to cross the Yana River by ferry. The ferry station schedule depends of high and low tides. Then the road turns to a forest road and goes along the river to the license area called "Pervyi Olenny". Here our guides can set up a tent camp for you. We are ready to provide all necessary equipment for the organization of the tent camp, as well as to organize a motor boat transfer down the river to the fishing places. In this area in late August you can fish Dolly Varden char, chum, coho salmon, brown trout, and grayling. Licenses for salmon fishing are pre-purchased in Magadan Okhotskrybvod territorial offices. There are fishing inspectors who will check your fishing licenses. You should have licenses only for salmon - sockeye, pink, chum and coho salmon. Accidental catch of these fish without a license is only possible on the basis of a "catch and release" principle. If you wish we can move the tent camp to another river in the same area in some days, for example, to the Tauy River.
Fishing on Ola and Arman Rivers license areas
During the spawning time you can see dozens of fishermen (spinners and fly – fishermen) on these license areas. Licenses for salmon fishing are pre-purchased in Magadan Okhotskrybvod territorial offices. There are fishing inspectors who will check your fishing licenses. You should have licenses only for salmon - sockeye, pink, chum and coho salmon. Accidental catch of these fish without a license is only possible on the basis of a "catch and release" principle. We will be glad to organize for you a day trip or many day-long trip with accommodation in a tent camp.
The success of the sport fishing in Magadan area rivers, depending on the season (month and decade)
0 – клева нет/no fishing, * - отдельные рыбы/some fish, + - хороший клев/good fishing, ++ - лучшее время/the best time.
HERE YOU CAN FISH NEXT FISHES:
Arctic grayling
The Yama River is inhabited by the East-Siberian subspecies of Arctic grayling. This resident fish is more numerous on lower 100 km of the river. The maximum length of grayling in the Yama River is 53 cm, weight – 1800 g; average is 500-800 g. A 1000 g fish has an age about 10 years. The spawning occurs in spring, in the last days of May. A recommended fly tackle is 6 or 7 weight rod, floating line, and 3-3.5 m leader with a 4-6 pound test tippet. Look for Arctic grayling in areas rich on food. When there are rises on the surface, it is not difficult to catch this fish with caddis-fly imitations on the #8-14 hooks: Elk Hair Caddis, Irresistible, or Goddard Caddis. Small skating patterns such as #8-12 Bomber also work well. A good fishing method will be to use wet flies, predominately caddis-flies and stoneflies imitations, different nymphs. One of the most universal flies is the Goldhead Nymph #8-12. An imitation of a small fish – a #4-6 White Zonker is a good pattern for big grayling.
Dolly Varden charr (malma)
This anadromous species is widely distributed in the north of the Pacific Ocean. Dolly Varden spends 3 or 4 years in fresh water and than starts annual feeding migrations into the sea for 2-4 summer months. A 500 g fish has an average age 6 years, and a 1 kg specimen – about 8 years. The biggest specimens in the Yama River can reach 3.5 kg. In August and September Dolly Varden is numerous in pools of the middle and lower reaches of the river. Preferable charr habitats are 1.5-2 m deep and have a current of 0.5-0.8 m/sec. Spawning occurs in the end of September and beginning of October near the source of the river and in small tributaries.
A recommended tackle is a 7-8 weight rod with 2 lines: a floating one and a floating with a sink tip. The tip of the leader should be 5-8 pound test. The easiest way to catch Dolly Varden is to use wet flies, imitations of shrimp, larvae, salmon eggs or fish fry. In areas with the rises of feeding fish try dry flies. The best will be the skating flies on the #6-10 hooks - Bomber or similar patterns.
White-spotted charr or kundsha
This Asian charr species is absent in Europe or North America. This is the biggest fish species in the Yama River drainage – it can reach up to 12-15 kg. The average weight of this charr in catches is 1-3 kilograms, specimens as big as 6-7 kg are not rare. Kundsha is a slow growing fish: a 8 kg specimens are normally not younger that 20 years old. White-spotted charr can feed in lakes and rivers, in brackish water of estuaries and also in the sea. In rivers the preferable habitats of this species are deep holes and bays with snags and current of 0.2-0.6 m/sec. Spawning occurs in the beginning of September. White-spotted charr is a predator, eating different small fishes. It is actively biting big wet salmon flies and streamers, both bright and dark. You can have success with the same types of flies, as for the Pacific salmon. Kundsha is also biting dry flies, especially when fishing on slow current and smooth water. A good pattern will be a #6-8, black and red Foam Skater.
Yellow-mouth charr
This is an anadromous fish; same as the Dolly Varden charr and kundsha it is wintering and spawning in the river and every summer going out into the sea foe feeding. This fish is an endemic of the Sea of Okhotsk with a small range – it is found only in 3 river drainages. The yellow-mouth charr was discovered in 1984. The biggest specimens in the Yama River can be up to 6 kg, the average weight in catches is between 800 g and 2 kg. It is more predatory charr comparing with Dolly Varden charr. The best flies to catch the yellow-mouth charr will be different wet flies, especially streamers.
Chum salmon (dog salmon)
This is the most numerous salmon species in the Yama River – the number of spawners in some years can reach several hundreds of thousands. The spawning grounds of the species are situated on lower 150 km of the river. The main run of chum salmon is observed during August. The average weight in catches – 3.5 kg, age – 3 or 4 years. Chum is a very strong fish, to catch it you will need a rod not lighter than 8-9 weight; and at least 100 meters of backing on the reel. Both floating line and sink tip will work. The tippet of the leader should be not too light – 12-15 pound test. Chum salmon bite big flies of different colors – red, orange, purple, and black. On cloudy days, when salmon are less active, the best will be long, dark, slowly moving patterns. Chum almost does not bite dry flies, but the dark subsurface nymphs often attract it.
Coho salmon (silver salmon)
The numbers of this species in the Yama River is much less comparing with the chum salmon. Coho are spending 1-3 years in the river and then a little over a year – in the sea. The average weight of silver salmon is 3-4 kg. The maximum weight of this salmon in the drainage is 8-9 kg. The recommended tackle is the same as for the chum salmon. The preferable resting areas of silver salmon in the river are pools with slow current and sloughs with no current at all. This salmon is actively biting any flies – big wet ones (the same as for chum), and also dry patterns. The best dry patterns will be the skating or waking flies. First of all try #2-4 black or brown Bomber or similar patterns.
Fishing and recreation at Mack-Mack Lake
Usually transfer to the lake is carried out by helicopter or seaplane, in winter – by snowmobile. One way flight time is about 25-30 minutes. Lake Mack-Mack is located in the upper reaches of the Checa River, 8 km from the glacial kar. It stretches along the valley being 3.5 km long and about 0.5 km wide. Once the glaciers descended the valley, formed a dam of a rock material (during the melting). Clean snow and groundwater of the Checa River and streams fill it up. The upper part of the lake is very wide. The lower part of it is narrowed down to 200 m. The lake is home to two species of fish. The most numerous is the char - neiva. This fish is typical for mountain lakes of the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Color of lake trout is different - from pink and yellow-brown to bright scarlet. You can catch more often fish weighing 300 to 500 grams, but some individuals may reach 3 kilograms. Although char can be rarely too heavy, it is a tenacious fighter. There was a case when playing fish ravaged a fly tied up to a salmon hook № 4, breaking it in two places. The fish has a strong jaw and small but sharp teeth. Besides permanently dwelling char one of Pacific salmon - sockeye comes to spawn to the lake. Some male sockeye salmon does not come back to the sea. It stays in the lake and mature here. Such fish weighing about a kilogram can participate in spawning together with large female species coming from the sea.
Fishing in Chistoe Lake
The Chistoe Lake is located near Ola settlement, but you can reach it either on foot (a hiking tour), or by helicopter or seaplane, in winter - by snowmobile. The lake is famous for its clear water, magnificent landscape and, of course, excellent fishing for grayling, especially in streams flowing into the lake. There are also dolly varden char and white spotted char. It is relatively close to civilization, but the lake is not often visited due to its inaccessibility. The length of the lake is about 8.5 km, its width is from 2 to 4 km.
The lake is surrounded by low hills. The surroundings of the lake are extremely interesting. At the foot of the hills there is a "standard" larch forest, above 500 m - mostly dwarf Siberian pines, and higher terrain is typical tundra. Transfer to Magadan can be organized by helicopter or plane or you can float down the Olachan River, then the Lankovaya River and at the end the Ola River. The floating ends at the Ola bridge. This floating has not any complexity, but nevertheless it is interesting to all nature lovers. The floating can take about 2-3 days.
Fishing and rest at Grand Lake
In ancient glacial valley of the Okhotsk-Kolyma watershed there is a chain of lakes. The largest of them is Grand Lake which is a source of the Yama River. The distance from Magadan to Grand Lake is 183 km. The lake is situated at a distance of 8 km. from a federal highway. The lakes are very beautiful. Each of them is different. Their narrow inlets are especially picturesque. Scenic landscapes, fishing, honeysuckle bushes, big ice mound made this place famous even during the development of the region. There was a sanatorium Dalstroi, then a recreation place for workers from Atka settlement. Now the lakes are natural monument of the Magadan Region.
The Russian Far East is a very rich and unique area. In recent years hundreds of fishermen, mainly from Western Europe, visited rivers of Magadan region. Here is the real kingdom of salmon! Some species are migratory. They come in to rivers from the sea to spawn (salmon and char). Rivers of the Sea of Okhotsk basin are the home of different kinds of Pacific salmon, such as pink salmon, chum and coho. Sockeye and chinook salmon can be also seen there. Among the numerous anadromous fish there is Dolly Varden char, rare yellow-mouth char (char Levanidova) and brown trout, which can be more than 1 m long. Many rivers of the coast are rich in big Arctic grayling. The fishing is very exciting in the Kolyma River basin. Here you can fish goldilocks, grayling and pike. Rivers and lakes of our region are very convenient for fly fishing. Our tour company has a big experience in organizing specialized tours for fly – fishermen.
The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the richest seas of the World Ocean. More than 600 species of fish dwell here. Sea fishing not far away from Magadan is interesting and diverse. Here you can catch halibut, flounder, sea bass, cod and many other species of fish. Crab fishing is also interesting. Crabs are especially tasty if they are cooked right on the beach. Sea fishing tours can last some hours or we can organize multi- days tours along the scenic coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. In many places mountains come close to the shore, slide rocks go down up to the water. Low shingle spits are formed in river estuaries. Such places are very convenient for tent camps.
Sea fishing
The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the richest seas of the World Ocean; There are more than 600 species of fish. Sea fishing in the region of Magadan is interesting and diverse. Here you can catch halibut, flounder, sea bass, cod, pollock, and many other fish. Sea fishing can be organized as a sea trip for a few hours or as a serious, multi-day trip along the picturesque coast. Sea trips for small groups up to 6 people are conducted by small Japanese speedboats. The fishing locations are Svetlaya Bay, Tikhaya Bay, Chirikov Cape, Nedorozumeniya Island and Zavyalov Island.
Fishing for halibut at Taran Cape (Koni Peninsula)
One of the most coveted trophies for anglers in Magadan is halibut. We have white – barked halibut here. As a rule, it is not very big. The average weight of a harvested halibut is 6-12 kg, the biggest are up to 20-25 kg, well, only occasionally caught halibut can weight more than 50 kg. There are also bites of such specimens which are simply impossible to take out. Halibut refers to flounder fish, but this is not a typical bottom fish. Halibut is one of the major predators of the Sea of Okhotsk, not taking into account a few sharks here. It eats everything that moves and can climb into its mouth. In stomachs of the halibut people can find a wide variety of fish and invertebrates - all what is found in this location. Fishermen generally catch halibut from a power boat with special marine tackles which can quickly lift a fish from the depth. As a rule, the usual bottom fishing rods or spinnings of a salmon class cannot even withstand halibut of the average size. Halibut loves herring. However, this delicate fish easily slips off the hook. Salmon (head or tail) is very good as the bait, or a piece of another fish (flounder, cod). It must be the size of a fist. At the same time a variety of artificial baits, silicone tooling, various pilkery and spinners, dzhiggolovki must be in the arsenal of a modern angler. Halibut is caught mainly near rocky, steep banks, in areas with uneven rocky bottom and depths ranging from 15 to 50 meters or more. The tackle is unwound to the bottom and it is bounced, occasionally dropping to the bottom. Halibut bite is usually felt as a weight suspended to the tackle. This is a very strong fish. Salmon of the same weight will be weaker.
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is one of the favorite pastimes for Magadan citizens. In winter, roughly from February to April, a dark continuous line of fishermen and their cars can be seen on the ice of the bays, especially in Gertner Bay which is a 20 min - 30 min. away from Magadan. Smelt and navaga move in the water as shoals and hour wait can turn to non-stop fishing, which leads fishermen to a complete delight and make even beginners get excited of the catching process. We have no doubt that you will be enchanted by the smell of freshly caught smelt… only fresh cucumbers can smell so! Also we can arrange fishing in the Melkovodnaya Bay (150 km from Magadan), near the Balagannoe settlement at the coast of the Amahtonskogo Bay. A tour program can also include a lunch in the open air with the preparation of the fish caught on the spot of fishing.
Сrabs catching
Another type of fishing that is not available, as a rule, for the citizens of the central parts of Russia is catching crabs. It is a fascinating and unique process. It is more like hunting than fishing. The way of crabs catching is very humane. In order to pull it out from the water people use special fishing tackles, so-called krabolovki (crab catching gear). According to the rules of sport fishing one fisherman may not have more than 5 such tackles. There are many varieties of crab catching tackles. The simplest is a heavy metal hoop, a meter in diameter, with a large mesh net pulled on it. In the middle there is a special pocket for bait. You can put a favorite crabs’ delicacy there - fresh herring. Also, a long rope is attached to the hoop, so that it is lowered and raised from the water horizontally. At the end of the rope there is a float - a piece of foam or a plastic bottle. The crab catching tackle is ready.
In our region there are some species of crabs, but people catch basically just two of them - prickly and blue. The blue crab resembles Kamchatka crab, the prickly one is more massive and covered with a variety of acute, long spikes. These two types of the crab are smaller than Kamchatka crab, but still average adults have a considerable weight - more than two kilograms. For crab fishing in winter you need to make holes in the ice (they should be of greater diameter than the ones for fish catching - at least 20 cm.). To do this, use special ring drills or strong ice screws. A meter high ice poles placed on the ice like chess pieces on a board are very impressive. In summer crab catching tackles are arranged with the help of boats. " A hunter" sits down in a rubber boat, sailed from the coast for a few tens of meters, puts a piece of herring to the center of crab catching tackle and lowers it to the sea bottom by fixing the float on the sea surface, so that later you can easily find the tackle. Having arranged all the "traps" you can return to the shore and wait.
About 30-40 minutes later, it makes sense to check them. If crab feels a herring, it probably got in and slowly eats it. Typically the carb eats for a long time - it's a pretty slow sea creature. To catch the crab it is enough to lift fast a crab catching tackle out of the water – your trophy cannot run away. After the crab is pulled out you should put it into the bucket and lower a crab catching tackle back. After a while, you can "harvest" once again. It should be noted that the crab catching in a certain period of the year in the specified amounts is absolutely legal here. There are only a few limitations when you are not allowed to take females (so-called snatka). They should be immediately released. And you cannot take small crabs (if the size of the shell is less than 10 cm). It is also prohibited to catch crabs in the period of “perepantsirovka”, so-called "molt". To distinguish the female crab is simple. There is visible bright orange or burgundy caviar under its shell. Honest fishermen do not hurt a female crab. As a rule, other crabs are boiled and eaten right there on the sea shore. Such crab is the most delicious. The secret is simple - it is boiled in seawater. Crab meat absorbs delicate sea flavor. It cannot be done if you boil it at home. It is better to use scissors to cut the shell of the crab.
Licensed salmon fishing
If you stay in Magadan and don’t fish for salmon - it's just a waste of time! There are legends about salmon fishing and almost all Magadan citizens- young and old, men and women and even children are fishermen. If you want to store up fish and caviar for winter you should go to any salmon fishing license areas, located at the Ola, Arman, Jana and Tauy Rivers, as well as sites at the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk - Nyuklya, Gornyak, Solenoe Lake, and some more. First sockeye salmon starts spawning, then pink salmon, and then as if waiting for their turn chum and coho salmon start spawning. As for the red caviar, it is the main product for which people catch salmon. It is very popular in Magadan. Especially people like so-called "five-minute caviar" representing just caught salmon caviar, after being five to seven minutes in a supersaturated solution of salt (tusluk). Some people boil water with a bay leaf, some with pepper and other spices. After tusluk is cooled down, caviar is lowered to it. It must be previously separated from any membranes. It must be constantly stirred for 5-7 minutes, then filtered off and finally you get the most "real" salted caviar. Some people eat it with black bread, spread with a thick layer of butter and sprinkled with finely chopped green onions. Only here in Magadan you can eat caviar with spoons! However, there are other ways of eating red salmon caviar - from ordinary classical pancakes to the extraordinary exotic Japanese sushi salads of Magadan manner.
Fishing in the Yana or Tauy Rivers
We offer our guests a fishing tour in the Yana River. It takes you about 3-4 hours to get there from Magadan by car. On the way it is necessary to cross the Yana River by ferry. The ferry station schedule depends of high and low tides. Then the road turns to a forest road and goes along the river to the license area called "Pervyi Olenny". Here our guides can set up a tent camp for you. We are ready to provide all necessary equipment for the organization of the tent camp, as well as to organize a motor boat transfer down the river to the fishing places. In this area in late August you can fish Dolly Varden char, chum, coho salmon, brown trout, and grayling. Licenses for salmon fishing are pre-purchased in Magadan Okhotskrybvod territorial offices. There are fishing inspectors who will check your fishing licenses. You should have licenses only for salmon - sockeye, pink, chum and coho salmon. Accidental catch of these fish without a license is only possible on the basis of a "catch and release" principle. If you wish we can move the tent camp to another river in the same area in some days, for example, to the Tauy River.
Fishing on Ola and Arman Rivers license areas
During the spawning time you can see dozens of fishermen (spinners and fly – fishermen) on these license areas. Licenses for salmon fishing are pre-purchased in Magadan Okhotskrybvod territorial offices. There are fishing inspectors who will check your fishing licenses. You should have licenses only for salmon - sockeye, pink, chum and coho salmon. Accidental catch of these fish without a license is only possible on the basis of a "catch and release" principle. We will be glad to organize for you a day trip or many day-long trip with accommodation in a tent camp.
The success of the sport fishing in Magadan area rivers, depending on the season (month and decade)
0 – клева нет/no fishing, * - отдельные рыбы/some fish, + - хороший клев/good fishing, ++ - лучшее время/the best time.
HERE YOU CAN FISH NEXT FISHES:
Arctic grayling
The Yama River is inhabited by the East-Siberian subspecies of Arctic grayling. This resident fish is more numerous on lower 100 km of the river. The maximum length of grayling in the Yama River is 53 cm, weight – 1800 g; average is 500-800 g. A 1000 g fish has an age about 10 years. The spawning occurs in spring, in the last days of May. A recommended fly tackle is 6 or 7 weight rod, floating line, and 3-3.5 m leader with a 4-6 pound test tippet. Look for Arctic grayling in areas rich on food. When there are rises on the surface, it is not difficult to catch this fish with caddis-fly imitations on the #8-14 hooks: Elk Hair Caddis, Irresistible, or Goddard Caddis. Small skating patterns such as #8-12 Bomber also work well. A good fishing method will be to use wet flies, predominately caddis-flies and stoneflies imitations, different nymphs. One of the most universal flies is the Goldhead Nymph #8-12. An imitation of a small fish – a #4-6 White Zonker is a good pattern for big grayling.
Dolly Varden charr (malma)
This anadromous species is widely distributed in the north of the Pacific Ocean. Dolly Varden spends 3 or 4 years in fresh water and than starts annual feeding migrations into the sea for 2-4 summer months. A 500 g fish has an average age 6 years, and a 1 kg specimen – about 8 years. The biggest specimens in the Yama River can reach 3.5 kg. In August and September Dolly Varden is numerous in pools of the middle and lower reaches of the river. Preferable charr habitats are 1.5-2 m deep and have a current of 0.5-0.8 m/sec. Spawning occurs in the end of September and beginning of October near the source of the river and in small tributaries.
A recommended tackle is a 7-8 weight rod with 2 lines: a floating one and a floating with a sink tip. The tip of the leader should be 5-8 pound test. The easiest way to catch Dolly Varden is to use wet flies, imitations of shrimp, larvae, salmon eggs or fish fry. In areas with the rises of feeding fish try dry flies. The best will be the skating flies on the #6-10 hooks - Bomber or similar patterns.
White-spotted charr or kundsha
This Asian charr species is absent in Europe or North America. This is the biggest fish species in the Yama River drainage – it can reach up to 12-15 kg. The average weight of this charr in catches is 1-3 kilograms, specimens as big as 6-7 kg are not rare. Kundsha is a slow growing fish: a 8 kg specimens are normally not younger that 20 years old. White-spotted charr can feed in lakes and rivers, in brackish water of estuaries and also in the sea. In rivers the preferable habitats of this species are deep holes and bays with snags and current of 0.2-0.6 m/sec. Spawning occurs in the beginning of September. White-spotted charr is a predator, eating different small fishes. It is actively biting big wet salmon flies and streamers, both bright and dark. You can have success with the same types of flies, as for the Pacific salmon. Kundsha is also biting dry flies, especially when fishing on slow current and smooth water. A good pattern will be a #6-8, black and red Foam Skater.
Yellow-mouth charr
This is an anadromous fish; same as the Dolly Varden charr and kundsha it is wintering and spawning in the river and every summer going out into the sea foe feeding. This fish is an endemic of the Sea of Okhotsk with a small range – it is found only in 3 river drainages. The yellow-mouth charr was discovered in 1984. The biggest specimens in the Yama River can be up to 6 kg, the average weight in catches is between 800 g and 2 kg. It is more predatory charr comparing with Dolly Varden charr. The best flies to catch the yellow-mouth charr will be different wet flies, especially streamers.
Chum salmon (dog salmon)
This is the most numerous salmon species in the Yama River – the number of spawners in some years can reach several hundreds of thousands. The spawning grounds of the species are situated on lower 150 km of the river. The main run of chum salmon is observed during August. The average weight in catches – 3.5 kg, age – 3 or 4 years. Chum is a very strong fish, to catch it you will need a rod not lighter than 8-9 weight; and at least 100 meters of backing on the reel. Both floating line and sink tip will work. The tippet of the leader should be not too light – 12-15 pound test. Chum salmon bite big flies of different colors – red, orange, purple, and black. On cloudy days, when salmon are less active, the best will be long, dark, slowly moving patterns. Chum almost does not bite dry flies, but the dark subsurface nymphs often attract it.
Coho salmon (silver salmon)
The numbers of this species in the Yama River is much less comparing with the chum salmon. Coho are spending 1-3 years in the river and then a little over a year – in the sea. The average weight of silver salmon is 3-4 kg. The maximum weight of this salmon in the drainage is 8-9 kg. The recommended tackle is the same as for the chum salmon. The preferable resting areas of silver salmon in the river are pools with slow current and sloughs with no current at all. This salmon is actively biting any flies – big wet ones (the same as for chum), and also dry patterns. The best dry patterns will be the skating or waking flies. First of all try #2-4 black or brown Bomber or similar patterns.
Fishing and recreation at Mack-Mack Lake
Usually transfer to the lake is carried out by helicopter or seaplane, in winter – by snowmobile. One way flight time is about 25-30 minutes. Lake Mack-Mack is located in the upper reaches of the Checa River, 8 km from the glacial kar. It stretches along the valley being 3.5 km long and about 0.5 km wide. Once the glaciers descended the valley, formed a dam of a rock material (during the melting). Clean snow and groundwater of the Checa River and streams fill it up. The upper part of the lake is very wide. The lower part of it is narrowed down to 200 m. The lake is home to two species of fish. The most numerous is the char - neiva. This fish is typical for mountain lakes of the northern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Color of lake trout is different - from pink and yellow-brown to bright scarlet. You can catch more often fish weighing 300 to 500 grams, but some individuals may reach 3 kilograms. Although char can be rarely too heavy, it is a tenacious fighter. There was a case when playing fish ravaged a fly tied up to a salmon hook № 4, breaking it in two places. The fish has a strong jaw and small but sharp teeth. Besides permanently dwelling char one of Pacific salmon - sockeye comes to spawn to the lake. Some male sockeye salmon does not come back to the sea. It stays in the lake and mature here. Such fish weighing about a kilogram can participate in spawning together with large female species coming from the sea.
Fishing in Chistoe Lake
The Chistoe Lake is located near Ola settlement, but you can reach it either on foot (a hiking tour), or by helicopter or seaplane, in winter - by snowmobile. The lake is famous for its clear water, magnificent landscape and, of course, excellent fishing for grayling, especially in streams flowing into the lake. There are also dolly varden char and white spotted char. It is relatively close to civilization, but the lake is not often visited due to its inaccessibility. The length of the lake is about 8.5 km, its width is from 2 to 4 km.
The lake is surrounded by low hills. The surroundings of the lake are extremely interesting. At the foot of the hills there is a "standard" larch forest, above 500 m - mostly dwarf Siberian pines, and higher terrain is typical tundra. Transfer to Magadan can be organized by helicopter or plane or you can float down the Olachan River, then the Lankovaya River and at the end the Ola River. The floating ends at the Ola bridge. This floating has not any complexity, but nevertheless it is interesting to all nature lovers. The floating can take about 2-3 days.
Fishing and rest at Grand Lake
In ancient glacial valley of the Okhotsk-Kolyma watershed there is a chain of lakes. The largest of them is Grand Lake which is a source of the Yama River. The distance from Magadan to Grand Lake is 183 km. The lake is situated at a distance of 8 km. from a federal highway. The lakes are very beautiful. Each of them is different. Their narrow inlets are especially picturesque. Scenic landscapes, fishing, honeysuckle bushes, big ice mound made this place famous even during the development of the region. There was a sanatorium Dalstroi, then a recreation place for workers from Atka settlement. Now the lakes are natural monument of the Magadan Region.