The Sedanka River is wide and shallow. Patches of bright green aquatic plants move to the pulse of the current. Tree covered islands are numerous, sometimes as many as twenty islands in a mile of river. The islands create multiple channels, so that ‘one-mile’ of river may actually contain ten miles of fishable water. And, since you can’t fish them all, many of these channels are rarely fished and the rainbows absolutely crush any mouse pattern twitched in the riffles or pools. Too me, crush means when your mouse lands and starts to move, a wake forms from as far away as ten feet and accelerates and ends at your fly with a heart stopping attack.
The Sedanka River is often described as a spring river, due to its clear water and shallow, weedy areas. There are mayfly hatches, and in the slick pools, wise trout sip adults and spinners. But, there are also areas that are deep with a strong current and a streamer will find rainbows over 20 inches with ease. There are also areas with undercut banks and overhanging willows where big rainbows live and will pounce on a mouse or three inch salmon smolt pattern. Many Russian rivers have six species of salmon. They have the five salmon common to Alaska: the chinook, coho, chum, sockeye and pink, plus the cherry salmon. Obviously, salmon fry and smolt are an important part of the trout’s diet.
Kundza are a char, native to Kamchatka rivers. They are brownish/golden with large white spots. Their body type is similar to a taimen and they attack baby salmon streamers like a bull trout. If you find one, you might find twenty. They hit hard and pull hard. The fight reminds me of a horse eye jack or small GT. They are not necessarily fighting to get off the hook, but to keep it! There are also dolly varden char, many colored up in fluorescent red spots and bellies. A photo of these needs a caveat; that Photoshop was not used to boost the color saturation.
The biggest attraction to the Sedanka is the mouse fishing. Too a degree, it is match the hatch. One guide told me he opened up a 24 inch rainbow and counted 17 mice inside the stomach. It is common to have over ten strikes in ten casts, as one rainbow may strike your fly two or three times before getting the hook. Many will hit the mouse again, after being tight on the line for five seconds. The barbless hook irritation could easily be about the same as the sharp toenails of a mouse. So, if you lose one, fire a cast right back at it…
Contributed By
Brian O’Keefe
In my lifetime, I believe it will be easier to get a space flight to the moon than a seat on a helicopter to the Sedanka River. Limited access is critical to super, world-class, wilderness fishing. So far, between The Fly Shop in Redding, California and their Russian outfitters, there is a very good balance between the resource and the demand. Probably the most responsible sport fishing management plan that I have ever seen. If you want to go, it is easy, just call The Fly Shop: 800 669 3474
