Is Fishing Travel to Russia Permanently Off the Table?
I came of age during the Cold War tensions of the 1980s, and while I favorably remember the era of glasnost and perestroika, my long-term memory is of the Soviet Union being portrayed as an “evil empire.” Nevertheless, in subsequent decades, as Cold War fears diminished and other concerns grew, Russia and the former Soviet Union were removed from the forefront of our list of concerns.
While Hanna and I never seriously considered a trip to Russia to fish, as I started to explore international angling options I became aware of its possibilities. Since portions of the country are at the same latitude as Alaska, its shouldn’t surprised anyone that there are incredible salmon, trout and pike fisheries there. Indeed, one of the best rainbow trout fisheries in the world exists in Kamchatka, a region whose location I only knew of through childhood board games of “Risk.” While I assume that Russia’s levels of natural resource protections lag behind those of the United States, I also know that their sportfishing infrastructure is not nearly as developed, so many of these prime fisheries might be untapped.
As I studied more, looking at the offerings from outfitters like Yellow Dog, I also learned about taimen – the largest members of the salmonid family, growing to over 100 pounds – which live their entire lives in freshwater and are known to eat not only other fish, but also various terrestrials, reportedly including rats or even larger rodents. In fact, many of the most popular flies aimed at them are rat imitators. That allowed me to dream about throwing a big black or brown wake bait over them and watching it get destroyed. As I researched them, I learned that in Mongolia “Buddhists revere it as the child of an ancient river spirit.”
Again, we never put into action any sort of plan to visit, but I always kept the possibility of a future trip to Russia in my back pocket. I knew that it likely wouldn’t be easy – some of the articles I read talked about the need to grease pockets or build multiple extra days into the trip to account for frequent flight cancellations and diversions. Those factors made it tough. COVID made it tougher.
Now, with the tensions going on in Ukraine, it seems that all of the outfitters catering to foreign anglers have eliminated their Russian options for the time being. That’s sad – for outsiders, for the locals who depend on those outsiders to make a living, and as a general matter of geopolitics. It’s my sincere hope for all of the people affected that the worst of this is behind us. If we ever get a chance to fish there, that will just be a bonus.
However – and I don’t mean to make light of this – the current tensions involving Russia illustrate several key lessons about international global travel, many of which we’ve previously described but which bear repeating:
Don’t put off opportunities that may be fleeting – whether it’s due to politics, a declining fishery, environmental degradation or your own health, if there’s a legitimate chance you won’t be able to visit a bucket list fishery when you’re “ready,” find a way to go now.
Safety comes first, always. It doesn’t matter how good the rat bite may be.
Quality outfitters stay on top of world trends and travel news to maximize your enjoyment and to minimize any pitfalls.
There’s always some good news. In recent years, the Russian government, in collaboration with the Wild Salmon Center and others, has extended protections to some key tributaries and regions.
In the meantime, check out this awesome 2017 video from an Aardvark McLeod trip to Siberia:
And here are some articles about fishing in Russia from people who have lived it and who know far more about the experience than I do.
The Taimen of Russia's Tugur River
Fishing for Taimen in Siberia's Far East
Fish Facts: Siberian Taimen (Hucho taimen)
