Salmon fishing, Varzuga river

Several years ago we used the free time available for a salmon trip to Varzuga river.

What has come of it -look here! I thank John for these wonderful photos !!!

Yes - it was fun just to be there!!!

A little better view of the church

After dinner, we would retreat to the banya, a type of steam bath - Fiodr has lit the fire, and its heating up

After taking his daughter across for school, Fiodr comes back to take us upriver as far the shallow water will allow

And a boat ride back to Varzuga village

And the church in Kozumen was getting a facelift, too

Varzuga river

Another fishing camp

At the end of every day of fishing, Fiodr's dog, Jackson (named after Michael you-know-who), would meet us at the beach. The town was full of big, sturdy and very friendly dogs

But the dry summer and Fall seems to have set the foliage on fire

David is going to try the other side of the river...

David's last fish:

Day 3 - David and I hiked back into the illegal honey hole alone; John casting as taught by Vasyl

Didn't find out how old this house is, but no matter how worn, they all seemed occupied

End of the day

Except for a couple fishing camps for town residents, once you leave town, there is nothing but forest along the river

First stop in Kozumen - Vasyl wanted to buy some vodka and orange juice; which we later drank Russian style - on a side street, from the bottle, under Vasyl's tutelage. It didn't take long.

Fish (almost) Gone!

From the bedroom window - the town gets its electricity from a local diesel-powered generator (which had quit running the night we arrived)

Heading home. 3 hours (in that van parked across the river) to the paved road, then 6 more hours in a more comfortable van to Murmansk

Main Street, Kozumen, Russia

A Kozumen house - yes, still occupied. That bump-out in front, on the left side - an indoor pit toilet

Mike and Scott, and Fiodr at the helm (most of the men in the village wore cammo as everyday clothing)

Oh yeah - dry or scorched . Either way - back in business

One iconostasis inside the church

Scott got his shirt and coat sleeves wet - so the fire was a handy drier; Vasyl heated water for tea or coffee at lunch

See you Fiodr....

Sometimes they have to be relit - this is how we do it in Russia

That's better!

The best firewood stacking job I've ever seen; that's a new building on the church's compound in the background

The Bro's enjoy a fire and cigar after lunch

The low water meant that the salmon were held up out in the White Sea, and not coming upriver as they normally would this time of year

The Port of Murmansk, which is fed by the Kola River. Murmansk was a very nice city with a bit of a European feel and look.

This water is really shallow...

Vasyl and John - taking a break by the fire (I got cold from standing in the river for a couple hours)

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