Flyfishing and rafting at Ust'-Viluisky National Park, Yakutia

Region: Russia, Eastern Siberia, Yakutia
Activity: fishing, rafting
Season: July — September

Located in Central Siberia, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is the largest and one of the most prosperous regions of Russia. A vast land of over three million square kilometers, Sakha comprises 20% of Russia’s total land area and 2% of the Earth’s land mass.
The climate in Yakutia is markedly continental: seasonal temperature variations exceed 100 C (from +40°C during the summer to -60°C during the winter).
The republic of Sakha is the land of mountains and plateaus, which occupy 70% of the territory. 72% of the territory is covered with taiga, the reminder being forest-tundra, tundra and arctic desert. There is diverse plant and wildlife here. Grassland of river valleys and of numerous drying-up lakes is favorable for livestock rearing. It is in this region that having covered long way the first Turkish-speaking tribes of the Sakha-Yakut finally settled. Yakutia is home to 85 species of medicinal herbs. Over ten different species of wild berries and mushrooms grow in abundance. The Republic’s population of land vertebrates includes 64 species of mammals, 280 species of birds, 4 species of amphibians and 2 species of reptiles. The Republic is the only habitat of the Asian black crane and the Ross’s gull.

Fishing

The river Lena with its tributaries has long been famous for the luxuriant fish resources. The absence of dams and a huge fodder reserve provide good conditions for various species of fishes, some of which are very unique and valuable. It is here, that one-meter-long white salmons and pikes, as well as the taimen, the pride of Yakutia, put on more weight. The route goes through absolutely wild territories where barely a human being is a rare guest and wild animals are real land lords.
The fishermen are flied to the river Lyampushka, 320 km to the north from Yakutsk in Ust-Viluiski National Park. There is a remote foresters’ post in the mouth of Lyampushka, that guards the river against any uninvited guest. While the president of Yakutia sometimes visits this post for fishing, Team Gorky’s tourists raft down the Lyampushka as our company has a long-term agreement with the National Park. The fishing is premised on the principle: «Catch & release». Lyampushka possesses an almost untouched herd of taimens, some of them winter in the deep pits on the bottom of the river and some come here from Lena to sprawn and spend the summer on the quick shallows and deep reaches. A group of 6 fishermen normally catches from 40 to 80 taimens during a week. Our record is a taimen caught in 2002 that was 138 cm long and weighed 25 kilos. And that is not the limit! Species much bigger than that have torn the fishing tackles of our fishermen and were left unsubdued.
Try, and luck will be on your side!

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival Yakutsk. Transfer to the Magan airport. 2,5 hour flight to the starting point on Lyampushka River, bush plane type AN-2. Camping. First fishing.

Days 2-7
Rafting down the river. Fishing lenok, taimen. Wilderness, taiga, mountains. Overnight in tents.

Day 8
End of trip. Flight by small airplane to Yakutsk. Hotel accommodation.

Team Gorky provides:

16-feet rafts, paddles, life jackets, dry bags for personal belongings, one or two person tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, cooking equipment, tableware, first-aid kit, satellite phone for emergency cases, walkie-talkie connection on the route.

What’s Included
• expert leadership
• Transfers in Yakutsk
• transportation from Yakutsk to the starting point on river and back
• a permit for visiting Ust-Viluiski National Park
• all arrangements in the field, including camp meals, cook staffs, group gear, and river rafting equipment
• meals on route
• hotel accommodation in Yakutsk
• insurance
• satellite phone for emergency cases

Not included:

• travel to and from Yakutsk
• visa fees
• meals during transportation
• alcoholic beverages
• personal expenses