Kamchatka

I have been to the Kamchatka Peninsula four times.  The first was to study geology on the volcanoes south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski in 2004 with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  We spent two weeks studying and hiking to Mutnovski and Gorely volcanoes.  The group consisted of both Russian and American professors, Russian undergraduate geology students, and American Grad-students. 

The next time was to visit Oksana.  I spent three weeks on the peninsula and traveled north to Kluchi, west to Esso, and then the remaining two weeks were spent in the city.  I might have had a little cutlure shock when i was there.  I guess the culture shock wasn’t that bad though.  Because,  

In the summer of 2008 i worked as a fishing guide on the lower Zhupanova River in East-central Kamchatka.  I worked directly through The Conservation Angler, (formally Wild Salmon Rivers) and the most popular booking agents for the lodge was The Fly Shop, based in Redding, CA.  I spent two months on the river it was during that time that i think that i got hooked on the place.

In late February, I recieved an e-mail from Nazar, the other full time guide at Zendzur, and he was pretty excited that i would be returning to Zendzur Lodge in July.  Well, July rolled around and actually only spent 1 week at Zendzur, the remainder of the 2009 season i worked with two Ruskis and did week long float trips down the upper section of the Zhupanova River.  The tentative plan is to return to Kamchatka for the 2010 season.  The trout fishing for large native rainbow trout is second to none, the place is specacular, and the people i work with are pretty darn great.