The Varzuga and its watershed covers an area of over 6100 square miles in the south of the Kola Peninsula, roughly the same catchment as that of the River Spey in Scotland.

The Kola Peninsula is a wilderness of pine and birch forest, interspersed with open tracts of peaty tundra. As the ice breaks at the end of the long Russian winter, the fish run to their spawning reeds until the river is filled from source to mouth with fresh strong salmon.

Russia's Kola Peninsula is the last stronghold for Atlantic salmon fishing in the world. This purely natural resource, where there is no need for re-stocking and no desperate measures to save the future, is a wilderness where dreams can and regularly do come true on an astounding scale. Nowhere else in the world is a river in such close harmony with all who use it than the Varzuga. Due to the extreme fertility of the river it is also home to the world's largest population of freshwater mussels. The symbiotic relationship between the mussels and the spawning salmon ensures that the river is kept in nature's perfect balance.

The Varzuga has been fished for food for centuries before and now we are very privileged to be allowed to use this great resource for our sport. And what sport it is. Where else in the world is the ten-year average for the whole season over 36 fish per rod per week?

There are many different types of water on the Varzuga and we now run fully equipped and comfortable camps spread throughout the system. The Middle and Lower Varzuga camps together with Kitza take full advantage of the early runs as salmon enter the system at the beginning of May. Whilst Pana starts fishing a few weeks later as the fish take longer to migrate to these upper beats.

Each camp is staffed by a Western camp manager and a western cook together with Russian guides. The camp manager co-ordinates the fishing program for the week, putting together the beat rota's and keeping the catch records; as well as generally making your stay productive and comfortable.