For many fly fishes, Kamchatka is the most desirable place in the world for unforgettable experiences fly-fishing for wild Pacific Salmon. Rivers both large and small split the territory of Kamchatka up and in each of the rivers there are species of the Pacific Salmon family. The total area of the Kamchatka peninsula is 270 thousand sq. km. stretching from north to south for 1,200 km. with around 14,100 rivers and streams, most of which have a length of just 10 km and only 105 rivers the flow for more than 100 km.
View Dmitry’s Kamchatka Blog Post »
Loop Profile Dmitry Drozdov
What was your first experience with fly fishing?
Dmitry: My first introduction with fly fishing took place in 2003. My friends knew that I was interested in this kind of fishing, and for my Birthday they presented me with my first fly rod. My first experience with the fly was fishing in the mountain rivers of the Caucasus, I was trying to catch a Brown Trout. After that, every time I sank deeper and deeper into this kind of fishing. In my region we had very few fly fishers and they knew nothing about fly fishing in this manner because this type of fishing was a completely new way for Russian anglers and not many people had experience with these tactics for fishing. I engaged in self-education, and searched for information to gain experience in fly fishing anywhere I could.
As an avid film maker of your fly fishing travels, tell us about your favourite destination so far.
Dmitry: It’s hard to say which has been my favourite or the most interesting location to film in because I travel with my crew to film in places that I already love. The areas we take the most time to explore and film in is all across Russia. In Russia there are many interesting places and fishing opportunities. In my opinion Russia has three unique places: Kola Peninsula, Siberia & The Far East and Kamchatka. Each of these parts of Russia are beautiful in their own way. On the Kola Peninsula, there are large numbers of trophy Atlantic Salmon and huge Brown Trout, in Siberia and the Far East we have Siberian Taimen, Lenok and Sea Run Taimen and in Kamchatka, there all species of the Pacific Salmon family. My soul also trembles from the Scandinavia and Tierra Del Fuego landscape and fly fishing opportunities.
Tell us about your fly fishing experiences in your homeland of Russia.
Dmitry: I have a vast experience fly fishing for landlocked Salmon and Atlantic Salmon in our Russian rivers. Every year I travel to various rivers and explore new destinations. I am always very much attracted to the Kola Peninsula because it has many rivers requiring different techniques and methods of fly fishing. There are small and scenic rivers with a large number of Atlantic Salmon and large rivers with an annual run of truly huge Salmon. The mountain headwaters of these rivers and surrounding lakes are also teaming with giant brown trout, however they can be quite a challenge to reach and explore and there are so many that one angler is unlikely to fish them all in their lifetime.. My Russian salmon season begins in the Kola and I finish it in the autumn in Kamchatka.
What is your favourite part of working with the LOOP Russia team?
Dmitry: My favourite part of working with the LOOP Russia team is exploring new horizons in fly fishing and expanding the boundaries of people’s opinions about the tackle produced by LOOP and introducing new people to the brand, I love to connect LOOP patriots across the Russian territory. The LOOP Russia team holds and attends many different public events as well as fly fishing competitions per year. We do everything we can for fishermen to see with their own eyes the high quality of LOOPs products, and help them make the right choices in their tackle selection.
What is your favourite fish to target?
Dmitry: At the moment I have three favourite fish to target, not surprisingly all wild salmonids: Sea Trout, Atlantic Salmon, Steelhead.
If there was one piece of tackle you just could not live without, what would it be?
Dmitry: It is extremely difficult to answer. I just can not live without LOOP rods, reels and fly lines. These pieces of tackle are firmly part of my life that I can not imagine how I would live without them. The rods and reels fully satisfy all my needs on my fishing trips. I am confident in the reliability of LOOP Tackle and that they will never fail me in the harshest of fishing conditions and adventures. The Cross S1, SX and the new Evotec CAST series are the best rods I’ve used, paired with Classic, Opti or Evotec reels and GDC lines you have the best possible set up, especially for fishing in Russia.
When and where will your next adventure be?
Dmitry: This year I will start with my standard fishing destinations for Landlocked Salmon and then onto the Kola fly fishing for Atlantic Salmon. The 2016 season I am going to explore and study Siberia and the Far East. In the autumn we will go to explore new places, fly fishing for Siberian Taimen. Fly fishers that know about Taimen will probably know that they are the largest representative of the Salmon Family especially the Huchos of Siberia. For those who love fishing films you can be sure that we will prepare a great video of our expeditions, following the LOOP Life.
Loop Fly of the Month
Watch Dmitry and the Loop Cross SX in action in Kamchatka.
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