Rybaga Camp – The Ponoi River

Ryabaga Camp, the Ponoi River

Kola Peninsula, Russia - Incomparable Atlantic Salmon Fishing

Experience the excitement of a true wilderness location, yet an oasis of comfort, hospitality and fine cuisine. A totally wild Atlantic salmon population thrives here; the efforts to care for the stocks show markedly positive results. At Ryabaga Camp, you will also find a team of people whose attitudes to service, work ethic and team spirit are second to none. The Ponoi is one of the few rivers left where catches are recorded in thousands and even the slowest weeks exceed an entire season’s catch elsewhere. Perfect for salmon anglers of every age and ability and those with limited mobility.

Fishing

Fly fishing and catch-and-release only. Over 50 miles of double-bank water accessed by 17-ft jet boats and hovercraft for more distant beats. Highly skilled international guide pool. Options for endless wading or casting from boats with anchor drops. Outstanding home pool.

Accommodation

Guests enjoy single occupancy cabins with en-suite bathroom, 24/7 electricity and Wi-Fi; queen bed with comfortable mattress, duvet and down pillows. Meals are in central dining tent with bar/lounge area and adjacent fly shop. Sauna, massage room, drying room and museum documenting Ponoi history.

Gear

Double-handed Spey rods are the norm (14’ for 9 wt. is perfect); floating and/or sink tip lines; flies range from double hook traditional patterns to small tubes to skated dries, depending on water temperature and conditions. Chest waders, warm layers and rain gear are a must.

Ask The Expert

Tarquin Millington-Drake

Richard Scrope

Leigh Buches

Mollie Fitzgerald

Trip Specifics

Located above the Arctic Circle at 67 degrees N, access is via Helsinki with chartered flight to Murmansk, the point of entry to Russia. From there, a 2 hour Mi-8 helicopter across the tundra to camp. Frontiers assists with flights and en-route arrangements including visas, required for most guests.

Rates

$7,490-$15,490 per rod for 7-night/6-days, depending on date + charter flight Helsinki/Murmansk/Helsinki $1,250; Season: late May-early October. Includes all meals, accommodations, 6 days guided fishing (1 boat/guide per 2 anglers), licenses, helicopter transport from Murmansk. Sat-Sat turnaround.

Ask The Expert

Tarquin Millington-Drake

UK Managing Director

Manages Frontiers UK office.

Richard Scrope

UK Sporting Specialist

Deals with Alphonse, Argentina, Iceland, Russia, and UK Shooting and Stalking.

Leigh Buches

Program Administrator

Specializes in the Ponoi and Iceland fishing programs, and Elegant Journeys.

Mollie Fitzgerald

Co-Owner

Specializes in Atlantic fishing programs and heads up Elegant Journeys.

Learn more about Ponoi

News

Russia - Ponoi - 2017 End of Season Report:

Preparations for the 2017 Ponoi salmon season started in late April when the first team of PRC mechanics arrived in Ryabaga. As has been the case in seasons past, the first order of business was the long process of re-working water systems, generators, boats, and generally ensuring that all facilities were in working order following the long Arctic winter. Mid-May found Ryabaga Camp abuzz with life but nonetheless still covered in snow, with ...

Russia - Ponoi - Week 19 - a superb seasons end...

Week 19 Report

Another Season Passes

The final week of the 2017 Ponoi salmon season has come to an end, and with impressive numbers of bright fish still pushing through our system, we were privileged to finish the year on a very high note.

As in previous weeks, the weather remained as favourable as can be expected for this time of the year, particularly as cooler temperatures and shortening days made the approaching ...

Russia - Ponoi - Week 18 - Record week with 888 fish!

This past week, finally fishing conditions came together on Ponoi, resulting in a week for the record books. Water temperature, clarity, and flow coincided with good weather and a proper influx of bright fish, and in response Ryabaga anglers experienced superb fishing, and fresh fall-runners in particular. The Arctic tundra was especially gorgeous this week, and all in camp were amazed by the impressive fall colours that shone on the ...

Russia - Ponoi - Looking forward to the spring

In recent years it seems there has been a shift in the arrival of the autumn run on Ponoi. We do not know if this is permanent. There used to be conjecture that it looked like a poor run but year after year such conjecture has been proven wrong. It seems the run has been late rather than small. We know this because each year we return in the spring the river is full of fish with sometimes over 1000 fish caught in some of the spring ...

Russia - Ponoi - Week 17 report

Situated in the heart of autumn’s prime time, this week’s fishing is typically nothing short of amazing, and the 2017 Ponoi River Club Week was no exception. Despite a high river and some challenging angling conditions, the water remained quite clear, and the salmon, especially the bright ones, were keen to pursue flies. As a result, the 14 rods in camp landed almost 400 fish this week, with nearly 75% of those fish being bright ...

Russia - Ponoi - Week 16 report

The incomparable Ponoi showed her resilience through difficult conditions this week, as weather made matters quite challenging for Ryabaga anglers and guides.

We welcomed Week 16 with a steadily dropping river and some strong winds, especially on Monday when easterly gusts up to 25 knots pounded us all day long. After several calmer but wet sessions, the weather raged once again, with stronger winds and a serious rain that lasted for ...

Russia - Ponoi - Week 12 Report Friends & Family Week

This past week was not only the 14th week of the 2017 Ponoi salmon season, it was also the annual Ponoi Friends & Family Week in Ryabaga. It was, once again, an unforgettable experience for all involved; with almost 30 guests in camp and friends spilling over into the Guest House, Ryabaga was humming with life.

PRC owner Ilya Sherbovich and his wife Tanya welcomed friends and family into camp, and led guests through a wonderful, ...

Russia - Ponoi - Week 15 - Fall Run in Great Shape

The beginning of the 15^th week of the 2017 Ponoi salmon season arrived with somewhat lowered expectations. A major rain had soaked the entire Kola and the immense Ponoi basin for about 24 hours on the previous Friday and Saturday, and in response the river level increased through the early part of the week. As the saturated tundra flushed its excess water into the drainages, Ponoi anglers were met with high, roiled, and cloudy ...

Russia - Ponoi - Week 13 - Old friends and new

The slow arrival of spring coupled with a mild summer this year led us to believe that an early fall was surely on its way. In turn, all in camp have been eagerly anticipating the early arrival of the Fall Run, which always brings with it some of the biggest fish of the year. Mother Nature had other plans, however, and in late August we experienced the last flourish of summer weather. This past week, most fishing days ranged ...

Russia - The Ponoi River - Fishing report for 12th to 19th August 2017

As Autumn Approaches - Week 12 Report

It is always a bit startling to realize how quickly the seasons seem to slip by on Ponoi. Already, as we approach September, the days are growing markedly shorter, as the sun takes a shorter path across the Arctic sky. As we reflect on our 12^th week of the 2017 Ponoi salmon season, the seasonality of this place and its fleeting summer bring mixed feelings. All in camp are eagerly ...

Ponoi - A Finnish beginning to the fall run

After a 3-week midsummer break, we returned this week to welcome the first days of August and the second half of the 2017 Ponoi salmon season in Ryabaga Camp. As is often the case through this midsummer period, the Ryabaga staff went in several different directions: some members of the crew took vacations, some launched an exploratory expedition to the distant Yakutia, and some remained in camp to undertake both maintenance projects and ...

Russia - Ponoi - Week 7 report - 1 week late

Week 7 Report

Here on Ponoi, the middle of July brings about our midsummer break, as we mark the end of the first half of the season’s fishing. The longest winter in over a century made the beginning of the season quite challenging to say the least, and the ice pack forced us to cancel angling on our historic Week 1. Though we were able to open for guests on Week 2, we nonetheless struggled a bit with ...

Russia - Ponoi - Fishing report for 1st to 8th July 2017

The 6^th fishing week of the Ponoi salmon season just passed as we said goodbye to a camp full of happy guests. With spring-like river conditions and fair weather throughout, our first week of July 2017 ended up with a tally of almost 800 fish for the 20 rods in camp!

The Ponoi looked and fished very much like a typical Week 2 or 3 this week, with the water level dropping steadily and the river slowly warming up. Under ...

Russia - The Ponoi River - Fishing report for 24th June to 1st July 2017

Week 5 Report

Summer Run Arrives On Time!

The particularly late spring we experienced on Ponoi this year has without a doubt benefitted those guests who plan to arrive a bit later in the season. In point of fact, the river condition and the general look of the tundra is strongly reminiscent Week 1 of the 2016 season! With just a couple weeks left before the start of our summer break, the water remains cool and the ...

Russia - The Ponoi River - Fishing report for 17th to 24th June 2017

Week 4 Report

Things are Shaping Up Beatifully

Though water levels remained somewhat high to start, the Ponoi witnessed a steady drop over the course of this past week, and in turn the river was able to showcase a more typical view of itself. High water forced the guide team to remain nimble, but guests were nonetheless able to access many of the traditionally favoured spots, and great fishing was found throughout the 40 km of ...

Russia - The Ponoi River - Fishing report for 10th to 17th June 2017

Week 3 Report

June 18, 2017

After what was arguably the toughest week of fishing in the history of Ryabaga Camp, we entered the official third week of the 2017 season with a mix of hope and uncertainty. Though all who know Ponoi understand that the resource is incredibly resilient and the river returns to its normal glory very quickly, a late spring and similarly late ice-out had delayed the 2017 season significantly. By ...

Reflections on the infamous 'Spring' of 2017

Read Tarquin Millington-Drake's thoughts in this very cold spring on the Kola and why he feels Russia remains the top destination for Atlantic salmon here.

Mean Ponoi did superbly well under tough conditions with 768 fish for the week. Photos from this past ...

RUSSIA - PONOI - WEEK 16

At one point during the past week, I overheard a conversation between one of our female staff members and a guest. The guest had asked what the Ponoi River Club Week feels like for the staff and guides in Ryabaga. The answer was brilliantly simple and accurate: “For us, this week is always like celebrating the New Year!”

We at PRC welcome every week of the season with the passion and dedication that sets the Ponoi ...

Russia – Ponoi River – Ryabaga Camp – First week gets off to a record start...

This first week of the 2016 Ponoi salmon season has come to a close, and we could not have asked for a better start. A long anticipated spring left the river in unsurpassable condition. With barely any residual ice in the surrounding tundra, water levels slightly lower than average in historic first weeks. This flow allowed the Ponoi to showcase all of her features, much to the delight of our anglers. We truly could not have asked for a river ...

RUSSIA - THE PONOI - RYABAGA CAMP - Fishing report for week 17 - fresh fish just keep on coming...

September 27, 2015

Week 17 Report

And Fall Keeps Coming

As we approach the end of our 2015 season, great fishing continues on the Ponoi. This year’s autumn fishing has been wonderful, and the weather has been rather mild; this week was no exception. Excepting some occasional rains and a few slightly windy sessions, conditions were close to perfect for most of the fishing days this week.

The salmon did not ...

RUSSIA - THE PONOI - RYABAGA CAMP - Fishing report for week 16 - now over 80% bright fish

Week 16 Report

Syndicate Week at Ryabaga

The second week of September is one of the most anticipated weeks of the Ryabaga season. On this week each year we welcome back a Syndicate of regular anglers, and we celebrate the traditions, the camaraderie, and the wonderful fall fishing that we’ve come to expect in September.

This week, Fall-run fish continued to move through Ryabaga waters. Due to the steady ...