General information

Varzina is a river in the north of the Kola Peninsula, the European part of Russia. The river starts at the outflow from Enozero lake. The river has rapids in the middle and lower reaches. It feeds mainly from snow and rains. It flows into the gulf of Varzina, the Western Nokuevsky bay in Barents Sea. The largest tributaries are Pukhtalkvai and Penka. Currently, there are no settlements on the river. The length of the river is about 30 km. In the lower reaches, 4 km from the sea our main Lodge "Varzina River Club” is located. It has high level of comfort and is focused on trophy Atlantic salmon fishing. Thanks to the use of the helicopter at the best time of the season, fishermen have access to all salmon pools of Varzina and Penka rivers, and with the «Three Rivers» program also to Drozdovka river pools. The school of the Varzina River Atlantic salmon is one of the best on the Kola Peninsula by average weight. The run of large fresh salmon begins at the end of May and continues until mid-July. Almost every week during the season fish over a meter long (about 11 kg) are caught.

Visiting the Varzina River Club, you, as a fisherman, have the greatest opportunity to catch trophy salmon in a variety of conditions. Varzina is the largest of our rivers, with the largest school of Atlantic salmon and its largest specimens. As a rule, the first silver individuals enter the river in the end of May. At this time, kelts, trout, as well as autumn run salmon in excellent conditions, are present in large numbers in the river. The latter has an average weight of 6-8 kg, however, there are samples up to 15 kg. At the beginning of the season, the best places for fishing are located directly near the camp, on the so-called "Home pool". In the spring and throughout June - early July, the largest salmon enter the river. This is the best time to hunt for fresh trophy salmon, coming right from the sea. With rising temperatures and falling water levels in the river, salmon slowly begin to move upstream, reaching pools in the middle and upper currents. Until mid-July, salmon fishing is carried out for 14 km from the sea. For a long time the top point has been the first Varzina waterfall, which became a serious obstacle to salmon migration upriver.

All three forms of trout (sea, lake and residential form) are represented in the river. Trout fishing becomes stable, as soon as water warms up, starting from the end of June. Though some trout specimens could be caught at the beginning of the season.

Penka is the left tributary of Varzina, which flows already in the tidal zone and is almost independent river. It is smaller and shallower than Varzina, accordingly it warms up faster and most often the very first "fresh" salmon of the season is often caught in the waters of Penka. It is the main spawning place of sea trout, so fishing on it is very good here. In the summer months Penka is the best place to use single-handed fly rods.

Varzina and Penka run in completely deserted terrain, outside any human settlements or roads. You can get to the Lodge from Murmansk only by helicopter. There is a daily rotation of fishing pools between guests of the Lodge, according to the spread of salmon along the river. There is no poaching on the river, as well as any other anthropogenic influence. The fisherman gets the water on the pool for individual use.

Despite the remoteness of civilization and the wildness of the river, staying in our Lodge is quite comfortable. In 2016, high-quality renovations were made, so that guests will be able to appreciate the new design of the restaurant in the Nord Art-Nouveau style, the haute cuisine in a superb dining room with a fireplace and panoramic view and single accommodation in deluxe cabin. All cabins have undergone a quality reconstruction. Now each cabin has a warm individual toilet and shower, electric heating, air conditioning with climate control and many other little things necessary for comfortable living, which will make your stay in the north of the Kola Peninsula as convenient as possible.