The species (Oncohynchus mykiss) was originally named by Johann Julius Walbaum in 1792 based on type specimens from Kamchatka.
Rainbow trout are predators with a varied diet, and will eat nearly anything they can grab. Their image as a selective eater is only a legend. Rainbows are not quite as piscivorous or aggressive as brown trout or lake trout (char). Young rainbows survive on insects, fish eggs, smaller fish (up to 1/3 of their length), along with crayfish and other crustaceans. As they grow, though, the proportion of fish increases in most all populations. Some lake dwelling lines may become planktonic feeders. While in flowing waters populated with salmonids, trout eat varied fish eggs, including salmon, cutthroat trout, as well as the eggs of other rainbow trout, alevin, fry, smolt and even left-over carcasses.
The Sedanka River springs from the toe of an ancient lava floe on Kamchatka’s northwestern taiga plain.
It is one of the most biologically diverse drainages of the entire peninsula, with all 6 species of Pacific salmon, rainbow trout, kundzha and both resident and sea-run dolly varden char. This spring creek ecosystem is particularly rich with insect, mouse, and salmon biomass that feeds an exceptionally dense population of 18 – 27 inch native rainbow trout. It was discovered in 1998 and has since proved to be a flyfishing destination of incomparable beauty and excitement. Along with the Zhupanova River, it is one of the two flagship rivers of Kamchatka and is an excellent choice for a first trip to Kamchatka. What’s more, owing to its spring origin and expansive lava rock in the drainage, rainstorms do not “blow out” the Sedanka. It is air clear, everyday of the year.
Sedanka rainbows are quite large by the standards of the Western US, though they have become more well known in Kamchatka for their sheer numbers. Anglers typically hook into dozens of fish per day and come away with years worth of trout fishing experience crammed into their week on the Sedanka. The constant flow and temperature regimes produce dense insect life which, for the flyfisher, means perhaps the finest dry fly fishing in the world. But Sedanka trout, like all Kamchatka trout, are opportunistic feeders. With just 4 months of the year to feed, they have no choice but to stuff themselves with whatever they can get during the short summer. Throughout July, August and September, fishing with mouse patterns on the surface, and smolt patterns just beneath the surface coaxes thrilling, vicious strikes from fish filling their stomachs for the 8 month winter fast to come.
The Sedanka is one of the most remote rivers in Kamchatka. A 3 hour helicopter ride from Petropavlovsk is the only method of access, and once there the river is yours. Just 6 anglers per week share the Sedanka according to our outfitter’s lease terms with the Kamchatka government.
This program is fully guided and involves a combination of traditional walk and wade fishing, float days that utilize inflatable rafts to move downstream, and occasionally jet-motor skiffs are employed to access still more water. All fishing is by wading, with boats merely used as transportation from spot to spot. Because a portion of the week is spent walking and wading, this is the most physically demanding of our Kamchatka trips, though anyone in reasonable shape will be able to take full advantage.
Accommodations are simple, rustic, and cozy, with double occupancy cabins, flush toilet outhouses, and reliable hot water showers.
Compared to the other rivers of Kamchatka, the Sedanka stands alone as an immaculate dry-fly fishery with “blow-out proof” clear water. And in terms of fish numbers, its aggressive race of rainbow trout means ACTION.
Please contact us if you have any questions!