Some more now on fly fishing on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula. Most locals earn their livelihood through fishing, both legally and illegally. Fishing has been a way of life here for thousands of years, though the methods have changed over time.
The most common method is net fishing at the mouth of the rivers and in the sea. These fishermen are allowed to use only stretches of water permitted by the government. Beats of only a few hundreds meters in some cases, using a net stretched between a boat and a buoy drifting down the river. Some illegal fishing goes on to get families through the winters, with the catch being sold off being quite likely the only possibility for survival.
If you fish a river with easier access you need to get used to net fishermen around you. They are fewer in number in remoter areas, however, and net fishers are generally not much of a problem for regular anglers if you choose your beat carefully. In addition, net fishing is usually done in the middle of the river, in the moving water. So the really good spots for fly fishing are still available in the main rivers as well as countless places to fish in the side channels in the Bolshaya River, for example.
