The Joint Russian-American Kamchatka Steelhead Project (KSP)
A Brief History
Kamchatka is home to Asia’s only population of steelhead; the fish spawn in only a handful of rivers that drain into the Sea of Okhotsk. Little was known about the steelhead’s lifecycle at the time of the Soviet Union’s dissolution. But the thawing of relations between Russia and the West brought the opportunity to begin conducting research.
The Kamchatka Steelhead Project (fondly known as KSP) began in 1994.
It was conceived by a group that included TCA founder Pete Soverel, Serge Karpovich (a Russian-American former CIA operative turned entrepreneur), Tom Pero (a publisher of sporting titles), Moscow State University, and the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Science. The initial expedition was launched with funding from the US State Department and a charter under the US-Russian Agreement on the Environment and marked the beginning of one of the longest-running steelhead studies in the world. It provided the model for KSP that still exists today:
Anglers donate money to American not-for-profit scientific organizations: The Conservation Angler (2003 to present) and originally Wild Salmon Center (1994 to 2002)
These non-profit organizations then fund the expeditions
Donating anglers accompany the expedition and collect biological samples by catch-and-release fly fishing
Moscow State University analyzes field samples and publishes annual reports as well as specific monographs on various scientific topics arising from the field expeditions
Scientific Work
To date, data collected through KSP has provided the basis for over two dozen scientific papers, and includes important discoveries about the relationships between anadromous and non-anadromous life histories within and between breeding populations.
Additional scientific partners have included Flathead Lake Biological Station of University of Montana, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Service, U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Wild Salmon Center.
The Steelhead Adventure of a Lifetime
Contribute to Scientific Discovery
To support its research efforts, KSP leads a very limited number of 8-day expeditions to Kamchatka, from the middle of September to mid-October.
Participating fly angler-sponsors assist Russian scientists in the collection of scale and tissue samples, and the tagging of all caught-and-released fish. Research unfolds on three rivers: the Kvachina, Snotalvayam, and Utkholok. Fish eclipsing 20 pounds are encountered most weeks. Sponsorships for these trips are very limited, but those lucky enough to embark will enjoy the steelhead adventure of a lifetime.
This is a high-level scientific project, and all costs associated with joining it are tax-deductible. Through information collected from fly-caught steelhead during the life of the project, much has been brought to bear on our understanding not only of Asiatic steelhead but, by extension, their North American relatives.
Experience the Kamchatka Peninsula
Flowing across stark, dazzling tundra landscapes on Russia's remote Kamchatka Peninsula, a handful of rivers are home to Asia's only population of steelhead trout. A group of scientists and flyfishers follow their passions beyond the edge, in order to encounter, understand and protect this magnificent silverfish. Sponsorship of The Kamchatka Steelhead Project is open to anglers of all nationalities.
Протекая сквозь ослепительный ландшафт тундры на отдаленном полуострове Камчатка, несколько рек являются домом для единственной популяции радужной форели в Азии. Группа ученых и нахлыстовиков следуют за своей страстью на край света, чтобы познакомиться, понять и защитить эту великолепную серебристую рыбу. Спонсорство проекта Камчатка Стилхед является открытым для рыболовов всех национальностей. Для получения дополнительной информации, пожалуйста, свяжитесь с The Fly Shop, Реддинг, Калифорния.