Kundzha

The whitespotted char, is an Asian trout. Both landlocked and ocean run forms occur. The landlocked grow up to 14 inches and prefer low-temperature streams. The seagoing species can grow over two feet long. The Kundzha is a species of fish in the Char family, the same family as Dolly Varden, brook trout and bull trout. Most of the rivers and streams of Kamchatka will have a resident population. On a select number of the rivers Kundzha have evolved to become a sea going fish like rainbows evolved to be steelhead. These sea-run Kundzha grow to be gigantic, averaging 10 to 20 pounds and are aggressive fighters. The Kundzha are ferocious. They will take a mouse from time to time, but they are much more inclined to eat fish, living on the salmon smolt and young Dollies that are so plentiful in the rivers of Kamchatka. They have a very toothy mouth with sharp teeth on the tongue as well, designed to hunt other fish, and not let them go. They are fast, attack hard and violently, making them very susceptible to the streamer fishing methods by our hosts.