If I were to walk halfway around the world from my home in Ennis, Montana, I'd end up somewhere near western Russia's Kola Peninsula, home to the remote Ponoi River, which is commonly regarded as the most productive Atlantic salmon stream in the world.

Fortunately for me we now have air travel. Which is how, after 12 hours in a jet and another three in a MI-8 helicopter, I was casting to the Ponoi's best fish ¿¿¿ this fall's run of chrome-bright Atlantic salmon, ranging in size from eight to 20 pounds.

I was doing so in the traditional fashion, with twin-hooked flies, two-handed spey rods, and a flask of The Glenlivet scotch in my chest pocket. As with Atlantic salmon fishing just about anywhere they are found, fishing on the Ponoi is an expensive proposition.

I was the guest of the Ponoi River Company's Ryabaga Camp manager Will Casella, and I'd secured the invite eight months ago after leading Casella to several fantastic days fishing steelhead on Washington's Grande Ronde River. A skeptical Casella had said, "Thomas, I never catch steelhead," and then he proceeded to knock down one metalhead after the other. At the end of the trip he said, "I owe you one. Why don't you come to Russia as my guest and see what you think of our Atlantics."

And that's what I did. I spent a week in Atlantic salmon bliss, casting to dime-bright fish, living a dream that most people never get the chance to experience. Click through the slides at left for the full story of the trip.

Photo Credit: Greg Thomas