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Posted 14:35, 30 June 2009
- We had a really easy journey out here yesterday - a 2.5 hour flight from Heathrow, a short drive to the Nordura lodge, and then straight out on the river for some salmon fishing and photography. Martin from Hardy Greys hooked his first Icelandic salmon within five minutes !! The river is on fire, plenty of fish to all the clients here, with lots more fresh salmon moving into the system every day. They are on track out here for another bumper salmon season. We have seen some properly big fish in the clear rivers, but they don't get big by being stupid !!
- We are now packing up and heading north to the trout rivers - we were only on this salmon river to get a quick glimpse, but the fishing has been fantastic. For me the light has generally been tough, but I am fairly pleased with some of the stuff I have been getting so far. In a serious rush to pack the bags, so I have posted a load of images and I will post again when I can. What an awesome place to be, I can see just why so many salmon anglers from all over the rodl make an annual trek to Iceland.
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Posted 11:05, 27 June 2009
- We got back from holiday late last night after the inevitable airport delays, and while it's always fantastic to come back home, right now I am starting to pack my gear up for a quick five day trip to Iceland on Monday - and it looks like the UK is going to be in the grip of a decent heat wave next week !! Can't wait to photograph some of the salmon and trout fishing out in Iceland though - back into work mode, get the head straight, always tricky after a few days off. Spending some proper time away from work with my wife and girls was about as good as it gets.
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- I was getting some text messages while I was away from some friends of mine from Jersey who have made the journey out to the magical island of Rost that lies some 100kms off the coast of Norway, just above the Arctic Circle. I have not been out there for a while, and I am always really hopeful that a place will fish as well as I know it can when I recommend it to friends - so far they have been smashing lots of cod to 50lbs and some nice big coalfish up to 30lbs, so I guess you could call that a decent result !! Above is a photo of a coalie I nailed out there a couple of years ago that I believe went 35lbs, on a spinning rod as well. One of the best scraps you could ever hope to have. There are a couple of photo essays on this site from Rost, so make sure to have a look at them on the main Photo Essays page here. If you are into fish like these, do all you can to go there - the fishing can be insane, and it is one of THE best places I have ever heard of for catching big coalfish consistently. Big cod are fine, but they can't compare to a big coalfish on light gear in shallow water. Need to go back there soon..........
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- Here's another proper coalfish from Rost - I hear lots of talk about "big coalfish" from the loads of Brits who go fishing over in Norway, but part of the problem they have is that the waters are so full of the things that it can be impossible to get through the smaller ones during the warmer months. What a problem to have !! (what has happened to all our coalfish we used to catch over here ?) But do your research and go to a place like Rost where the smaller fish tend to avoid and you are in with a shout at coalfish to over 40lbs, plus huge halibut, cod etc. Imagine how prolific our UK waters must once have been ? It makes the heart bleed to think about the state of our seas........
- I just heard from my mate Patrick over in south east Ireland that he is starting to catch good numbers of bass, especially on surface lures like the Xorus Patchinko, Lucky Craft Gunfish and the Zenith Z-Claw - check out Patrick's blog right here, and get hold of him as soon as possible if you want some fantastic guided bass fishing over there. I know he is fast running out of available dates on the prime tides, so get in there quickly. There is stacks of info on various bass fishing lures on my Fishing Tackle pages.
- I am not sure about internet access when I am over in Iceland, but if I can, of course I will update this blog as much as I can - hopefully with plenty of photos of fresh-run salmon and monster wild brown trout. My friend Pete from Aardvark McLeod is already over there and is no doubt "working hard" at "researching" the waters we will be fishing and photographing - it's a tough job, but I guess that somebody has to do it.
- Roll on the Lions - what an awesome game last Saturday, we came so close, and it is my belief that we are the better side. I am rather hoping that this statement is going to be backed up this afternoon with a good win against South Africa, but we shall see. Can't wait.
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Posted 14:47, 18 June 2009
- Early tomorrow morning I am heading off with my family for a week's holiday, and I can't wait - it gets hectic when you work for yourself, and it's about time I had some proper time with my wife and two young girls just messing around on the beach and going for walks etc... Nothing beats time like this. I love what I do, and I really like working from home, but anybody who does so knows that it is hard to switch off - going away is a great way to do so. That's the plan anyway.
- A couple of days after we get back and I am heading up to Heathrow airport to fly out to Iceland to photograph some awesome trout and salmon fishing with Pete from Aardvark McLeod - this one should be a blast, especially with recent reports of some truly monstrous wild brown trout over the 10lb mark !! I am so looking forward to seeing some of Iceland and it's legendary fly fishing.
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- Here are a couple more photos from my recent trip out to Belle Ile in France - very simple shots, but that is what grabbed me in the first place. As always, it's the light that does it for me, and I tend to really like the way anglers and their fishing rods (red Tenryu ones of course !!) can lend such strong lines to a photograph when all they are doing is what fishermen do naturally - cast and retrieve.
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- Anyway, you all have a good week - save a few bass for me !! It remains for me to say "come on the Lions" when they play South Africa in the first test on Saturday. I reckon we can do it, just like we did back in 1997 in fact - what an awesome series, it was my last year at Plymouth university and I remember once having to decide whether to attend an exam or miss it to watch one of the Lions games. Those were the days. Can't wait for this one, I have made sure that there is somewhere showing it where we are going, indeed I think I might cry if I missed the game.
