2011
Each year I organize trips to some of the best water in the world. If you are interested in fishing the Grey River for Atlantic's than please contact me.
If you want to check out the Lodge online the web address is: www.flyfishinggreyriver.com
The dates for this year are from June 18th to 23rd or from June 23rd to 28th. I have three rods still available on the second date and six rods available for the 18th to the 23rd. In total the lodge holds 8 anglers. The cost for the 5 day trip is $3,800 per person, which includes lodging, guides, food and the helicopter from Deer Lake to the lodge (and back of course!).
Not included are tips, alcohol (can be ordered in advance by emailing the owner, Tony Tuck) and license, which is available for purchase at the lodge on arrival and over nights at the Deer Lake Motel.
Normally, I arrive in Deer Lake the day before the start of the trip and over night at the Deer Lake Motel. The lodge arranges for a taxi to meet guests at the airport and transport to the motel. The taxi returns the next morning to take guests to the helicopter terminal. Taxis also look after the return as well. If everything worked flawlessly, it is possible to get from the lodge, back to Deer Lake and a return flight on the departure day. Personally, I always count on another overnight in Deer Lake on the way out. Weather can play havoc with helicopter flights and cause delays in both directions.
The fishing has been generally quite good over the years. The fish are not huge, but they are strong and are primarily top water takers. I would guess that 75% to 85% of fish are taken either with the dry fly or hitched fly. These two weeks, by the way are strictly catch and release. For equipment, it's as you might expect; 8 weight rods, floating lines and plenty of blue charms. The lodge has a very large supply of flies, but does not have lines or leaders in stock. Waders are recommended although it is possible to fish several pools without them. There are roughly 9 pools within a 5 minute walk of the lodge. There are numerous pocket pools and very large pools down river (approximately 15 to 20 minute walk on a pathway through the woods). And for the adventurous, there are another 6 to 12 pools "up river", which are reached via a 45 to 60 minute walk. Each day, two anglers have the option of doing a full "day trip" up river with a guide, packing a lunch and spending the day up river. Otherwise, we fish in the morning from 8:00 until noon, then in the afternoon from about 2:00 until 5:00 and again in the evening from about 6:30 until dark.
And, yes, bugs are in abundance. I use lots of repellent, which is available at the lodge, or cigars. Thankfully, once in the lodge, one is safe from the bugs.
The two weeks we have are considered two prime weeks. The second one is safer, in that there are always fish in the river by then. However, I have always had my best fishing during the first week; the fish are fresher and generally just in from the ocean.The run usually starts around the 10th to 15th of June and the run hits it's stride during the 18th to 23rd. There are usually enough fresh fish coming in each day that it is possible to maintain the fishing schedule I mentioned, without killing the pools.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Kathryn Maroun
Iceland continues to be one of the Meccas for Atlantic Salmon Fishing. This year we will be fishing two spectacular rivers: the Sela and the Hofsa rivers located in Northern Iceland.
The Sela has established itself as one of Iceland’s best and most desired salmon rivers. It is a big river by Icelandic standards. It is fast flowing, rocky and challenging and exciting to fish. Its salmon are also on average, bigger than typical for Iceland and the river produces several twenty pound plus salmon each season. It is a wonderful river located in the northeast, just north of the village of Vopnafjordur. The fishing on the Sela is strictly fly only and catch and release.
The Hofsa is also one of the “big” northeast rivers and one of the two major Vopnafjordur rivers, the other being the Sela. The Hofsa has different characteristics than the Sela. It has a long canyon near the upper beats, a dramatic set of falls and a series of challenging pools as the river cascades down the canyon. But once the canyon ends, the river turns into an almost endless string of long slow flowing pools, each one more enticing and inviting than the last one.
We fish the Hofsa from the 13th to the 15th of July (midday to midday) and then go directly over to the Sela from the 15th to the 18th of July (midday to midday).
Because of the size of the rivers and the length of the day of fishing (there is almost 20 to 22 hours of daylight) we generally only reserve one rod to be shared by two anglers throughout the day. The daily cost includes accommodations and meals, but does not include transportation to and from the river and guiding, both of which are easily arranged.
The cost for the Hofsa is $1,500 per single rod per day and the Sela costs $2,800 per single rod per day. Again, this does not include transportation and guiding. Two people sharing a rod is standard practise, making the cost acceptable.
Several gateway cities have direct flights to Rykjavyk via Iceland Air. When we last checked, Toronto, Boston, NY, Halifax, London and several others were serviced. From Rykjavyk, we either use a domestic flight to head north or rent a vehicle and drive there.
We would recommend arriving in Rykjavyk at least a day or two in advance of the start of fishing. It's a wonderful city and worth an overnight or two. It would also be advisable to overnight there on the return voyage.
Iceland in July is very pleasant from a weather perspective. Tempuratures are generally in the 15 to 22 degree celsius range, although like most places, be prepared for rain and cooler evenings. There are almost no bugs in Iceland and virtually no predatory animals (bears, wolves, large cats, etc). The one important thing to keep in mind in planning this trip is that Iceland has strict rules about disinfecting all fishing gear prior to arrival or use in their rivers. Check the website for the Iceland government for details on this procedure and where to get it done. As a last option, the airport in Rykjavyk has a facility for doing this, if you cannot produce a certificate on arrival.
Here are some web sites to check: www.sela.is; www.Iceland.is/travel-and-leisure/practicalinfo.
Please contact me if you would like to join us.