Vididalsá
The Complete Fly Fisherman|February - March 2017

Iceland is a veritable paradise for salmon fishermen. Here great numbers of salmon eagerly push their way upstream to reach the spawning grounds of the volcanic island’s many beautiful rivers. One of the best salmon rivers in all of Iceland is the Vididalsá in the northwestern corner – a salmon river that RASMUS OVESEN has fallen in love with.

Vididalsá

I’ve never actually quite understood this weird obsession with salmon that some fly fishermen so obviously suffer from. to me, fly fishing for salmon has always been the equivalent of standing slightly bewildered in a norwegian or swedish river, waist-deep in turbid and lukewarm water, struggling to maintain a good footing, and casting with no intention other than to give a desperate impression of even the slightest hint of salmon fishing savvy. i’ve never really caught anything on my increasingly desperate expeditions up north and have therefore considered fly fishing for salmon a torturous discipline, one that fills me with doubt in my own abilities. i have felt like a nonbeliever in a church, and every fruitless cast with the clumsily heavy fly gear has been like a castigating whiplash. but alas! the epiphany has never come.

I didn’t see the light until a couple of years ago when i travelled to  iceland to fish the stóra laxá river, a fishery that was so generous, and got to hook an array of salmon that seemed totally indifferent to my lack of salmon fishing skills. here the fish recklessly hit the flies and provided spectacular fights with hard runs and adroit aerobatics. it was top-notch entertainment. When the trip was over, i was suddenly one of the initiated – those few who know what the essence and soul of fly fishing for salmon is, someone who spends his summers longing to feel the pull of a freshly run salmon in shiny silver armour.

This story is from the February - March 2017 edition of The Complete Fly Fisherman.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February - March 2017 edition of The Complete Fly Fisherman.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE COMPLETE FLY FISHERMANView All
It's Called Evolution
The Complete Fly Fisherman

It's Called Evolution

Our quarry constantly has to adapt to the ever­changing conditions of their environment. It goes without saying then, that we, too, need to revise our fishing strategy to remain successful on any given day. Anton Hartman explains.

time-read
4 mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021
At The Gates Of Antarctica
The Complete Fly Fisherman

At The Gates Of Antarctica

Mauritia Kirchner falls in love with the far­flung Falkland Islands.

time-read
7 mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021
Six Of The Best Largemouth Flies
The Complete Fly Fisherman

Six Of The Best Largemouth Flies

Fly­Tying Field Editor Murray Pedder lists the top six largemouth yellowfish flies for the Orange, Vaal, Vanderkloof and Gariep dams.

time-read
10 mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021
Ascending caddis pupa
The Complete Fly Fisherman

Ascending caddis pupa

The ascending stage of a caddis makes easy prey for both trout and yellowfish – the reason why Arno Laubscher propagates tying a pattern that imitates it.

time-read
4 mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021
In Search Of Natal Yellowfish Top Scaly Rivers Of Kwazulu-Natal
The Complete Fly Fisherman

In Search Of Natal Yellowfish Top Scaly Rivers Of Kwazulu-Natal

Carl Freese shares his favourite home rivers for hunting KZN scaly.

time-read
8 mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021
A Rod Maker's Thoughts: Why Bamboo?
The Complete Fly Fisherman

A Rod Maker's Thoughts: Why Bamboo?

Stephen Boshoff elaborates on his passion for bamboo.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021
Rhodes AN ICONIC TOWN AND HOME TO fly fishing legend: Fred Steynberg
The Complete Fly Fisherman

Rhodes AN ICONIC TOWN AND HOME TO fly fishing legend: Fred Steynberg

Like the prodigal son, we return to Rhodes to meet up with old friends and revisit rivers filled with memories and wild rainbows.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021
The TCFF Charity Initiative: FLY FISHERS GIVING BACK
The Complete Fly Fisherman

The TCFF Charity Initiative: FLY FISHERS GIVING BACK

After two and a half decades of publishing TCFF, we are honoured and blessed not only by the support of our readers, but also our industry in the main.

time-read
2 mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021
IN MEMORIAM: Gunga Donn
The Complete Fly Fisherman

IN MEMORIAM: Gunga Donn

It’s always tough to lose a friend, but when that friend is a fishing buddy with whom you have shared boats, banks and lodgings, it is particularly distressing.

time-read
7 mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021
In pursuit of Weza
The Complete Fly Fisherman

In pursuit of Weza

Sean I'Ons relates how it took 40 years for a story of a fishery and the people he got to know along the way to come full circle.

time-read
5 mins  |
Jan/Feb/Mar 2021