Awesome Asum

Laxa in Asum is a river normally spoken of in hushed tones. Even in Iceland, a country blessed with incredible salmon rivers, this is considered the special one. With the highest per rod salmon catch, it has long been considered exclusive, even legendary. But now a new group of keen, young salmon anglers have taken over the lease, a new luxury lodge has been built, and the so called "Laxa in Awesome" is available to H&B clients.

Gary Champion gets a taste of what makes Laxa in Asum so special

Master AAPGAI instructor Gary Champion and I were very privileged to be invited to open the season on Asum and get a taste of its very special fishing. In fact, we were the first anglers ever to stay in its new lodge! We were itching to get fishing and fished late in to the evening on the first night determined to get our first Asum fish. As the sun threatened to set (it just doesn't get dark in Iceland at this time of year), a fish moved to Gary's tiny red Frances, but didn't take. I swung a small sunray shadow over the spot and two fish lunged at it, more than once, but again no hook-up. We were excited now! Gary tried a small conehead and again the fish came but refused. Our nerves were really on edge by the time I skated a micro riffle hitch tube over the fish, and our first salmon plucked it off the surface like a dry fly.

The first salmon took some persuading and finally fell to the hitch

This is just what makes Icelandic fishing, and Asum in particular, so special. The takes are almost always visual in the clear, shallow water, and salmon will often move time and again to flies, requiring the angler to switch offerings over and over. With such a small river, all the fishing is done with a single-handed rod. The fishing is intimate, with small pools, pocket water, riffles and waterfalls and always highly visual. Tiny riffle hitches and small flies are the order of the river. It's the ideal salmon river for trout anglers or those who love close-quarters fishing.

Ok, what now? Gary battles a strong fish halfway down a string of waterfalls

The catch statistics speak for themselves. The average catch is just under 7 salmon per rod per day! But that doesn't really tell the story. Because most fish are caught in the short prime season from early July to late August, so the rod catch then is in fact usually even higher. And given the number of takes, misses, swirls and lost fish that are inevitable, you can see how much action this river throws up. And it all in breathtaking scenery surrounded by snowcapped mountains. And that's without the huge trout that come along too. Both Gary and I landed wild brown trout well over 50cms long that fought so hard we were convinced we were playing salmon!

The trout fishing isn't bad, either

Laxa in Asum is fished by just two rods, though it is popular in Iceland to share rods (remember you have 12 hours of fishing a day and there's so much to watch even when you are not fishing) and the lodge can accommodate four anglers in comfort. Rooms have en-suite bathrooms, there is a large sitting and dining area with a panoramic view of the river, a great wader room, patio overlooking the river and Fannar, the chef, (fishing-mad executive chef at the Reykjavik Hilton who spends his summer cooking at Asum) conjures up the best food you are ever likely to eat in a fishing lodge. You can easily (we did) stroll from the lodge and fish the middle beat of the river at your convenience. It is possibly the ultimate place for a private fishing party.

Fishing from the top waterfall, a great holding spot

 It is easy to see why there are very few slots left for this season (though there are some!). Most people take a three-day slot, but six days are also available. This is an exclusive destination. But it is surely one of the most exciting salmon rivers. And imagine having it all to yourself for a few days...

- Bob

Tay Salmon Course

Back to the Tay for our annual salmon course at Lower Kinnaird. Karl Kliem flew over from Frankfurt again to join us, along with his party of Stephanie, Frank and Nora. The other rods included Paul Lalwan, fresh from his success on the Rio Grande, and old friend Kevin Ray, another Argentina veteran. Enthusiastic fishing buddies David and Mark, newcomers to spey casting, made up the team. Fellow AAPGAI instructors Glyn Freeman and Illtyd Griffiths were teaching the course with me, while   Lower Kinnaird ghillie Martin Edgar was always on hand to offer advice on the prime lies and ferry us up, down and even across the river.

Karl starts  us off in fine style with a sea-liced 9lber

On the first morning, I took Karl and Kevin to the top of the beat to fish the pools where the Tummel joins the Tay. Here, Karl soon got us off to a flying start with a sea-liced 9lb cock fish that gave a great fight as it decided to return back into the Tay!

Kevin with another nice loop at Ash Trees

Kevin's spey casting has improved beyond recognition after his courses with Glyn and Illtyd on the Eden and Tweed. He was a different caster to when I saw him last down on Patagonia's Gallegos, and he fished the pools meticulously.

Meanwhile, all Paul's recent spey casting practice was paying off and he was throwing some lovely loops across the majestic Tay pools. After fishing with us at Villa Maria in March, Paul was keen to develop his casting and got a masterclass in fishing from high banks with Glyn and also made his first single speys with me. He seemed rather surprised by how far his line shot across the New Pool when he landed some perfect anchors!

Paul sends a circle spey cast out across Kindallachan

The first day almost ended with a double victory for the Germans. After seeing dozens of fish show in the Guay pool all afternoon, 19-year-old Nora turned to Illtyd with the famous phrase: "I think there's something pulling here." Illtyd sprang to help her as a big salmon hooped the rod and started to pull line off the reel. But unfortunately the hook came loose and Nora was left with her first tale of the one that got away. 

This salmon proved too much even for the joint efforts of Nora and Illtyd

The second day saw the Tay rise of a few inches to about 1'5" on the gauge - not the best conditions for this beat which fishes so well in low water, particularly as it has the junction of the Tay and Tummel which tends to delay running salmon. That was a shame as the Tay had been running low and steady for quite a while before we arrived. Undeterred, the team attacked the pools with commendable vigour. 

After pretending to be a bit baffled by spey casting the day before, the casting really fell into place for newcomers David and Mark by day two. Fishing down Mike's run on the Tummel, both of them fell into an easy rhythm with their circle speys and were shooting line across the pools and fishing every lie effectively.

Mark shows how it's done on Guay pool

These guys are avid fishing and shooting enthusiasts and David was determined to fish every second to try to realise his lifelong ambition of a salmon on the fly. By the second day both David and Mark were circle spey casting off both shoulders and had moved on to the double spey, too.

Relentless concentration from David off the stones at Guay pool

Fish continued to show in many of the pools but were proving difficult to tempt. After all this casting, another fish was certainly due, and Kevin was the man for the job (almost).  He got a surprise when a nice salmon grabbed his fly on the first cast off the tricky left bank at Guay pool. Clearly this was no sea trout (as Glyn had first surmised by the apparent lack of bend in the rod) as the fish suddenly woke up, realised it was hooked and headed downstream at a rate of knots. But Guay pool was to claim another victim as this fish, too, came adrift.

Heart in the mouth as a salmon takes Kevin for a run down Guay pool

What was really impressive was that on each night of the course, all the participants chose to fish on again into the darkness after a bankside dinner. No lack of enthusiasm or determination among this team. As instructors, we were really delighted that everyone seemed to be enjoying spey casting and clearly appreciated the lovely fly water that characterises this great beat.

Fading light doesn't stop Paul at the tail end of the Ash Trees

The fish may not have been in the most co-operative mood, but these three days again showed us what salmon fishing is about. Majestic scenery, heart-stopping moments, the hope of the next cast and, more than anything, the chance to enjoy it all with friends old and new. We'll look forward to hearing how the class of 2012 put their new skills into action.

All smiles after a great three days

- Bob

Cuba 2013 - with Jim Curry and James Norris

Tarpon heaven: Jardines De La Reina,  Cuba,  13 to 19 April 2013

We've just finalised the details for a stunning Cuba week hosted jointly by Jim Curry and James Norris.

The team will be heading to Jardines De La Reina on April 13 to 19 2013, in search of bonefish, tarpon, permit and snook (not forgetting the barracuda, jacks, mutton snappers etc). These protected waters offer some of the best saltwater flats fishing found anywhere, and Jim is itching to get back there!

The pictures of the new Avalon Fleet 1, the boat that will be the team's base for the week, have just come through. It promises real luxury with single rooms for everyone and lots of space to relax - and the great flexibility to follow the fish  Check out our new video slideshow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atOB7bAjHgY&feature=youtu.be

Luxury living: Avalon Fleet 1

With Jim and James leading the trip, it's certain to be a week of plenty of laughs as well as great fishing. And I suspect James will make sure the guys are not short of the right tackle!

Coming shortly on the back of our two hosted sea trout fishing weeks on the Rio Grande in Argentina, it's going to be an explosive start to 2013 for H&B.

But hang on - how come Jim's doing all the trips?!

- Bob

Hardy Proaxis rod and Fortuna X reel review

Just a few days before jumping on the plane for our Abaco trip, I'd received a new Hardy saltwater outfit to play with. Where better to test it? So I stuck it in the duffel and here is the result.

I have to say, amidst the usual array of US tackle in use at the saltwater lodges - the typical line-up of Abel, Tibor, Nautilus, Sage - it was great to turn up sporting top-quality gear from an iconic British tacklemaker. The outfit certainly looked the part.

Good lookin': Fortuna X1 reel on the Proaxis 9' 8wt

Proaxis 9' 8wt Rod RRP £559

This is one of the new breed of Sintrix rods from Hardy using nano technology to create stronger, lighter rods. In the hand, it is certainly light but it does feel strong: you could easily believe it was a rod for a heavier line weight.

In a brutal north-easterly wind, the Proaxis threw a Rio Bonefish line effortlessly. Tight loops were simple to achieve. Tip recovery was very quick and the rod can certainly generate high line speed, critical in windy conditions. In fact, the higher the line speed I created, the more the rod liked it.

For very short casts (in low light when seeing bonefish at range is impossible), I switched to a 9wt line, which loaded the rod more quickly at short range, and the Proaxis handled it easily.

But it was when a fish was hooked that the impact of the Sintrix nano technology was really felt. This rod just feels incredibly powerful and I was able to subdue bonefish quickly - that's really important when you want to release these fish unharmed. When a fish headed for the tangle of mangroves, the Proaxis let me pile on the pressure and avoid a lost fish.

I would normally tackle Permit with a 9wt rod or higher, but I was so keen to test this rod, I rigged it for permit when we were over prime water. Unfortunately, I didn't get my permit shot but I had absolute confidence this 8wt Proaxis would have been more than up to the task. The reserves of power are surprising.

In fact, back home, I have rigged it with a 9wt Rio Pike line, which is heavier than the 9wt standard. Even with a bulky pike fly, the Proaxis easily puts out the whole line. I'm going to use it as my pike rod this spring - its lighter than the heavyweight jobs most use for this task, but it's got all the power you need. And, of course, being a Hardy, you'll be hard pushed to find a more beautifully built rod.

Fortuna X1 reel RRP £599


This reel looks beautiful, as you can see from the picture, but it has a rock-solid build quality and feels reassuringly heavy (not that you notice it once it's on the rod). It is well machined and won't complain about a few knocks in the skiff or the odd bounce off a rock in a salmon river.

The handle is sturdy and easy to grip and the spool changes simply by unscrewing the knob in the centre of the reel. Underneath, the drag is completely sealed and protected from the elements.

And, naturally, it's the drag that you really want to know about. I particularly liked the oversized drag dial on the back of the reel - it's really easy to grip even when wet and you can adjust the brake in confidence even with a fish on. The drag is made of multiple carbon brake pads - no cork here. It is silky smooth and handled the lightning runs of bonefish without any jags and with very little start-up inertia at the beginning of the run.

It is powerful, too. Hardy says the drag has 32lb of stopping power. All I know is that if you crank it down, you can effectively lock the reel up. This reel is tough enough for permit and tarpon and even bluewater fly fishing.

Backing capacity is excellent, too. I put 300 yards of 30lb gel spun backing on and still had enough space for a 9wt line with room to spare. In a larger size, it would be a superb buy as a salmon reel, confident in the knowledge that when you do head to the salt (and you know you will) you'll already have the tool for the job.

In saltwater, you need a tough reel with a strong, but smooth drag. This reel is unquestionably pricy, but I'd be utterly confident in it whatever I hooked in the salt.

Verdict: This is a lot of cash to part with for a rod and reel combination. But it is undoubtedly delightful to own and use. And when you hook that big fish in the harsh saltwater environment and your backing is fast disappearing, you probably won't be wishing you hadn't spent so much on your tackle.

The Hardy Proaxis and Fortuna X are available from John Norris.

- Bob

Abaco Exploratory - Part Two

After Abaco Lodge, Illtyd and I moved on to the new operation that has been attracting a lot of attention - Black Fly Lodge.

Situated further south at the point where Abaco Island is extremely narrow,  Black Fly offers unrivalled access to the Atlantic Ocean side of the island as well as the protected western side with its wealth of shallow flats. It's the perfect location for a lodge - which is exactly why Clint Kemp has moved from Nassau to build Black Fly as a unique Bahamian fishing destination. Within a drive of just minutes, the Black Fly team can launch skiffs on the western side to access the nearby shallow flats. From there the skiffs can also easily access the southern part of the Marls. But another short drive allows the skiffs to access more huge flats right down to the southern part of the Island or a half-hour ride in the skiffs will take anglers across to Moore's Island, where big bonefish, tarpon and, the ultimate prize, permit abound.

 Illtyd lands a nice bonefish on the flats just minutes away from the lodge

Black Fly is right on the Atlantic coast, giving instant access to the ocean-side flats where the bigger bonefish live and, of course, to unbelievable bluewater fishing. There are very few places where you can head off for bonefish one day, maybe tarpon and permit the next and then sight fish poppers to tuna and mahi mahi the next. It's no wonder Clint is brimming over with excitement about his new lodge. For now, Black Fly is based in an ocean-side holiday home with huge windows overlooking the sea and just four bedrooms.

The temporary beachfront Black Fly lodge. Hardly slumming it

But from March 2013, there will be a purpose designed, eight-bedroom lodge on the water at Schooner Bay, a new eco-development on Abaco that will create a vibrant new community complete with harbour, shops, bars, a pool, an amazing beach and recreational areas. Clint gave us a tour of the new lodge under construction - it will be pretty special. He was also really excited about the arrival of his bluewater boat, which was delivered while we were there. That explained the boxes of new tackle all over the house. 

Clint Kemp, fishing guide, lodge creator, gourmet cook and mixer of the finest mojitos

Permit is one of the special attractions of Black Fly, and the diversity of the fishing is phenomenal, offering anglers all sorts of saltwater fly fishing experiences in one place. But the weather was still iffy as the east wind refused to let up. That kept the permit away, but, though the bonefish were still spooky, we had better sunlight which enabled us to see fish at range much more clearly. We blew plenty of shots. I can still see a nice 5lb bonefish cruising down a shoreline in ultra skinny water that took off as soon as Illtyd dropped a fly at least six feet in front of it. I can still hear his reaction, too!

Excellent skiffs give access to a wide range of flats right down to the southern tip of the island

On the second day, brilliant head guide Paul Pinder took us down to the firm-bottomed southern flats, where wade fishing is the prime method. It was great to get out of the skiff and creep about in the shallow water trying to spot shadows. There's something about wading the flats that just seems to heighten the excitement. I found a fast moving group on the first flat and managed to fire off a quick cast and was into a very fast-moving fish that inexplicably came off. 

Illtyd employs his ultra-quiet wading technique. Gotta love the skiff's name!

The next flat was a different story, though, as we found a huge school of bonefish gradually moving into shallower water on the rising tide. We were both able to work the water as the fish moved around, breaking into smaller groups at times, and cruising up into the shoreline. This is skinny water sight-fishing at its best and we seemed to take it in turns to hook fish, catching about 18 fish (we soon stopped counting). The action was fast and furious, though even that didn't prevent Illtyd moaning at me for tying flies on poor hooks when he had a fish straighten one! And it didn't stop him pinching more from my box either!

Finally deciding to leave the fish alone and see another flat, we came across an even bigger school of hundreds of fish. Clearly the conditions seemed to have concentrated the fish into groups here. We each hooked leading fish from the group on our first casts  - and both managed to lose them! It was our only shot as this group didn't hang around.

Illtyd with a fish while wading. Nothing wrong with the hook, then?

On our last morning, we spotted Clint tying a few of his own secret bonefish flies, which I quickly copied (under orders from Illtyd). This sparse little fly worked really well on our last day. Back in the skiff, this time we were able to find pods of cruising fish, singles and doubles, which made for exciting casting.  It was a day of memorable moments. We saw fish of eight and nine pounds that we couldn't quite get casts at. We had big cruising fish along shorelines spook off our flies as soon as they landed. Illtyd caught two beautiful fish with inch-perfect casts and visual takes. I had a fish taken by a barracuda as I played it, which came from nowhere (and spat the fish out which was returned unharmed!) while Illtyd played a 4lb-plus bonefish that became so supercharged when it was being hunted by a lemon shark that Illtyd thought he was playing the shark too!

The final fish - but we'll be back

Abaco had definitely spoken to us. Conditions weren't all they might have been, by the friendliness of the island, the great guides and lodges, and the diversity of the fishing surely mean this will be a regular haunt for us. Thanks, guys. We'll see you soon.

- Bob

Abaco Exploratory - Part One

The reports we'd been getting had certainly got us excited: big schools of bonefish, regular permit, even bluewater fly fishing, and some cracking new lodges.

Funnily enough, after all the stories we've been hearing about Abaco Island in the Bahamas, I was quite keen to get out there and see what all the fuss was about. Even stranger, Welsh sea trout wizard and AAPGAI chairman Illtyd Griffiths took very little persuading to join me on a little scouting adventure.

Now, Jim and I both love Andros, the better-known Bahamian island which boasts legendary bonefishing. But Abaco is very different, with a quite distinct culture and people. And it has a great diversity of flats that make this one of the prime bonefish destinations on the planet.

The first lodge we visited is a stunner. As soon as you walk into Abaco Lodge, you feel relaxed. This is a great Caribbean retreat - and somewhere you may well have to bring your wife or partner once they see the photographs.

The view from Abaco lodge onto endless bonefish flats

Abaco Lodge is situated on the island's west side, with direct access to a vast network of shallow flats called The Marls. Here the water doesn't get much deeper than 4ft and there are bonefish flats everywhere, with one of the highest concentrations of fish numbers in the Bahamas. 

We were itching to get started as David Tate, Abaco Lodge's head guide, gave us an introduction to the area and after a run of just a few minutes, we were fishing our first flat - none of those really long, bone-jarring skiff runs here. On with the standard Bahamian flies - anything tan with rubberlegs and bead-chain eyes! - and I was soon into our first fish. Nothing big, but the fight that even small bonefish put up never fails to surprise me. 

Hard at work on Abaco

The bonefish in the Marls tend to run between 2lb and 5lb, with occasional bigger fish, but the attraction is the abundance of shallow water flats and the high numbers. Abaco Lodge is the brainchild of Oliver White, a rising star of the US fly fishing world, who spotted the potential of the Marls and realised there was no lodge situated directly on it. Along with Nervous Waters, they have built a near-perfect lodge, with every detail thought out. Private, spacious bedrooms (no sharing here) opening onto a deck right on the water, a covered patio area for sipping cocktails (thoroughly tested by the H&B representatives), great lounge and fully stocked fly shop, and even a plunge pool.

Illtyd loads up the skiff.  Do we really need five rods?

Best of all, Oliver has equipped the lodge with brand new, purpose-built Hell's Bay skiffs that are supremely comfortable, with a spacious casting desk complete with lean bar for safety, and a draught of  literally just a few inches. These are undoubtedly the best shallow water skiffs I've fished from. Illtyd soon got in on the action too, but the fish were becoming unusually skittish and a particularly strong north-east wind pushed in the clouds and made spotting fish tricky far out from the boat. It made the fishing harder, forcing us to cast at short range and naturally running the risk of spooking fish close to the skiff. We had plenty of refusals, but it felt great when one did hang on.

Illtyd makes full use of the skiff's lean bar as he wrestles with another bone

It wasn't just about the bonefish, though. We saw good numbers of large barracuda (a big favourite of mine, I confess) and I had a surging chase from a near-20lb 'cuda and a vicious take on the surface to a popper, but unfortunately it came adrift. I also had a lemon shark try repeatedly to take the popper off the top and just miss each time - I didn't mind that so much!

Unfortunately, with just a couple of days here, the strong wind hit the fishing, pushing the bones into deeper water and holding the tide out of the ultra shallow bays. That's always the risk with such a short trip, but the conditions were rare for April, which is the start of the prime season. Just our luck! Nevertheless we had had a taste of what the Marls had to offer and even under these conditions it proved what a special fishery it is.

Quicksilver in water as clear as air

And even if the fishing was not quite on top form, there were compensations. It's always awe-inspiring to watch the sharks, stingrays, turtles and hovering turkey buzzards. And hospitality at the lodge was wonderful with Velma pressing cold Kaliks, that great Bahamian beer, into our hands at every opportunity. We also bumped into some very entertaining US anglers from the southern states - what is it about fishing lodges that are a magnet for such interesting people? The company was great fun (I particularly enjoyed the attempts of both the guides and our new-found US friends to pronounce Illtyd's name). And somehow every day seemed to end with cold drink and view of the setting sun over the flats. And then perhaps another drink around the fire, talking about fishing.

Bahamian sunset. Cocktail, anyone?

- Bob

Wye Springers

What a spectacular start to our salmon fishing season. I still can't quite believe it.

Kate and I were delighted to spend Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as the guest of our friend, AAPGAI master instructor and salmon fishing veteran Bryan James on his home water, the renowned Bigsweir beat of the river Wye on the English/Welsh borders. We knew we were in for a treat - just spending time with such an accomplished angler on his home water is always an incredible learning experience. But we had no idea what was in store.

My best UK salmon. I'm still shaking

The Wye has had a surprising start to the season with 40 fish taken in March, a number almost unheard of these days. But with a sudden end to the warm weather, snow the day before, low water conditions and air temperatures lower than the water temperature, fishing conditions promised to be tough. Bryan was so eager to for us to get hold of one of the spring fish of which he is so proud - but frankly we were happy just to to enjoy the water in the company of such a gentlemen, while mining him for as much local knowledge as possible, of course.

Kate's speycasting has improved greatly since last year's trip to Iceland and under Bryan's watchful eye she was soon throwing a lovely line. Funny how she doesn't argue when he's teaching her! We were also surprised to be joined by another Welsh AAPGAI veteran at lunch, Dave Thomas and his wife Claire - great Welsh hospitality and we were really touched they made the journey out to see us.

Kate throws a nice D-loop on Wyeseal beat

Towards the end of a pretty chilly day, I persuaded Kate and Bryan into a final cast on Rocks beat. "Where do you want to fish?" asked Bryan. "Where's the best bit?" I responded. He pointed to a very narrow strip between two rocks. You know where this is going. At just the point he indicated, I had a surging take and a great tussle ended with a stunning hen fish, complete with long-tailed sea lice, straight off the tide. Bryan was convinced it was 20lb, but even if it was a shade under it didn't matter. To experience such a pristine, powerful Wye springer is one of fly fishing's great moments. Now I know what the fuss is about.

Wye hen springer. No wonder I look stunned!

Really, the second day couldn't be better. Or so we thought. Again, it was really all down to Bryan. On the very first pool, he pointed out a particular lie. I worked my fly out towards it gradually and after a few casts covering the water, Bryan called to me: "You're just covering the rock now." Literally as soon as the words were out of his mouth, the rod was almost jerked from my hand. Standing on the high bank, Kate and Bryan saw the fish swirl - they knew how big it was. I was just hanging on.

I got lucky. The fish towed the line around a rock and thrashed at the surface twice. I tried to clear as much buried line as I could, fearing the worst, but amazingly I felt the line ping off the rock and then lift clear of the surface and I was tight to the fish again. Sometimes you need a bit of luck. Then it was off downstream: the shooting head was gone, all the running line was gone, and plenty of the fluorescent green backing was gone too. "If it goes another ten yards, you've lost it," said Bryan. But it turned. No way to follow, so under very gentle pressure (and with constant advice from the guru) I coaxed it back upstream and eventually Bryan was in the water to tail the most magnificent cock fish for me.

Expert handling: Bryan's pretty sprightly when there's a fish to be landed

These Wye fish are all hard muscle and heavy, so Bryan put it at 25lb. At 39 inches from nose to fork, it was surely over 23lb. But those are just numbers. Simply the most incredible UK salmon I've landed. The only person as happy as me was Bryan. He's proved what his river is capable of.

Back he goes

What also was obvious was Bryan's care for the fish. Only out of the water for the quickest photo and then nursed back in the current until ready to kick out of my hands and power back into the stream. These fish are precious and Bryan's absolute priority is to get them back quickly to fulfil their destiny and keep the genes of these big fish in the river.

Thanks Bryan. But, er, Kate wants one now...!

- Bob