It’s not much of a seat. But the location’s good.
Day five. . So (did it again used So, used So.. Oh get with the programme you zeitgeist-deficient ones)
Where was I? So two inspiring wildlife encounters: a house martin wrapped itself round my unfurling fly line then Continue reading
This bold hare entered the Beat 1 car park this morning. (Sorry you need to zoom in: my phone is not good.)
I’m fishing a goldhead through Porters pool, in deference to the fishing genius that is Neil Bryson. (See HSA passim.)
Rain tomorrow, of the light but who really knows variety.
Charles Rangeley-Wilson on the passing of Orri Vigfússon. I was lucky to get to meet Orri several times and he greeted us all as friends. He popped up everywhere – everywhere where salmon swam and where those who fished for them hung out. A conservational colossus.
Orri Vigfusson 1942 – 2017
Very sad to say I’ve just had an email announcing the death, yesterday, of my friend – the salmon’s friend and so many peoples’ friend – Orri Vigfusson. We corresponded by email not long ago: I was trying to fix some salmon fishing in Iceland and Orri was trying to help me. Now I learn he had lung cancer. It is absolutely typical of Orri not to have made a fuss.
Orri was one of the most capable and wonderfully enigmatic men I ever met: a colossus of the conservation world. I remember when he showed me around his beloved Sela river in Iceland (pictured above) and explained that he had increased the salmon run there three-fold, two times over: from 300 to 900 fish and then from 900 to 2,700. His ambition was to do that one more time. He passionately believed in the…
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This news of Paul (still out on a rapidly warming Varzuga) from Jack Selby via Roxtons’ Varzuga blog has captured my imagination in a rather big way:
Last night Paul R decided that enough was enough. Inspired by the Bear and at one with nature and the animals, he stalked and caught a fish with his bare (Bear) hands. Quite why it let him do this, I am not sure, but he was jolly pleased. I have not heard what the salmon thought of the thing.
I can’t wait to hear the full monty on this one but salmon caught with bear [sic] hands is awesome. I wonder if Paul is truly merging into the taiga of the Arctic circle now.
On second thoughts don’t mention taigas, it might give Paul [more, he already has enough] ideas. But seriously there are the makings of a wonderful tale here and I hope to tell it in full in a future post, Continue reading
He’s out there on the Kitza, he’s catching fish, he’s posting amusing daily reports on pre-breakfast conditions on the camp board – and he even wore his colourful tea cosy, er hat, yesterday (above).
Thanks to Roxtons’ Varzuga blog for the photos
Two days ago it rained in Russia. A lot
Fish on. And ‘Paul in a normal hat’ shock
Super fisher Paul Rouse has done it again with two very decent salmon of 14lb (pictured) and 11lb from the River Usk today. It couldn’t happen to a more Continue reading
I have been playing around with this date of June 1.
Obviously I have to post on ‘the Adventure’ on this day. Not only do the meteorologists flag it as the start of summer, but it is also the start of the Norwegian salmon fishing season. If that is not enough, it now emerges from the Varzuga blog out on the (currently) frozen wastes of the Kola peninsula of Russia, that it is the day the salmon of the White Sea decided to turn up, at least in the lower camp. Hurrah!
But first Norway: courtesy of Jouni Rauha and Facebook, comes news of fish for the Gaula Flyfishing lodge rods including a fine salmon of 94cm caught and released by Jouni himself at Evjen pool. A rod rejoicing in the name of Teemu caught “a massive salmon of 117cm at Röskaft pool and Ville caught and released a 97 cm salmon at Evjen pool.”
The Teemu leviathan is pictured here. A big male, so cool to see fish like this fresh and that is what spring fishing on the Gaula is all about.
Back to Russia and 112 fish came to the 12 rods at Middle Varzuga one day this week, while Charlie White wrote on the blog today they had 90 odd fish yesterday (including the typical Varzuga seven-pounder pictured, top, here, by David C). The interesting Continue reading
