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Icelandic Tails – Series 2

     
This season of Icelandic Tails sees guests from the UK fishing on some of Iceland's top rivers for Atlantic Salmon and Arctic Char.  Actor and fishing presenter, Robson Green kicks off the series in style before joining up with friend and fellow actor, James Murray. Robson has a trip to remember catching his personal best Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout on fly, and James also breaks his Icelandic duck. Father and son, fly fishing pros, Alex and Charles Jardine travel to a remote area of Iceland and subdue some huge Arctic Char in the rugged and isolated landscape that is the Black Desert. Marina Gibson fishes with with her mother, Joanna, and makes the most of tough, low water conditions to catch some nice Atlantic Salmon including one monster that she'll never forget. We meet 2 fascinating women, in Tiggy Pettifer who works tirelessly for the Atlantic Salmon Trust and 94 year old Illa Black who has been fishing on Big Laxa for the past 33 seasons.

Once again, we witness what a fantastic country for fishing truly is and with drone and underwater photography, this series is true spectacle for the avid fly angler.

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Actor and fishing presenter, Robson Green kicks off the new series, fishing on one of Iceland's most famous rivers, Laxa in Kjos for Atlantic Salmon. Its early season, and conditions look great as Robson meets guide, Haruldur Eiriksson who shows him the lower river where the Salmon will first enter the river on the tide. Moving further up river, Robson starts fishing below a waterfall, which is natural barrier for the fish as they travel upstream, and is soon rewarded with a bar of Icelandic silver to get the trip off to a fine start. Robson recounts the tale of how he first got into fishing as a 7 yr old boy before hooking into another powerful fish which turns out to be a double figure Sea Trout and the biggest one he's ever caught. Day 2 sees Robson move location to another of Iceland's iconic rivers, the West Ranga. Here the river is much wider, allowing Robson to use a double handed fly rod to cover more water on the famous Home Pool. After seeing a fish follow his fly, Robson persists and is soon into a strong salmon which is certainly double figures. Thrilled to land his biggest ever salmon on fly, the moment is celebrated in style with a glass of Champagne on the river bank. And it isn't long before he lands another good salmon to cap a brilliant day's fishing and one he'll never forget. The next part of this adventure starts with a helicopter trip into the highlands, to fish the remote River Kjarra for Arctic Char, with Icelandic actor and guide, Hilmir Gudnason. Robson's biggest ever Arctic Char is only 1/2lb so this could be another record breaking day but conditions are horrible with high winds and fog around, so he needs to remain patient. It isnt long before Robson hooks into a Char but soon loses it before finally landing a nice Char which he's delighted with. Moving down river to another pool, Robson is thrilled to hook into and land a beautiful Brown Trout and tops off the trip with another stunning Arctic Char. To watch just login or join  
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The guest in this episode is Atlantic Salmon Trust representative, Tiggy Pettifer, who starts her trip on the Faxi Waterfall Pool of the Tungufljot River in Southern Iceland. Many fish hold in this stunning pool and Tiggy is getting lots of fish chasing but not actually taking her fly, before she finally hooks into a lively Grilse. With an action packed schedule, its time to move on and Tiggy travels to the world famous Lake Thingvallavatn, home to monster Brown Trout, and although not being the best time of year to fish here, she's keen to give it a go. Flat calm and bright conditions make a tough day so its time to move again and Tiggy finds herself on another iconic river, the Grimsa, in South West Iceland. Tiggy discusses the work the Atlantic Salmon Trust have been doing to help the decline in Salmon, and in particular the Missing Salmon Project which is providing vital data in discovering where, when and how fatalities are happening. Leaseholder, Jon Por Juliusson is guiding Tiggy today and gets her straight into a nice fresh Grimsa Grilse above the lodge. The following morning, they head to one of the uppermost pools on the river and Tiggy is extremely excited as there are many fish here which are jumping and showing constantly. Back to the main Waterfall Pool at Grimsa, which always holds plenty of fish and can only be fished by climbing down a vertical ladder in the cliff face and roll casting to cover the fish in the heart of the pool. Tiggy gets into a fish in the main current but on landing it, discovers it to be an invasive Pink Salmon which unfortunately is becoming more and more common. There's still time for Tiggy to catch one last fish in tricky conditions, as she reflects on what makes salmon so special and the place she has in her heart for them. To watch just login or join
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Professional guide, casting instructor and Atlantic Salmon Trust ambassador, Marina Gibson and her mother join Eggert and his team in this episode and start by fishing for Sea Run Arctic Char. Marina makes a great start to the trip landing a nice Char before they enjoy a hearty evening meal coupled with some excellent vocal entertainment from Icelandic singer, Kristina Skoubo Bærendsen. The following day and they move to the renowned River Midfjardara where they'll be fly fishing for Atlantic Salmon. After climbing down into a gorge on the East River, they start in the Dark Pool and Joanna Gibson is quickly into a fish they spotted, but after a strong fight, the fish slips the hook. Next up is Marina, who is fishing in the Black Hammer Pool, one of the best pools on this prolific river but as river owner, Rafn Valur Alfreosson (Rabbi), explains, anglers need to be wary here as a large submerged rock provides a great place for salmon to throw the hook. Marina hooks into a nice fish and is so pleased to be off the mark on this trip that a quick salmon dance is performed. She then hooks a much bigger fish but this one seems to know instinctively where the submerged rock is and regains its freedom. They move to the West River and find that conditions are tough with very low water. As Marina moves down Pool 407, which is stuffed with fish, she recounts the adversity she's faced in fishing and how the attitudes of some male anglers still need to evolve. As she hooks into a nice fish, other salmon jump around the pool, and Marina is relieved to land this fish in such tricky conditions. As the trip is concluding, Rabbi thinks there may be one last chance to catch a big salmon so they head to the Lower West River to the Tunhylur Pool. There are hundreds of fish here which seem reluctant to take in these conditions, but finally Marina hooks one and it is certainly the monster they've been looking for....now can she land it to cap the trip off in style? To watch just login or join
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Renowned UK fly anglers Charles Jardine and his son Alex star in this week's show and they are on the hunt for Arctic Char on the River Skardsa in the incredible Black Desert of the Highlands of Iceland.  They've barely got out of the car when Charles hooks into a fine Char and he's delighted as its his first ever. Alex also strikes early using heavy nymphs, and lands a lovely 68cm fish. Char of 10lb are not uncommon in this river and there's certainly some father son rivalry going on as they attempt to out do each other. Back at the lodge, Alex talks to Eggert whilst tying up some new flies and discusses the fact that the UK nymph patterns for Grayling work very well for Char too, as both species like to lie low in the water.  Back on the river the following day, the Jardines try a new pool and Charles lands another chunky 60cm fish and discusses his position on catch and release and catch and kill. Charles is mesmerised by the rugged landscape here and takes some time out from the fishing to indulge another of his passions, drawing, and creating a wonderful pencil drawing of Alex fishing the pool. In a final hurrah, Charles Jardine returns to the pool where he started and stalks another fine Arctic Char in clear water. To watch just login or join
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In this episode, Robson is joined by fellow actor and mad keen fly angler, James Murray, who is also new to fishing in Iceland. They are permitted a few casts on the renowned River Midfjardara where James catches his first Icelandic salmon, before moving to the world famous, Laxa-a-Asum, regarded by many as the best salmon river in Iceland. James starts on the Home Pool and is quickly into a fish, before they move up river where Robson starts fishing with guide, Sturla Birgisson. The water on this river is fast and shallow and fishing the hitch is the order of the day which makes for exciting takes and hard battles and it isn't long before Robson gets just that. With nowhere to hide, the fish runs downstream and Robson has to follow, finally landing the fish nearly 1/2 mile away. They then move to 'Clapton's Pool', named after Eric Clapton as its his favourite pool on the river. Guidem Sturla shows James the Old Sock fly that he'll be using and explains how the name of the fly and one of of Eric's albums came to be. Robson and James both recount how they met each other and why they've become such firm friends with their friendship cemented through fishing. James loses a couple of fish by playing them too hard before landing a nice Grilse. Next up its Robson and he hooks into a strong fish which takes him downstream before taking him around a rock and leaving Robson in tears. With fish in every pool in agressive mood, Robson and James continue to enjoy an epic fishing session, one that they will never forget or probably ever surpass. To watch just login or join
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94 year old, Lilla Black is this week's guest and she's salmon fishing on the Big Laxa, something she has done every year for the past 33 years. This river produces a very high percentage of salmon over 100cm and Lilla has had her fair share over the years. A remarkable woman, who's father founded oil giant, Royal Dutch Shell, Lilla has fished all over the world, and was fishing, in now popular destinations like Tierra Del Fuego for Sea Trout and Mongolia for Taimen, before anyone had really ever heard of them. Whilst here Grandson, Hugo and Great Grandson, Drummond, fish on a lower beat, Lilla and her guide fish upstream in The Dam Pool, and she hooks into a nice fish, which gives here a powerful fight. Lilla is exhausted as the fish is netted but both her and the guide are thrilled with the capture and Drummond also has something to celebrate with a stunning 94cm fish. Drummond then proceeds to catch some nice Arctic Char for dinner, cooked by the lodge's chef to perfection. Lilla recounts her fascinating life story, and how after growing up Nazi Germany, returned to England just 2 weeks before the Second World War. The following day and Drummond and Hugo fish the Dam Pool and Drummond lands a stunning 99.5cm Salmon which weighs in at over 21lb, demonstrating what a fantastic river the Big Laxa really is. To watch, just login or join

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