Bill Kiene semi-retired
08-09-2016, 06:53 PM
From his FaceBook page:
"Back home and back in the shop for a little reality check.
I had a great time at Vatnsdalsa, Iceland last week. Everyone caught salmon at the lodge along with Sea Trout and Arctic Char. I had 8 salmon and 3 Grilse, probably a dozen Arctic Char all of good size and 6 beautiful Sea Run Browns. My best fish were at Hornfljot pool; 60cm, Krubba; 69cm and Sea Pool; 86cm. You have all seen the largest salmon of the season caught by Eric Clapton in the line Pool at 108cm, a 2 1/2 hour exhausting battle, and a great story over dinner. There was also a 104cm chrome bright fish caught in the Sea Pool. This was all in spite of extremely dry, windy conditions and very low water - we all worked hard for those fish.
Although I fished with a two hander a lot- most of the fish that I caught were on a single hand 9 1/2' Orvis Rivermaster, a rod my old friend Randle Stetzer gave me about 30 years ago. Matched with my 3 1/2" Mark V reel and a Rio WF8F Versitip line (floating tip). Flies are mostly tiny size 12, 14 and 16 treble hook ties. I was successful with the #14, #16 Red Francis (treble hook), Sunray Shadow 1/2" tube and a size 8 Purple Muddler to my guides surprise (Muddler ?). I was amazed with the small flies that are used there. I lost 2 good fish due to putting too much pressure on them and straightening the tiny tremble hooks and pulling loose."
"Back home and back in the shop for a little reality check.
I had a great time at Vatnsdalsa, Iceland last week. Everyone caught salmon at the lodge along with Sea Trout and Arctic Char. I had 8 salmon and 3 Grilse, probably a dozen Arctic Char all of good size and 6 beautiful Sea Run Browns. My best fish were at Hornfljot pool; 60cm, Krubba; 69cm and Sea Pool; 86cm. You have all seen the largest salmon of the season caught by Eric Clapton in the line Pool at 108cm, a 2 1/2 hour exhausting battle, and a great story over dinner. There was also a 104cm chrome bright fish caught in the Sea Pool. This was all in spite of extremely dry, windy conditions and very low water - we all worked hard for those fish.
Although I fished with a two hander a lot- most of the fish that I caught were on a single hand 9 1/2' Orvis Rivermaster, a rod my old friend Randle Stetzer gave me about 30 years ago. Matched with my 3 1/2" Mark V reel and a Rio WF8F Versitip line (floating tip). Flies are mostly tiny size 12, 14 and 16 treble hook ties. I was successful with the #14, #16 Red Francis (treble hook), Sunray Shadow 1/2" tube and a size 8 Purple Muddler to my guides surprise (Muddler ?). I was amazed with the small flies that are used there. I lost 2 good fish due to putting too much pressure on them and straightening the tiny tremble hooks and pulling loose."