This year Stockholmsflugfiskecenter.se and Atlantik Travel decided to work together and make a
flyfishing trip to the clearwater river Ilua in south Greenland. Something that turned out to be a
fantastic journey for everyone involved.
Me and Marcus Hallquist were going as guides for a group of six swedes and a danish fisherman.

Everyone was getting to Copenhagen by them self as the trip started from there. Me and Marcus
was pretty worried as we were sitting on the flight from Stockholm to Copenhagen.
We would be the first group of the season over at CampChar. Man.. what happens if the fish hasn´t
rised? You never know, these things can happen specially as your going as the first group. But
it can also be the other way around. The biggest fish is rising first over there. If were lucky theres
a chanse of getting the biggest chars of our lifes!
Marcus was cooler than me about this.. But i had nightmares about how it would be to be stranded
in the middle of nowhere with seven guys for a week if the fish wasnt home.

We hooked up with the guys at Copenhagen airport. We had Robert and his son Gustav, Lars, Niklas, Johan,
Kent and Henrik meeting us at the terminal and we got ready to go.
The flight from Copenhagen to Narssarssuaq was about 4 hours, and as we were about to land i think
that i thought the same as everyone else in the plane. How the hell are we going to land on that short runway?!
We were flying in a valley with montains around us and ahead of us we saw the runway, short.. very short.
The plane flew right over it and made a sharp turn and started to dive pretty sharp. We flew a few meters
over icebergs and then hit the runway on the spot as it started, then the machine braked with full power.
Have to hand it to them. I think this runway was ment for american fightingplanes during the worldwar II, but
they can still use it for these large aircrafts without what it seamed to be any problem ;)

View from the airplane


Niklas takes his first step on Greenland

At the airport in Narssarssuaq is where we ran into our first little problem.
As we were receving our bags and gear we noticed that Marcus didnt get any of his stuff.
Erm, we waited and as the hall became empty we started to get really worried.
In those bags there was waders, flies, rods, shoes, cloths, sleepingbag and everything else that
you absolutly need on a trip into the wild like we were, so the panic started to rise just a little bit!
Everyone was trying their best to try and help us locate it, but it was useless. The stuff were gone
and the next flight in was in a couple of days. So even if they found the bags then Marcus would have
to do it without them. A challenge he took well. But damn.. thats just a nightmare for anyone whos
on a trip like this. We were just happy that it happend to a guide and not one of the other guys.
He got help to buy what ever there was to buy at a local shop. A few underwares a couple sizes to
small, a t-shirt and a survivalkit.

The guys from Blue Ice motell came and drove us to the boat that was gonna take us to the river Ilua.
What an amazing nature.. As we were traveling against our destination we saw the most beautiful
but somehow wierd nature. Waterfalls everywhere where water fell from hight montains down to
the sea. Icebergs that were glowing in neoblue shimmer. Amazing!
The boat was owned by a man from Iceland that had moved to Greenland to work as a farmer.
He was married to a eskimo woman and had bought this boad as a sidebuisness.
I went to him and asked what he thought about the arctic char.. had they rised into the rivers?
- You never know. Some years this week is fantastic. Some years they dont rise for another week or two.
Ahh man. That image of seven angry and disappointed guys started to hunt me.

The view on the boattrip to Ilua


We saw Ilua after an hour boatride. Got our gear to land, said goodbye to the man from Iceland and his wife then
saw the boat head back. Finally.. Greenland and CampChar. This place can be absolutly fantastic when it comes to arctic char fishing.
It really felt fantastic to be there. We set up our basecamp just near by a amazing waterfall. We had the sea and icebergs
100m south of us and the lake that came from Ilua river 100m north of us. To get to the river we had to walk a few kilometers.
It was starting to get late, so we fixed our basecamp that was one big tent where we cooked, ate and could talk about
the experiences of the days fishing. A smaller tent that had a toiletchair and a hole in the ground under it. Then all our own
tents where we slept at.
Around midnight a few of us went to where the sea meets the lake. As the tide comes it makes it possible for the char to rise into the lake
and further up to the river. And pretty soon we saw at least fifty chars coming our way!! We all started casting and it didnt take long
before one striked my fly! It was pretty dark so i couldnt se the fish that good, but it had to be hugh! The fish flew away like torped
and my reel was screaming like mad. I couldnt belive the power in this fish!
As i was fighting the fish I shouted to Marcus to come with the camera since i belived that this one was big. But after a hard fight
it came up and we got its weight of 1.3 kilos. Oh my god.. what happens if a two kilo fish strikes?!
We took a few more fishes that night before it was time to go to bed.. Couldnt wait to share this with the guys who hit the sack right
away.

The next morning we gathered in the big tent and started to talk about the night before´s fights. This brought out a few more
smiles and relief. We decided to pack our bags and start walking up north to the clear waters of Ilua. And that walk took a hour
or two. As we came up further we started to see that the river was almost dried out. There was no water in it! Ahh man.. no!
We sat down, a bit tired after the long walk in hard terrain.
- Guys, im really sorry. Marcus said.
- These things are really hard to know. The river is almost dried out and im not sure its going to look any better if we walk further up.
The mood in the group fell like bomb. Noone said anything special, but you could see it in everyones eyes.
Well.. the fish is out in the sea and is trying to get up here. But it wont work as the water is to low. But its still fishable in the lake and
in the sea.
But after a small talk there was no doubt about it. We should keep walking upstream and see what happens.

Mostly rocks, and almost no water


After 15 minutes of walk we saw a pool that held more water. Not alot but still enough for a fish to be at.
Marcus went ahead to look and he turned around with a big smile.
- I can see one. Its really big!
Everyone hurried down there to take a look. A big dark shadow was showing itself. What a beauty!
Marcus stayed and the rest of us kept walking upstream.
After 10 more minutes we started to see large pools with even more water in it. One of the guys hurried down
to take a peek and gave thumbs up to us. At least 4 fishes are here he whispered!
We kept going and we started to find more and more pools, with more and more water, and more and MORE FISH!!!
The water up there are really ginclear. As we could see them from a very long distance, they could also see us.
And that was the hard lession for many this first day at Ilua. Even tho the fish didnt seem to be bothered, the didnt strike
on the flies. After a few hours of fishing and some good fights we started talk about what was happening.
We had loads of amazing chars everywhere but they were really tricky to get to strike.
We have to crawl, keep out of sight of the fish. Make sure that were standing low and try to avoid having the sun
in our backs that casts shadows visable for the fish.
That sure made the trick. The fishes started to take the flies, and at one moment i looked at the guys crawling around
and trying to be invincible. Those smiles of exitement was truly great to see!



The next day we walked up to the streams again. This time even further up.
I saw a high cliff and decided to walk up there and look down to see if there was any fish hiding in that area. Sharp stones
everywhere, and the cliff was making this into a almost impossible place to fish at.
I looked down and saw that there was a small but very deep pool right under me. And at first I saw 3-4 fishes around 2 kilos.
Then a bigger one that was around 3-4 kilo showed its self. The fish was hiding in a underwater cave under the cliff.
I couldnt belive it! That was the larges char i had seen in a river and i started getting my gear ready to at least try and make
a cast on those big ones. But as i was making my first cast, or drop of the fly i saw a monster char showing its self!!
This fish was around 6 kilos.. i could say more but i will keep it with the smallest possible weight, it was enormouse!
My heart started pounding and i made a cast. None of the fishes were interested. Made a few more but with the same result.
Flychange to a small black nymph and made a few casts. Nothing.. Somthimes they came for the fly but decided not to shew on it
at the last moment.
Then i took out a small green caddis nymph and made a cast. At the same time i turned around and asked something to Johan
that was behind me. When i looked back i couldnt find my fly? I started searching but it was nowhere.
Suddenly i saw the monster char come out of the cave under me, and i couldnt belive it!! It had the nymph in his mouth!!!!
I raised my rod and felt the weight of the fish, it made a first rush upstream. That would be my only shoot in landing this fish.
I dont know what happend, but i felt my heart beat so fast and im sure i must have screamed out something!
The fish made a quick turn and and at that point i knew what was bound to happen....

- This is going to get messy...

The fish made the fastest rush ive experienced, and flew like mad downstream through small openings of the big rocks.
The last thing i remember is that i shouted -Nooo!!! before i felt how the leader got trashed against the sharp stones.
It was gone.. This happens once in a lifetime. A 6 kilo arctic char in such a small river. It happend, but the fish was better
than me this time.
At the end of the day i lifted my hat for that one. Theres noway to land that kind of fishes in the river. The arctic char is full of amazing
power, and its really hard to land 3 kilo chars. 6 kilo was over my head.. maybee if it was open water like a lake. But not this time, not here.
I had over 50 chars that day. Most over the kilo. A few around 2 and 3 kilos. And it kept being this way for the rest of the week.
All the other guys had good fishing. Some had trouble in the begining. But as they learned how to act to not scare the fish then it
worked really well.

I will remember this fantastic trip as one of the most amazing fishing experiences in my life. Everything from the nature to the great company and
ofcourse the fishing was great, and i cant wait to get there again.
I had some flycasting lessions with some of the guys during this trip. I cant wait to see how Henrik who was new to flyfishing is casting right now.
He made such a fantastic improvement during the session that it really made my week in this matter as well!

Last of all. I would like to thank www.stockholmsflugfiskecenter.se and www.atlantik.dk that was arranging this trip.
Its really great that you guys work so hard to make these dreamtrips possible for decent money.

Best regards
Bazz

Releasing a great fighter

Me with one of "dream pools" red ones


TO VIEW THE MOVIE OR PHOTO GALLERY FROM THIS TRIP GO TO "MEDIA" SECTION