We walked back as quickly as our exhausted bodies let us, with plenty of good memories in our minds. We were eager to tell the good news to our friends. On the way home, we surprised a large bald eagle, which took off just twenty yards from where we stood, and hovered over the river valley. What a magnificent sight!

When we arrived in camp, Kim was eagerly waiting for news. He was very relieved to hear about our fantastic fishing day. As tour leader, he had considered all the options, including being picked up by the float plane before due time. That would have been a catastrophe for him, his employer, and us fishermen on the trip!

We decided to float down with one boat only, packed with all the gear. We had to keep it as light as possible, since we knew that the last day we would have to pull the heavy boat back up to the pickup point, eight kilometers against the current. Two rowed the boat, while the rest of us walked down.

When we reached the hot spot, we set up camp as close to the river as possible, directly on a cobblestone ground. Lars, Allan and Kim, who had not tried the place, were allowed to hit it first. While the fish were not as turned on as the previous day, they were indeed there still, and everybody enjoyed bent rods again.  

We spent another four days on the fishing spot, which proved to hold fish over a distance of more that 3 miles downstream from the tributary. Hence, we never fished on each other's shoulders, and had plenty of water to play with. Robin even managed to land the trip's largest lake trout in a deep hole, a beast 34 inches long.  

One day I decided to keep a smaller bright fish, in order to taste at least one time fresh arctic char. As I hauled it back in camp, we spotted a bear across the river. I was not too concerned, until Kim warned me that these animals have a fine olfactory sense, capable of detecting odors miles away. He asked me to butcher the fish well downstream from camp. I nodded, and went down, thinking that the bear would never smell my fish across the river. But… as I walked back to camp with my cleaned fish, the bear had crossed the river! Fortunately it did not come towards us, but he most probably came over because of the fishy smell. Impressive! I thoroughly washed my hands before going to bed, I can tell you!

The last day had arrived: time to pack the camp for the last time, and drag the boat loaded with our gear, up to the agreed pick-up point. We knew it would be a tough job, and had planned to spend eight hours on it. Fortunately, we found a good technique of hauling the boat which kept it at bay so it didn't bounce on the bank's rocks. Combined with a sound and constructive collaboration, we managed to meet our final destination within four hours!  

Our air-taxi came over the hill, made a first recognizance pass, and then landed smoothly on the current. We were happy to see a new face, after having spent almost two weeks among animals and our little group (looking more like animals with our beards, not to speak of the smells…)  

It was a mix of regret and immense satisfaction that submerged me when I boarded the plane. Regret because I didn't know when I would experience such magic fishery again in the future, and when I would fish with my companions again. Satisfaction because the camaraderie had been great, the landscapes breathtaking, and the fishery had kept its promises in term of fish size, number, and not the least, beauty. If you should have further question, you are very welcome to contact me at: nils@anadromousflyfishing.com.

If you want to book such a trip with GetAway Tours, you are welcome to contact Kim Jørgensen at: kim@getawaytours.dk