Yet another superb Icelandic salmon fly: Gjóla
This is the "Stiff breeze". It works brilliantly in Iceland, so please try it further afield. Photo by Heimir Óskarsson.
Icelanders have made some outstanding salmon flies over the years as is to to be expected considering the number of superb rivers and anglers in the country. We recently unveiled “Gjóla”, a fly that proved to be outstanding from the off.
Gjóla is from the mindset of well known local angler Jón G. Baldvinsson, a former chairman of the Angling Club of Reykjavík and a well established guide, mainly on Nordura. Jón used to use Gjóla exclusively and the fly has been unknown to others than a chosen few until another fly tier, angler and Nordura-guide, Siggi Héðinn, or Siggi Haugur as he is commonly known as up here, obtained Jón's leave to tie the fly for the fly fishing population.
So here we have it, the “Gjóla”. Gjóla in Icelandic means a stiff breeze. The wind was probably blowing briskly when Jón tried the fly for the first time 16 years ago. He landed 60 salmon on the fly that year! Whatever the circumstances, the fly produced catches immediately.
Siggi Héðinn, the tier.Photo by Heimir Óskarsson.
Later he stopped using it, mainly as the Frances never needed replacing and it has been dormant in his fly boxes until Siggi Haugur spotted it and brought it forth.
This season a few anglers used Gjóla and it proved to be just as deadly as in the past, so please try it! Tie it according to the pix…
