Living where I do in the North of Scotland I am fortunate enough to be able to easily visit and enjoy some of the finest wilderness places on offer in the rugged and beautiful country; from far flung mountains and moors, to glacier formed lakes (lochs) and streams. Wandering these with a fly rod in search of the wild trout, sometimes salmon and very occasionally (rare) opportunities to fish for the age old Arctic Char that are ‘landlocked’ in the deepest of our lakes.
It’s in the wild places of home I grew to appreciate the beauty and wonder that surround us. It ignites a desire to explore and research these lonely places beyond the shores of my home country. I long to visit, explore and experience some of the other northern, rugged, beautiful and pristine places that shared a similar fate in their most recent formation at the hands of the now retreating ice.
The choice is pretty extensive, but one place amongst all others stood out and became somewhere I simply had to visit and experience; Greenland.
And how perfect it was to be that “Visit Greenland” were seeking someone to do just this, visit and promote a new local Greenlandic company by the name of West Greenland Wildlife, owned and operated by Leif Fontaine. He was in the very early process of opening up the small river that lies in his family hunting ground at Sassannguit.
Located right on the Arctic Circle in West Greenland, Sassannguit river had the promise of char fishing in exactly the pristine unspoiled wilderness I was hoping for. But first I had to get there.
Heading to Greenland is actually very straightforward and very easy, first up you travel to the Danish Capital Copenhagen, then onwards to Greenland’s main airport, Kangerlussuaq in west Greenland. From here it was a short wait and then a hop onto a smaller turbo-prop Dash-8 aircraft. After a half hour flight north to Sisimiut I was greeted by Leif and his lovely wife Agathe.
We were not due to depart for Sassannguit until the next morning, so this gave me the opportunity to explore and take in the historical parts of Sisimiut’s old centre as well as be impressed by the modern side of this colourful town.
Formerly known by its colonial Dutch name of Holsteinsborg it has been a settlement for circa 4,500 years initially by Inuit people, although the modern population of Greenlanders is a mix of Inuit and Danes who first settled here around the mid 1720’s. Essentially these early settlers came here to establish whale-hunting centres and Sisimiut was perfect for this given the fact the harbour can be relatively ice free for longer periods than other areas around this part of Greenland.
As soon as the engine was cut and we moored at the camp, the peace and the tranquillity of this place became instantly obvious. All hands were required to help unload the boat of supplies, unpack and settle in before a fly could be cast, but this was in no way a chore or something that needed to be endured. It was just added to the adventure and the anticipation I felt about making my first casts at this ancient gamefish.
Home for me was to be a large ‘bell-tent’ complete with camp bed and furs if I wanted them. There was a small paraffin heater to ensure I didn’t get cold and more than enough room for me to spread all my equipment and even be able to dry out waders and jackets if needed. I will say that sleeping here in early August under a sky that simply didn’t go any darker than the evening light, in complete silence and pure air, rates amongst some of the most enjoyable and relaxing nights I’ve ever enjoyed.
Day two at the camp was another glorious sunny day and it was also the one we had chosen to head upstream towards the first of the two large lakes found a few kilometres from the camp and where Leif wanted to show me what he feels is amongst the best of the fishing.
Continues further down the pages…
We soon descended towards the first lake and I could feel my excitement bubbling as I spotted many dark shapes of fish of all sizes in the river leading directly out of the lake. Leif is keen to form a smaller ‘wild camp’ at the head of the lakes where anyone interested visiting West Greenland Wildlife excursions can stay overnight, away from the main camp. One could further explore three lakes and the upper sections of the river above this, and I must say I’d love to return and do this. The ‘top’ lake is right amongst the bottom of the mountains and the headwaters above run well into these uplands: what lies there for the angler to explore?
The surroundings, the fishing, the pristine river and stunning wild fish would add up to make this experience truly amazing. Add to that the fact that this river has hardly been fished by fly anglers, it opens up a whole dimension of opportunity and exploration in Sassannguit.
The char up here were bigger, earlier runners from the sea and in that stunning, very deep, dark olive back with bright deep red spots and ‘hot’ orange belly spawning attire, very different from the silver coloured fish that were fresh from the sea. They were every bit as powerful, though, with a mindset of wanting to pull your arm from its socket and not to ever be underestimated.
The fish in the lakes were also pretty eager to take the fly and, although I had limited time to try for them, I was satisfied enough to feel that utilising a boat, or working with ‘stillwater’ tactics instead of river ones will bring a totally different dimension to chasing these fish. This adds yet more variety to the visiting angler’s trip.
On the return walk back to the camp we encountered a rather inquisitive reindeer who followed us part of the way before deciding that the opposite direction was more interesting. Leif also pointed out wild blueberries that were growing in patches throughout all of the area. A tasty treat for us both and something I picked regularly during my fishing forays.
Sea-run Arctic Char (Salvelinus Alpinus) are numerous around Greenland and form an important and very valuable part of the Greenlandic diet. Known locally as “Eqaluk” these fish are harvested from July 15th until August 15th and Leif does this in the traditional manner utilising a trap at the river mouth and occasionally a shore fixed net.
Sustainability is high on the agenda as the trap only collects fish at times when the tide covers the entrance. The rest of the time the fish swim freely. The net is set along a small section of the estuary meaning most of the returning fish by-pass it and are also free to head into the river.
All the fish caught are processed in the time honoured way, cleaned, salted, hung out to dry and smoked and are simply delicious. Not only is Leif passionate about sustainability with the char, but with all forms of native hunting in Greenland as well as tourism. This is why West Greenland Wildlife operates sustainable tourism in a vulnerable environment. Visiting parties to Sassannguit are small (max of 8) and have exclusive access to the whole river and immediate surroundings. The river might not be big but it does stretch more than 15km into the wilderness, way more than enough for even the most ardent of exploring visitors to cover.
Sadly, all too soon the adventure was over, and it was with a heavy heart I waved goodbye to Sassannguit as we sped our way back towards Sisimiut in the usual, fast paced fashion. As we were closer into shore, due to the outer seas being a little ‘choppy’ sadly I didn’t have the opportunity to see any whales. However, we did chance upon two feeding pods of seals numbering in excess of fifty animals in each. It’s a sight I will remember for a long time. Soon Sisimiut harbour came into view, civilisation beckoned with another overnight in the luxury of the Hotel Sisimiut awaited before my scheduled flights home the following day.
I loved Greenland, I loved the peacefulness, the pace of life, the way of life and most of all the Fontaine family who welcomed me completely and who have become friends forever. It is a place I will never forget, I will certainly return to and I can’t recommend this adventure highly enough to any fly angler seeking a true wilderness expedition way up here on the edge of the Arctic Circle.
The million-dollar question everyone asks on any fishing trip, what flies will we need? There’s plenty information already available regarding flies that are good for migratory sea-run char and red, orange and pink often feature as the most prominent colours amongst them for both in fresh and salt water. However it wouldn’t be a full article if I didn’t at least include the ones that were most successful for me on my visit, so here’s are the dressings for the four most successful flies I used and the ones that will form a ‘starting point’ for my next trip to the Sassannguit:
This is, for me, the most exciting way to hunt these fish with spectacular and adrenalin pumping takes, follows and attacks. I have been told there are some who simply take only surface lures with them such is the excitement on this style of fishing, however although my boxes probably favour these over other lures, you would be missing out on so much opportunities (especially in the salt) if you did this.
Sassannguit ‘Turks Tarantula’
Hook
Partridge G3AL Wet Fly Supreme #8
Thread
Semperfli red waxed thread 8/0
Tail
Golden Pheasant tippets
Rib
Semperfli 2.0mm gold wire
Body
Hends orange Spectradub code 94
Wing
Semperfli orange Cashmere Monkey under red pearl Crinkleflash
Head
Orange deer hair tyed ‘Muddler’ style and trimmed flat underside
Legs
Semperfli 3mm white rubber legs
Orange ‘Foam Hopper’
Hook
Partridge Patriot Barbless Grab Pupa SLP #8
Thread
Semperfli ‘Nano Silk’ 8/0
Tail
Semperfli orange Cashmere Monkey under red pearl Crinkleflash
Rib
Tying thread
Body
Hends orange Spectradub code 94
Back
Semperfli 8.0mm orange Foam Booby Cord; note cut cord in half.
Legs
Sempefli 3mm white rubber legs
Author
Allan Liddle
As an angler, guide, instructor, angling journalist and fly tying demonstrator, he is based in his homeland of Scotland. He regularly contributes to Fly Fishing and Fly Tying magazine both with main-stream features and a regular blog section on their website.
Editor
Tanny Por
As Content Manager, Tanny curates and tells stories about living, travelling (and sometimes surviving!) in Greenland. She also supports and develops Visit Greenland’s strategic initiatives across its different media and social platforms.
Beautiful hike in Ittoqqortoormiit in East Greenland
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