VOL. 3: CRACKING THE CODE

In his third volume of the Fly Fishing Academy, Henrik Mortensen concentrates on the art of salmon fishing - assessing the situation, formulating a strategy and executing the plan. His instructions run the gamut, from reading a river to effectively fishing for the elusive salmon. This edition follows him throughout the entire process of catching salmon under tense and unfamiliar conditions in early season, using real-life scenarios.

Henrik is back in the Land of the Midnight Sun near the Polar Circle - Iceland, amidst the world's finest salmon rivers. Even though many Atlantic salmon traverse these rivers, there is no guarantee of a catch. The rivers are quite demanding, concerning casting techniques and, especially, fishing strategies. The riverbeds change every season with the spring flood, thereby changing the pools. Therefore, it is critical to have the skills to thoroughly analyze the situation, even if the river is very familiar.

Make no mistake, correctly reading the river and decoding its hidden messages is a precondition for success. Only a few people in the world understand how to read the water, the whirlpools, the surface and the bottom conditions like Henrik does. Henrik's method of decoding the hidden messages in the water enables him to pinpoint the exact spots in a pool where the salmon stand and what fly and technique to use.

Additionally, he goes in depth with the noble art of hitching. Hitching gives one the ultimate pleasure of fly fishing because the angler can follow the fly the entire time to see how and when the salmon strikes. It is generally believed that many rivers in Iceland are too cold for hitching, but Henrik disproves that theory as he fishes in water no more than 6 degrees Celsius.