Tenkara in Greenland for Arctic Char

The logistics of moving in this water were challenging. I was standing on a rock bar of slick "baby-head" sized rocks. Fish were coming up stream (to my left) and pausing and stacking in a very deep pool on the far side of the rock bar. There were falls below it. While I hooked into many massive char here, landing them was difficult. I was using the Zen Taka Tenkara Zoom rod paired with a 25ft Zen Fusion Line in Light and getting hits on nymph patterns and scuds size #10. Not having much mobility was one issue. Not having a net in camp was another. A number of fish were lost at the final handlining, several feet from me. This wouldn't have been an issue with a net. This was an issue even when using a reel setup. While there was jumping and some acrobatics, many of the biggest Arctic Char hunkered down and pulled hard. The average fish was 5-6lbs with some up to 12lbs. I was using 16lb and 20lb test tippet on my rod. My husband indulged me with this video, but we mostly fished on our own, separated by fishable water and several pools, and no guide.

[@herphermits]

That's alotta damn flies there...

[@ZenTenkara]

Andrew it was SUPER buggy. Nats, no bites but constant swarming.

[@herphermits]

@@ZenTenkara oh i hate bugs... flies, mozzies, and everything that flies and bites. Very annoying when fishing. Specially when your tying a knot or a new fly on your tippet.

[@ZenTenkara]

@@herphermits Wore a bug nest the entire time

[@iankenison9962]

What a great experience with tenkara Do you need permits to fish in Greenland?

[@ZenTenkara]

You do need a permit/license. And local guides have permits on different rivers or area to fish, hunt or both. It was a true adventure and Greenland is such a unique place and landscape. Very interesting to see how important and the role fishing and hunting are - for seals, whales, etc. Some huge Arctic char too.

[@african.origins]

Great video. It looks like a lot of fun!! What flies were you using? And what tippt? I am heading to greenland next week and have my tenkara packed.

[@ZenTenkara]

Fantastic! Some of the fish were huge and very strong. Was using 15/16lb test. They were not tippet shy...never seen flies before and sometimes.would.still break off. We were told to bring brighly colored streamer and salmon-type flies in orange and pink. BUT we never hooked any with these flies. We caught everything on nymphs like big pheasant tails...traditional stuff and large sparkle scuds and pupa type flies. It is a beautiful country with wonderful people. Where are you going to be?

[@african.origins]

I only just saw that all of that info is in your video description! Sorry for the bother. We will be sailing around the south of Greenland coming from Iceland and then sticking to the western side for the month. I am working as an expedition guide and we often go out for excursions near lakes and streams. Saw a whole bunch of big char last year so have decided to buy a tenkara setup that I can travel with and quickly setup when I get to a suitable stream. Thank you for the help. I will make sure to take strong tippit and enough nymphs.

[@ZenTenkara]

​@@african.origins Sounds like an incredible experience. Please feel free to reach out if I can offer any other insights. Bring a bug net. The bugs are continuous. Safe travels

[@african.origins]

So far I have only come across smaller streams and all full of silt which makes visibility very poor! Hoping that my luck changes to better streams and lakes. I still have another 10 days here before we leave. Fingers crossed! 🤞🏼

[@african.origins]

Whereabouts were you located when you took this video? And what other areas could you recommend?