In 2006 I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go fishing in Iceland. This was all thanks to the efforts of former colleague, photographer, chef and Norwegian fisherman par excellence Knut Lovstuhagen.

Knut used his extensive list of contacts to secure deep disounts on our Icelandair flight from Oslo to Reykjavík and the hotels we stayed at. In return Knut would write an article for a Norwegian inflight magazine extolling the virtues of the various parts of the island nation we visited. Per Stendebakken and I were the chief benefactors of this negotiation and we were more than happy to come along for the experience.

Following our arrival, and prior to going to our first hotel, we stopped in at the Blue Lagoon...a famous set of hot springs just outside the capital. While Knut took photos, I managed to go in for a 'dip'. The experience was a lot like getting into a hot bath, except for the 40 or so tourists who were in the same 'tub'.

The next day the fishing began. It's important to understand that, unlike Canada and Norway, in Iceland you can't just back up the pick-up truck, offload your aluminum boat and start fishing. In Iceland you have to pay for the privilege. You have to reserve spots on local rivers and lakes...a bit like a restaurant except dinner isn't necessarily guaranteed.

In this instance, Knut, again, managed to get us a deep discount on our first fishing hole which was a river known for its Arctic char fishing. And, unlike Norway where we jig off the ocean floor for cod and pollack, we had to fly fish...something  neither Per, Knut nor I had experience with. After a crash course from our guide Tiffy (yep, Tiffy) we were off to the races and were soon flinging flies around with wild abandon.

Over the course of the morning we managed to land four char which wasn't bad considering we were all fly-fishing rookies. The cook back at the hotel stuffed them with herbs, butter and lemon and slow cooked them in the oven. Some of the best fish I've ever tasted.

The next day we pushed out the boat (metaphorically) even further driving across a volcanic plan and then crossing a river and decending down a path alongside a pretty serious waterfall to some fishing pools below.

Unfortunately the wind was howling through the canyon we were situated in making fly fishing particularly difficult for our inexperienced group. The breeze proved to be too much and after a few unproductive hours we returned to the truck and tried our luck in a volcanic lake.

Here we tried lures and flies, with the only fish caught (a nice sized brown trout) coming in courtesy of a Mepps spinner.

On the way back to the lodge/hotel we passed a waterfall that was absolutely breathtaking..to be honest it scared the crap out of me.

It's over 100 meters high as was the ledge we viewed it from..and the foreground drops off sharply. Let's just say the first step was a doozy.

I don't know if I'll ever make it to Iceland again...but I do know that I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience the spectacular scenery, fine fishing and friendly people that this magical land of contrasts has to offer.

Thanks again Knut!