Y’a d’la joie! This means the joy is everywhere in french. And that is the right words on our week 29. We had a visit from our friend Frantz from Switzerland and his friends from France. And they really enjoyed the Kengis feeling.

The week looked promising with good conditions, high water and fish showing up in our zones, but sometimes theory and practice is not the same. We started the week with seeing many fish at boat pool, but Fabrice, that is on the picture, called it; “depressed pool” So many fish and no one wanted to take our flies. Our guests did everything they could. All kind of setups and flies to see if that could trick the fish, but they did not want our flies.

Frantz has been at Kengis Bruk many times before and he knows the water really well. He was the first to get in contact with a good sized fish at Zone 1. It is a pleasure to see the smile on his face when he catch another fish from Kengis.

Frantz used to visit us a little later in the season and this when we asked him if he could feel any difference the answer was clear; “YES” They was fighting in a different way than he was used to. This was our first fish from Zone 1 this season. We know it will only get better the last part of the season, so wee look forward to follow the zone the next weeks.

Thierry at the lower part of Zone 1 fighting a good sized trout. At first we thought it was a grilse, but it was a really nice trout. This was a dream trip for Theiry and he was traveled with his son, Damien that is a photographer and filmmaker to make a memorable film and pictures from their trip together. We have said it before and we will again. Having families at Kengis is always special for us and something we really enjoy. We will get back to Damiens thoughts about the trip later.

To celebrate Frantz’s birthday we all went to Aurora Estate for a fantastic dinner. It is always good to bring friends together for a good time. Aurora Estate will visit us later in the season so we look forward to see them again.
After a good dinner we went back to Kengis to continue our search for the baltic salmon. And what better way to end you celebration day with a salmon. Just a few cast into his run in Island pool, Frantz hooked into another fish.

Safely landed and returned Frantz was all smiles the rest of the week. Everyday we saw fish moving, but they dit not wanna strike our flies, instead we focused on the casting and both Thierry, Frantz and Fabrice all went home with some new tricks to practice for next year. It is good to give the guests something else to bring home, when the fishing can be slow sometimes.

Back to Damien & Thierry. A real father and son history.
We will give the word to them; “When my father decided to do this fishing trip to Sweden, he offered me to accompany him. I told myself that sharing this trip with him would be one of those unique moments that we can share once in a lifetime. He always told me that he wanted to share an experience like this with his father a long time ago, but life decided otherwise, and it was too late for that.

A few years later, the idea of this trip came up and I saw the opportunity to offer us this adventure, this sharing of a father/son moment by filming his trip and living for a few days in a wild environment, surrounded by nature, the river, and the spirit of respect for what surrounds us. It was beyond my expectations, this experience, what I felt there, admiring nature in its most simple and magnificent pageantry, in the company of my father, revealed something to me about my life, a path to borrow.

I still don't know how to survey it today, but what I felt during this trip shown me this feeling will be the path to follow.

I will never thanks as much as they deserve the Kengis Bruk’s crew, Aslak and Tyler, to make us feel that way during this journey, with sharing moments like barbecues, they always taken time when we need help or peaceful our minds. And a special thanks to Frantz and Fabrice who gave us the opportunity to share this perfect week.”