From above, Cosmoledo looks almost polite. A ribbon of pale sand divides dark, gnawed volcanic formations from water so clear it barely seems real. A skiff floats nearby, small as if someone forgot it there by accident. From the air, it feels calm. Ordered. Quiet. On the water, however, Cosmoledo is none of those things.

Few rivers in Europe offer the opportunity to hook a double-figure sea trout, and, historically, even fewer have done so with any consistency. In fact, you may fish for a lifetime on your home river without ever connecting with such a specimen. It is a pleasure to introduce you to a new land of giants.

Ever the adventurer, Johan Persson Friberg sets out to explore the remote flats of the Yemenite island, Abd al Kuri, in the Socotran Archipelago – to find fish in places that have never been properly chartered with a fly rod. The panga gets hammered by a wave from behind. Water explodes over the stern.

From newcomers into tropical fly fishing to the most seasoned anglers. And that’s without even mentioning the size of some of the legendary fish that roam these waters, including those tied to the coveted Grand Slam, which would make even the most experienced fisherman’s head spin.