Excellent fishing has been reported this summer in major salmon fishing rivers in Iceland reports Morgunbladid.
A recent cold spell does not seem to have affected the fishing in Selá in Vopnafjordur, a record 1,700 salmon have been caught there this summer. Last week alone, 300 salmon were caught with eight rods. Most salmon were caught using heavy tubes as lure and sinking lines.
Weather conditions have been also been cold in Midfjardará. Fishermen have caught 1,300 – 1,400 salmon there this summer, sometimes in sleet and hail. In the last six days, fishermen have landed 150-160 salmon. Ten rods are allowed in the river, and on average the fish is generally one or two year old. Sources report that during the cold spell most of the fish was caught using tubes.
900 salmon have been caught in Laxá in Leirársveit.
Nordurá has passed the 3,000 salmon mark, and sources report that the river hasn’t seen this many salmon in a long time. According to fishermen there is fish “all over the river”.
Morgunbladid reports that a 26 pound salmon, the biggest fish of the summer, was caught in Laxá in Adaldal on Saturday night. The salmon was 108 cm long and 51 cm wide.
The top ranking river in terms of salmon caught over the summer is Thverá – Kjarrá.
“People have experienced a fairytale all summer long, ” said Jón Ólafsson a manager of the river. Last week a fishing record held since 1979 – 3,558 salmon – was broken. 3,700 salmon have been caught in the two sections of the river. Thverá – Kjarrá has permits for 14 rods.
“No one expected this kind of fishing this summer, even though we were optimistic,” said Jón. “This is research material for biologists.”
The fishing in Thverá – Kjarrá is almost three times greater than last year, the average season catch has been 1,900 for the last 20 years. The season in Thverá ends September 15, and the season in Kjarrá ends on September 5 – therefore it is likely that over 4,000 salmon will be caught there this season.
