Salmon fishing weaker than last year
The catch so far this summer has been disappointing. Morgunblaðið/Einar Falur
Salmon fishing this summer has been rather sluggish, with catches in most of the country’s main salmon rivers significantly lower than at the same time last year.
For instance, rivers in the south and west of Iceland are generally far below last summer’s catch numbers. As an example, only four salmon had made their way up the Gljúfurá river in Borgarfjörður as of yesterday. However, reports indicate that some salmon are now starting to enter the river.
Following strong runs of grilse (one-year sea salmon) in many rivers last year, there were high hopes for a strong return of two-sea-winter salmon this summer — but so far, those expectations have not been met.
Rafn Valur Alfreðsson, leaseholder of the Miðfjarðará river in Húnavatnssýsla, told Morgunblaðið that one explanation could be that the salmon smolts that went to sea in the spring of last year may have left later than usual and might therefore return to the rivers later this summer. It’s also possible, he said, that some didn’t go to sea last summer at all, meaning two age classes may have headed out this spring — potentially leading to strong salmon runs next summer.
