Haffjardara's record season 2008
The Black Eyed Prawn is productive on Icelandic rivers. Photo by Heimir Óskarsson.
The salmon season of 2008 was a record season in Iceland. It was a record weather you count the smolt releasing rivers along or not. There were almost twenty individual rivers in the country that smashed their former records. One of them was Haffjardara and it‘s new record was among the most sensational and dramatic of the lot.
Let‘s start with naming Haffjardara‘s former record. A great total of 1.290 salmon. Very, very good for a six rod river. Outstanding even. So how about 2008‘s total of 2.011 salmon! The old record crushed by a margin of 721 salmon. Add to that, the river had severely low water for several weeks during the prime weeks of the season. The runs were simply so incredible that they had to be seen to be believed.
Haffjardara was literally full of fish. Photo by Heimir Óskarsson.
During the season of 2007 the water was low as well and the river finished with a respectable total of 1.079 salmon. Well, the jump from the former record was 721 salmon. The jump from last season was 932 salmon. The season was indeed outstanding. We might even add the sixth star to it‘s billing.
To put the 2008 season total into an even better perspective, let us look at the rivers average total over the space of the last ten years: 928 salmon. The record total is 1.183 salmon above that average. This was indeed one of the greatest performances of the season, putting it into football language.
When looking forward, to the season of 2009, we must try not to expect more of the same. It would not be fair. One cannot always have a new record, let alone predict one. On the other hand, who knows what will come to pass in 2009? According to all the signs in nature, we fully expect a good solid season. There will be twists and turns as usual but there will be plenty of salmon running, and who knows, perhaps we will go close to the new record. But even if we don´t we will still have had an excellent season, such are the standards set on Haffjardara.
