2009 is Iceland's second best salmon season ever
Most of Iceland's rivers were full of salmon this year. Both photos by Heimir Óskarsson.
While a handfull og rivers are still open in Iceland for a varying amount of days up to two weeks in soem cases, it is nevertheless clear that we have seen an exceptional season, the second best season ever for Atlantic salmon. In fact, in the last five years the national annual wild salmon catch has doubled its long term average.
Every year at this point, the NASF has published a report or press release as it looks at the season in question, let's have a look into the NASF's document this year, it reads : Every year many of the best-known rivers break their old records and the Haffjardará, Thverá, Nordurá and Langá have all done extremely well in 2009. So has the Rangá river system and the Breiddalsá. The Selá, NASF's model river, has probably set something of a world record by providing salmon catches that have been consistently over 2,000 during the last ten years
A salmon clears Midfjardara's Hlidarfoss.
The rivers on the northwest coast have been exceptionally productive this year with several breaking their former records. The front runners in terms of records this year are likely to be the Midfjardará, Blanda, Fljótaá, Hrutafjardará, Vatnsdalsá, Svalbarðsá, Búdardalsá, Laxá in Refasveit, Sogið and Húseyjarkvísl. All have beaten their previous best catch. However, a relatively unknown river called Fljótaá has also suddenly emerged among the 2009 winners.
The 2009 salmon season is coming to an end and the total Icelandic rod catch is predicted to be about 72.000, making it the second best year in the country's angling history. In the last five years Iceland's salmon catches have gone from strength to strength and the national totals now continually exceed the old record years
The five best salmon years in Iceland so far: 2008 = 84,124 salmon --2009 = 72,000 -- 2005 = 55,168 -- 2007 = 53,703 -- 1978 = 52,679.
