The great variety of the Vatnsdalsa!
This "priest" was once found on the banks of Vatnsdalsa, a very original priest indeed and most likely a very effective one. Of cours it was on the trout beat, as the main beat is a divine catch and release area. Photo by Einar Falur
Apparently there are things you will see in Vatnsdalsa‘s pools that are not commonplace. Or perhaps they are, the tales simply do not get told. But here is a report from the very prolific Hamarshylur pool on Vatnsdalsa on a wet day several days ago.
The fishing has been great and the river is now over 1.200 salmon on the main beats, with several dozen off the trout beats as well. One particular day a few days was especially prolific. Twenty salmon were landed and at least as many hooked and lost. Hamarshylur was one of the main producing pools that day but also one of the more tricky ones as one interruption after another bothered the anglers allotted the pool. It all started when a black sheep swam straight over the pool, almost kicking the salmon‘s heads as it made its way over the main lies. The event was laughed off as the anglers were positive that a bigger numer of Black Sheep had never ever been floated over a salmon!
The commotion had hardly died down, when a plump fulmar came floating downstream, and once on the pool, it spooked at seeing the anglers. Resulting in its flapping and kicking wildly straight over the main lies as it tried to escape. At this time of the year, the fulmar chicks are full grown and they attempt to fly from their cliffside nests and make for the sea. If they do not get an upward breeze, they lose all bearings and crash to earth, as they are horrible fliers without the breeze, plus they are literally to fat to fly at this early stage of their lives. Thus, very many fulmar chicks need to make their way by ground or river to the salt. Many perish on the way but the ones that do survive burn their fat fast to finally get airborn!
