# Salmon in Iceland



## jonasmagn (Mar 3, 2009)

Just returned from fishing in Iceland. I have not fished there in 10 years so it was exciting to cast to the salmon again. Caught and released some fish and what is very interesting is the size of the flies we were using #14 - #16. To witness these fish erupt and strike the flies in the surface is magnificent. 
The Arctic Char usually do not strike at this time of the year but I lucked into this beautiful 32 incher.


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## Dunt (Aug 14, 2015)

Nice flies and fish! Looks like a lot of fun.


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## SHunter (Jun 19, 2009)

Beautiful fish! That is quite a trip. Do you have family in Iceland? We met some folks in the Navy from there. Seemed like nice folks.


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## jonasmagn (Mar 3, 2009)

I was born there and I have four kids there and grandkids (vague on the number). Been in the States since 2007. And I forgot the Char is probably stronger than the salmon inch for inch - tremendous fish.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Very nice! My fondest memories of Iceland (86-87) was fishing the Varma river in Hveragerði and never seeing another fisherman on every trip there. The salmon farm experience in the Westfjords blew me away helping transport all those big hens to the "milking pens".


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## jonasmagn (Mar 3, 2009)

I have fished the Varmá (it means the warm river) one early spring for char and seatrout. It was not so warm that day though.
We are requiered to return all salmon over 30´´ and put the big hens in a tube of plastic filling it with water and take it to the nearest cage (placed at intervals in the river) for milking later. Some of the rivers are kept going by raising salmon to the smolt stage and then releasing hundreds of thousands of the smolt - crossing your fingers and wait for next years return. The salmon farms in Norway and the Faroe Islands have come under heavy scrutiny because of the sea lice problem. I have been told that 3 sea lice on a smolt is lethal. Anyway rivers in Scotland and Norway are in decline according the gossip at the lodges.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

We were driving there on opening day and there was still snow and some ice on Hwy 1 on that mountain between Reykjavík and Hveragerði. Did a 180° with the truck and stopped on the edge of the road where there was no guardrail looking down into that rocky valley. That got the heart pounding, thought we were finished.
That afternoon going back, everything on the road had melted away.
I've read that the Varma is catch and release and fly only now. No bag/size limit back then.


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## jonasmagn (Mar 3, 2009)

yup there no weather - only many samples of weather each day - we like to say. 
**** Islandicus balks at catch and release - but it is written on the wall.


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Very interesting post. 

Deployed to NAS Keflavik July -Dec 1974.

Beautiful country.


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## jonasmagn (Mar 3, 2009)

I wrote a blog on salmon fishing in Iceland - Salmon fishing and ragtime snoring
http://everyjonahhasawhale.com/?p=1649
You might like it 
Thanks for the interest shown in this thread.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Good read. Pic from the "good old days". All males....that were netted at the salmon farm.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Man that's a beautiful fish and huge to eat a small little fly!!! Congrats!


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## wallace1 (Dec 8, 2010)

Dang Jonas! Looks like you had a heck of a trip. One of those arctic char is on my list for the next time we get back to Iceland.


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## jonasmagn (Mar 3, 2009)

kanaka said:


> Good read. Pic from the "good old days". All males....that were netted at the salmon farm.
> 
> View attachment 945922


I missed out on that one. How did this come about?


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Apparently, the owners built a peninsula that narrowed the lake entrance. The salmon would stack up in a small cove awaiting the tide to come up and for the owners to open up the gates to the lake. In the meantime a net was deployed and slowly tightened. People would wade in the school, grab the hens for transport and the males whacked in the head. I didn't have decent waders to join in on the corralling but was able to help with the transport of the living and deceased.
Have pics but have to scan them if you're interested.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Great report and pics! I think a male Char is the one of the most incredible looking fish. Awesome colors.


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## jonasmagn (Mar 3, 2009)

kanaka said:


> Apparently, the owners built a peninsula that narrowed the lake entrance. The salmon would stack up in a small cove awaiting the tide to come up and for the owners to open up the gates to the lake. In the meantime a net was deployed and slowly tightened. People would wade in the school, grab the hens for transport and the males whacked in the head. I didn't have decent waders to join in on the corralling but was able to help with the transport of the living and deceased.
> Have pics but have to scan them if you're interested.


Do you know the exact location? I would really like to see those pictures. If you want to send them private, I send email PM.
Thx for this info


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

You got email.


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## Dunt (Aug 14, 2015)

kanaka said:


> Good read. Pic from the "good old days". All males....that were netted at the salmon farm.
> 
> View attachment 945922


That's disgusting.


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## kanaka (Oct 3, 2007)

Dunt said:


> That's disgusting.


All looked like tasty smoked salmon to me. Here's more disgusting...


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## jonasmagn (Mar 3, 2009)

Picture taken 30 years ago. At that time nobody released salmon in Iceland. There are numerous pictures in excistence from the big rivers where similar carnage is in evidence. However different times different ideas.

If this was done today I agree with Dunt - this is appalling.


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