The formal salmon fishing season in Iceland started in the glacier river Þjórsá on the 1st of June and it took off in style as 18 salmons were landed in the first day on the Urriðafoss beat. Except for 1 grilse, it was all 2-year runners and the biggest one was a 90 cm beautiful hen fish. The conditions were very tough as the water flow was more than 750 m3/s and the water very muddy – but the fish was there, which makes all the difference.
Norðurá then opened on the 4th and 5 fish were caught the first morning and some more got away in rather tough conditions. Blanda and Þverá started the day after and 4 fish were landed in Blanda and 3 in Þverá and plenty more salmons seen and some also missed in very difficult conditions. Kjarrá then got off to a good start 2 days later and Laxá Leirársveit opened last Sunday with 4 nice fishes and lots more fish was seen and some of them missed.
Overall it has been a pretty good start to the season and fish has already been seen all over the island. The Rock Star and avid fly fisherman, Bubbi Morthens, saw 3 freshly run salmons in Laxá in Kjós in by mid-May and a couple of days later 10 silverly salmons were spotted in the Laxá in Leirársveit. The first salmons in the northeast were then seen in Selá already on the 10th of June despite very flooded water.
The fishing in Urriðafoss has been very good and the same applies to Norðurá and Þverá/Kjarrá. Blanda on the north coast is a little slower but still OK and this afternoon 2 beautiful salmons of 90 and 84 cm were caught amongst other smaller.
Yesterday the fishing in Laxá in Kjós, Miðfjarðará and East Rangá started. Despite tough conditions, flooded and cloudy water, Laxá and Miðfjarðrá both produced 3 salmons in the opening morning and in Rangá 16 big fish were caught in the first day and many more missed. So fish is coming in early in Iceland and it looks very good, although it is still too early to say if it will be a top season. But anyway we have all rights to be optimistic, boys and girls. The rivers are now opening up one after another and, more importantly, Iceland has opened up after Covid-19, and we have some very good fishing opportunities for you.
Tight lines,
Mr. Burns