The Icelandic salmon season officially opened on June 1st, and as usual Urriðafoss waterfall in Þjórsá was among the first salmon rivers in the country to welcome anglers. Fishermen arrived full of optimism and were greeted by pleasant conditions throughout the day, with light clouds, no wind and temperatures reaching 16°C.
It did not take long for the first fish to show up, and the first salmon of the summer was landed early in the day. The honour went to Stefán Sigurðsson, who landed the first salmon of the season at Urriðafoss.
By the end of the opening day, 7 salmon had been landed, with anglers also hooking 5 additional fish that managed to shake the hook before reaching the net. The largest fish of the day measured 85 cm, and all salmon landed were in excellent condition, clearly having had no shortage of food over the winter months. The number of fish seen and hooked throughout the day suggests that a good run of salmon is already entering the river.
One of the more memorable fish of the day was a lucky first salmon, landed by Lilja Böðvarsdóttir, former farmer at Urriðafoss and mother of Haraldur Einarsson, who now farms the property together with his wife, Birna Harðardóttir. Lilja has strong ties to the area and its history, making the catch a special moment on opening day.
The early signs are encouraging, and it will be interesting to see how the salmon runs develop over the coming weeks. Opening day provided a positive start to the season, the season is off to a promising start.
Contact us
Our fly fishing specialist Peter Collingsworth has extensive experience fishing in some of the world’s finest destinations. So, if there’s anything you would like to know about the fishing, or if you have any questions you’d like to ask him, you can contact him on 01603 407596 or email peter@sportquestholidays.com. He would be delighted to speak to you.
