Fishing in Iceland

Iceland, the land of fire and ice, is home to some of the best Atlantic salmon and game fishing in the world. In 2008 it had its best salmon fishing season for many years.

With crystal-clear, well-managed rivers and breathtaking scenery, it is no surprise that for generations, anglers have come to (and subsequently fallen in love with) Iceland. Fishing for salmon, sea trout, trout and Arctic char under the midnight sun is an experience no angler will ever forget.

The island landscape varies from barren lava fields and glacial plateaus to verdant farmland and provides a wealth of non-fishing activites for the family to enjoy whilst you fish.

Iceland is only a three hour flight from the UK and five hours from the East Coast of America with several airlines providing plenty of options.

About Icelandic rivers  

HISTORY

People have been fishing for salmon in Iceland since the Dark Ages. In those days most of the fishing was done by dragnets, but no one can say for sure whether rod and line was used also.

In the late 1800s the landed gentry of the UK started to arrive and fish for salmon, primarily in the south and west areas of the island. A few even purchased the riparian rights to the fishing.

This traffic petered out after the Great War and did not reach the same numbers until the 1960s when Iceland again became a mecca for anglers, this time from America and now more recently from Europe.

CLEAR WATERS

One of the beauties of fishing in Iceland is the clarity of the water. Many rivers run gin-clear and on many of the smaller streams it is possible to perch on the bank and watch salmon in their environment.

This not only allows the angler to get a better understanding of where salmon lie and why, but also gives anglers fishing in a group an opportunity to try "sight" fishing for salmon where a partner on the bank can direct the angler as to where and when to cast his fly. A popular method of doing this is to skate riffle hitched flies and micro-tubes across the surface and watch the salmon follow and take this fly in an explosion of water.

RIVER TYPES

Whilst most of the rivers in Iceland hold naturally occuring salmon a few such as the East and West Ranga are supplemented by a smolt rearing and release programme. These programmes have turned some of the minor salmon rivers into rivers to be reckoned with. The East and West Ranga for instance accounted for over 21,000 salmon in the 2008 season.

BOOKINGS

Fishing in Iceland is either sold as 'whole day' permits or the permits are sold using the term 'afternoon to noon' (sometimes called 'noon to noon', but meaning the same).

With 'whole day' permits, fishing simply starts in the morning of the first day purchased and terminates in the evening of the last day purchased. However, with 'afternoon to noon' permits the fishing starts in the afternoon of the first day purchased and terminates at 12:00 noon on the day after the last day purchased.

Information about the fishing

Fishpal is able to provide salmon beats and trout fishing enabling an increasing number of people to enjoy this wonderful sport.

You can read about each river, see its current fishing availability and book fishing permits online or by telephone.

Check in this website: http://www.fishpal.com

Johanna, Iceland24h.blogspot.com
April 2015

What to Wear in Iceland in Spring

Spring in Iceland is like spring in much of Europe and North America. Teasing warm days are interspersed with frigid wintry ones as the temperatures slowly rise. March sees the most precipitation, which then tapers off until fall.

Lows range from 1-7°C with highs from 3-10°C (a wild swing from about 30°F to 50°F). Because of these large fluctuations in weather, it can be difficult to cover all your bases when packing for a trip to Iceland in spring.

If you’re coming earlier in the season, expect temps on the colder, wetter end, while if you visit closer to summer you’ll find warmer, drier days. The best way to be prepared for anything is…well, to be prepared for anything. Bring layers so you can dress according to the weather on a given day.

For outdoor activities, you’ll need thermal long-underwear (a shirt and pants), a layer of fleece on top, and then waterproof pants and jacket. Earlier in the season, you’ll need a scarf, hat and gloves (which are also worth bringing closer to summer if you come from a warmer climate), and several wool sweaters.

Sturdy, waterproof boots will prove invaluable, as will a bathing suit (which may surprise you) as public pools in Iceland are heated and open all year round.

In Reykjavik, you’ll find locals sporting anything from  jeans with boots to short, summery dresses with open-toed heels. On weekend nights, men can generally be found in slacks and a sport coat or dark jeans and a nice shirt. Most Reykjavik clubs have free coat check services, so don’t worry about wearing your heavy coat to the bar. And do not forget an umbrella.

March is one of the rainiest months of the year in Iceland, and if you visit in spring you’re sure to experiences at least a few showers.

Source: whygoiceland
Iceland24h.blogspot.com, April 2015

Iceland for Kids: A user's guide (Travel in Iceland)

Eleven-year-old Ástráður Leo (pronounced OWst-row-ther) plays football, swims a lot, and wants to be a baker (“not a cook, a baker”) when he grows up. He’s freckled, precocious, and charming and as one of Iceland’s exuberant youngest generation, he knows better than many what makes his homeland unique.

How would you describe Iceland to someone who has never visited before?

We’re so small, sometimes Iceland isn’t even marked on maps. But we’re bigger than Denmark, although of course not many people live here. Mostly, though, I’d tell people how good it is to live here.

Why is that?

Because of the water.

The water?

It’s the best in the world. You just turn on the tap and drink it and it’s great. The Family Park & Zoo is good too.

Where would you like to go in Iceland that you’ve never visited?

Egilsstaðir, because it’s far away and it’s fun to drive. It’s nice to have the family together in the car.

What do you think foreigners think of Iceland?

They think that it’s strange. They probably believe that even if they’ve been here before, because when they come in summer we’re in shorts and T-shirts biking everywhere and they think it’s still really cold. They might think that’s a little weird.

What would you recommend to people coming to Iceland?

They should go to the Family Park & Zoo, and to a pool, just any one that has a good slide. And Jökulsárlón, because it’s totally awesome and I know that tourists like taking pictures of it.

Any secret places not many people know about?

There is a museum near Akureyri where you can go and see the polar bears that they shot here a couple of years ago. I’d like to go and see that.

And the food? What’s good to eat?

It’s very funny to see visitors taste the pickled ram’s testicles for the first time. They must think we’re so ridiculous — although I quite like them [the ram’s testicles. He draws no conclusions on the tourists.] The milk here is also different, because our cows are different.

Does Iceland have any other unique features?

The schools are different here. Some girls I know went abroad and they saw schools with huge fences and the kids weren’t allowed to leave at all. I saw their photos of it on Facebook. Also, there are different shops here than you might be used to.

There is no H&M in Iceland and there is no Hagkaup in Norway, for example. Also the rest of the world has cooler animals than we do here. They have crocodiles and stuff. And at Christmas, we open presents in the evening, not in the morning.

Foreigners get up and open presents in their pyjamas, but we’re already in dressy clothes when we open the presents.

Everyone now knows there’s a severe recession in Iceland. Is your life any different since the recession started?

Yes. We used to get Cocoa Puffs all the time and now we have stopped buying them and just have Cheerios and buttermilk for breakfast. Except at Easter; we’ll have Cocoa Puffs then.

Ástráður was interviewed on Thursday 18 February 
Iceland24h.blogspot.com 

8 Blunders to avoid when in Iceland

If you’re heading to iceland during the winter time, you want to make sure you’re prepared for anything, especially when you’re from the tropics and aren’t familiar with what to look out for when travelling through colder temperate lands.

Blunder #1: failing to bring a set of water–resistant clothes if you’re touring iceland in the winter, you’re bound to encounter fickle weather. Expect frequent showers and snow if you’re heading to glacial or coastal areas. Should this be the case, pack a water resistant jacket, pants, shoes, gloves and hat. If you can squeeze in a poncho, that would be good as well. Any of the known brands like north face, marmot, columbia or 66 north from iceland can help keep you dry.

Blunder #2: no protection for your photography gear like you, your electronic gear i.e smartphones, cameras and tablets need to be covered when taking pictures out in wet conditions. For professional video/still DSLR’s invest in a splash bag. For all other equipment, a shower cap, plastic bag or ‘ziploc’ will do. Always carry extra bags so if one gets wet you can change bags. It will not be easy but keep your gear as dry as you can. Put them in your pocket when not in use or under your jacket. With video/still cameras, keep them warm because you don’t want moisture to hit the inner part of your expensive lenses. When coming in from the cold, place cameras near window sills to allow your gear to warm up slowly to prevent condensation issues.

Blunder #3: not bringing enough memory cards/batteries assuming you’re going to be snapping away like crazy, be sure to bring enough memory cards and an extra battery. A normal mistake was not getting an extra battery so i did go a couple of days when my battery died out on me. This applies to your mobile devices as well. Invest in a good portable charger to power up your devices on long journeys.

Blunder #4: not doing your research heading to Iceland may be the most memorable trip of your life and there will be parts of the journey where you want to keep your itinerary relatively unplanned and spontaneous. By all means do so but then again, you’re not collecting ideas for the next edition of ‘Hitchhiking for Dummies’. Focus on having a rough travel agenda. After all, you do want to enjoy yourself and not have to wear a dazed, surprised look all over your face your entire trip, do you? start with the forums/reviews on tripadvisor and then work your way through other travel forums, blogs (like this one) local tour company sites, your local travel fairs for great deals on flights or online ticketing sites like expedia.com or zuji.com etc. For those on the move, you can also download some really cool apps on iceland right to your phone and tablet.

Blunder #5: visa and health quarantine check the first thing before you decide to visit a country is to check it’s visa entry requirements. Iceland’s visa requirements can be found here. As for vaccination requirements international travellers do not need one. We assume that since it’s quite close to the poles that no germ worth its salt would think it had a fighting chance of survival here in the bitter cold mixed in with loads of sulphur. In fact, with all the geothermic activity on this island, any virus you bring in could be wiped out just by breathing in large quantities of fresh, clean and crisp icelandic air.

Blunder# 6: ignoring road safety rules winter time is really bleak especially in the interior, north and eastern parts of iceland and if you’re not used to driving on snow-laden roads, they can be quite unforgiving to the over-confident driver. The nation’s ring road is a fantastic drive during clear, dry, summer days but even then, a certain level of precaution is advised as many parts of the road are gravelly and can do you and your rented car in. As a result of this unfamiliarity, many unnecessary accidents have occurred on iceland roads, usually involving tourists. Always ask locals for directions if you’re lost and stay as much as you can on the main roads. Veering off can seem exciting and adventurous but if you’re not sure of the way back, don’t do it.

Blunder #7: not packing a sense of humour and fun icelandic people speak english quite well but it’s not their first language so you have to forgive them if they come up with corny jokes every once in awhile during your stay. That’s not to say they lack razor sharp wit because they do and most will spill a joke on you so unexpectedly that if you’re slow on the uptake, it’ll just whizz by you like a maclaren F1 on booster mode. Expect one-liners from guides who will comment on the ‘heavy traffic’ in reykjavik or the insanely ‘beautiful sunny weather’ in the country during your tours. Funny stuff, really if you just let yourself go and indulge in having a little chuckle on your trip.

Blunder #8: missing out on anything geothermal the island isn’t called the island of fire and ice for nothing. Sitting in your hotel room all day and not seeing at least one volcano, hot spring, geysir or lagoon is a blasphemy. Even if you do miss out, at least drive out 20 minutes to reykjavik’s nearest geothermal power facility, hellisheiði power plant and enjoy the educational geothermal energy exhibition.

Berglind Rós
April 2015
Iceland 24