Veiðimaðurinn - 01.12.1943, Blaðsíða 30

yards for two miles through a rocky
gorge, most of which is fishable, with
several good streams and pools. This
gorge is the usual nesting-place of that
beautiful bird, the Iceland falcon. I
was once privileged to get to within
10 yards of one on a kill, but, unfor-
tunately, I had no camera with me.
After leaving the gorge, the valley
widens out, but the river remains about
the same width for another two miles,
when a smaller river joins it at a very
good junction pool.
A short distance up this river there
is a big pool under a fosse, where are
generally a lot of fish waiting to go up
when the water is high enough. More
fish appear to run up here than up the
main river, and the spawning beds
above the fosse are undoubtedly better.
Morer recently the fosse was made easi-
er for fish to get up, wich gave still
more fishing, as there are some lovely
pools above it. Below the junction the
river soon widens out to an average of
80—100 yards, and all the way to the
delta, about 15 miles, there are abun-
dant pools and streams all worth fis-
hing, with seldom more than half a
mile walk between them. The wading
is easy, and only thigh waders are
necessary; every description of water
is met with, exept the slow running
„dub“ variety. I have never seen it too
high to fish, and, though the last sea-
son we were there the river was lower
than the inhabitants had ever known it,
there was still plenty of fishable water.
The first season a certain amount of
time had to be spent finding out the
best streams and pools, as, except for
a couple of pools in which they had been
in the habit of netting, the locals knew
nothing of the river from a rod point
of view. Under the agreement, all nets,
both in the river and at the mouth,
were removed, but the full benefit of
this was, unfortunately, not felt, owing
to the outbreak of the war. In addition
to salmon, there was always a good run
of migratory char, up to 71b. in weight
and grand fighters, and any amount of
brown trout up to 61b.
The first season we where (end of
June to end of July) the total for an
average of three rods was 89 salmon,
average ll%lb.; 35 grilse, average 51b.;
and 103 char, average 31b. In 1938, for
the same period, the total was 201 sal-
mon, average 141b., best 311b.; about 30
grilse, average 41b.; but only a few
char. The last year, 1939, the year of
very low water, 109 salmon, average
151b., best 301b.; 8 grilse, average 51b.;
and 90 char, average 2%lb. I have no
exact record of the numbers taken by
the rods in August and September, but
their totals were about the same.
Though a 31-pounder was the biggest
fish actually caught, there is certainly
the possibility of a 40-pounder.
Big fish have been seen, and during:
the last season R., when fishing a good.
pool, hooked a fish which at first sailed
majestically about the pool, which was
a big one, in the way big fish often
have. He was fishing with a very small
fly and fine tackle, and for some time-
could make very little impression on
the fish. However, after a strong run
or two out of the pool, he began to tire
and started to come in; unfortunately,
there was a deep and narrow backwat-
er up which he made his next run. R.
knew that a short distance up this
there was a deep hole full of brush-
wood, so he sent the local lad he had
with him to try and head him off. As
28