Jökla salmon catch rises by more than a third

Salmon fishing in the Jökla river has increased sharply this summer, with the catch already more than one-third higher than the total for last year, mbl.is reports.

According to the latest figures from Angling.is, 1,260 salmon had been caught by the middle of last week, including 284 in the preceding seven days. Fishing in the Jökla and its tributaries will continue until the end of September, so the total is expected to rise.

“This is excellent fishing. It looks good, there are a lot of fish, and salmon are still entering the river,” Þröstur Elliðason told Morgunblaðið. He heads the fishing service Strengir, which leases the Jökla and its tributaries.

Elliðason said the river had been rebuilt as a salmon fishery since the Jökla was developed and had now become home to one of Iceland’s largest salmon stocks.

Large salmon have been entering the river in significant numbers, he said. About half of the catch consists of large salmon, with between 200 and 300 measuring at least 80 centimetres already landed.

Fishing has also been strong in other rivers. Þverá and Kjarrá have passed 2,000 salmon, substantially exceeding last year’s catch. Laxá in Kjós and several other rivers are also approaching their total catches from last summer, although August is only halfway through.