The river where trout dance….
The Öxará river in the Þingvellir National Park
Fishing is a very popular pastime here in Iceland. With incredible fjords, fertile oceans, and a network of lakes and rivers webbing across the country, it is little wonder why fishing in Iceland is so popular.
Surrounded by beautiful and supremely peaceful landscapes, the fishing spots here are some of the most serene in the world. They provide the sought-after harmony most anglers need to handle the bustle of day-to-day life.
Commercially, the fishing industry has been vital to the survival of the nation’s people in its thousand years of history. Even today, it is the country’s largest export and one of the biggest sectors of its economy. Iceland has fought wars over its fish, refused to join the European Union over access to them, and also used them to form a unique cuisine that attracts foodies from around the world.
Popular fishing spot in Þingvellir
Not surprising then that recreational fishing is so very popular here too. And one of the most popular places to fish is in Þingvallavatn (Þingvellir Lake) in the Þingvellir National Park. As well as other fish, Þingvallavatn is famous for its Brown Trout which are very large for their kind. Due to the glacial activity of the last ice age the lake here has been isolated from any other body of water for ten-thousand years, and as a result the trout population has evolved totally separately from its cousins globally, and as a result they are much bigger. Fishing in Þingvallavatn, many people hook the largest trout they have ever caught, even exceeding 15kg (33lb). Such a catch makes for a great photo opportunity, any fish caught must be released back into the water; in this location, their lives are protected by law.
The trout even have a day (locally) dedicated to them. Every autumn the locals come in their hundreds for the annual ‘Trout Walk’ at the Öxará river which leads into Þingvallavatn. Led and officiated by biologist Jóhannes Sturlaugsson, it is the chance to learn about the lake, the varieties of trout who live there, and to view some of the monster fish themselves.
Jóhannes Sturlaugsson
On the 16th October, we were lucky enough to experience the trout walk for ourselves. The Icelandic name for it is Urriðadansinn which translates as ‘trout dance’ – a wonderful name, so much more poetic than trout walk.
One of Matthew’s work colleagues had told him about it, so we decided to go along to see what it was all about. When we made our way to the banks of the river we were amazed at how many people were already there. This is an event that is well-known and popular and we found ourselves in a crowd of hundreds of people who had come out for the day to see the fish. At this time of year the Öxará river is packed with brown trout that can be anything up to 35lbs in size!
The crowds gathering at the start of the talk
Lasting about an hour and a half, the walk and talk followed the course of the river as Jóhannes Sturlaugsson explained the history of the habitat and the reasons why it is such a good place for the trout to breed and to grow. He has spent years researching the life cycle and behaviour of Þingvallavatn’s famous ‘ice age’ trout. The crystal clear Öxará river is the trout’s main spawning grounds and is absolutely full of the fish. Wading right into the river, Jóhannes conducted most of his talk from within the water as he caught several of the beasts, holding them up for us to take photos, before letting them back into the water.
Holding the fish up for a photo opportunity
Apparently the star of the show this year was a 17 year old buck that was first tagged in 2010 when it was 70cm (27”) in length. In the years since it was first tagged, the tag it carries has provided information on the migration patterns, feeding grounds, depth and water temperature of its habitat, which is invaluable to the researchers and to the protection of the species as a whole.
Jóhannes with another of the huge trout
I hasten to add that I did not get all this information from the talk itself, as the entire thing was in Icelandic, but from local online articles about the trout walk after the event. Even though we only understood the odd words – usually words such as ‘fish’, ‘glacier’, ‘water’ and so on, it was still fascinating and a great day out. We got to see some of the fish close up too, as Jóhannes brought some of them up onto the bank where there were plexiglass tanks placed ready for them, so that we could have a closer look at these lovely creatures. Each tank was surrounded by children, craning to see the fish and it was great to see the interest that this educational talk and walk generated.
Jóhannes with some of the fish in the plexiglass tanks
I have to say, when I knew we were going to drive all the way to Þingvellir to walk along the river for an hour listening to a talk about fish in Icelandic I wasn’t absolutely filled with excitement, but actually it was a great day out and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The surroundings are beautiful, the fish were very impressive (and it was great to see them up close) and there was just something so very wholesome in seeing so many people come out for the talk; families with grandparents and children, several generations all interested in and learning about the ecology of the area and the work to preserve and protect the local wildlife. An unexpected treat and yet another way to enjoy the beauty of Þingvellir National Park.
