Hunting for Atlantic Salmon? Here’s All You Need to Know
Are there other species options to Atlantic salmon? Sure, but when you see a slashing surface take, feel their power on a beautiful clear river, admire their silvery blue flanks when they come to hand, and marvel at where that creature has travelled to and back from, you realize how truly amazing Atlantic salmon are. They may be in decline, but they can still be caught in reasonable numbers and size. So, where to go and when? The options are the UK and Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Canada and Russia.
There is good fishing in both locations, but understandably local people have most of the good dates locked up and have for decades. If good space comes up, it is generally sold before it even makes it to the marketplace. Even for the best fishing, runs can be poor, rain can be lacking and heat waves possible. In truth, that can apply to any country these days. Statistically, the rod effort per fish in Scotland is something like 30 days per fish. That is all the rod effort divided by the number of fish caught. I cannot suggest travelling to Scotland to specifically catch salmon. However, there are plenty of reasons to go to Scotland or the UK, and to fish while there is perfectly possible. May is now a good time for a well-known river like the Tweed and is a lovely time to be in the UK. Decent water on the Tweed is relatively accessible. If you are planning to come to the UK and want to include some salmon fishing, plan early for the best chances as river access.
You may or may not have read about the 33 river closures in Norway this past season. While that is only a small percentage of rivers, the closures were nevertheless significant with some well-known rivers like Gaula and Orkla included in those that were not re-opened. Norway is an absolutely stunning country, and its rivers are no exception. Sadly, it is no longer bursting with fish. It is almost all double-handed rod fishing. The catch expectations should be between zero and three fish for a week of fishing (with the zero being more likely than the three). Having said that, there is nowhere in the world where the chances of a monster being among those three salmon is greater. 20, 30, 40 and even 50lbs fish still exist. We do have various options in Norway, but they will depend on the time of year of travel. The season starts on the 1st of June. The first four to six weeks of the season are likely the best. We do have a wonderful guide who works in the Finmark region who can take guests on some spectacular rivers, but you would need to be prepared to fly to the north of Norway. Like Scotland, with some exceptions, Norway is more of a ‘go and enjoy the country and do some fishing’ place than go fishing in Norway. That said, if you really are focused on fishing in Norway, we can help for sure.
Iceland has no shortage of things to do and see. However, it is certainly also a hardcore fishing destination for not only Atlantic salmon but trout and char as well. It is going to be your best bet for reliable salmon fishing. To get on the good water, you need to plan early in late September and October. The fishing in Iceland is sold in three-day blocks. Three days is a half day, full day, full day, half day so over four days. There is plenty of fishing, but you can combine two separate three-day blocks on the same or a different river.
Where Norway captures the imagination with a huge fish, Iceland’s strength is the clarity of water and the intimacy of the fishing. The rises to these tiny silver-hooked flies are superb. Iceland has it all: single-handed rod rivers, double-handed rod rivers, rivers with a lot of fish, rivers with bigger fish (albeit not to Norway size). And then there are rivers that can be fished in your bedroom slippers and others where you pull yourself up the canyons on a rope. No matter the choice, it is a wonderful place to fish, and it had a great 2024 season. Every river has its prime two- or three-week window and that is where our Frontiers expertise comes in. We have fished Iceland for more than thirty years and know these rivers intimately.
Canada is likely well known to many. To some degree, it suffers from the same issues in Scotland where the locals have the fishing sown up. There are some fabulous options in Labrador on some remote rivers where dead drifting a dry fly is the order of the day. Such remote options are not strong for the non-fisher, however.
Russia is basically out, but you could go if inclined. You need to be clear on a couple of key points. Not that you ever used one in the good old days, but you cannot use a credit card in Russia, and you very likely cannot buy travel insurance. The loss of the Ponoi has really brought home to so many how incredibly good it was, and should it ever open again, get your name down quickly because it is/was the best of them all in terms of reliability for numbers of fish.
Summary
In summary, if you heart is fixed on good Atlantic salmon fishing, we are most likely to suggest Iceland and perhaps some locations in Canada. If your heart is set on Norway, we would wish to press you to go with our guide friend in the north at quite a specific time of year, late June and early July. For the UK, we can try and make some salmon fishing work any time between March and November. Given the choice, we think May and June are great months to be there, and we have a decent chance of narrowing the 30-days-per-fish odds!
Tarquin Millington-Drake is the Managing Director of Frontiers Ltd UK and has fished for Atlantic salmon across all the salmon nations for over 30 years.
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