Viking Lars | Saturday, 5 May 2018
The Danish salmon season has been underway for about three weeks, and the season has started very slow. To begin with, more kelts were caught on the opening than usual in most rivers. By this time last year, the "big quota" (a certain amount of salmon over 75cm allowed to be killed) was used up in River Skjern.
A closed "big quota" means more space along the river, as it seems most fishermen are only interested in catching fish they can kill, but enough of that.
The reason for the slow start, I hope, was a very cold and late winter with plenty of frost day and night far into the month of March.
River Skjern and River Storaa both run out into a large "fjord" or inlet, and they were both frozen over until short before the opening. It seems that salmon are reluctant to enter a frozen-over inlet. I don't know (and I don't think anyone knows) if it's the cover of ice or "just" the very cold water. River Varde runs out into a large bay, and there were less kelts and more fresh salmon here, so it seems obvious that the inlets have some significance.
Since the opening the weather has been OK, but the rivers need a good 2-3-4 days of rain and some warmer weather to really start moving the salmon. It looks like that at least we'll get some warmer weather now. Enough of those easterly winds and single-digit temperatures, thanks.
We had a little rain this week, and next week looks warmer, so maybe we'll get a good, solid run. And at least on River Skjern, I know that sometime into May, salmon will start running no matter weather and water level.
Lacking some more interesting to show you, you'll have to settle for muddy boots, smelly waders and a rod in today's PoD.
Have a great weekend!
Lars