|
Greenland Salmon
A harsh and cold environment in the minds of most people,
Greenland nevertheless has a single salmon river!
Greenland - the very name conjures
up pictures of emerald green icebergs, Arctic tundra and the
massive, ever-present ice-cap which covers most of the interior.
Greenland is indeed all of this, but has much more to offer.
"Variety" is the word
that comes to mind as you travel from south to north. Over a
distance of roughly 2,500 kilometres, the climate and landscape
change dramatically.
In the south, near villages like
Narssaq, Narssarssuaq and Nanortalik, a touch of the still-warm
Gulf Stream produces a relatively mild climate in which sheep
graze lush green pastures. Further north, beyond the Arctic circle
in the Sondre Stromfiord area, the lush green pastures give way
to arid and brown Arctic deserts. Such is the variety that no
two parts of Greenland are alike.
Geologically young
Geologically speaking, Greenland
is a young country. In terms of lakes and rivers, this means
that most drainage systems are either very short or consist of
several deep lakes connected by short, steep-gradient stretches
of running water. Thus the angler must not look for smooth-flowing
rivers with classic pools up here!
Only two salmonid species inhabit
the rivers and lakes of Kalladlit Nunaat, as the Eskimos
call their country - the Atlantic salmon and the Arctic char.
And to cut the story even shorter, the Atlantic salmon inhabits
only one of the many thousands of watersheds found in Greenland
- that of the Kapisigdlit River at the bottom of the long Godthaabsfiord
and very close to the inland ice.
Why this is so remains a mystery.
Amid much speculation, some researchers have tried to transplant
the Kapisigdlit salmon to other nearby rivers, but so far with
no success.
When driftnetting for Atlantic
salmon was begun in the Davis Strait between Greenland and Canada
in the 1960's, it was decided that the mystery of the Kapisigdlit
salmon should be solved once and for all. From the recapture
of tagged salmon in the waters off Greenland, it was found that
some 40-50% came all the way from Europe to feed in the rich
Davis Strait, while 50-60% came from North America. Less than
1% were from local stocks.
Since the Greenland offshore
fishing fleet harvested fish almost exclusively from other nations,
and since Denmark had already ruined all its original salmon
rivers by damming, channelization and pollution, increasing international
pressure forced the Danish government to take action. World famous
crooner and salmon fly fisherman Bing Crosby was one of the prominent
persons to voice his opinion against the Danish salmon pirates.
The "Salmon War", as
it was called by some, finally culminated when the US government
threatened the Danish with a trade embargo, if they did not stop
stealing other nations' salmon off Greenland!
Thus forced to take action, the
Danish authorities in 1971-72 assigned an American fisheries
biologist, Robert F. Jonas, the task of investigating and evaluating
the river systems of Greenland as potential new waters for Atlantic
salmon. The intention was that if local stocks could be improved
significantly, then that would justify at least a moderate Danish
salmon-fishing effort in the Davis Strait.
Unfortunately, Jonas soon rached
the conclusion that this could not be done. Due to the nature
of Greenland river systems - steep gradients, lack of spawning
gravel and the ice-cold, almost sterile water found everywhere
- it is a wonder that even one stock exists! It is simply there
as a highly valuable relict from the last Ice Age.
The Danish government reluctantly
accepted that the Danish offshore drift-netting should be drastically
reduced, starting in 1973. The "Salmon War" thus came
to an end. Another positive result was that heavy restrictions
were put on the Kapisigdlit River fishery. No more netting or
snagging was to be done by local Eskimos. It was finally recognized
that this small and unique stock of Atlantic salmon should be
protected. Today, only sportfishing is allowed, although some
poaching still does take place.
A man with a mission!
In 1984 an multi-governmental
organisation by the name of "NASCO" was established.
Its main aim was to set quotas for the high seas harvest of Atlantic
salmon so that stocks would not be depleted. Thus each country
was assigned a specific quota not to be exceeded. Unfortunately
NASCO turned out to be a paper tiger, and eventually NASCO failed
to agree on a quota for Greenland.
Enter Orri Vigfusson, a businessman
and salmon flyfisherman from Iceland. Orri was used to dealing
with fish quotas, and when Faroese vessels in the 1980's started
taking large numbers of multi seawinter salmon off the coast
of the Faroe Islands, he immediately took action. They were catching
"his" salmon! After establishing his now famous "North
Atlantic Salmon Fund", he negotiated matters with the Faroese
net fishermen and finally reached what he wanted: a complete
buy-out financed by private means. The year was 1991.
After this victory Orri realized
that NASCO had failed in reaching a reasonable quota for Greenland.
He also knew that very few salmon were swimming around in Greenland
waters - in fact so few that the Greenlanders had no chance whatsoever
of catching their old quotas.
With this in mind Orri took action.
He went back and forth between his home in Iceland and the Greenland
Home Rule in Nuuk, Greenland and in 1993 finally reached his
second victory - the Greenland buy-out.
This was not easy as the KNAPK,
the Greenland Hunter and Fishermen's Association, was very reluctant
to give up old rights to the resources of Greenland. Eskimos
are proud people, but Orri skilfully managed to come up with
an agreement that both parties would benefit greatly from.
Thus, where the official bureaucracy
of NASCO failed, the private funds of NASF succeeded!
My first Kapisigdlit River
salmon!
I shall never forget my first
Atlantic salmon from the Kapisigdlit River, since it left me
with painful memories for almost two weeks. I had fished this
strikingly beautiful river two years earlier, but had caught
only Arctic char and, eventually, a few fat and healthy-looking
salmon parr.
The Kapisigdlit River watershed
consists of some ten smaller and larger lakes connected by short
stretches of fast water. From the river mouth to the first lake
is a distance of some 500 metres, most of it so fast that it
is absolutely unfishable.
The outlet of the first lake
provides possibly the closest thing to a "classic"
salmon lie. Towards the far bank, no more than 10 metres out,
just where the water starts gaining speed, both salmon and char
often rest after having negotiated the rapids below.
As I waded the outlet, a fiery
salmon grabbed hold of my size 8 double Bloody Butcher hairwing,
jumped twice and then ran for the rapids. Trying to follow the
fish, I stumbled, grabbed for a slippery rock to regain balance
- and wrung my left thumb backwards so much that, for a moment,
I forgot everything about that salmon!
Fortunately, the fish decided
to stop before the white water, giving me time to gain at least
some kind of control. Shortly afterwards I was able to grab hold
of the fish, a silvery grilse of some 4 lb, absolutely fresh
from the sea. It must have looked strange indeed, since my left
hand was now out of action and I had to squeeze the rod between
my left arm and body to leave my right hand free!
Having reached the shore, I dispatched
the fish and took a look at my thumb, now swollen and looking
bluer every minute! It hurt for two weeks and didn't regain full
strength until months later. So, you bet, I remember my first
Atlantic salmon from Greenland!
Sea-ranching a possibility
In 1979 we witnessed the establishment
of the Greenland Home Rule, which now has taken over most of
the decision-making regarding local matters. And now, after more
than 20 years, salmon is again on the agenda.
The long coastline of Greenland,
though warmed by the tip of the Gulf Stream, is unsuitable for
the farming of salmon in floating net-cages as it is practised
in Norway, Scotland and Canada. Drifting icebergs and sub-zero
water temperatures during winter make this an impossible proposition.
Instead, southern Greenland might
be a good place for strict sea-ranching of the Atlantic
salmon. The area being located so close to the feeding grounds
of the Davis Strait, rich due to the Arctic convergence found
here, artificially-reared salmon smolts could be released to
feed and grow offshore.
The rapidly growing salmon would
then either enter the catches of the local driftnetters offshore
or could be caught when returning as mature fish to the place
of their release. The above mentioned technique has been successfully
practiced in nearby Iceland and in the Baltic Sea. But so far
the Greenland Home Rule has not had the necessary amount of money
to spend on this possibility - or the will to do so.
From the foregoing it will be
realised that a trip to Greenland in pursuit of Salmo salar
will stand a good chance of failure. The single stock in existence
is small (the total stock is counted in hundreds, not thousands!)
and its runs irregular. Add to this the high risk of low water
in the river, which often delays the run significantly. A much
better object would be to fish for the ever-present Arctic char,
Salvelinus alpinus, which, with very few exceptions, is
found in every river and lake from south to north.
Most rivers support good stocks
of migratory Arctic char which run in July-August and weight
individually up to 10 lb, though averaging perhaps 3 lb. But
though char may seem plentiful, their growth under Arctic conditions
is slow. This is due to the fact that the fish spend each winter
in the almost sterile lakes, where they suffer a substantial
weight loss before they return to the sea in May-June, depending
on ice conditions.
Their feeding period at sea is
short, as most fish have to enter the rivers again to spawn in
late August-early September. Thus, before adding to its weight,
the sea run Arctic char has to regain the weight lost during
the winter. As a result, a 2 lb fish may well be 10 years old,
and stocks are therefore vulnerable to overfishing.
Eskimo tradition and modern
eco-tourism
The inevitable result is seen
near major centres of population, where excessive netting has
cut away all the larger fish, leaving only the smaller fish up
to 2 lb. This is bad indeed when you consider that Greenland
is now in desperate need of income from the newly started eco-tourism
which of course includes sportfishing for the ever present char.
According to local laws it is
illegal to cover more than half the width of any river or watershed
with nets, so the necessary laws are already there. Unfortunately,
there is nobody to enforce them - nor any will to do so. The
result can be seen everywhere - rivers completely blocked by
monofilament nets...
This may sound rather unappealing
to future fishing tourists but should be viewed in the light
of local Eskimo tradition and culture. For centuries Eskimo tribes
have used local river systems as a welcome and very important
food supply for the winter, catching, salting and smoking the
delicious Arctic char.
A common practice has been to
block the rivers and catch most of its inhabitants. After emptying
a river in this way, the fishermen will then move on to another
river. Often it has been decided that such an outfished river
should be left unfished for a period of three years for stocks
to recover. A policy which is understandable from the point of
view of an Eskimo. But at the same time a policy not compatible
with angling tourism.
So what the Eskimos are doing
today is what they have always been doing. The difference being
though, that today they have both fast motor boats and invisible
monofilament nets. Add to this the simple fact that a Greenland
Eskimo is no longer dependent on the outcome of this fishery.
Today it is done mainly as a continuation of old traditions -
and as pure recreation.
The Greenland Home Rule seems
to be slowly realising that things have changed and that Eskimo
culture will have to change accordingly. That is, if they really
want their share of eco-tourism - the lucrative angling part.
If so, they will have to ban netting for char, at least in those
areas set aside for angling tourists. Otherwise Greenland will
have nothing but one-time tourists. And, as in every kind of
business, repeat customers are what you should opt for! This
is especially so if you need - which is the case - 35.000
tourists yearly to make things go around...
Salmon and char on fly
From a fisherman's point of view,
stocks of sea-run Arctic char may be divided into two categories,
depending on size, way of living and type of food. In the Sondre
Stromfiord area for instance, most fish swim far and feed primarily
on baitfish in the milky, glacial waters off the coastline. This
results in strong fish often weighing 6-8 lb. When you gut one
of these strong and silvery fighters, their white or, at best,
lightish-pink flesh may come as a surprise.
Most Greenland Arctic char seem
to belong to the other group, feeding closer to their rivers
of birth and gorging themselves mainly with various crustaceans
and some baitfish in crystal clear water. These fish seldom reach
more than 6 lb, with most of them substantially smaller. But
as a compensation for their smaller size, their flesh is firm
and unbelievably red! These are the fly-rodder's favourite fish
- and the chef's too!
Greenland's rivers being fast
and short interspersed with deep lakes, you will have no classic
pools, runs and glides to fish. Instead the fish tend to stack
up in deep holes - often below waterfalls that are difficult
to ascend. As the season progresses - especially if we have a
dry summer preceeding a winter with little snowfall - more and
more fish congregate at such places, and under the right conditions
they may be so easy to catch that I loose interest after a few
fish.
Char also tend to congregate
at the upstream ends of lakes, where spawning often takes place
in shallow water. Arctic char do not dig nests as do fish of
the genus Salmo. Instead, they gently sweep their eggs
into holes and crevices on the bottom - a fascinating play to
watch from a point above.
This spawning behaviour is one
reason why char thrive in waters where Atlantic salmon do not.
Salmon simply do not have access to suitable spawning grounds
in Greenland rivers. Another reason is the water temperature
which in most rivers - except that particular one at Kapisigdlit
- is way too cold for salmon to survive in.
In Kapisigdlit the long pearly
chain of shallow lakes exposed to the sun helps warm the water
to surprisingly high temperatures. Strangely enough, the proximity
to the inland ice also helps. The massive ice cap helps maintain
a dry and sunny climate during the summer months. All in all
these conditions work together in creating a unique environment
at Kapisigdlit where Atlantic salmon are able to live and reproduce
naturally. And though stray salmon are caught in other rivers
from time to time, only here are they permanently present!
Tackle to bring
If you want to try your luck
with the Atlantic salmon of the Kapisigdlit, bring along a 9
foot rod for a floating 7-8 weight line. Add to this an assortment
of single and double hooked flies size 6-10 of your own preference.
All black flies catch their share of the salmon, but I have done
well with gaudier patterns like the Bloody Butcher, the Silver
Doctor and the Green Highlander - all tied as hairwings. Expect
most of the fish to be grilse in the 4-6 lb range. Only rarely
do the Kapisigdlit salmon exceed 8-10 lb.
When fishing for salmon, focus
your attention on the shallow water around inlets and outlets
in the lakes. When fishing specifically for char, probe the deeper
holes with sinking lines and gaudy patterns like the Mickey Finn
and various orange-red shrimp patterns.
If you are very lucky, you may
also experience some dry fly fishing for migratory char way up
in the rivers. I have only witnessed this once in the several
years that I have fished Greenland, but the fishing was fantastic!
A whole school of 2-6 lb char rose steadily to tiny mosquitos
in a small pool with very calm water. The action lasted for a
couple of hours that I shall never forget. So bring a few dry
flies too - just in case!
Atlantic salmon in all respect.
They are great fish, strong fighters that are willing to rise
to a small fly fished on a floating line. Char are more reluctant
to rise to the surface and seldom jump but then as fighters,
pound for pound, they are much stronger. I have often hooked
fish that took me deep into the backing immediately - only to
find that it was but a char of 2-3 lb...
Add to this the splendour of
fishing amongst drifting emerald icebergs, and you know why Greenland
holds a strong attraction with those that have been there. An
attraction that has kept me coming back for more than twenty
years since I first visited Greenland in 1974.
Travel information
Whether you are a business man
passing by or simply a tourist, your port of entrance to the
Scandinavian countries will be Kastrup airport just outside of
Copenhagen. This is where most international flights leave and
land.
From there it is easy to proceed
to Greeland, flying SAS to Sondre Stromfiord (previously a military
base run by the US). From here on you have to proceed in fixed
wing airplane or helicopter to the city of your choice on the
westcoast.
If you would like additional
information on when to go where and how to book the best fishing,
feel free to contact me on the number and address below:
Phone int. + 45 23 32 89 88 or
e-mail: steen@ulnits.dk
Serious inquiries only.
Steen Ulnits
|
