The Red Frances Rescue
“WELCOME TO THE NORDURA,” says a smiling Einar Sigfússon, manager of this fabled Icelandic salmon river. I sat down with my burly Scottish fishing companion, Euan, as we ate a hearty halibut broth and listened to Einar tell us about the Nordura. The first thing to know: it is pronounced, Nor-der-rau.
Euan and I would be sharing a rod, defraying the toe-curling cost of Icelandic salmon fishing, which is generally reserved for tycoon types. Although it was June, this was only the second week of the season. Iceland kisses the Arctic Circle, and fish were only just starting to trickle into the river. Water conditions were good, though, and with each day the run of salmon was growing. The last three days had seen twenty-five fish landed. Einar was hopeful that we could find even more.
The Nordura is known as the Queen of Icelandic rivers. Two hours from Reykjavik, past lava fields and hot springs, it offers more than
