We’ve just returned from the River Lærdal to put the finishing touches to this, our September issue of In the Loop Magazine. The late King Harald V of Norway was deeply fond of the Lærdal, which he famously referred to as his “second queen,” and he had fished its waters for Atlantic salmon regularly since the age of 15.
King Harald passed away at the age of 89, having caught his last salmon – on the River Lærdal – earlier this year, on June 1. Norway lost a revered and highly respected monarch, and one who was a staunch supporter of the wild Atlantic salmon. Yet during his reign, wild salmon stocks declined dramatically.
When we visited the Lærdal, we sight-fished for sea trout with nymphs and dry flies. That fishery alone is worth the long journey, but if we had been allowed, we would have been fishing for salmon. The sad truth is that there are now hardly any salmon left in what was once King Harald’s favourite river, and salmon fishing has been banned.
