Norway shames Ireland as angling destination

I HAVE just returned from a most enjoyable week fly-fishing for Atlantic salmon in Norway.

I fished on pristine rivers accessed through open and clean farmyards, where fish counters are installed on every river to monitor stock levels, where netting for salmon is all but illegal, where hydro-electric schemes allow fish to pass and provide a minimum level of water flow, even in dry conditions, to allow for the safe passage of migrating fish.

Even the forestry to the river’s edge is free of phosphates and planted at a low enough density to allow low level plants enough light and space to grow, thus supporting wildlife.