The Hunt for Salmon

The Olde River is not just a beautiful sight. It is one of Norway's finest salmon rivers. Every year, sport fishermen make the pilgrimage here from all over the world, armed with fly rods, waders and dreams of the great Atlantic salmon. The river is protected and strictly regulated – only a limited number of anglers are permitted to fish at any one time. This keeps the population healthy and the anticipation among fishermen high. Salmon fishing on the Olde River is not for the impatient. It demands early mornings, cold knees and a willingness to stand completely still for hours while the water rushes around your boots. But those who master it say there is nothing quite like it. The clear, cold glacial water, the sound of the river, the mountains all around – and then, suddenly, the sharp tug of a salmon striking. The river is Olden's lifeline. It has been so since the first people settled here. And it will remain so long after we have all moved on.