Sea angling in Reykjavik: Enjoy the view while fishing for your dinner

Everything you need to know about Sea Angling in Reykjavík

Between May and September, our affiliated company Special Tours offers some really fun Sea Angling tours you shouldn´t miss out!! They set out on Rósin, the company´s fastest passenger boat which provides the comfort of indoor seating as well as a spacious environment on the outside deck whilst taking you, in just a few minutes, to the best areas in the bay. With years of experience, the crew knows every secret spot in the Faxaflói bay where to fish for your dinner!!

Just imagine setting your rod while looking at the mesmerizing colours of the beautiful mountain of Esja, or fishing at the mouth of the first fjord to the north of Reykjavik, Hvalfjordur. In exceptionally good days, the crew will sail out into open waters where, if you´re lucky you might even experience the glory of seeing minke whales, humpback whales and white-beaked dolphins swimming in the whereabouts.

In this tour there is place for both experienced fishermen and beginners as well as for those who simply wish to accompany their travelling partners to enjoy the time at sea, where the cozy space allows for a cultural interchange between our passengers and crew which will gladly share their knowledge of the Icelandic seas. And obviously do not worry if you have never fished before, the crew knows all the best on how to help you out…and some of them really enjoy untangling your line!

Everything is provided for you, from the rod to the raincoat, to protect your clothing from getting fishy! All you have to do is to arrive in time at the old harbour to be ready to sail out.

Don´t worry if in the first or second fishing spot you will catch nothing, it is just to build up suspense! It is in fact extremely rare that they come back empty-handed handed, no more than once or twice in the season. Most often than not, so much fish is caught in the first half-hour of the tour that it then becomes recreational fishing. In fact, they advocate for sustainable fishing meaning they will only keep fish from a specific set minimum size (to allow younger ones to be able to reproduce at least once in life). And, once enough fish has been caught to satisfy the passenger’s needs, live fish is returned to the sea.

Whilst you´re enjoying the activity, the crew will fillet the fish and prepare a wonderful banquet for you by grilling it on board and serving it with potatoes and a variety of sauces. This would probably be the freshest fish you have ever eaten, an exclusive experience of its own.

If you´re interested in doing this tour or for further information don´t hesitate to ask our staff at the museum reception where some discount offers might be waiting for you, or book directly on the Special Tour website.

FISH YOU MIGHT CATCH

Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua)

The Atlantic cod is a bottom-dwelling fish. It is so common in the North Atlantic that it comprises the most important fishery of the country. It is also the most commonly caught fish in the Sea Angling tours.

You can recognize them by their greenish-brown to gray colorations on their sides, with a lighter color on their undersides. They also have a lighter-colored line that runs along each side, called the lateral line which is used for sensory perception. They feed mainly on small fish, as well as invertebrates, including urchins, lobsters, and shrimp.

Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)

Many of these are caught on the Sea Angling tours. They have a silvery-white color on most of their body, but the top of their body can range from a greyish brown to nearly black. Haddock can be distinguished by other fish like pollock from their very distinctive black marking above their pectoral fins, sometimes called the “Devil’s thumbprint” or “St. Peter’s mark”. Their lateral line along the length of their body is also quite dark in color. They feed mainly on shellfish, but also on urchins, sand eels, capelins, and worms.

Atlantic Mackerel (Scomber Scombrus)

Photo from: Brim

 Atlantic Mackerel is a very pretty fish, with a slender torpedo shaped body, and their backs displaying silvery blue-green patterns which shine beautifully with the sun reflection. These colorful tones alternate with black lines that run across the top half of their bodies. They live up to 20 years! Their meat is very tasty, high in oil content and omega 3 fatty acids among other nutrients.

Pollock

Photo from: BritishSeaFishing

Pollock can sometimes be confused with the haddock, but you can recognize the difference as it does not have the distinctive black marking typical of haddock. Above its lateral line it is of a green-gray colouration while the belly is golden. It mainly feeds on smaller fish like sand eels, squids and planktonic crustaceans.

Atlantic Wolffish (Anarhichas lupus)

The Atlantic wolffish, also known as the Atlantic catfish, is a marine fish related to blennies. Most commonly they are purple-brown, or bluish gray in color. They have large and pretty scary mouths characterized by 4-6 sharp, fanglike teeth on both their upper and lower jaws, which is why their Icelandic name is steinbítur – stone biter. They are not as commonly caught on the Sea Angling tours, but when they do it’s always good to let the crew take care of them as their bite is so strong that it could easily break some of your bones. Such a peculiar mouth structure is because they mainly feed on hard-shelled creatures by crushing them, like crabs and other crustaceans, sea urchins and mollusks.

 Written by Guillia