Originlally written July 6, 2002.
It is becoming clear that Arnarvatnsheiði is not my place. I have gone there three times to fish. Once, I went with an old friend of mine from the Breiðholt neighborhood. That trip yielded only a few fish, and small ones at that. We approached the highland plateau from the south, and to be honest, powerful vehicles were absolutely essential to reach our destination from that direction. I was practically exhausted by the time we finally arrived at the cabin by Arnarvatn litla. There, a former neighbor of my parents from the Seljahverfi neighborhood sat all alone. He turned out to be a great admirer of Arnarvatnsheiði for fishing, and his stories made it sound as though he knew the plateau like the back of his hand. No one else was fishing on the heath.
One of those who accompanied us on this fishing trip brought a piece of fishing gear called an “Otter” (Otur). Here is a description of how one fishes with such a device.
An “Otter” consists of a wooden board that is weighted at the bottom so that it floats upright in the water. It is designed with a specific towing point that causes it to pull away from the fisherman and head out into the lake as he walks along the shore. Attached to the main line are several flies or lures that trail behind the board. By walking at a steady pace, the fisherman can cover a large area of the lake’s surface, reaching far beyond where a normal cast would land. When a fish strikes one of the flies, the fisherman reels in the entire rig to claim the catch.
