I mentioned to my wife that it would be nice to try fishing in the lake under better conditions. This was back in the summer of 2015, when we went on our first fishing trip to Lake Hólmavatn on Hólmsheiði in the Dalir region. There was a howling northerly gale. We went again in the summer of 2017 and had a good catch, but were the conditions any better? Not at all—though this time, it was a stiff breeze blowing from the southwest.
For the third time, my wife and I headed to Hólmavatn together, and what do you think? It was a northeasterly gale. I’m not surprised that someone got the idea to rig up a wind farm in this extraordinary wind-trap. The idea has clearly progressed beyond just a concept, as an environmental impact assessment report for the project can be found here. There would be 27 wind turbines, each likely around 150 meters in height.
I must admit, I am not a fan. I don’t like the idea of fishing with spinning turbine blades the size of Hallgrímskirkja’s tower swirling over my head. If I dislike the thought of fishing beneath such monstrosities, what about the birds that make this area their home? I can’t imagine they will find any peace in the area if these plans become a reality.
The fishing itself was nothing to shout about. We pulled six brown trout out of the lake. They were all small. We were able to release two of them, so four will end up on our dinner plates. Two of those were of a decent size. My wife and I aren’t going to give up on Hólmavatn just yet. We’ve been told that the best time to fish the lake is in overcast weather. On this day, while it was certainly windy and unpleasant, it was bright, so conditions probably weren’t right for a good catch. We will try to wait for calm, overcast weather. When those conditions arise, we’ll nip up to the heath and wield our fly rods once more.
