A complete little angler
The Skjern Å Salmon
Natura 2000, North Europe's biggest nature restoration by Skjern Å in West Jutland has already brought fine results. Plants, which were almost extinct have come back for good, and the bird and animal life is thriving. It has especially been good for the birds. 136 different birds' species were counted in 1994 , and 255 counted in 2006.
At a point it seemed that the original Skjern-Å salmon was extinct, but old scale samples from the 1930s and 1950s showed via dna-analysis that the salmon from then and now is genetic identical. In 1984 were only caught 5 salmons in Skjern Å - this year the anglers have set a record with 301 salmons. And the salmon is bigger now.
It has been amazing how nature establishes itself, when a big area is taken in and made into a nature area. There is a richness of species now; the positive effect has arrived much faster than hoped for, and the successfull nature restoration by Skjern Å could very well be a role model for other nature projects in the country.
What have we caught?
Those boys might have high hopes for their future as a complete angler.......
The Sea Trout
It's high season for the sea trout in November and December. It has now lived in the sea for about 3-4 years and comes back to its childhood's fresh waters to continue the family. It has reached a weight of 4-5 kilos, but the growth might be colossal. Sea trouts of 10-20 kilos are caught by anglers every year.
The sea trout is special because it spends its life in salt water in the sea - other trouts, like the brown trout, stay in fresh water through their life. But they are all of the same species, Salmon trutta trutta - whether they live in the sea, in the lake or in the river.
photo Gudenå river 2006: grethe bachmann
