time there, and then catch the boat at Borgarnes going back to
Reykjavik.
But instead of going back to Borgarnes, the tourist can also
stay over night at Reykjaholt, hire some ponies there, and on the
following day visit Barnafoss, either one of the two caves, Vid-
gelmir or Surtshellir, passing the night at Ka/manstunga or Hisa-
fell, and on the third day ride 65 km. to Thingvellir.
Quite recently, the way between Thingvellir and Hisafell has
been improved to such an extent as to make it practicable for
motor cars in the middle of summer, and from Hisafell, one can
proceed motoring all the way to Repkjaholf. If it is intended to
visit the caves and the waterfalls, Hiisafell will be found the best
suited place for hiring ponies.
ANGLING
SALMON RIVERS
Of the many hundreds of rivers found in Iceland, there are not
over forty where salmon are caught, owing to the fact that so many
of the Icelandic rivers are fed by glacier water, almost entirely. In
some rivers, the salmon have been utterly exterminated by netting.
However, these last named are very few. For the last five years, the
annual catch of salmon in Iceland, has been about 17000 fish, on an
average.
The river Ellidai, lying about 6 kilometres away from Reykjavik,
has for many years been considered the very best salmon river in Ice-
land, but since 1921, when the electric power station was erected there,
it can scarcely hold its own against either the Lax4, draining Mpvatn
and falling into Skjélfandafléi in the north part of Iceland, or the
two best rivers in the district of Borgarfiérdur, viz. the Thveri and
the Nordurd, both of which are among the half a dozen tributaries
to the Western Hvitid. It is however safe to say that 1000 salmon a
year is not a bad average for a comparatively small river, like the
Ellidai. During the earlier part of September there is generally an
abundance of sea trout in the estuary of this river.
Two other rivers, both rather small and of little account may be
mentioned here, just for the fact that they are so near the capital;
these are the Korpélfsstadai and Leirvogsd; their distances from
Reykjavik being respectively 10 and 18 kilometres.
Lax4 in Kjés, falling into Hvalfiordur, 54 kilometres distant from
the capital, is in some seasons fairly well stocked with salmon.
