Rauma River and the Salmon Adventure

The Rauma Line is named after the clear, green river that winds its way down the valley. The Rauma River is one of the region's largest rivers, with a length of 64 km. It is known for its salmon population and has attracted fishermen from near and far for generations. It is said that English sports fishermen were in Rauma as early as 1832. The local farmers thought it was pure magic when the sports fishermen could catch salmon with such thin fishing rods and hooks. Traditional fishing equipment, such as nets, required much work and yielded little catch. When the farmers adopted the Englishmen's fishing method, they could suddenly catch over 100 salmon per day. After the new fishing method revolutionized fishing, there was plenty of fish in all households in Romsdalen. It ended with the maids refusing to eat salmon more than twice a week, which they had written into their employment contracts. Salmon fishing marked the beginning of tourism in Romsdalen and was one of the main elements of tourism in this area for a long time. In 1980, a salmon parasite was detected, and after a 40-year battle against the parasite, the Rauma River was finally declared parasite-free in 2019. The dream of a new golden age for the Rauma River is alive again!