This week’s episode of The DrakeCast takes us to The Faroe Islands, which is a small archipelago in the North Atlantic, about halfway between Norway and Iceland. I was there to experience the culture and see if I could find a couple fish. But during my stay, what I found was an insulated country and fishery that is at an inflection point. As more tourists make their way to the Faroes, the sleepy chain of islands is waking to a growing problem. The culture, the landscape, and the fishing are being loved to death. And it begs the question, is this growth sustainable?
This episode of The DrakeCast is brought to us by our friends at Scott Fly Rods and Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures.
When I arrived in the Faroe Islands, the country was celebrating St. Olav’s Day, their equivalent of the Fourth of July. Families from all the outlying islands made their way to the capital city of Torshavn in traditional dress to celebrate the thousand-plus year history of the Faroe Islands. I appreciated the festivity but soon found myself on the coast with Kasper Jaegergaard, searching for salmon and sea trout. From there, we explored the rest of the islands. We ate pilot whale, fermented lamb, and dried fish that Kaspar’s family had prepared.
We found fish, but we also found other fishermen from around Europe. And this newfound international fascination in The Faroe Islands is putting a lot of pressure on the fragile ecosystem.
“There is a reason I’m up here after thirteen years and its hard to explain. You have to see it for yourself. Visit Faroe Islands has this slogan, “The adventure starts where the road ends,” and this is where the road ends. It’s pure adventure.” -Kasper Jaegergaard
To learn more about Kasper’s guiding operation, check out his instagram.
To learn more about the Faroe Islands, visit the tourism board’s homepage.
