With Iceland now on the green list for UK fishermen it is one of the very few destinations open to the travelling angler this summer. Being on the green list allows travellers to go to Iceland and not have to quarantine on their return. Those who have been vaccinated will not have take a PCR test before departure. With a little over one month to go until the Iceland salmon fly fishing seasons kicks off, there are still a few fantastic prime time openings as well as some great early and late season opportunities. Below we have broken down by river some of what is available.
West Ranga, Southwest Coast
Located in the south of Iceland, West Rangá is one of the country’s most famous salmon rivers along with its neighbour the East Rangá. Both rivers often feature near the top of the most prolific salmon rivers in Iceland each season, as well as numbers the river also boasts a higher average size of fish than the rivers on the west coast. The river has an average width of 50 metres, featuring wide long pools and smooth glides. The bottom is mainly made up of black volcanic sand making wading relatively safe and easy. The river is best fished with double handed rods and larger flies than other rivers in Iceland, it is often useful to carry some sinking line options as well. The West Rangá is an unusual salmon river in as much as there is very little in the way of natural spawning habitat and it therefore relies on a very successful smolt-releasing programme that began in 1989. The river sees consistent salmon runs throughout the season and fishes until the 20th October with good statistics right the way to the closing day.
2021 Available Dates:
20 – 25 June (6 days) – this week has not been available to fish for the last eight years so it really is not a chance to pass up. Contact us for more details and costs.
12 – 16 August (4 days): £6,200 per person
13 – 16 September: £2,970 per person
Other availability on request.
Laxa I Kjos, West Coast
The river has one of the prettiest and most comfortable lodges in Iceland and sits overlooking the lower section of the river. The river itself is intimate and the fishing is more akin to trout fishing for salmon, a true hitchers’ dream. Small rock pockets, canyons and open meadows are perfect for single handed fishing with tiny flies. The river also has some huge sea trout which run throughout August and add to the excitement, a small tributary called Bugda boasts good numbers of brown trout. Laxá I Kjos offers some very exciting sight fishing and hitch fishing opportunities for salmon.
2021 Available Dates:
26 – 29 July: 1 rod – £5,100 per person (Peter’s Hosted Group)
29 July – 1 August: 1 rod – £4,840 per person
5 – 8 August: 2 rods – £3,830 per person
22 – 25 August: 4 rods – £2,990 per person (Aardvark McLeod Hosted Group)
30 August – 2 Sept: 2 rods – £2,990 per person.
Langa, West Coast
Langa is a river that can be fished with relative ease with good access to the pools and is fished well with single handed rods, small double handed rods can also be used. It is much less susceptible to poor rainfall, unlike some of the other Icelandic salmon rivers, as it is lake fed. It has been extremely consistent even during very poor years and is the nearest you will get to a “Safe Bet”. The runs are predominantly grilse and larger fish are seen occasionally through the season. The lodge is approximately 1 hour 20 minutes from Reykjavik and caters for 12 anglers.
2021 Available Dates:
30 June – 3 July: 1 rod – ISK 601.380 per rod (£3,580) – SOLD
6 – 9 July: 3 rods – ISK 774.00 per rod (£4,610)
15 – 18 July: 1 rod – ISK 912.420 per rod (£5,430) – SOLD
18 – 21 July: 4 rods – ISK 912,420 per rod (£5,430) – SOLD
27 – 30 July: 3 rods – ISK 912,420 per rod (£5,430)
30 July – 2 August: 3 rods – ISK 912,420 per rod (£5,430)
Transfers not included.
Nordura, West Coast
The Nordurá offers 65 km of fishing to its rods with well over 100 pools and again takes 12 rods. This time frame it prime time and the river lands over 2500 in a season. It has a huge variety of fishing to offer and they recently renovated the lodge adding a whole new room section, so the lodge is really lovely. The Nordurá is the first main river to open in mid-June and is often used as a benchmark to see how the season in Iceland will progress over all.
30 June – 3 July: 6 rods, 970,200 ISK per rod (approx. £5,880)
6 – 9 July: 2 rods, 1,042,200 ISK per rod (approx. £6,320)
9 – 12 July: 5 rods, 1,042,200 ISK per rod (approx. £6,320)
12 – 15 July: 6 rods, 1,060,200 ISK per rod (approx. £6,450)
15 – 18 July: 5 rods, 1,060,200 ISK per rod (approx. £6,450)
21 – 24 July: 1 rods, 988,200 ISK per rod (approx. £6,180)
27 – 30 July: 4 rods, 707,400 ISK per rod (approx. £4,420)
2 – 5 August; 2 rods, 534,600 ISK per rod (approx. £3,340)
19 – 26 August: 5 rods, 141,000 ISK per rod per day(approx. £850)
Laxa I Adaldal, North Coast
The river is large and wide as the name dictates. Pools for the most part are grass banked, wide, and with a relatively even bottom. There are the intermittent lava shelves that drop away, hidden from someone reading the surface in turn creating some excellent lies. The river is deceptively clear as the bottom in most areas is black lava sand giving the impression of depth and murkiness which is extremely misleading.
Therefore small flies are often extremely effective, and caution should be employed when approaching pools. There are some extremely dramatic beats such as the falls pool that features fishing from a cliff face on one side, allowing the angler to see the salmon moving to the fly before it goes over the lip. To fight a fish here requires steely nerves and determination either ending in elation of a fish successfully manoeuvred up the pool, or tears as it disappears over the waterfall along with your line and backing.
2021 Available Dates:
2 – 5 July: 1 rod – ISK 474,000 per rod (£2,880)
5 – 8 July: 2 rods – ISK 492,000 per rod (£2,980)
8 – 11 July: 2 rods – ISK 528,000 per rod (£3,200)
11 – 14 July: 1 rods – ISK 564,000 per rod (£3,420)
14 – 17 July: 3 rods – ISK 600,000 per rod (£3,640)
17 – 20 July: 2 rods – ISK 672,000 per rod (£4,080)
20 – 23 July: 2 rods – ISK 708,000 per rod (£4,290)
23 – 26 July: 3 rods – ISK 708,000 per rod (£4,290)
26 – 29 July: 2 rods – ISK 708,000 per rod (£4,290)
29 July – 1 August: 2 rods – ISK 672,000 per rod (£4,080)
Straumfjardara, North Coast
This unique river located up on Snaefells peninsular on the west coast of Iceland is one of the very few that offers a full service lodge to just four rods. The river itself has approximately 27 named pools divided into four beats over 12 km of fishing up to the Rjúkundi waterfall. Straumfjardara exhibits all the classic features of a great Icelandic river from the canyon section at the top to the fascinating rocky pools and holes to more open sections below.
2021 Available Dates:
27 – 30 July: 4 rods – ISK 971,370 per rod (£5,890) – Sold
30 July – 2 August: 4 rods – ISK 91,570 per rod (£5,570) – Sold
Myrarkvisl, North Coast
The Myrarkvisl is a very interesting river offering traditional pool and riffle water in the upper section, a canyon through the middle and meandering slow flows at the bottom. You can target good numbers of trout averaging 2 lbs with a few between 4-6 lbs. Dry flies and traditional nymphs work well and as the season progresses the chances of encountering salmon increase. Along with the river you also have access to a lake that has a good head of Arctic char (delicious eating if you want to take one or two for dinner). The river is limited to just four anglers.
2021 Available Dates:
24 – 28 May: 4 rods – ISK 481,800 per rod (2,840 4 days)
24 – 26 June: 4 rod – ISK 255,900 per rod (£1,510 2 days)
2 – 4 July: 4 rods – ISK 255,900 per rod (£1,510 2 days)
6 – 8 July: 4 rods – ISK 267,900 per rod (£1,580 2 days)
8 – 11 July: 4 rods – ISK 401,850 per rod (£2,370)
11 – 13 July: 4 rods – ISK 285,900 per rod (£1,690 2 days)
15 – 18 July: 3 rods – ISK 437,850,900 per rod (£2,580)
18 – 21 July: 2 rods – ISK 437,850,900 per rod (£2,580)
26 – 29 July: 4 rods – ISK 437,850,900 per rod (£2,580)
4 – 9 August: 4 rods – ISK 807,750 per rod (£4,760 5 days)
12 – 16 September: 4 rods – ISK 553,800 per rod (£3,260 4 days)
For more details on fishing in Iceland please do not hesitate to contact Peter McLeod or Alex Jardine or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.