The beginning of the salmon season in Iceland is traditionally marked by the opening of the Nordura River in mid-June. Nordura is one of the first rivers to open, and as one of the most prolific natural rivers in Iceland, its opening often serves as a good indicator of the season to come. The fish tend to run the river system earlier than most on the west coast, and the tail end of June can prove immensely productive. It is also the time of year when, in the higher water, the larger fish run the river system, pushing through the Laxfoss without faltering and trickling into the upper beats. I have fished many rivers in Iceland, but the Nordura possesses a unique magic. For the discerning angler, it offers a huge variety of water to fish, from the upper section with its intimate rock pools and flows to the wide bends in the lower canyon.
With over 100 named pools on over 60 km of water, the river winds its way out of the northern canyon before meandering across the valley. It eventually arrives at my favourite area, the Lava Pockets. At some point in the distant past a lava field headed across the valley floor and the river has now cut a path through this. The result is some extraordinary topography that creates some of the most interesting pocket fishing I have ever experienced. I have whiled away countless hours flicking flies into riffles with a single handed rod, watching in fascination as fish charged from cuts at the waking fly.
Below Laxfoss the river carves into the area known as the Canyon, one of the most beautiful spots I have fished in Iceland. It is quite a steep climb down the wooden walkways, but the river empties through some deep pools punctuated with hard rock bands and here I have landed the largest salmon I have encountered in the river. Often fish can be spotted in the crystal clear water from high up and targeted individually which can put your heart in your mouth. This magical area is a fisherman’s playground and fish will hit a hitched fly as it wakes through the current.
Nordurá is renowned for its consistency and the runs of salmon appear almost to the day every year. The river normally produces anything from 1,100 – 3,300 fish in a season. This season water conditions were kept above average throughout the season, which has kept the fishing steady throughout the whole season. Despite the odd day when there was too much water, the weekly catches have done exactly what they should, with peak weeks from the end of June to the third week in August, with a slight dip before the backend fishing pick up in September. The season is yet to finish, but so far the river has landed 1,605 salmon and 44 sea trout with an average weight of 6 lbs across the board. The biggest fish of the season was a 21 lber, but the river landed a number of fish over 90cm this season which was encouraging.
The availability and pricing for the 2025 season will be made available shortly, therefore, now is a great time to talk about possible trips to the Nordura and other rivers in Iceland.
The cost includes scheduled transfers from Reykjavik, full board single room accommodation and shared guide.
If you want to get out to Iceland for the beginning of the season or for more details on the Nordura or any other rivers in Iceland, please do not hesitate to contact Peter McLeod or Alex Jardine or call our office on +44(0)1980 847389.