Fishing in Iceland 2013

2013SUMMER SALMON& TROUT ANGLING

[ T E L . : ( + 3 5 4 ) 5 6 8 6 0 5 0 | E M A I L : S v f R @ S v f R . I S | w w w . S v f R . I S ]REykjAvík ANGLING CLUb

Hítará . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Langá á Mýrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Laxá í Dölum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Straumar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Norðurá. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Norðurá II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Laxá í Aðaldal – the Nes beat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Laxá in Laxárdal and Mývatnssveit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Leirvogsá. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Published by: Reykjavík Angling Club, Háaleitisbraut 68, 103 Reykjavík, Iceland, Tel.: (+354) 568 6050.

The office is open Monday thru Thursday between 13-17 and Friday between 13-16.

Editor: Ásmundur Helgason Cover photo: Jóhann T. SteinssonDesign: Skissa

Photos by: Golli, Jóhann T. Steinsson, Óskar Páll Sveinsson, FFI, Mats Wibe Lund, Þorsteinn Ólafs, Bjarni Höskuldsson, Viðar Jónasson, Klaus Frimor og Henry Gilbey.

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CONTENTS

The Reykjavík Angling Club has a variety of trout and salmon fishing permits available in all price catagories for many of the most prominent fishing spots in Iceland. We have both self-catering lodges and lodges where full service is provided. We are a non-profit organization with the goal of supplying high quality sustainable fishing at minimal cost for our clients. The club was founded in 1939 around a salmon river in the middle of Reykjavík, Elliðaár, a river that still is one of the best salmon rivers in the country. Today, we offer 62 possibilities of salmon, trout and actic char fishing in rivers and lakes in Iceland. This catalogue displays only a portion of our range of angling rivers and lakes.

Iceland is a Mecca for salmon and trout fishermen. Every summer the salmon run in huge numbers to spawn in the country’s numerous rivers. The season is short in our northern climes, but the sport can be fast and furious. There is a wide variety of waters, calling for a range of techniques from the visiting angler and promising a healthy and vigorous catch as reward. The scenery in Iceland is bleak and often haunting, nearly bereft of trees and littered in parts with volcanic lava. Iceland provides a unique setting for the sportsman. Most overseas fishermen return regularly year after year. The salmon season starts on June

1st and runs until 30th of September, and the rivers have different fishing season within this time limit.

The rivers in Iceland are all in private ownership and in most instances a number of farmers own the fishing rights in each river, often leasing it to third party, like our club. This means that there is great control over the number of rods in each river and the fishing environment is very much regulated. The result is that there are no public beats in the rivers in Iceland and anglers have the rivers to themselves.

Please contact us for further information by e-mail at [email protected] or call us at +354 568 6050 and we’ll be glad to plan the perfect fishing trip for you in one of our famous salmon, trout or seatrout rivers and lakes. Or visit us at www.svfr.is.

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REykjAvík ANGLING CLUbsince 1939

THE HíTARá-RIvER IS ONE Of THE COUNTRy’S bEST-kNOwN SALMON RIvERS. THOUGH AN AvERAGE-SIzED RIvER, IT HAS A LONG AND REMARkAbLE fISHING HISTORy, DATING bACk TO wHEN bRITISH GENTRy STARTED fISHING HERE. THE vARIETy Of POOLS ARE GREAT, AND THE PLACEMENT Of THE LODGE, bUILT by jóHANNES Of HOTEL bORG fAME, IN THE MAGICAL SETTING ON THE ROCky bANkS Of THE wATERfALL bRúARfOSS IS UNMATCHED. THE NEARNESS Of THE POOLS TO THE LODGE OffERS A UNIqUE ATMOSPHERE fOR A CLOSE-kNIT GROUP, AND THE HíTARá-RIvER IS CERTAINLy ONE Of THE GEMS Of ICELANDIC SALMON fISHING.

HíTARá Perfect single handed rodsand hitching

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The Hítará-river is much like a typical Icelandic river, complex currents, clear pools, small flies and technical fishing over its 29 kilometres. The river accommodates six rods on the main salmon section and is ideal for intact parties. The lodge for the main section of the Hítará river is the house called Lundur. It has a unique atmosphere and houses a famous collection of mounted

wildfowl. From the sitting room you can gaze out over “Breiðan”, one of the river’s best pools. Rooms are fully furnished, including linen and towels, and it is possible for fishermen to stay at the lodge and rod share. This is one of Iceland’s most popular salmon streams, and not everyone is lucky enough to get time on it.

The capacity is six rods and the season starts in early july and runs into late August.

HíTARá Perfect single handed rodsand hitching

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LANGá á MýRUM One of the best rivers in IcelandTHE LANGá-RIvER á MýRUM, AS IT IS kNOwN, IS 36 kM LONG wITH 93 NAMED POOLS. LOCATED IN THE SAME AREA AS NORðURá-RIvER IT IS A TyPICAL ICELANDIC SALMON RIvER OffERING TECHNICAL fISHING wITH SMALL fLIES - AND bOASTS OUTSTANDING bEAUTy. THIS RIvER HAS bEEN fISHED by THE bRITISH SINCE THE EARLy 1900’S, AND HAS HAD A HUGE AMOUNT Of wORk DONE TO IT, IN TERMS Of fISH LADDERS AND OTHER DEvICES TO IMPROvE ITS COURSE fOR SALMON TO RUN.

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LANGá á MýRUM One of the best rivers in Iceland

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The Langá-river fishes 12 rods in july and August and is best tackled with a single handed rod. In true Icelandic style, small hitched flies such as mini Sunray Shadows, Langa fancy and Arndilly fancy are the most popular. As the Langá-river originates in Lake Langavatn it always has a dependable flow of water and is one of the few Icelandic rivers that is truly consistent in a dry summer. The Langá-river remains one of the most naturally productive rivers in Iceland.

The Langá Syndicate built its new magnificent lodge in 1998 with 8 double rooms containing twin beds and en-suite bathrooms. The new lodge Langárbyrgi (Langá-shelter) was built on

a cliff 6 km from the ocean, overlooking the river. Guests are thoroughly pampered, and the food is simply outstanding.

The capacity is 12 rods per week and the season runs from early july into September.

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LAxá í DöLUMTechnical salmon fishingwith a sprinklingof multi seawinter fish

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The Laxá-river in Dölum is a delicate river in the Central west and ranks among the best in the country with an average catch of nearly three salmons per rod per day. The Laxá-river in Dölum is a medium sized river with a fair volume of water, flowing down a rocky bed with alternate pools and runs. This river is famed for its large stock of fish and numerous multi-winter salmons are caught every year. Many pools are deep and very clear like many Icelandic rivers. All the pools are easily accessible by car and there is no difficulty for the angler to reach the water, or to fish it.

The Laxá-river in Dölum offers 26 km of productive water. It has a nice mix of one and two winter salmon throughout the season, making it a very popular river with both local and visiting

anglers. In fact, few rivers in the West and Southwest of Iceland have a better ratio of multi-winter salmon and most years salmon exceeding 20 pounds are caught.

Laxa in Dölum has a capacity of six rods and a offers a lodge with six bedrooms, each room with two beds and a bathroom with shower. The season runs from early july into September.


STRAUMARSmall beat, big catch

THIS IS THE jUNCTION wERE NORDURA SPILLS INTO THE GLACIAL MOTHER RIvER HvITA. THERE ARE SEvERAL jUNCTIONS IN THE REGION AND ALL Of THEM ARE OUTSTANDING fOR SALMON AND SEA TROUT.

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Straumar is a short stretch and one pool carrying two names, bugt and Strenghorn, is the primary hot spot. bugt and Strenghorn are several dozen feet below the actual junction which is not a very good spot. when Nordura is low, its affect on coloring on bugt and Strenghorn is minimal thus anglers are often fishing discolored glacial water. However fear not, when the fish are running these spots are alive with fresh run silver from the sea and they address anglers flies with greed. Hitching is a great favorite tactic here as access to the salmon is easy and the flow of the river excellent for hitching. The last few years have been beset with long draught periods making the junction pools very prolific. This beat is nothing less than furious fishing from what is in truth a single pool, albeit a big one. Straumar is predominantly a grilse fishery as the multi sea winter salmon don’t seem as keen on stopping in the junction as do the grilse. No matter, every salmon caught in Straumar is fresh from the sea and they have a lot of room for their speedy lung busting runs.

Straumar has a well equipped self catering lodge situated so close to the junction that when you have finished breakfast you simply pull on your waders, grab your rod and make the one minute walk to the pool. You never need to touch your car while fishing Straumar. To add to the charm the Straumar lodge is the second oldest lodge

in the country, and old white and red sheet iron wooden hut complete with creaking floors. It was built by British anglers early in the 20th century. It has been refurbished to an extent and an extra lodge with sleeping facilities has been raised close by to add to the family possibility factor.

Here, the capacity is only two rods and the season runs from early june to late August.

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NORðURáThe highest producingnatural river in IcelandTHE NORðURá-RIvER IS LOCATED ON THE wEST COAST, ONLy AN HOUR’S DRIvE fROM REykjAvík, THE CAPITAL Of ICELAND, AND AbOUT ONE HOUR AND fORTy fIvE MINUTES DRIvE fROM kEfLAvík INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE REykjAvík ANGLING CLUb HAS HELD THE LEASE HERE fOR 60 yEARS, AND THE 55 kM PROvIDE PLENTy Of fISHING fOR ITS 12 RODS.

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The Norðurá-river, one of the finest salmon rivers in Icelan, has over 150 named fishing pools, and offers an incredibly diverse fishing experience, along with some of the most dramatic scenery. It is often called “the most beautiful river” in Iceland. The upper part is rather flat, the river bottom being mostly gravel. The middle section, up and down from the beautiful waterfall Glanni, is predominated by rocks and lava mixed with bushes and trees and green grass flats. In the lowest part, below the Laxfoss waterfall, the river runs through wide canyons and there you can find many of the most magnificent fishing pools in the river - that are perfect fly pools. It is easily fished with a double handed rod in early season, but as the water drops in july and the fish numbers start increasing dramatically it is perfect for a single hand rod and the hitch.

The Rjúpnahæð Lodge on Norðurá-river accommodates twelve fishermen in twin-bedded rooms with private shower and toilet facilities. The fishing lodge is one of the best in Iceland, beautifully located with good view over the river. The view from the lodge to the north, to

Laxfoss and the mountains on the horizon, is renowned. The lodge is equipped with a sauna bath, drying room for your waders and fishing jackets and cooling area for the fish. The service and food at the lodge are of top quality.

The capacity is 12 rods per week and the season runs from early june to early September.

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NORðURá II

The top section of Norðurá

NORðURá II IS THE IDEAL bEAT fOR SMALL GROUPS Of ANGLERS wHO wANT TO PAy ONE Of THE bEST SALMON RIvERS IN ICELAND A vISIT – AND SELf CATER IN A COSy LODGE. NORðURá II IS THE TOP SECTION Of THE RIvER, fROM SíMASTRENGUR UP TO THE wATERfALL LEITISfOSS. THIS bEAT IS CHARACTERIzED by NUMEROUS PICTURESqUE POOLS SET IN A MAGNIfICENT SETTING. THIS SECTION Of THE RIvER IS fOR THE SINGLE HANDED ROD, THOUGH A DOUbLE HANDED ROD MAy bE USEfUL If THE wATER IS UNUSUALLy HIGH.

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The lodge is set in the middle of a hill that provides a unamtched view over the Norðurá valley.The lodge has three bedrooms with two beds in each room, a kitchen/dining room, living room, and a bathroom with shower. Also there is a sleeping

loft, outside barbeque, storage room and a nice wooden terrace. Although this is a self catering beat anglers can ask for cooking and cleaning for a small fee.

The Norðurá II beat has a capacity of three rods. The season starts in june and runs into September.

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LAxá í AðALDAL – THE NES bEATThe largest Atlantic salmonin Iceland

THE LAxá-RIvER IN AðALDAL OR “bIG LAxá”, AS IT IS ALSO kNOwN, IS LOCATED IN THE NORTH Of ICELAND, APPROxIMATELy A 40 MINUTE DRIvE fROM AkUREyRI AIRPORT. IT HAS A REPUTATION AS bEING THE bIG fISH RIvER Of ICELAND. HISTORICALLy IT wAS ONE Of THE fIRST RIvERS IN ICELAND EvER fISHED by fOREIGNERS, AND ALTHOUGH ITS CATCH STATISTICS ARE NOT AS IMPRESSIvE AS THEy ONCE wERE, IT STILL HAS A fANTASITC AvERAGE SIzE Of fISH.

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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 laval 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.

The Laxá-river in Aðaldal is an extraordinary river with huge character and is an excellent option for those looking for bigger fish in Iceland, while at the same time enjoying luxurious accommodation and fantastic food. There is no other river in Iceland quite like big Laxá.

The river is not only a home to the Atlantic salmon, but also to a vast variety of birds, especially ducks. So, be sure to bring your camera to this unique natural treasure.

The capacity is eight rods per week and the season runs from early july into September.


Above the famous salmon beats of the Laxá-river in Aðaldal on the North coast of Iceland are two beats called Laxárdalur and Mývatnssveit. These two areas combined have over 20 miles of fishing and are divided into 15 beats, each accommodating between one and three rods. Each year numerous fish between 5 - 7 lbs are caught, with the occasional 8 - 9 lbs fish making an appearance. The river has also produced three fish of over 12 lbs - staggering for wild brown trout.

The lower beat, Laxárdalur, is wide and shallow and is a little like bonefishing for trout. The upper section at Mývatnssveit is wonderfully braided with fast runs, pocket water and crystal clear water. 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. As these fish live in fast and powerful water they are extremely strong, and hooking one will test your tackle and skill. Some Icelanders fish with streamers, but upstream dry fly and nymph tactics are considerably more effective.

Although there is none of our normal variety of biting mosquitoes in Iceland, they do have a number of other chronomids that the trout feed on readily. The brown trout in the Laxá-river in Aðaldal have only a few short months of the Icelandic summer to feed as much as possible, so they really feed hard below or above the surface.

The 90 day season normally produces from 3-5.000 wild brown trout, with the best years producing up to 8.000. This is truly one of the places to visit to experience spectacular nature and some of the best trout fishing in Europe.

The capacity is 14 per week on the upper beat (Mývatnssveit) and 10 on the lower beat (Laxárdalur). The season starts on May 29th and runs to August 31st.

LAxá IN LAxáRDALAND MývATNSSvEITPossibly the finest trout fishingin Europe with fish reachingdouble figures

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Leirvogsá is actually within the Reykjavík city limits, only about a 20 to 30 minute drive from the city center, depending on the traffic. Yet, most of the fishing area is secluded and set in beautiful surroundings at the base of Reykjavík‘s picturesque mount Esja. The river originates in the lake Leirvogsvatn and is hardy more than a trickle at the start. Tributaries from Esja turn up the volume and it is a sizeable stream when in falls into the canyon of the scenic Tröllafoss.

As the canyon fritters away at the road bridge at the farmstead of Hrafnhólar, the river mainly winds down the valley with cut bank pools before entering another far shorter, yet very scenic canyon just below the fishing lodge. At the end of the canyon, the river turns fast and rocky and stays that way‚ untill it finds its estuary. The final fast rocky stretch is an amazing fishery. Fished usually with worms, the pools are often brimming with salmon fresh from the sea and

the fishing is often hectic. Further up the river has many dream pools for fly fishing.

Leirvogsá is fished from morning until evening and it is very popular among the local anglers. The lodge is a small hut that may be used for overnight use, but most anglers fishing Leirvogsá commute from Reykjavík and only use the lodge for mid-day resting and lunch. Plus, hopefully, adding some fish to the catch book.

The capacity is only two rods and the season runs from early july into September.

LEIRvOGSáA true gem on the outskirtsof Reykjavík

LEIRvOGSá IS MORE Of A STREAM THAN A RIvER. wHILE bEING SMALL Of vOLUME, IT HAS CONSISTENTLy RIvALLED ICELAND‘S fAMED LAxá ON áSUM fOR THE TITLE Of „THE bEST ICELANDIC SALMON RIvER“. THIS IS DUE TO THE RIvERS OfTEN OUTSTANDING AvERAGE CATCH PER ROD. A MERE TwO DAILy RODS HAvE AT TIMES PRODUCED UP TO OvER 1.000 SALMON IN A SINGLE SEASON Of NINETy DAyS!

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Fishing in Iceland 2013

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