The key to the majority of the salmon rivers in Iceland is the clarity of the water and the stunning scenary, as well, of course, the reliability of the fishing itself. There are so many rivers, we have dedicated a whole website to its salmon and trout fishing. The clear water allows for the use of very small and skated flies, often making for an intimate and visual experience. Due to the way the fishing is run it is usually possible to fish two rivers in a week and/or share a rod and all this an easy equi-distance between the USA and Europe. Fishing combines well with a sight-seeing holiday.
What brings us back is fishing the very beautiful, blue-clear waters with small flies, catching fresh fish off the tides on light tackle in stunning scenery. All of this while enjoying superb Icelandic cuisine generally from small lodges being looked after by great guides and all so convenient.
Icelandic salmon rivers generally have purpose-built lodges with stunning views overlooking the river. They are simple but very clean and comfortable and the food is always superb. If you have your own rod, you have your own room, if you share a rod, you share a room but this is changing for some.
Gear can range from a 5-weight to a 14ft double-handed rod but the most common are a 7/8-weight single-hander or a light 12ft 6-8 weight double-hander. Lines are almost always floating but always bring a sink-tip in case of flood or cold, leaders should be from 6lbs to 15lbs, local flies are best.
Much of Icelandic fishing is arranged in three day slots which spans four days. The first day is a half day (4pm to 10pm), the second two are full days (8am to 1pm and 4pm to 10pm) the last day is from 7am to noon, a total of 33 hours over three days. This allows the travelling fisher to move on to the next place and not miss any fishing. The key to planning your trip to Iceland is to book early and start talking to us in September of the year before for the broadest range of options. With so many fish and so much time on the water Iceland is a great place to share a rod with family or friend.
Please ask for a quotation but prices range from £1500 to £6,000 for three days. This variation is based on time in the season and quality of river. Iceland keeps meticulous catch statistics going back many years.
Co-Owner, Global Destination Specialist
Specializes in Atlantic salmon fishing programs and heads up Elegant Journeys.
Senior Program Manager
Specializes in South America, Mexico, and Iceland fishing programs.
Destination Specialist
Specializes in Spain, Christmas Island, Louisiana Redfish, and Belize fishing.