Some tips and information before you head to Iceland on your fly fishing trip!
Below you can find some information before you head to Iceland to fly fish. I receive many different questions about Iceland when someone asks me what they should expect, what they need to know and what they should know. Below are some information about laws, rules and general questions and answers that I receive.
Currency?
Laws and regulations on salmon fly fishing in Iceland
All fishing right belongs to the owners of the land which the river is associated with.
Fishing for salmon in saltwater is forbidden.
Net fishing is forbidden - except for few farmers.
The fishing tackle must be disinfected before fished in Icelandic Rivers. This can be done at Keflavik airport for a small fee. You can find more information here.
In all parts of Iceland, call 112 to reach Iceland Police, ambulances or fire department.
Do you need neoprene waders or not or should you take your Gore-Tex waders?
Sunscreen!
Driving in Iceland
In Iceland, you drive on the right side. Please note that we have numerous gravel roads in Iceland and especially if you are going fishing. These roads can be quite dangerous since the grip is not the same so please try to drive in the road marks and stay out from the gravel as much as you can. Seat belts and headlights are mandatory if you don't wear them you might be stopped by the police and fined. Some Icelandic car rental agencies do not allow rental cars on unsecured mountain/highland roads so please check with the agency before heading towards your location.
There are speed limits in Iceland so be careful. Even if you are driving in a middle of nowhere the police might be hiding behind next tree ... this is a joke, there are no trees so they might be hiding behind the next corner. On a gravel road, the speed limit is 80 km/h otherwise it's 90 km/h on hard surfaced roads.
Last thing you should know, don't drive off the road and don't drink and drive.
Catch and release
Clothes?
I get this question a lot and normally I tell people to bring enough layers to fight rain, wind, and temperatures down to 5° but have them as light as possible. If you fish late summer or autumn I would suggest warmer clothes but if you are going there in June, July or August you don't need to worry too much about the temperatures (5° is a normal temperature).
Here is a list of some basic stuff that you should bring with you before coming to Iceland and fly fish;
- Good fishing hat
- Polaroid sunglasses - I normally go for yellow or brown (I use yellow on cloudy rainy days but brown on sunny days)
- Gloves can come in handy if it chilly and windy.
- Good wading or rain jacket is mandatory
- Few layers of warm clothes and spare ones if you fall in the water
- At least one good sweater (you could also buy one of the amazing Icelandic wool sweaters in Iceland)
- Warm socks
- A lightweight bag can come in handy if you have to bring some stuff to the river. Sometimes you need to walk some distances to reach the pools.