Salmon fishing in Iceland is popular today and many foreigners come to Iceland to try to catch one of these magnificent fish every summer. Many of the people who come have never fished for an Atlantic salmon before and in this article, I will try to give you some hints and tips how to fly fish a salmon in Iceland.
Summer in Iceland
When people first hear the name Iceland they expect cold, wet and windy country. Well, they are wrong!
Last few years in Iceland have been quite mild and, to be honest, they have not been wet at all. Every angler knows that a dry, hot summer day can be a nightmare for every angler. Rivers shrink, water gets warmer and salmons get lazy and search for cooler and more "refreshing" spots in the river. This conditions are tough but still not unmanageable. Below we will look into some of the opportunities anglers have when facing both difficult conditions and what we would normally say in Iceland, Icelandic conditions. I will try to give you some tips and hints what has worked for me and my friends when fishing for salmon in Iceland.
Where to fish
Iceland has many salmon rivers, both small and big. The season is usually around 90 days, depending on the river and the season start date depends on each river.
Salmon rivers in West of Iceland usually start earlier or around the middle of June while most other rivers start late June or early July. Prime time for salmon fishing is usually from early July to late August. In recent years, more salmons have been caught from the middle of August to mid-September.
How I fish Iceland during summer
Like I mentioned above, summers in Iceland have been dry and warm for the past few years. This means lower water level and hooking a salmon can be a challenging job.
When the water level is low we should first think about how salmon reacts in these conditions. When the water level is low, the sun is shining and the water temperature is above normal, salmons tend to search for places with less sun, places that are cooler and where they will find more oxygen. Try to search for places where the sun doesn't hit the surface. This is not always true but at least this we know that salmons search for spots like this. An old friend told me that when the water level is higher than the air temperature salmons are really difficult so try to fish the pool when both water temperature and air temperature are more or less the same. This will increase your chances to hook an Icelandic salmon. If you see a mist on the water you can be sure that the water temperature is higher than the air temperature. As soon as the mist disappear you will be under the correct conditions.
Everyone should know that direct sunlight is never good when fishing for a salmon so when there are clouds in the sky you should have better chances to hook an Atlantic salmon when there is no direct sunlight hitting the surface. The dusk and dawn are the best time to hook a salmon especially when conditions are difficult so be sure that you are fishing during that period of the day.
Dawn is probably the best time to fish for salmon in Iceland during the summer. This is because of there hasn't been any disturbance for a long period of time in that pool. Also, search for places where fisherman haven't been for some time, it will increase your changes. In the evening, try to find places where shades come earlier in the evening.
Low water conditions
There is an article here on the site where I explain how to fish in low water conditions. Please make sure you read it if you are planning a trip to Iceland during the summer. Basically, when the water level is low, try to use light tackle and small flies. Keep in mind to represent the fly as softly as possible to avoid any kind of disturbance in the pool.
Tackle
Like I always say, bring what you like the best but remember in recent years, the water level is getting lower and lower so lightweight tackle should always your first pick. I usually fish with my 6 weight - 9 feet rod but also carry an 8 weight rod. Normally for medium size rivers, I also have a double hand rod for weight 8 with me in case I want to fish bigger pools or heavier flies.
Even though Iceland is a cold place, it’s not too cold to take Gore-Tex waders with you. Temperatures up to 25° are not uncommon in the north of Iceland during the summer and when you have to walk and wade all day lightweight waders always come in handy.
Good waterproof fishing jackets are also important to bring. You could expect all kinds of weather in Iceland so my recommendation is to bring a good wading jacket and warm clothes with you.
Don’t forget your glasses! I normally use yellow Polaroid glasses when fishing in Iceland.
Leaders and tippets
Bring all kinds of leaders and tippets with you since even if you are fishing for a salmon, there is always a great chance to hook some nice arctic chars or sea trouts. My normal leader length is around 12 feet and I usually use 20 lbs. tippets. But 10 lbs. tippets also come in handy when you have to fish with smaller flies.
Flies
Most productive fly sizes during the summer are sizes 10 - 14, doubles and trebles. I also carry some micro tubes and riffling hitch tubes. Some small cone head tubes are also good practice to fish deeper pools.
Flies that I would recommend for the summer are Black and Blue, Hairy Mary, Frances in different colors, Collie dog, Blue Sapphire, Black Brahan, Green highlander. Flies in colors black, blue and yellow are usually my first pick but like I always say, be open minded and fish with flies that you believe in.
Tubes flies I always go for 1/4" - 1 " red Frances cone fly, black and blue, Frances tubes, Snælda and Sun Rays in different colors. There are much more and some flies work better on some rivers so you should ask around before buying your flies.
Here on the site are many great articles on how you should fly fish for a salmon in different conditions and with different flies. Please look around and you will find many good pieces of advice and tips about salmon fishing in Iceland.
Tight lines and safe releases