Spring only means one thing for anglers in Iceland... the start of the fishing season. After long and harsh winter spent either watching some fishing movies, tying flies or reading books the idea of being outside when temperatures start to rise sounds like one of the best things an avid fly fisher can do. By law, the season starts on the 1st of April but remember that not all rivers open that day so please check with local shops or fishing services before you plan a trip early April.
Early trout fishing has its benefits. Trout haven't seen many flies for a long time and that can make them eager to take your fly.
In May sea trout start to head for the sea but, on the other hand, more lakes and rivers start to open. This is usually the best time to fish for trophy brown trout, but this is also a good time to catch Arctic Char. Fishing is usually better in May than in April and also temperature start to rise and weather gets more stable. If you are lucky you might run into a hatch or two. Hatches rarely this time of year due to harsh winter conditions. Because of this please take some black gnats along with you and some caddis and chironomids, you never know when you get lucky.
What tactics should be used when fishing for trout in the spring
Water normally runs high and fast during the early season, and the trout you find will be tight against the banks. In long, slower runs and riffles, trout will rest against the bottom or behind the structure and away from the fast current, but they'll still remain close enough to feed on any insect that gets swept in their direction.
Picking your gear will depend on the river, lake, and location where you are heading. Like in the autumn, the weather can get quite extreme during this period so you need to remember to pick your gear depending on the forecast. Don't take your dry flies and 3# rod with you if the forecast is 20 m/s and 3°. Of course, you can try but I wouldn't like to stand anywhere near you when you start to cast. The safest setup is a rod line weight 6# - 8# and around 9 feet should be enough. Leader around 9 - 12 feet should be just fine and leader/tippet of around 6 - 12 lbs is what I use, just be sure you use a tippet which fits your fly size. This is just my preferred setup and you might find different combination might fit you better.
There are two types of water that people like to fish in April, rivers, and lakes. Early April the main species are localized brown trout or sea trout. Heading to Iceland in April you need to keep one thing in mind (normally you should always keep this in mind), check the forecast! Weather conditions change rapidly.
River fishing
Spring fishing can be tough! Some rivers start to run-off and waters can be colored. That doesn't mean you can't catch a trout but here are some tips which have helped me during high, colored waters;
Focus on the deeper tail outs and pools and use larger and bright streamers or nymphs. Brighter flies are usually better when water is murkier. Find the right speed of the fly. Normally, a slow strip is better in cold conditions but try different combinations. My motto is "Slow and Low" when fishing early season. Use intermediate lines to reach difficult spots.
Take a few minutes to study the particular section of the stream, after you should develop a small plan which makes the water to be fished most effectively and with a less amount of disturbance. The presentation is a key to success in spring fishing.
There are two main fishing techniques which are used when fishing early spring. The most often used technique is to cast across the stream and let the fly drift directly into the feeding zones. This technique can be used when fishing both streamer and nymph. The best way to fish this technique is to cast across the stream and mend the line until getting a tight and straight line. As the fly drifts across the stream remember to follow the line with your rod tip while gathering any slack line. After the fly has crossed the stream raise your rod slowly to drag the fly from the bottom and back to the surface. Take one or two steps downstream and repeat your cast. This time you might try a different stripping speed. You can let the fly drift if you use a nymph or you can strip it slowly. Stripping a streamer is usually more effective when fishing this technique.
The other technique is to fish upstream. You can use a strike indicator to help notice if a trout takes your fly. Always keep the tension on your fly line so you can strike the fish at the right moment. When the fly has fished the pool you can raise the rod slowly and repeat your cast but don't aim at the same spot twice.
Lake fishing
Lake fishing in the sprint can be excited. Larger brown trout come close to the shore and this is the time to catch your trophy brown trout. Spring bring hungry brown trout which like to cruise shallow water shoals or the shoreline where the water temperature is warmer and more food can be found.
80% of the time I use floating lines but sometimes it's good to have an intermediate line with you. It can be difficult to reach some places especially when it's chilly outside.
What flies to use in the autumn
Like I mentioned above, spring can bring every type of weather. Still, there are some main flies I always keep in my fly box before heading for an early-season trout fishing. Usually, take a lot of streamers, sizes 6 - 12. Iceland is quite cold so bigger, heavier flies can come in handy. Nymphs are also used with good success and sizes 8 - 12 are the sizes I normally use. In some streams, I even use flies down to size 16 but these streams hold the temperature better than other rivers. It can pay off to see if the river you are going to fish keeps a steady temperature through the season. Bead head nymphs are always 90% of all the nymphs in my fly box in the spring, you need to get the fly as close to the fish as possible.
The last word of advice, carry a bit of everything in your fly box.
Last words
Fishing for brown trout or arctic char in the spring will be a unique experience for every angler. It's not uncommon to see photos of anglers with 10 lbs. brown trout and some anglers even catch up to 30 lbs brown trout. The more fishing you do in less than ideal conditions, the more you will learn about trout and their habits.
In Iceland, there is some world class fishing when fishing for brown trout or sea trout. I'm not lying when I say that Iceland holds some of the biggest brown trout and sea trout in the world. Some Icelanders even pick trout fishing over salmon fishing due to the magnificent power of the fish.There are not many fishing licenses available so book your license early and I recommend checking with local fishing travel agencies to find a proper guide and licenses.
Tight lines and safe releases.