Spring sea trout in Iceland: An adventure waiting to happen?
A big Icelandic sea trout, estimated 9 pounds. Photo by gg.
At this point there are less than three months until we open the season of 2009 with some outstanding sea trout fishing. Spring fishing for sea trout in Iceland is for the hardy type of angler as the conditions are quite often difficult. But this is an aspect of fly fishing in Iceland that one must add to the collection of adventures.
The season starts on April 1rst. Most of the rivers are in the south of Iceland, most notably centering around the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Usually known in Iceland as simply “Klaustur”, which translates: Monastery as this was the site of a monastery during and long after the middle ages. There are also a few rivers in other parts of the country, particularly in the westland region of Borgarfjordur and then there is also one of great note in Axarfjordur in the northeast.
Fly fishing in Iceland takes on many masks and this is one of them. In the south coast rivers the sea trout tend to have very large specimens sprinkled in with the smaller ones. The fish are retreating spawners from last year, most of them in quite excellent shape, and also juvenile sea trout of various sizes, most commonly though 2 to 5 pounds. They are silvery and fat. Some of them are fresh run while others have been in the river since winter or late fall. For the most part, the westland sea trout are smaller although big fish do occur.
Jón Eyfjörð releases an estimated 6 pound brown trout in Litlaa.
Up in the northeast the Litlaa has hot spring origins enabling fishing so early in the spring, but despite the favorable water temperature, the weather is not quite always as obliging up north. The river is however very unique in Iceland due to the warm factor. That means that the sea trout are feeding from the offset of the spawning, thus they tend to be very fat and well kept during early spring. The southern springers are however lean at best following a winter of fasting in the cold and darkness.
One of the AnglingIceland staff fishes the Litlaa every spring. “I love it,” says Jón Eyfjörð. “It is challenging and difficult fishing. The river itself is not imposing but we often have blizzards and frosty conditions. Sometimes you get so cold that you wade in were the warm water enters the river and simply sit down, up to your armpits in your waders to warm down. Of course you try to have your 4WD close and every now and then you make a dash for it, switch on the engine and drum up the heater,” Jón adds.
Fish on in Litlaa early April. Photo by Jón Thor Júlíusson.
“Litlaa contains both sea trout and stationary brown trout at this early stage of the season. Both types have very big individuals. Litlaa has produced sea trout of up to 23 pounds over the years although the norm is smaller of course. My friends and myself have been catching a lot of both sea trout and stationary browns ranging from 4 to 8 pounds on our spring trips. It is remarkable to see the great condition these fish are in. For the most part we use streamer flies, Black Ghost and Nobblers are popular. Also a local pattern called Rektor. You need to get the fly down so cone headed flies are a must or at least sinking tips or leaders. To underline the significance of this spring fishing, I need only to reflect on last season. This is the first trip of each season for me and my friends. I arrived at my first pool, a lovely stretch of river which I have come to know very well. It was in the early morning twilight and the temperature about freezing.
A fat four pounder from Litlaa. Photo by Jón Thor Júlíusson.
The weather was still. No hint of spring at all with the ground covered with snow. I had a number 8 weighed black Nobbler with a sinking leader. I started casting over the main current, mended the line and allowed the streamer to drift while it sank down. After each cast, two steps. I didn’t get far. It was as if I had hooked a mountain. But then there was the shaking head, the deep heavy runs and finally the leap, which was in fact more of a thrashing forward in the surface film. More like a whooper swan trying to take off! After ten minutes of intense action I brought in a sea trout estimated at eight to nine pounds. It was in superb condition. It was put back as Litlaa is a catch and release river. No more than ten feet further down the run, the same streamer was belted by what turned out to be an estimated six pound stationary brown trout in the same stunning condition. There was more to come, but what a way to start the season. And for Litlaa, this was nothing out of the ordinary,” Jón Eyfjörð concludes.
A wintery scenery as Tungufljot is opened. Photo by gg.
Down on the south coast, in Tungufljot, the fish tend to be vastly bigger by average. During spring the river is also a catch and release river. Tungufljot has no warm spring water to pep it up over the dark months so after the spawning the trout seem to semi-hibernate, thus holding on to their remaining body fat. As many sea trout run late, the do not seem to burn much of their fat and Tungufljot is also a river free of any obstacles that need exertions on behalf of the trout. As a result the springers of Tungufljot are invariably in good condition.
However the weather can be pretty messy on the south coast as well as up north at this point of the season. Quite frequently parts of the river will be on ice well into April and subzero temperatures are frequent. Plus blizzards or bouts of freezing rain. There is no place to sit down in the middle of Tungufljot however, so the car heater needs to be as close by as possible for moments of respite.
Local expert Valli Ragnarsson with a big Tungufljot springer. Photo by Orri Stefánsson.
The staff of AnglingIceland quite often visit the fly fishermen opening Tungufljot on April 1rst as we annually go on a news seeking tour of the south coast rivers as they are opened. Last year we met a well known local fly fisherman, Valli Ragnarsson, in full winter garb bellowing steam out of his ski masked face. He had been wading along the ice rafts drifting along the current, fishing a large tube fly on a fast sinking leader. The tactic is a dead drift as the fish will not readily chase anything in the freezing water. You need to stick the fly in their faces. That will wake them from their winter slumber!
Guðmundur Stefán Maríasson, the chairman of the Angling Club of Reykjavík is into a big springer on Tungufljot last April. Photo by Eiríkur St. Eiríksson.
Despite the wintery scene, Valli and his friends were catching fish. And they were big, 75 to 85 centimeters long, the equivalent of 8 to 18 pounders in their prime. Valli caught a 94 centimeter female several years ago. It was never weighed but you do not need to release your imagination to estimate the fish’s weight while in its prime. The fish was actually in great condition for a springer and estimated at least 22-24 pounds. How heavy then in its prime? Probably close to 30 pounds.
While some fly fishermen get lucky and catch a lot of fish in Tungufljot, the river is more of a quality river rather than a quantity river. That is what makes it one of Iceland’s most popular rivers. Spring fishing for sea trout in Iceland is truly an adventure. And if you have not tried it then it is an adventure waiting to happen!
