Thinking back got us thinking forward
The end of the day on Eyvindarlaekur. The angler is not alone! Photo by Einar Falur.
We are actually in the midst of a countdown these days as the first Icelandic salmon rivers open up on June 5th. However, while waiting, we have been monitoring the trout fishing this spring and as the season wares on, more of it will come to the fore. Thinking back the other day got us thinking forward, for our up and coming trip to Reykjadalsa....we had a brilliant trio of days there last year.
Reykjan, and her lower section, the Eyvindarlaekur, are pretty good salmon rivers from midsummer onwards. However the river is also one of Iceland‘s very best brown trout rivers and local anglers start working on it as early as early May if the weather conditions allow it. During high season, some of the foreign clients are known to shy away from the salmon as they wish to concentrate on dry fly fishing for the browns. Some of them have been known to switch pools if a salmon shows the fly an interest!
Drifting a nymph on the upper river.Photo by Einar Falur.
We have visited Reykjan a few times and always gone for the late June days as we do not care about the salmon on the river. We fish it for the brown trout and go for salmon on other rivers later in the season. The brown fishing is just to good to overlook!
Last year, most of our time was spent on the lower section, Eyvindarlaekur, where the river leaves the lake Vestmannsvatn to meander rather narrowly and deep to its junction with the famed Laxa i Adaldal. Several hundred meters below the outflow the river narrows to the point that you could stretch a fourteen foot rod over to the other bank. The current quickens a bit and this stretch of the river is consistently deep. Fishing with a weighed Icelandic nymph called Beykir (see www.krafla.is ) and a strike indicator, not exactly fishing upstream, yet flinging the fly upwards from the riverbank and allowing it to sink and dead drift, all the while eyes steady on the indicator, prompted bouts of fierce action, as we would frequently find pods of trout lying deep, and perhaps hook and land or loose 4-5 in quick succession.
What next on Stórulaugarpollur? Photo by Einar Falur.
Then perhaps a lull for half an hour until we found another pod. These trout, ranging from 1 to 3,5 pounds, caught using a weight 4, 8 foot rod, were sensational fun to deal with. One of them, a 2 pounder, surprised us by twice coming to the white indicator and snatching at it with a splash before realising that the fly was below and grabbing it on the third run. This perhaps should have shoved us into using dry flies but the indicator surveilance was just to thrilling to stop!
Another memorable encounter was on the pool Stórulaugarpollur, on the middle section of the upper river. A beautiful pool amidst breathtaking surroundings, the top of it was the domain of ten to twelve 3-4 pound browns.
A few for the barbicue from the bottom beat, Eyvindur, these taken on a small black variety of the local streamer Flaedarmus. Photo by gg.
These guys had seen it all and had to be handled with care. But whatever means we tried, approaching from above, from below, using upstream nymphs, traditionally swinging wet flies and streamers, dry flies, even a ridiculous attempt at dapping following some wading on our knees into supposed good positions of concealment, nothing worked. While the brownies of Eyvindur downstream were in a taking mood, these fellows were not, and never showed the slightest of interest.
It goes without saying that we are looking equally forward to meeting them again as the more succumbing fish on the bottom beat. This time we will get the better of them, we already have plans from T to Z up our sleeves if all the other ones fail to produce.
