Breiddalsa - brown trout
Beautifull holding water on the upper Breiddalsa. Photo by Heimir Óskarsson.
Breiddalsa is a pretty substantial river by volume emerging from the east coast mountains. On its own it is a real river but the tributary Tinnudalsa adds to the volume and from then on many indeed prefer double handed rods during the salmon season. Not so though above the junction. Apart from being a top salmon river with one of Iceland’s highest average weight, Breiddalsa is an excellent brown trout and sea char river as well.
Breiddalsa´s surroundings are something else and anglers really need to see it to believe it. We have here a lush fertile farmland valley embraced by the most scenic and awesome mountain ranges complete with the sort of craggy tops that they in fact resemble troops of trolls watching over the valley and its anglers.
The brown trout and sea char fishery opens on May 1rst and is fished until September 30th. The beat changes though. Early on, six rods rotate the bottom of the river featuring the huge estuary lagoon and several of the bottom pools, and the upper Breiddalsa, above the Upper Beljandi falls. Up there you’ll find pristine and thrilling brown trout water, one pool after another over mile after mile. Plenty of good sized fish. When the salmon season starts on July 1rst, the brown trout fishery falls into the salmon beats and three rods continue fishing exclusively for the char in the lagoon at the bottom of the river. During spring when the beats are fished with six rods the superb Breiddalsa lodge is part of the deal, self catered or with full service upon request.
Beautiful river, stunning surroundings. Photo from Strengir outfitter.
The upper Breiðdalsá is unblemished fly water. One pool after another, the length of the upper valley. Up until July 1rst the fishing up there is exclusively for the brown trout. Although that date marks the start of the salmon season, salmon hardly arrive this far up until at least middle to late July. So the browns have the river to themselves until the Atlantics arrive. When the salmon have arrived you may need to fish a little further down to find browns, or try the top of the run. Whichever and even both ways, they are there and if you wish to find them you will because they are plentiful and offer great sport alongside the salmon.
