Wilderness brown trout paradice
A typical brown from Upper Selá, aprox 2 pounds.
Iceland is blessed with some of the worlds best trout fishing. We have wild brown trout, sea trout, Arctic char of quality that goes unsurpassed. Last summer we had a look into the interiour and found some outstanding brown trout fishing.
We took two days looking far into the remote headwaters of the river Sela in Vopnafjordur. Further down, Sela is one of Icelands best salmon rivers. The owners and outfitters have opened up the top half of the river with a fish ladder in the Efrifoss. In recent years they have been releasing salmon pairs for natural spawning above the falls, but as of now the salmon will make the dash for it themselves. The new area has outstanding spawning qualities so people in the area are pretty excited that the Sela will eventually become a salmon river further up. That could mean the end of a brown trout fishery and we wanted to have a look at it before it was to late. We had heard a lot of good things about the trout in the headwaters but it is tough going, an enourmos amount of hiking and lurching about in a 4x4.
We had great luck with the weather, sunny days that cooled sufficiently towards the evenings so that some wiffs of fog came out to mingle with the rays of the evening sun. This was toward the middle of August so there was some darkness come midnight.
Outstanding scenery on a beautiful day.
The twilight zone, late evening sun along with fog.
At the end of the track, some 6 kilometers above the foss/fishladder, we started hiking. Over wetlands, rough rocky terrain, up and down hills. Ten kilometers upstream we came upon a fishy looking slow flowing pool. We decided to stop there and fish ourselves downstream, trying every nook and cranny in the river. It had for the most part appeared to be broad, fast, rocky and shallow. To few pools, but a lot of pocketwater. But at the start of the fishing sojurn, a fine looking pool. There were the two of us, both equipped with weighed 5 Sage rods, and we started off with small weighed pink Nobblers. As it turned out, there was at no point any reason to change flies.
First one from the main pool.
The startoff pool appeared to be full of fish and the they were not put down until we had hooked and landed ten browns and lost another few. These where very fine fish ranging to 4 pounds. But most of them were 1-2 pounders, pure beautilful wild brown trout. The strikes were vicious, they then took to the air and fought fiercely. All were released bar two that were kept for a barbeque dinner at our mountain hut that evening. Only though as they inflicted inury on themselves by swallowing the flies deep.
Two for the barbecue.
A spot of fly tying in the hut, prior to sleep.
Over the return trek back to the 4x4 we found pockets here and there. Ususally hooked 1 to 3 browns in each pocket. They came freely to the fly and each pocket was quickly fished. Everywhere there was the oustanding scenery and wildlife, minks skirting the rivervanks, a falcon after a ptarmigan and a Harlequin with several chicks on a small tributary. All in all we were enveloped in a sense of total freedom in a fishing paradise. You might want bigger fish, but enough is enough.
A glimpse into the fly box.
Back at the 4x4 we still had a rather long drive back to the hut, nestling at a sprawling mountain lake. Several hundred Whooper swans had made the lake their late summer haunt and their constant trumpeting along with a wailing Great Northern Diver made up for a very strange backdrop as the evening fog settled in, muting everything in the process, almost allowing you to hear the stillness.. Following the consumption of the two trout, we later hardly remembered crawling into our sleeping bags.
This mink was among the abundant wildlife encountered.
The next day we traveled along some very difficult paths, using a GPS, overland, directly north from the hut and hit the river 2-3 kilometers above our main producing pool from the day before. We walked the length to the top pool, only this time we only hooked and landed one trout. The pool did not seem to have recovered from our previous visit although all but two of the trout landed there were still alive and well in the pool. Along the way was the typical pocket water, usually at the end of a foaming white runs. These pockets and small pools provided us again with constant action. Back at the 4x4 we lurched along upstream, jumping out at the sight of fishy looking runs and pockets. Climbing upp and down steep hills to fish them. Most of the time we were hooking browns of the same size as the day before. This time we did more driving than walking and fished at least seven more kilometers, some seventeen in all over both days.
Typical Upper Selá pocket water.
Early evening we were on our knees and hit the path back to the hut, Along the way we were treated with the breathtaking sight of several huge racked reindeer that stopped at the top of a ridge and gave us a suspicious look. The reindeer season was already in motion and for all they knew we were hunters and they dod not stop for long. Did not want to find out the hard way.
A nice one being hauled out, later to be put back in again!
Back at the hut, more barbecued dinner, eaten outside in the fog, under swan hooting and sorrowful wailing of loons. Then, another typically dreamless sleep born of total exhaustion. This is fishing for the fit. Iceland is riddled with wilderness fishing like this. Many spots produce even better fishing than this. Much better. Bigger fish, more fish. Breathless scenery, endless hiking and lurching. While we were in awe over the scenery, the freedom and the beauty of it all, we were actually not that happy with the river itself. We felt it did not have to many pools. To much pocket water. Not on par with the outstanding quality of the salmon fishing downstream. Thinking thus, though shows how spoilt we can get up here. We hardly give a three pound brown trout a second glance before we either release it or whack it over the head for later consumption. We have more than enough of this to share.
