Vatnsdalsa

Vatnsdalsa is big fish country as the photos imply. They are all from last season.

Vatnsdalsa is one of the best salmon rivers in Iceland, and famous for its big salmon. Its origins are in the interior with the main sources being on the pristine and unpolluted moorlands Auðkuluheidi and Grimstungheidi, the word “heiði” being Icelandic for moorlands, to the south and above Vatnsdalur. The valley itself is difficult to rival for breathtaking scenery and among the sights are the famed Vatnsdalsholar, one of three uncountable phenomena’s in Iceland. The “hólar” are the remnants of a catastrophic avalanche which wiped out several farms. What’s left is this uncountable number of hills and hillocks. The other uncountable phenomena’s in Iceland are the lakes of Arnarvatnsheidi and the islands of Breidafjordur.

Salmon can run some 40 kilometers upriver, to the dramatic waterfall Dalsfoss, having on their way negotiated a fish ladder in Stekkjarfoss. Two lakes well downstream, Hunavatn and Flodid, are not salmon water although the river runs through them, and a middle beat, approximately twelve kilometers in length, is prime char water, with some brown trout, and a fair number of sea trout and salmon. It I sold separately The main salmon beats, three in number, are consequently twenty kilometers in length, with more than four dozen named pools, and are fished with seven rods only, giving each angler over two and a half kilometers of water, on the average.

That is a lot of space and a lot of pools at your disposal every given shift. Some of the rivers more famous pools rank among the best in the country and their names pop up every season when news of the biggest salmon in the country start to circulate. Hnausastrengur is the most famous and among others we could name Hólakvörn, Torfhvammshylur, Rofabakki and Búbót.

Far up, in “foss”country, the river pounds with power through a long sweeping canyon and the pools are fast and challenging. Further down the river slows down and many of the pools are slow languid with cut grass banks on one side and a gravel beach on the other. This is prime fly fishing water and ideal for light tackle despite the big fish reputation. Let it be noted that many pools in the upper river are outstanding for char and sea trout as well as salmon so if you don’t hook a salmon you may well end up hooking a big trout and the light tackle will then come in handy.

In 1964 the famous English angler and angling author, John Ashley-Cooper, signed a ten-year lease, which was later extended for another three years. He permitted fly-fishing only during the time he was on the river himself.  At the time of signing, the landowners decided to build a modern lodge, which was given the name Flodvangur. This made Vatnsdalsa Iceland’s first fly only river. The rule was later abolished by new tenants but put back in practice in 1997 and has since then not only been fly only but Iceland’s first ever catch and release salmon fishery as well.

Taking into account that Vatnsdalsa produces anywhere from 700 to 1.200 fish in a three month season, half of which are salmon and not grilse, it is easy to understand why the river is held in such high regard by the international fly fishing fraternity.

The Vatnsdalsa lodge is the modern and newly refurbished Flodvangur were everything is to the liking of the clients. It is beautifully placed at the edge of the picturesque Vatnsdalsholar and by the side of a lovely woodland park named Thordisarlundur in honor of one of the valleys first settlers.