Our reporting on Vatnsdalsa has been primarily focused on its huge reputation for big salmon. However what is well known in Iceland, yet not so well known abroad is its outstanding trout fishing.

Vatnsdalsa had a great season despite some spells of bad conditions, the total catch was 1.223 salmon, which is well over the rivers average catch over the last decade or so. Plus, the average weight of the salmon was by far the highes seen for quite a lot of years.

Most rivers in Iceland are doing very well this season despite some draught disruptions, however there is a lack of grilse in many of the northland rivers resulting in higher average weights than we have seen for many years. Which also means of course that there are more mws's around.

The usual huge suspects are being hooked and landed and released again on the Vatnsdalsa, as the fishing is picking up following some hot weather. Three of over 20 pounds were recently registered.

Vatnsdalsa started off quite well considering the conditions have not been at all favourable for the river. Never the less salmon were in by the numbers and seven were landed on the first two shifts, five big and good looking mws's and two very big grilse.

Several pools throughout Iceland are better than others. Starting as of now, we will have a look at a few of them. At first sight the Hnausastrengur on Vatnsdalsa looks like being the top producer. But perhaps further research will reveil a different pool. But until then…

As stated in an earlier news item, Vatnsdalsa registered a record season, thumping its older record by the dizzying total og ONE salmon! Whatever, a record is a record, and 2009 ranks as the all time outstanding season on Vatnsdalsa.

While observers were watching a host of other river break their previous records or come close to doing so, Vatnsdalsa crept up silently as a potential contender. And on the final morning of the season, the record was broken by one solitary salmon!

Apparently there are things you will see in Vatnsdalsa‘s pools that are not commonplace. Or perhaps they are, the tales simply do not get told. But here is a report from the very prolific Hamarshylur pool on Vatnsdalsa on a wet day several days ago.

An inexperienced angler on Vatnsdalsa learned the hard way recently, that you should allow your reel to slow down the salmons first run(s). He will have learned his lesson as he ended up with a cracked finger plus a bleeding wound. It did not stop him however....

Vatnsdalsa is producing its best fishing for years. Recently a gropup finished with 80 plus salmon and the river has exceeded 600 salmon with the traditionally best weeks only just starting about now! A tall tale was told on Vatnsdalsa‘s banks over the weekend, this new boy who had a big fish break off only to....

Vatnsdalsa is better than ever these days and every day is producing 22-26 salmon. It is the best early season over the eight years the current managers have operated the river.

Vatnsdalsa has finally shifted into top gear and the fishing has been so good over the past few days, that despite the slow start, the managers are now confirming that this is their best start to the season ever. What a difference a few days can make!

The fishing on Vatnsdalsa is still a bit slow but improving nevertheless, as weather conditions have become more favorable as well as runs obviously have been stepping up over the past few days.

Vatnsdalsa has been producing its usual twenty pounders already despite the fact that not many salmon have been caught yet. The fishing is trudging on and every day is producing some big ones. Two are in the twenty pound-region.

The starting group on Vatnsdalsa didn‘t start off all that well, being fishless after the first two shifts. But it was not the sign of what was to come, as the group went on to hook nine fish and land four of them, among them the biggest in Iceland so far, a 98 cm cock fish.

Several Icelandic rivers have bigger salmon than others. One of these elite rivers is the Vatnsdalsa. One of its main pools is a very famous one indeed, the Hnausastrengur, locally often called simply “Hnausi”. Every season is the same, it is full of fish and usually the biggest salmon are caught there.

The Atlantic salmon season of 2009 is fast building on the horizon. And it comes on the back of such a stunning record season that hardly anybody knows what to expect this year. But for the most part people have concluded that the coming season has a considerable margin for slipping from 2008 without losing a label of excellence.

Which flies to use in Iceland? You often hear that anglers going to Russian rivers use to great effect the same flies that fish well in Icelandic rivers. But you do not hear the reverse, that flies good on Russian rivers are that particularly good in Iceland. Belief of course plays its part, but there are a few stalwarts that you must use in Iceland.