Iceland is not just about world class Atlantic salmon fishing. It also has some unbelievable trout fishing, nothing short of world class. Some of it in fact has no competition. There are sea trout rivers which hold native sea trout, not fish brought across the Atlantic, there are the “Ice age” brown trout, monsters from the past. Also, stationary and sea run Arctic char. We had a chat with the outfitters of Fish Partner ehf. and they told us about their highland paradise.
Their highland Paradise is the river Kaldakvísl which is not a small stream at all, but a sizeable river that used to be glacial yet was turned due to the erecting of hydroelectric stations nearby. That called for the glacial element to be turned away and led elsewhere. There is also the river Tungná which is a real gem in its own right but does tend to muddy up now and then. For many who fish these parts, the river Tungná is the favourite, with its gin clear water running deep through channels with cliffs on both sides. There, you see the huge char and the odd even bigger browns holding and best thing to do is get beneath them and throw a weighed nymph upstream. Let it sink and float seemingly dead at them. And the moment they react and gobble up the nymph will send shivers down your spine.
But the mainstay is the river Kaldakvísl. From early spring and well into the autumn it may be successfully fished. The bottom beat (of three) mostly holds large char and the upstream fishing is the best way to connect with them. Here you are not sight fishing like in river Tungná, so you need a strike indicator. Early on this beat is outstanding and as summer grows out of spring, the char moves further upstream, making the whole beat an outstanding option.
As brilliant as the bottom beat is, the middle beat is the one that has caught our attention. Part of it is in a deep, stunning gorge, with rapids, waterfalls and smooth glides in between. This is water that was totally virgin until the Fish Partner team took it on.
Gunnar Örn Petersen, the chairman of Fish Partner ehf. told us that an adventure had come knocking when a group of foreign clients asked them to arrange a boat trip down the gorges. Having scanned the area, they decided that this might in fact be possible. But very, very difficult and even a bit dangerous. But with everyone looking after one another, plus careful planning, they made the trip.
Fish Partner now have a highland lodge and further options, so if our readers are looking for something different, look no further.