June 15, 2025 – I always envisioned my retirement as a grand adventure, filled with travel to every continent alongside my lovely wife, Gina. My master plan? To cast my line into pristine waters across the globe while she indulges in her love for museums and hiking. Thank goodness Gina understands my obsession—she graciously accommodates my fly fishing whims, and in return, I promise to spend hours wandering through art galleries and scaling mountains. Fair trade, right?
At the Pleasanton Fly Show this past February, I was on a mission. My target? The Iceland Outfitters booth, where I hoped to book a day of fishing in Iceland after our cruise. Enter Harpa, my new best friend from Iceland Outfitters, who promised I’d be casting my line in no time.
Now, let me tell you about fly fishing in Iceland. It’s not just a hobby; it’s a spiritual experience! The rivers and lakes are like nature’s holy water, fed by glacial melt and springs, resulting in crystal-clear visibility. Seriously, it’s like sight fishing in a cathedral. You can see every fish, and they can see you too—no pressure!
Iceland’s brown trout are not just any fish; they come from Ice Age stock, making them some of the oldest lineages on the planet. And let me tell you, they grow big—think 20-pound monsters lurking in Lake Thingvallavatn. Just when you think you’ve caught the biggest one, another one makes you question your life choices.
But wait, there’s more! Iceland is also the prime spot for Arctic Char, which are stunning creatures with bright orange bellies and electric blue backs. These fish fight like they’ve had too much coffee, and they are as selective as a California trout during a midge hatch. I had a blast catching the little ones, who were as picky as a toddler at a vegetable buffet.
The summer fishing season is brief, from June to September, but with 24-hour daylight, you can fish at 2 AM in a surreal pink dreamscape. Just imagine casting your line surrounded by volcanoes and waterfalls, while secretly wondering if you’ve stumbled onto a movie set where Mars and Middle-Earth collide.
Now, let’s talk logistics. Many of Iceland’s best rivers are privately leased, meaning the fishing can be pricey but also pristine. Some spots come with personal guides and access to lodges—talk about luxury fishing!
Iceland is famous for its Atlantic salmon rivers, like the Laxa and the West Ranga. So, naturally, I booked a day of fly fishing at a local stream just half an hour outside of Reykjavik with Iceland Outfitters. I wanted to catch one fish on a fly on the Continent just to get a small taste of it. Gina kindly joined me, and I promised her that after catching just one fish, we’d go on our guided tour of the Golden Circle. Harpa set us up with a guide named Guojon, who brought all the gear I’d need—no packing required! I only brought a few flies, just to show off.
When we arrived at the Holaa River, I saw fish sipping midges along the shore. It looked like a Montana dream, except instead of trout, it was Arctic Char enjoying a fine midge meal on top. The fish were picky eaters, so I rigged up the smallest fly that the guide had provided -a #16 zebra midge with a huge screw on indicator and started casting. Spoiler alert: No bites. In the land of the Ancient Midges, you would think they would be into smaller size flies, but like the large landscapes, the Artic Char flies were in my opinion on the large side.
In a fit of desperation, I rummaged through my fly box for something size 20. There was nothing in my box or my guides box that small. But my fishing shirt still had a couple flies snagged on it from fishing Midges at Hendrson Springs in February. I have to confess I use my shirt as a fly patch when I get excited which drives Gina crazy washing them. Eureka, I found a leftover #20 chironomid snagged in my collar and tied it on my lightest tippet (4x uhg!). Also, I half-hitched some wool to use as an indicator replaceing the grenade ones supplied, and voila! I caught my first Icelandic Char. Success!
Between fishing trips, I explored the local fly shops, trying to learn what the locals are using on their spey rods for salmon. I even bought a couple of recommended flies, including some intriguing tube flies with gold treble hooks. They showed me a special top-water pattern that skimmed across the water—definitely something to try back home. The really like small flies for there giant salmon. – size 10 to 14 trebles on their tube flies.
I was amazed to find a huge selection of Squirmy Wormies here on the other side of the world—who knew fluorescent rubber spaghetti had gone global? It’s like discovering your weird uncle’s dance moves have gone viral in Japan. I thought I was a connoisseur of the wiggly arts back home, but apparently the international worm scene has evolved—these Squirmies had more colors, more squirm, and possibly more frequent flyer miles than I do. Go figure, tons of rubber bands but no small midges. I dont even think the fly shops sells anything less than 4x.
Iceland is a treasure trove for fly fishing enthusiasts, with Arctic Char that rival any trout in the U.S. and sea-run brown trout that could make you weep with joy. Harpa suggested a 10-day stay with a mix of Atlantic salmon, lake browns, and Arctic Char fishing—now that sounds like a plan!
The only downside? Iceland is pricey, with everything from lodging to food costing an arm and a leg. But hey, it’s a new tourism hotspot thanks to the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull. And rumor has it that nearly every river in Iceland is teeming with fish, making it a DIY fishing paradise. Iceland is the newest land mass on the planet and some of the streams get flushed or boiled away by Lava and Glacial Floods every couple years. Kind of like a reset for watershed. The one thing that seems to survive are midges and as long as they are the primary food source, the growth rate of the Char and Browns rivals Lake Strobal .
For my friends that might just end up in Reykocich for a couple days, give Iceland Outfitters a call and Harpa will make a day on a rive so easy, all you have to do is show up in the lobby. Oh, and did I mention that the total solar eclipse will pass closely over Iceland next year? That might just be the perfect excuse to go back and cast my line once again!
