Laxá in Laxardalur, Iceland

Guided Fly Fishing for Large Brown Trout 

Laxa in Myvatn or Thingeyjarsyslu is the same river as that of the famous almon beat, Laxá in Adadal, (in English often called simply the Big Laxá). Upstream from the main salmon beats the Big Laxá  is a truly a world class brown trout destination for fly fishermen. Two of the very best beats are Myvatnssveit and Laxardalur, both located above the hydro electric dam at Bru. Both beats are fished with multiple rods and have separate full service lodges, the upper one called Hof, the lower one called Rauðholar. 

Laxardalur is the lower beat just above the dam. The river in the valley is totally different than upstream. It no longer winds along divided in many channels. At the top of the beat  its waters have gathered strength and flow down the valley like a tide. It is wide and fast flowing and anglers need to take care while wading. The brown trout tend to be slightly less numerous  than in Myvatnssveit but the average weight is higher. Towards the middle of the beat the waters slow and the wading is easier.

The first couple of weeks after the season opening in June are usually the best dates for larger fish. The river tends to carry more water and fishing streamers usually produce the best results. As we reach the end of June surface activity increases, July being prime time for dry fly fishing. During sunny days in mid summer we will find large pods of trout in the 16 to 20+ inch range sipping down midges just feet from the river bank. These are large wily and very selective trout. The dilemma of fly fishermen will often be whether to go with lighter tippets and small midge imitations to fool them more easily but risk breaking, or to go with heavier tippet and larger flies. Generally it is not recommendable to go any lighter than a 4x tippet as  the first thing these fish will do when hooked is head for the nearest rock and wrap your leader around it. A delicate approach with long leaders can make all the difference towards success. Though at times, a big fly such as a Madam X on size 8 hook with a 2 or 3x tippet will also bring success, especially in facter flowing water.