Introduction

Brown trout

Kingdom: Animalia / Phylum: Chordata / Class: Actinopterygil / Order: Salmoniformers / Family: Salmonidae / Genus: Salmo / Species: S.trutta

Brown trout (Salmo trutta) is a member of the salmon family, like salmon (Salmo salar) and char (Salvelinus alpinus). It lives either entirely in freshwater or in sea and freshwater and is then called sea trout. A lake-brown trout lives in a river for the first part of its life, but when it grows, it enters a lake. There it stays until puberty and then goes to a nearby stream to spawn. Brown trout food is various aquatic animals such as snails, Mayflies, black flies, and small fish, e.g., sticklebacks.

There are many known brown trout rivers in Iceland, and it suffices to mention Laxá in Þingeyjarsýsla, Litlaá in Kelduhverfi and Minnivallarlækur. There are also extremely rich trout lakes e.g., Lake Þingvallavatn, Veiðivötn and Skjálftavatn.

Brown trout fishing is a popular sport and the most popular areas are usually booked long in advance.

Seasons

The best time to fish for brown trout is in the spring and this starts a little earlier in the south of the country than in the north.  It is safe to say that the second half of May and the first half of June are the best times for rivers and lakes in the South- and West Iceland. In the North, on the other hand, the best time is a little later, all of June and the first part of July. Both in the south and in north Iceland, brown trout fishing in late August and early September can also be quite good

Fishing season in Iceland’s main brown trout rivers by region

Equipment

Rods

Small rivers, creeks, and most lakes: Rods that are 8′ – 9.6′ for line 2-6. Medium rivers: Rods that are 9′ – 9.6′ for line 5-7. Big rivers: Rods that are 9′ – 9.6′ and Switch rods about 11′. It is suitable to have lines from 6 – 8 

Leaders

As with fishing for Arctic char, the strength of the leader in brown trout fishing is mainly chosen according to the conditions and type of the fishing area. Whether it is small streams, heath-lakes or known big-brown trout areas in rivers and lakes, it is usually personal preference advice or gut feel that determine the choice of a leader

The girth and abrasion resistance of a leader used in trout fishing

Flies

Historically it was mainly wet flies and a few streamers that people used in brown trout fishing. Who does not remember Watson Fancy, Connemara Black, Alder, Alexandra, Bloody Butcher, and Red Tag? There are anglers who keep to the tradition and are still using these flies today. However, most people have stopped using them and most now use nymphs, particularly those with beadheads. The popularity and use of dry fly has increased in recent times.

Below are the most used flies in brown trout fishing in Iceland