Iceland – The Land of Fire & Ice, and Big Browns
Part III – Fishing the Highlands Near Húsafell
In July of 2025 I was blessed to be able to take my first fly fishing trip to Iceland. This article is the third in a four part series recounting my experience there, including what went well and what I will do differently when I return. Part One explained the planning and logistics of the trip, while Part Two was about my fly fishing on the northern coast near Akureyri and Húsavík. This article covers my day of fishing in the Highlands region and then Part Four will describe the other non-fishing highlights of the trip.
The Highlands region of Iceland is the term used for the main interior of the country, as opposed to the valleys and rivers along the coast. To describe fishing in the Highlands would be similar to trying to describe the fishing in the state of Colorado. It’s complex. It’s not just one little area with a few rivers and lakes. It is a large region, with a lot of variety, that would take a lifetime to explore. I was staying with my wife in a hotel in Húsafell, and had just one day to fish while she spent the day getting over her jetlag, having just arrived in Iceland the day before. So I didn’t have a lot of time. I had obtained a one day fishing permit for a day of DIY fishing in an area called the Arnarvatnsheiði region. I obtained the permit through Fish Partner, one of the two primary booking partners and guiding services in Iceland that markets here in the United States. They were extremely helpful and responsive to all my questions as I prepared for the trip. They provided me with maps, instructions where to park, and even recommended certain lakes and rivers. This proved critical because with the countless number of lakes and rivers in the area, I wouldn’t have had any idea where to go without their help. Fish Partner has access to many rivers and lakes in Iceland and I highly recommend them, whether it’s for a fully guided trip or for DIY fishing. Without question I will be enlisting their services in the future.
The day started with my wife and I driving to Húsafell from the northern coast, so we didn’t arrive at our hotel until about 10:00 AM. It wasn’t exactly the early start that I like while on fishing trips. This trip, however, was now transitioning to a wonderful vacation with my wife. So it was beginning to have a slightly different feel than the locked-in, all day, fishing I had just finished up near Húsavík. After checking-in and unloading all of our suitcases, I was finally able to leave the hotel for fishing around 11:00 AM. The Arnarvatnsheiði region was about an hour’s drive from the hotel by way of one of Iceland’s F-Roads. F-Roads is the term given to the dirt roads in Iceland that require a 4 X 4 vehicle. I rented a Suzuki Jimny, which are allowed on the F-Roads, but may not be used for river crossings. If you are planning on fishing the Highlands of Iceland, be sure to know which F-Roads you’ll be driving on and make sure you have an appropriate vehicle. If there are river crossings, which many of them have, you will need a 4 X 4 that is capable of make those crossings. I knew that where I was going in the Arnarvatnsheiði region that the Jimny would get me there, but I did make sure to first double-check this with Fish Partner, when I made my booking.
You can see from the picture above what the weather was like on the day I fished in the Highlands. It felt like I was in a cloud, with intermittent rain throughout the day. When you come to fish Iceland, you need to be prepared for weather like this because you can count on having at least a few days socked-in with rain. It’s not a problem if you’re prepared. I actually enjoyed it. It made this day a memorable one, and I actually enjoy fishing in the rain. The only drawback regarding the weather was that this region sits at the base of a massive, glacier-capped, mountain that I unfortunately never saw! The roads developed puddles by the end of the day but I was never concerned about getting stuck or stranded.
The lakes and rivers in the Arnarvatnsheiði region of the Highlands are full of strong, healthy, brown trout and Arctic char. I had shared a lodge the previous week with some anglers who had just finished fishing this exact same area that I was about to fish. They were a group of friends visiting from Germany who I hope to fish with, together, someday. We had a lot of fun sharing stories about trips we’d taken. In regard to their experience fishing this specific region, they circled on a map for me the exact location where they had had great success. It was the outlet stream below one of the many lakes. That spot became my goal, since I only had one afternoon and evening to fish.
When I arrived at the part of Norðlingafljót I was to focus on, I parked my Jimny, got into my boots and waders, rigged-up my rod, strapped-on my hip pack and net, and set off to fish. What a wonderful feeling! I was parked about a mile downstream of my target destination, with a smaller lake about halfway up the system. The river was a slow, deep channel, that I fished as I worked my way upstream. I didn’t catch any fish. In hindsight, I wish I had taken more time with this section. I fished as I walked, but never really stopped to try different patterns or methods. I’m sure there were fish in that section of the river, and nice fish. It’s one of the many things I will do differently if I’m ever fortunate enough to return to this area. I was using a stimulator pattern to start with, and then I switched to a Chernobyl Ant pattern. That is what my friends on the northern coast had recommended, but like I said, I caught nothing.
When I arrived at the smaller lake in the system, I didn’t spend time fishing the main body of the lake, but headed straight for the inlet. The lake looked pretty shallow, but I could see there was a good flow coming into it. I thought there might be some fish stacked-up there. I decided to put on one of my favorite combinations that I use here in Colorado. I tied on an Amy’s Ant, then about 3 feet of leader, and then a black Mayer’s Mini Jig Leach. Fish in Iceland are said not to be leader shy, so I was using 3X leader. This was nice because I was never really worried about the fish breaking my line. Almost immediately I had a fish on. It had taken the leach pattern and was screaming out towards the middle of the lake. It’s one of those fish that I’ll never forget. Not because of its size, but because of the setting. Here I was in the middle of the Icelandic Highlands, fishing in a mist as if I was in the clouds themselves. It was quiet, peaceful, with the only sound being the hissing sound of the mist hitting the lake. Then, the silence was broken by the sound that only a Hardy reel can make, as the fish pulled line from my reel. I was careful, not wanting to lose the fish, which eventually came to my net after a good long fight. It was a brown trout of about 19″ with beautiful spots. I continued to work the inlet area for another 30 minutes without success, so I decided to continue working upstream towards my primary destination. Like the section of river below, I wish I had spent more time fishing this inlet. I’ve since learned that this is a great spot to fish, holding both brown trout and Arctic char, some of them growing quite large. I wish I had spent more time there, just like the river section below, trying different methods and different patterns for the nice fish that were undoubtedly there.
Most of the river above the small lake was pocket water that didn’t hold large fish. I caught quite a few, but they were in the 8″ – 10″ range so I moved up this section of the river quickly. As I approached the big lake, the river slowed and deepened into a really nice even channel of water. This was the spot I had targeted, and it looked promising. Right away I caught fish. Nice fish. Browns that once caught, started peeling line out of my reel as they headed straight up-river, trying to get back to the lake above. As in the small lake below, they fell for the black leach pattern. It wasn’t a long stretch of water, so I was only there for about 40 minutes, but it was a lot of fun.
Unfortunately, this marked the end of the good fishing on this particular day. Having had success in the inlet section of the small lake below, I decided I wanted to try to fish the inlet section of this lake also. The problem was that it was a much larger lake than I anticipated and I underestimated the amount of time that it would take to walk around it in order to get to the inlet. It was a slow walk, over a lot of spongy, soggy, uneven ground. I spent about an hour walking around it to get to the inlet. Then when I got there what I found was an extremely shallow bay with very little current. It didn’t look good at all from a fishing standpoint. Further upstream there was another chain of lakes that I was told was good fishing. I started walking upstream, but wasn’t sure how long it would take. Every step I took meant a longer hike back to my car. I fished the stream as I went, pulling a few small trout out along the way, but wasn’t sure if I should keep going or if I should try to get back to my wife to have dinner with her. We had an understanding that I might fish well into the night, but I also wanted to be with her and not leaver her all alone at the hotel. So when I was about half way to the next chain of lakes I decided to turn back. I knew I could fish that first, smaller, lake on the way back, where I knew there would be fish. It took me about an hour to get back to that spot and I unfortunately didn’t catch any fish. Again, not knowing then what I’ve come to learn later, that is that it actually held a LOT of great fish, I wish I had fished it longer. I was content though. I had caught a lot of wonderful fish and in a setting that I’ll never forget. It’s a place I definitely want to return to someday. I learned a lot and I believe I will fish it even more successfully when I return.
Takeaways: The Highlands is a massive area with a countless number of lakes and rivers worth exploring. Fishing coastal rivers for Atlantic salmon and sea-run browns will be the priority for most anglers, but don’t forget the Highlands. When planning an Iceland fishing trip, consider combining the two. Fishing both the coastal regions and the Highlands region on the same trip will make for a wonderful experience because of the variety of fishing that anglers will enjoy. In regard to the Highlands region, consult Fish Partner for recommendations where to go. They have several rivers they guide anglers on. They also can recommend places to do some DIY fishing and will assist in obtaining a permit. I’m even considering taking my backpacking gear with me the next time I visit the Highlands. Camping in the Arnarvatnsheiði region of the Highlands is permitted.
When I go back, I want to be more careful with how I spend my time. During this trip to the Highlands I lost a lot of precious time walking around a large lake that wasn’t producing fish. If I had had several days in that area, losing a few hours wouldn’t have been significant. With only one day available to me, I should have used my time more wisely. I should have spent more time on the quality sections that I had found, working those areas with different methods and different flies to catch the large fish that were there. In order to fish the other chain of lakes that had been recommended to me, it would have been faster to walk back to my car and then drive upstream. I actually could have accomplished both in one day had I not lost all that time circling the large lake on foot. There is so much good water to cover that it’s not wise to spend too much time on water that’s not productive.
When I go back I’d like to make sure to have three days in the area. There is one major river in Arnarvatnsheiði called the Norðlingafljót River. With one of those days I’d like to spend the entire day fishing the Norðlingafljót for its large brown trout and Arctic char. Then I’d like to spend the other two days exploring several of the other lake chains and their connecting streams, just as I did this last time. With three full days I think I could really start to get to know the area a little better. This last July I was there such a short time that all it really did was wet my appetite to go back. There is so much to explore there. What’s amazing to me is that the Arnarvatnsheiði region is only one of many, many, regions in the Iceland Highlands worth exploring. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of water in Iceland. The sheer number of lightly fished rivers and lakes that have wonderful fishing is staggering.
Fish Partner has a few rustic cabins in the Arnarvatnsheiði region that can be rented. To save money, as I mentioned earlier, camping is also an option. The drawback of camping is having to deal with the inclement weather that is almost certain to be a factor. If you are considering fishing the Highlands, consult with Fish Partner and let them help you plan your trip. The are experts at it, friendly, and easy to work with.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you’re considering taking a trip to Iceland to go fly fishing. My email address is bpflyfishing86@gmail.com. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about the fishing portion of my trip. Also, please keep a lookout for the final article in this series that I’m planning on writing soon. It will review the second week I spent in Iceland with my wife, touring the country in a campervan. If you click the subscribe button below you will receive an automatic email letting you know when this article is posted to the site. Also, please follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook by clicking those icons below.
