Time: 5:00PM – 7:30PM
Location: Pools 51, 50, and 46.5
Myrarkvisl River 05/19/2023 Photo Album
After getting acclimated at the lodge I met my guide, Gilbert, and I found waders and wading boots with a perfect fit for my small stature. I was concerned about this issue, but the waders and boots actually fit better than my own. As we prepared to depart for an evening of fishing, the wind howled, and I was skeptical that we would even fish. I wore my long sleeve Columbia undershirt, a fishing shirt, my melanzana fleece hoodie, my light down North Face parka, and a rain shell; and I was comfortable for my 2.5 hours on the water.
Gilbert is a guide from Sweden in his fifth year of guiding with Iceland Fishing Guides, and we piled into his “new” used Toyota Four Runner with 210,000 miles. During the course of the 2.5 hours we passed through three crude farm gates, and we moved from pool to pool. I think we covered four such sections on the river.
Reminded Me of the North Platte
The fishing approach did not vary, only the casting. I was offered an eight weight rod with a weight forward head, and the working end contained a black ghost size 6. Gilbert ties his own flies, and the black ghost was one of his own. I spent my time shooting casts across or at a forty-five degree angle, and then stripping the streamer back in a big arc across the current. The pools were generally deep slower moving troughs, but I also applied this technique to a couple nice deep entering riffles at the top of the pools.
Holding the Prize
In the second pool, as I paused the retrieve at the end of the swing, I felt a forceful bump, and reacted with a swift hookset. The fight was on, and after a spirited battle I edged a gorgeous silvery and spotted brown trout into Gilbert’s net. Needless to say, I was thrilled with this start to my Iceland adventure. Prior to the first catch, I also experienced a very brief bump, and Gilbert said it was a short strike. A short swirl was another predecessor to my landed trout.
Number Two
After a second pool we dropped into an area with steeper banks, and Gilbert had me switch to roll casting because of the high wind. Eventually the cross wind became so ridiculous, that I was executing (poorly) a form of spey casting with a downstream roll cast, and then an upstream flip and then a roll. In the third pool, which I assessed as the best, there was a nice deep boil above a series of stream improvement rocks. I made several swings through the pool, and we spotted a single swirl five feet above the rocks. Gilbert helped me swing the streamer through the area of the swirl with verbal direction, and a strong smash ensued. Wham! I stripped and connected with a fat seventeen inch brown. The fight followed, and I succeeded in landing the beast.
Sheep Jam
By the fourth pool the wind accelerated to dangerous levels, and Gilbert suggested that we call it a day, so we headed back to the lodge for dinner. Friday was a great introduction to my Iceland fishing adventure.
Fish Landed: 2