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Being just 100km from Reykjavik, the West Ranga is easily reached. Just an hour’s drive from the capital puts you on one of the best salmon and brown trout rivers in Iceland.
Not a river for those looking for easy fishing or lots of fish. This is a river for hunting specimen brown trout that reach up to 20 lbs! You have to work for them.
A truly special place for those looking to target big, wild brown trout.
The West Ranga is very easy to get to, being just an hour or so from Reykjavik, or ninety minutes from Keflavik. This means you can arrive into Iceland the morning of fishing and leave in the afternoon of your final day, making it a great option for those on tight schedules.
Due to the nature of the river and its source, the West Ranga rarely fluctuates in height, colour or temperature, making it a very consistent river and a safe bet.
The river stays consistently cold throughout the season, equating to the trout not moving for small food items as this would burn more energy than they would gain. As such, most of the trout, especially the big ones, are very much meat-eaters!
This fishing is very much quality over quantity and you are hunting for specimens. Be prepared for blank days, which are highly possible if you have sunny, windless days. Prepare for a lot of casting too – you need to cover a lot of water to search out these big trout, especially as you’re not guaranteed that every one of them is feeding. When a fish takes it very much feels like a reward.
Do not expect to turn up and catch loads of fish every day – very much a case of quality over quantity. It is very much like specimen hunting rather than fishing and this is the mentality that you must arrive with, otherwise you will be disappointed. Make no mistake, the West Ranga holds that fish of a lifetime for you, but you need to work for them.
This is primarily streamer fishing and you need to be able to throw big streamers all day – searching every likely pot and pool. It is hard work, but the rewards are there given that these brown trout reach a massive size. Fish above 10 lbs are fairly common, with close to and above 20 lbs certainly a possibility.
Given their size, to reach this size and to sustain this size, they are meat-eaters. They will eat other trout, but their main diet is salmon par and smolts. You will often find them lurking around the salmon smolt pens, awaiting one to make a mistake. Three days would be the ideal trip length to spend on the West Ranga for trout, because beyond that it does become hard work throwing the big streamers all day. The river is ideally combined with other fishing in the area, such as the Highlands Lodge or fishing on the beautiful Minnivallalaekur River, which is a springcreek.
The river is located near the town of Hella on the south coast of Iceland. The main trout beats begin a couple of miles above the town and continue for many miles – this is above the main salmon fishing beats.
Accommodation can either be in the main West Ranga Lodge, which overlooks the most prolific salmon pool on the main river. Alternatively, you can be accommodated in nearby hotel. This is tailored to your requirements and budget.
Guiding can be added for an extra cost – there are highly experienced trout fishing guides that know the West Ranga intimately. A day with them is highly recommended, especially towards the beginning of your stay.
For costs and availability please CONTACT FishTravel, who will gladly assist you and advise you on the best time to visit.
