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Sorry all - not really sure why the width of this is ridiculous. Posted fine on other forums. :S
When asked by fellow anglers where it is that I enjoy fishing, there can be few comparisons made to the exclusive sport that is on offer in the country of Iceland. As anglers we dream of red letter sessions – 100lb+ bags and nonstop action – where in reality few of us ever really experience it with any real consistency. Local knowledge and watercraft plays a significant part in ensuring success wherever you fish, and despite a well maintained fishery, Iceland is no exception. Admittedly it isn’t the kind of place where you can just turn up on your own budget and expect to bag up – indeed a few have tried and failed
However – invest in the service of a guide and you will quickly realise why people have said it is impossible to blank in Iceland. The fishing can be completely daft and is like fishing in the UK on steroids.
Double figure cod, coalfish and wolf fish
Dabs, whiting and haddock over 3lb
Plaice over 6lb
Plus a whole host of rare surprises in the shape of Long Rough Dabs, Starry rays, Redfish, sea run Arctic Char and Halibut to name a few.
Couple this with fishing in breath taking scenery and you will experience the true magnificence that those who have visited Iceland describe. Baits in the water for less than 10 seconds and suddenly you’re dragging in a triple shot of large cod!
Seek out local Guide Steven Mason – a fish filleted by trade - who has lived in Iceland exclusively for the last 13 years and dotted about working in various places, including Norway. Steve will tell you that if you want the chance at that one MONSTER fish then Norway is the place to be, but if you want quantity and a truly spectacular fishing experience, Iceland is by far the better place to be.
If booking a trip through Steve you will be able to do the lot for around £800 – including booking your own flights, then it’s down to your own discretion how much money you wish to take over for yourself. Personally I’ve found that £200 spending money is too much, you’d have to be buying a significant amount in order to go through this, but each to their own.
After flying from Edinburgh to Keflavik Airport - Steve will meet you in the airport lounge and drive you 5 hours north to Brimnes Cabins - ólafsfjöršur.
These are your digs for the week, set in a small town at one of the northernmost points of Iceland. Your cabin is bordered by a small brackish inlet within which you can catch Arctic Char and Brown Trout on spinners, bait and fly tackle. Eyjafjöršur (the largest fjord in Icleand) is minutes away with a whole host of marks where you can fish out of the back of the car. All marks are easy access for the disabled angler.
Another benefit of having Steve as a guide is exclusive rod hire – all top of the range century rods, meaning the worries of rods being lost in transit is immediately lifted. You need only take your reels, rigs and various bits of terminal gear should you feel the need.
It is advisable to load reels with 30lb straight through – as distance is not required on any mark you fish and a standard lob will see you amongst plenty of big fish. For those who still prefer the use of a shock leader though – it does have the added advantage of being easier to lift fish should the situation call for it, though Steve always has the drop net ready.
On the subject of Rigs – I would suggest doing away with single hook/pennel set ups for Iceland. There really is no need as you will generally be fishing clean ground – though there is access at some marks to rough round where these setups can give you a slight advantage.
Standard set up here is a 2 or 3 hook flapper – loaded with hooks between 2/0 and 4/0 depending on the target species. Though the flatfish are large here, they are still far better targeted using smaller hooks and as such, I always keep a few of my rigs loaded with size 1s also when targeting plaice/dabs. There really is no need to go smaller than this however. Make sure your hooks are strong, as they will put up with a lot of abuse here in Iceland and you want them to last!
Myself and Andy Copeland have been to Iceland once before – and this time we were accompanied by fellow angler, Anth Holmes. In the interest of keeping Steve’s business alive I won’t name specific marks we fished
But here is a summary of the weeks catch.
Day 1 – we couldn’t move for Cod. We fished a local mark which, from last year’s visit, we’ve branded as a decent venue to “settle in” to the pace of fishing in Iceland. Often when arriving at a mark you will cast your first baits and have to wait a short while to build up a scent trail for the shoals to home in on. By a short while I mean no more than 5 minutes generally before sport quickly picks up, and you find you don’t even have time to put your rod back on the stand before its being pulled out of your hands. This was instantly the case on the first day, as even on the first chuck, fish came within seconds and we were soon being reminded of what was in store for the rest of the week. By the end of the day we’d easily amassed over 150 fish between 4 of us, with the best of the Cod going between 8 and 9lb and the occasional coalfish to over 4lb. We’d had most fish on the big rods, but had all taken a break at various points to fish with spinning rods and shads, enjoying constant sport from the same stamp of fish.
Day 2 – probably my favourite mark to fish in Iceland, around an hour and a half drive from the digs so a bit further out compared to most of the marks. But here you can enjoy some spectacular plaice fishing – and is where my current PB plaice comes from at 6lb. Average size of these fish is between 2 and 3lb with plenty of Dabs in the same league to keep you on your toes. Not many anglers can boast that they have reeled in a triple shot of 3 dabs for 8lb – or a triple shot of 3 plaice with a combined weight of over 11lb (Yours truly on our 2015 visit!)
On this day, the Dabs were ravenous, which unfortunately meant that the plaice were having to compete hard for the baits and weren’t in the numbers they were last year. However we had some stunningly marked fish up to 3lb – with a fair few bonus Coalfish and Cod to 8lb thrown in.
On the way back Steve treats us to some spectacular views at the 2nd biggest waterfall in Iceland - noršurland eystra.
Day 3 – on to another favourite mark in Iceland with access to deep water at your feet. The depth here at high water is in excess of 100ft and can therefore throw anything at you. Again the big dabs were ravenous, but we also managed more codling as well as a few bonus fish – Anth’s first ever wolf fish at 4lb, Andy’s first ever long rough dab at over 2lb and a Plaice for myself around 3lb. Plaice aren’t often seen on this mark so it’s a bonus. By this point myself and Andy in particular are wanting to add a wolf fish to our species list, as neither of us managed to find one on our last visit.
Day 4 – staying local, we start a little differently today float fishing on a local pier for big coalfish – and they don’t disappoint in terms of quantity. Plenty of fish down the side on the float, with some approaching 6lb and really testing your light gear. These fish fight pound for pound better than virtually anything else swimming here and give us some great fun. On the big rods, we cant move for the big Dabs, which are frankly becoming a bit of a nuisance in the pursuit for a wolf fish! But its really hard to dislike them when they’re this size, a dab in excess of 3lb is just unheard of back home whereas here most of them are approaching that weight!
Eventually, around an hour before we intend to leave, the codling do come back on and we have some fun with fish going to over 6lb – triple and double shotting on most casts.
On the evening we decide to have a few more hours at another local mark – catching more decent cod and Andy and Steve managed to bag a small wolf fish each. Unfortunately im not having the same luck, but im managing to get in amongst the cod and dabs as usual and even hook a belter of a sea run Char – est around 3lb – only for it to come off at my feet!
Day 5 – something completely different and new today – we’re heading off to Grimsey Island to the north of the mainland and home to some completely daft Cod fishing. What makes the journey alone is the scenery, allowing you to view the main fjord from a different perspective. Additionally, if you’re going to see a whale in Iceland, then what better place to be than on a ferry! They don’t disappoint either, with Minkie whales making an appearance on the way to the island, and Andy managing to capture a once in a lifetime shot of a humpback whale on the way back. If there was ever a situation of right place, right time, this photo summarises it perfectly. Andy was clicking away on deck when the giant marine mammal suddenly breached feet away from the boat and dived just as quickly in a matter of seconds. Amazing stuff. Sadly – I cant even look at a boat without going green, and I was down in the lower decks trying to sleep of a horrendous attack of sea sickness!
Fishing wise – Grimsey Island – What a phenomenal place and without a doubt the highlight of the entire trip. The fishing was completely mental. Baits in the water for 10 seconds before being dragged up with multiple cod in tow – plenty of which into double figures. The same stamp of fish were also being hit cast after cast on shad gear – along with some huge coalfish, the biggest of which was unfortunately lost at Andy’s feet but estimated to be a near double figure fish. The Cod here in fact were behaving in a bizarre way which I’ve never seen before. Hitting shads on the surface of the water, more like bass than anything. Or occasionally we’d be bringing in a string of 3 fish, and a 4th fish would follow them up to the surface of the water and pick off any bits of bait that had been shaken by the hooked fish. The only downside was how fast it was over – you only have 4 hours to fish before the ferry travels back again. Indeed, next time we go we are hoping to invest on spending the first 3 days on the island before travelling back to the mainland to fish. This is a venue with real potential to throw up something unique.
Day 6 – last day fishing and we decide to do a bit of hopping about. Mark 1 us into more nice codling and coalfish, with Andy losing probably the biggest dab we’ve ever seen just as its about to be netted. Without a doubt would have beaten any of the Dabs we’ve had all week and it was excruciating to see it swim out of the net and spit the hook. We stay here for about an hour or so before moving to our 2nd mark – which is carpeted with dabs! Feeling like time is running out to get my wolf fish, we decide to re-visit the mark where Andy and Steve had theirs a couple of days ago. While waiting for the fish to turn up im having some tremendous fun with a Sonik LRF rod and small Toby spinner loaded with 8lb main line. At one point im fighting a 7lb+ codling on this little rod for over 5 minutes before it unfortunately ends up dragging me into a snag at my feet. Can’t expect much more on a little 7g LRF rod but what great fun it is never the less.
The codling drop off a little bit and suddenly I get a tearing run on my rod with significant weight at the end. If you’re going to do something at the last minute – do it properly – a double shot of Icelandic wolf fish! And one of them is a belter tipping the scales at 9lb 2oz, the other in the 4lb region. While its entirely possible to catch these fish in Iceland, They are definitely not as common nor ravenous as the Cod and Dabs, as such they are always a bonus when they are caught. Steve informs me that no one he knows, including himself, has ever managed a double shot before – but emphasises the point of “right place, right time”
Not to be out done, Andy also brings in his second wolf fish of the week at 6lb 4oz. All of the wolf fish are to be kept as they are fantastic eating.
And that’s a wrap!
There can be fewer places in the world that can offer you fishing that is so out of this world, and the scenery in Iceland is truly breath taking. It’s something I’ll never get tired of. I may miss out on a trip next year due to tying the knot with my soon to be wife, however make no mistake this is a place that I will continue to visit in years to come.
When asked by fellow anglers where it is that I enjoy fishing, there can be few comparisons made to the exclusive sport that is on offer in the country of Iceland. As anglers we dream of red letter sessions – 100lb+ bags and nonstop action – where in reality few of us ever really experience it with any real consistency. Local knowledge and watercraft plays a significant part in ensuring success wherever you fish, and despite a well maintained fishery, Iceland is no exception. Admittedly it isn’t the kind of place where you can just turn up on your own budget and expect to bag up – indeed a few have tried and failed
However – invest in the service of a guide and you will quickly realise why people have said it is impossible to blank in Iceland. The fishing can be completely daft and is like fishing in the UK on steroids.
Double figure cod, coalfish and wolf fish
Dabs, whiting and haddock over 3lb
Plaice over 6lb
Plus a whole host of rare surprises in the shape of Long Rough Dabs, Starry rays, Redfish, sea run Arctic Char and Halibut to name a few.
Couple this with fishing in breath taking scenery and you will experience the true magnificence that those who have visited Iceland describe. Baits in the water for less than 10 seconds and suddenly you’re dragging in a triple shot of large cod!
Seek out local Guide Steven Mason – a fish filleted by trade - who has lived in Iceland exclusively for the last 13 years and dotted about working in various places, including Norway. Steve will tell you that if you want the chance at that one MONSTER fish then Norway is the place to be, but if you want quantity and a truly spectacular fishing experience, Iceland is by far the better place to be.
If booking a trip through Steve you will be able to do the lot for around £800 – including booking your own flights, then it’s down to your own discretion how much money you wish to take over for yourself. Personally I’ve found that £200 spending money is too much, you’d have to be buying a significant amount in order to go through this, but each to their own.
After flying from Edinburgh to Keflavik Airport - Steve will meet you in the airport lounge and drive you 5 hours north to Brimnes Cabins - ólafsfjöršur.
These are your digs for the week, set in a small town at one of the northernmost points of Iceland. Your cabin is bordered by a small brackish inlet within which you can catch Arctic Char and Brown Trout on spinners, bait and fly tackle. Eyjafjöršur (the largest fjord in Icleand) is minutes away with a whole host of marks where you can fish out of the back of the car. All marks are easy access for the disabled angler.
Another benefit of having Steve as a guide is exclusive rod hire – all top of the range century rods, meaning the worries of rods being lost in transit is immediately lifted. You need only take your reels, rigs and various bits of terminal gear should you feel the need.
It is advisable to load reels with 30lb straight through – as distance is not required on any mark you fish and a standard lob will see you amongst plenty of big fish. For those who still prefer the use of a shock leader though – it does have the added advantage of being easier to lift fish should the situation call for it, though Steve always has the drop net ready.
On the subject of Rigs – I would suggest doing away with single hook/pennel set ups for Iceland. There really is no need as you will generally be fishing clean ground – though there is access at some marks to rough round where these setups can give you a slight advantage.
Standard set up here is a 2 or 3 hook flapper – loaded with hooks between 2/0 and 4/0 depending on the target species. Though the flatfish are large here, they are still far better targeted using smaller hooks and as such, I always keep a few of my rigs loaded with size 1s also when targeting plaice/dabs. There really is no need to go smaller than this however. Make sure your hooks are strong, as they will put up with a lot of abuse here in Iceland and you want them to last!
Myself and Andy Copeland have been to Iceland once before – and this time we were accompanied by fellow angler, Anth Holmes. In the interest of keeping Steve’s business alive I won’t name specific marks we fished
But here is a summary of the weeks catch.Day 1 – we couldn’t move for Cod. We fished a local mark which, from last year’s visit, we’ve branded as a decent venue to “settle in” to the pace of fishing in Iceland. Often when arriving at a mark you will cast your first baits and have to wait a short while to build up a scent trail for the shoals to home in on. By a short while I mean no more than 5 minutes generally before sport quickly picks up, and you find you don’t even have time to put your rod back on the stand before its being pulled out of your hands. This was instantly the case on the first day, as even on the first chuck, fish came within seconds and we were soon being reminded of what was in store for the rest of the week. By the end of the day we’d easily amassed over 150 fish between 4 of us, with the best of the Cod going between 8 and 9lb and the occasional coalfish to over 4lb. We’d had most fish on the big rods, but had all taken a break at various points to fish with spinning rods and shads, enjoying constant sport from the same stamp of fish.
Day 2 – probably my favourite mark to fish in Iceland, around an hour and a half drive from the digs so a bit further out compared to most of the marks. But here you can enjoy some spectacular plaice fishing – and is where my current PB plaice comes from at 6lb. Average size of these fish is between 2 and 3lb with plenty of Dabs in the same league to keep you on your toes. Not many anglers can boast that they have reeled in a triple shot of 3 dabs for 8lb – or a triple shot of 3 plaice with a combined weight of over 11lb (Yours truly on our 2015 visit!)
On this day, the Dabs were ravenous, which unfortunately meant that the plaice were having to compete hard for the baits and weren’t in the numbers they were last year. However we had some stunningly marked fish up to 3lb – with a fair few bonus Coalfish and Cod to 8lb thrown in.
On the way back Steve treats us to some spectacular views at the 2nd biggest waterfall in Iceland - noršurland eystra.
Day 3 – on to another favourite mark in Iceland with access to deep water at your feet. The depth here at high water is in excess of 100ft and can therefore throw anything at you. Again the big dabs were ravenous, but we also managed more codling as well as a few bonus fish – Anth’s first ever wolf fish at 4lb, Andy’s first ever long rough dab at over 2lb and a Plaice for myself around 3lb. Plaice aren’t often seen on this mark so it’s a bonus. By this point myself and Andy in particular are wanting to add a wolf fish to our species list, as neither of us managed to find one on our last visit.
Day 4 – staying local, we start a little differently today float fishing on a local pier for big coalfish – and they don’t disappoint in terms of quantity. Plenty of fish down the side on the float, with some approaching 6lb and really testing your light gear. These fish fight pound for pound better than virtually anything else swimming here and give us some great fun. On the big rods, we cant move for the big Dabs, which are frankly becoming a bit of a nuisance in the pursuit for a wolf fish! But its really hard to dislike them when they’re this size, a dab in excess of 3lb is just unheard of back home whereas here most of them are approaching that weight!
Eventually, around an hour before we intend to leave, the codling do come back on and we have some fun with fish going to over 6lb – triple and double shotting on most casts.
On the evening we decide to have a few more hours at another local mark – catching more decent cod and Andy and Steve managed to bag a small wolf fish each. Unfortunately im not having the same luck, but im managing to get in amongst the cod and dabs as usual and even hook a belter of a sea run Char – est around 3lb – only for it to come off at my feet!
Day 5 – something completely different and new today – we’re heading off to Grimsey Island to the north of the mainland and home to some completely daft Cod fishing. What makes the journey alone is the scenery, allowing you to view the main fjord from a different perspective. Additionally, if you’re going to see a whale in Iceland, then what better place to be than on a ferry! They don’t disappoint either, with Minkie whales making an appearance on the way to the island, and Andy managing to capture a once in a lifetime shot of a humpback whale on the way back. If there was ever a situation of right place, right time, this photo summarises it perfectly. Andy was clicking away on deck when the giant marine mammal suddenly breached feet away from the boat and dived just as quickly in a matter of seconds. Amazing stuff. Sadly – I cant even look at a boat without going green, and I was down in the lower decks trying to sleep of a horrendous attack of sea sickness!
Fishing wise – Grimsey Island – What a phenomenal place and without a doubt the highlight of the entire trip. The fishing was completely mental. Baits in the water for 10 seconds before being dragged up with multiple cod in tow – plenty of which into double figures. The same stamp of fish were also being hit cast after cast on shad gear – along with some huge coalfish, the biggest of which was unfortunately lost at Andy’s feet but estimated to be a near double figure fish. The Cod here in fact were behaving in a bizarre way which I’ve never seen before. Hitting shads on the surface of the water, more like bass than anything. Or occasionally we’d be bringing in a string of 3 fish, and a 4th fish would follow them up to the surface of the water and pick off any bits of bait that had been shaken by the hooked fish. The only downside was how fast it was over – you only have 4 hours to fish before the ferry travels back again. Indeed, next time we go we are hoping to invest on spending the first 3 days on the island before travelling back to the mainland to fish. This is a venue with real potential to throw up something unique.
Day 6 – last day fishing and we decide to do a bit of hopping about. Mark 1 us into more nice codling and coalfish, with Andy losing probably the biggest dab we’ve ever seen just as its about to be netted. Without a doubt would have beaten any of the Dabs we’ve had all week and it was excruciating to see it swim out of the net and spit the hook. We stay here for about an hour or so before moving to our 2nd mark – which is carpeted with dabs! Feeling like time is running out to get my wolf fish, we decide to re-visit the mark where Andy and Steve had theirs a couple of days ago. While waiting for the fish to turn up im having some tremendous fun with a Sonik LRF rod and small Toby spinner loaded with 8lb main line. At one point im fighting a 7lb+ codling on this little rod for over 5 minutes before it unfortunately ends up dragging me into a snag at my feet. Can’t expect much more on a little 7g LRF rod but what great fun it is never the less.
The codling drop off a little bit and suddenly I get a tearing run on my rod with significant weight at the end. If you’re going to do something at the last minute – do it properly – a double shot of Icelandic wolf fish! And one of them is a belter tipping the scales at 9lb 2oz, the other in the 4lb region. While its entirely possible to catch these fish in Iceland, They are definitely not as common nor ravenous as the Cod and Dabs, as such they are always a bonus when they are caught. Steve informs me that no one he knows, including himself, has ever managed a double shot before – but emphasises the point of “right place, right time”
Not to be out done, Andy also brings in his second wolf fish of the week at 6lb 4oz. All of the wolf fish are to be kept as they are fantastic eating.
And that’s a wrap!
There can be fewer places in the world that can offer you fishing that is so out of this world, and the scenery in Iceland is truly breath taking. It’s something I’ll never get tired of. I may miss out on a trip next year due to tying the knot with my soon to be wife, however make no mistake this is a place that I will continue to visit in years to come.
Amazing. 
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