Fly fishing
in Iceland

An experience you won't forget

The Six Rivers Iceland project manages what we believe to be the best salmon rivers in the world. Set in a remote part of North East Iceland, the region provides an opportunity to enjoy world class salmon fly fishing.


We offer exclusive, tailored fishing experiences using local English speaking guides.


We require our guests to adhere to our strict fishing conservation rules which aim to minimise angling pressure through limiting the number of rods on each river and restricting the amount of time guests can fish each day.

Six Rivers has constructed some of the most prestigious fishing lodges in Iceland. Each lodge is specifically located near it’s respective river to minimise travel time from your accommodation and maximise your fishing time!


Our lodges will be supplied with clean furniture and fresh food, prepared by your dedicated Lodge chef and if you have any requirements that we can cater for, the Lodge manager will also be on hand to ensure your stay is all you hoped it to be!

Interested in joining us?

Ask us about fly fishing at some of the most prestigious fishing lodges in Iceland.

Our rivers

Our rivers

Adventurous Beats

Range of Species

Easily Accessible Beats

Conservation Rules

Exclusive Fishing BEATS

Ability Levels

Our rivers

We offer some of the world’s best salmon fly fishing from our rivers in Iceland, among them the Selá and Hofsá, with its tributary the Sunnudalsa located in the Vopnafjord on Iceland’s east coast, as well as the Midfjardara in Bakkafjörður.

Adventurous Beats

All of our beats can be reached in a four-wheel drive driven by our guides who will accompany you throughout the day. Some beats require a good walk to reach the river, whilst others will require a short scramble down the river bank.


For those looking for an extra challenge, ask your guide to take you to the less accessible beats, some of which require descent down a steep slope using a fixed rope.

Range of Species

Six Rivers Iceland is intended primarily to protect the Atlantic salmon – considered our rivers’ most prominent species. You may also encounter other fish on these rivers, including Arctic char and sea trout.

Easily Accessible Beats

We recognise that many will seek a more gentle angling experience. Our local guides can recommend beats that are best suited to you and the rest of your party’s needs. Many beats for example can be accessed via a short drive from our comfortable lodges.

Conservation Rules​

We pride ourselves on the strict fishing regulations we adhere to which reduces stress on the salmon. These rules seek to control fishing pressure by limiting the number of rods on the river and restricting the number of hours visitors can fish each day.

 

Any salmon which are caught are released back into the river and our guests are only allowed to use light tackle and small flies.

Exclusive Fishing Beats​

The rivers are divided into beats, providing many kilometres of exclusive fishing. For example the Selá, with 36 kilometres of fishable waters and over 120 fishing pools, is divided into six beats with six rods in total.

Ability Levels

Six Rivers Iceland’s exclusive fishing and pristine environment, alongside our expert guides and high-class lodge exeperience provides the opportunity for an unforgettable fishing and nature experience for people all ages and abilities.

 

Whether you are new to fishing or an experienced fly fisher, our local English-speaking guides will be able to provide you with a tailored, exclusive experience that will allow you to enjoy these wonderful rivers at their very best.

Our Fishing Lodges

Inside Sela Lodge

Selá
lodge

10 double bedrooms with en-suite facilities.
Panoramic views of the Selá river.

Inside Hofsa Lodge

Hofsá
lodge

Seven double bedrooms with en-suite facilities.
Panoramic views of the Hofsá river.

Midfjardara
lodge

A double bedroom with en-suite facilities.
Two single bedrooms with a shared bathroom.

Inside Sela Lodge

Selá
lodge

10 double bedrooms with en-suite facilities.
Panoramic views of the Selá river.

Midfjardara
lodge

A double bedroom with en-suite facilities.
Two single bedrooms with a shared bathroom.

Inside Hofsa Lodge

Hofsá
lodge

Seven double bedrooms with en-suite facilities.
Panoramic views of the Hofsá river.

Hafralónsá
lodge

10 Double bedrooms all fitted with en-suite facilities.
Panoramic views of the Selá and surrounding nature

Vesturdalsa
lodge

10 Double bedrooms all fitted with en-suite facilities.
Panoramic views of the Selá and surrounding nature

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Fish species

Atlantic Salmon

Somateria mollisima

Family

Anatidae

Order

Anseriformes

Class

Aves

Phylum

Chordata

Kingdom

Animalia

Arctic Char

Salvelinus Alpinus

Family

Anatidae

Order

Anseriformes

Class

Aves

Phylum

Chordata

Kingdom

Animalia

Sea Trout

Salmo Trutta

Family

Anatidae

Order

Anseriformes

Class

Aves

Phylum

Chordata

Kingdom

Animalia


Atlantic Salmon

Somateria mollisima

Family

Anatidae

Order

Anseriformes

Class

Aves

Phylum

Chordata

Kingdom

Animalia

Arctic Char

Salvelinus Alpinus

Family

Anatidae

Order

Anseriformes

Class

Aves

Phylum

Chordata

Kingdom

Animalia

Sea Trout

Salmo Trutta

Family

Anatidae

Order

Anseriformes

Class

Aves

Phylum

Chordata

Kingdom

Animalia


Our guides

Jon

english speaker

local

hofsa river

guiding specialist

Our head guide on the Hofsá wears many different hats. In addition to being a fantastic guide, he is also a local farmer close to the Hofsá river (he lives near the “Telegraph”, one of the best pools on the river) and chairman of the local river association. Always calm and professional, his guiding skills are superb.

Our guides

Denni

english speaker

local

hofsa river

guiding specialist

Our head guide on the Selá, Denni was born in Akureyri. Ever since he can remember he has had a fishing rod in his hand. Denni is at his best out in the wilderness and when not helping anglers to spot, catch and land salmon, he is out there looking at flowers and birds with his camera!

Our guides

Stebbi

english speaker

local

hofsa river

guiding specialist

One of the core team on the Selá and Hofsá rivers. He was born in Akureyri but has lived in Vopnafjörður for many years now which makes him a true local. He has been fishing and guiding for all his life. If something needs to be fixed at the river we can always call Stebbi, a true handyman!

 

Our guides

Hilmar

english speaker

local

hofsa river

guiding specialist

In the winter time the actor Hilmar works as a director in the theaters in and around Reykjavik but in the summertime he travels to Vopnafjörður and guides on the Selá and Hofsá rivers. An outdoor person: he likes to fish, hunt and walk his dog. A true gentleman, Hilmar works hard for his clients in order to maximise their experience on our stunning rivers.

Our guides

Óli

english speaker

local

hofsa river

guiding specialist

There is never a dull moment with Óli. Óli lives in Reykjavik but has been guiding on the East coast for many years. Óli used to be a chef at the old Selá lodge, Hvammsgerði. Óli guides mostly on the Selá every summer. He works as hard on his jokes as he does guiding and helping out our clients!

Our guides

Hilmir (Busi)

english speaker

local

hofsa river

guiding specialist

One of the local boys, Hilmir or ‘Busi’ as he is more often called is from Vopnafjörður but lives close to Reykjavik. He returns every year to Vopnafjörður to guide. Busi works on both the Hofsa and Sela rivers – he is very dedicated and has high standards which he tends to expect from his clients too!

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Practical Information

You will find detailed pre-trip information in a downloadable pdf in the Rivers section on this website including information on:

  • International and domestic travel
  • River information, beats and rotations
  • Recommended tackle and flies
  • Catch and release rules
  • Fishing methods
  • Clothing list
Before travelling to Iceland every guest travelling with his own gear needs to have his equipment sterilised before entering the country. This must be done by a certified vet who will provide you with a signed list of the sterilised equipment which you show on arrival in Keflavik. The equipment you need to have sterlised includes:

  • Rods
  • Reels
  • Flies
  • Lines
  • Waders
  • Wading boots

You can either bring your own tackle or we can connect you with suggested suppliers in Reykjavik to hire your equipment which we can then arrange to have delivered to our lodges and ready for you on arrival.

You can fish most of the pools on our rivers with a 7 or 8 weight single handed rod, 9 1/2 to 10 ft. We do however strongly recommend that you bring a 7, 8 or 9 weight double handed rod as well.

We can recommend local suppliers where you can buy sufficient flies for your trip. We can arrange for these to be delivered to the lodges, ready for you when you arrive. Further information on flies can be found in our pre-trip documents on the Hofsá and Selá pages.

Our strict conservation rules require that you fish only with a floating line on our rivers: use of sinking lines and sinking tips is not permitted.

The very strong emphasis on conservation both from the fishing and landscape perspectives was clearly apparent. I could not possibly recommend a better experience”

Chris from Oxford

Interested?

africa

Six Rivers Africa is a not-for-profit conservation initiative which seeks to understand, protect, and promote biodiversity in the wetlands and former hunting areas of Southern Tanzania.