Laxa in Adaldalur – Trout areas

River Laxa is not only one of the best salmon rivers in Iceland in regards to size of the salmon but it is also one of the best brown trout river in the world with a very high average size of brown trout. The Laxá origins in lake Mývatn and the river draws it’s name from the valley it runs trough on the way to the ocean in the Skjálfandi bay. To explain, up in the Mývatn area it is Laxá in Mývatnssveit, as it runs through the valley Laxárdalur it is called Laxá in Laxárdal and then finally the bottom stretch that is also known for great big salmon Laxá in Aðaldal.

All parts of the Laxá have a healthy stock of brown trout and due to the abundance of nutrient, gnats & snails the browns live an easy life, that is until they get hooked by an angler. The trout are unbelievably strong as they are used to fighting with a strong current which they use to their advantage when hooked often creating trouble for anglers.

The Laxá fishes well consistently throughout the season although weed formations in the river in August tend to give angler a challenge.  In the beginning of the season the trout tend to go for nymphs and streamers but when the gnats start hatching on the river it can be quite ineffective to offer them anything else than a dry fly or an emerger.

The average size of the brown trout is from 2 to 3 lbs with up to a few whopping specimen of up to 8 lbs caught every year.