Iceland — a name that instantly evokes one word: nature. From waterfalls and massive glaciers to black sand beaches, northern lights, geysers, and year-round volcanic activity, this land is wild and unforgettable. But there's more to Iceland than just its landscapes. It’s also world-famous for its salmon fishing, home to one of the most legendary rivers: the East Rangá.

Flowing freely from the slopes of Mount Hekla all the way to the sea, the East Rangá runs about 60 km. This river boasts an average catch size of 5–10 lbs, with some specimens reaching 14–20 lbs — the largest in the system.

Weather: Summer on the East Rangá brings mild weather, with temperatures between 8–15°C (46–59°F) and nearly 24 hours of daylight. Conditions are generally stable, though light rain and quick shifts between sun and clouds are common. Winds are calmer than in other seasons, making it the best time to fish.

First couple weeks, (like any other spring run salmon river) catching numbers are lower but compensated with quality. The bigger fish are the first ones to come in with the big tides of June, strong, salty and stunning looking. They are no doubt the East Ranga’s treasures. As the season keeps going, river keeps packing up with fish. There’s a big push of grilse (salmon between the 2 to 6 pound mark) that run somewhere early august.

Due to water temperature, fish dont tend to eat very aggressive, but then they'll play stronger and for longer than scottish, russian and canadian salmon!

At your first lunch at the lodge, you or your fishing partner will take part in a draw, during which the first beats for that afternoon are randomly assigned. This sets the fixed beat rotation for the rest of your fishing sessions. The full rotation includes 8 fishing sessions, each 5 hours long: the first takes place on the afternoon of your arrival, followed by 3 full days of fishing, and the final session on the morning of your departure.

Morning sessions run from 08:00 to 13:00, followed by lunch and a short rest at the lodge. The afternoon session begins at 15:00 and ends at 20:00.

Assisted spawning and smolts releasing program

Iceland has some of the most developed and sophisticated salmon ranching programs in the world. Many rivers, for various reasons, rely on assisted spawning each year to ensure consistently high numbers of fish returning from the ocean.

The East Rangá, in particular, faces two natural challenges that prevent successful 100% wild spawning: extremely cold water and fine volcanic sand, which tends to wash away and disrupt natural redds (spawning nests).

During the fishing season, most large salmon—both male and female—are carefully kept alive in a holding box placed in the river with steady flowing water. These fish are later transported to the hatchery, where eggs and milt (sperm) are extracted and mixed for fertilization.

Once the eggs hatch, the fry are raised until they reach a few centimeters in size and are then returned to the river. There, they are carefully nurtured until they reach the smolt stage and are ready to begin their journey to the ocean—where they grow over the winter before returning to the river as mature salmon.