River West Ranga – Salmon

The salmon river West Ranga is totally spring fed and there is hardly a river in the country with more stable water levels which is worth its weight in gold when it comes to fishing. River West Ranga is located in the lush southern part of Iceland, approximately a one-hour drive east of Reykjavík.

The West Ranga is a medium to large size river, but fished entirely by wading, and most of the lies and can be covered easily with either single or double-handed rod. All the pools on West Ranga are easily accessible by car and little walking is required.

Due to its entirely spring-fed source, the West Ranga enjoys consistent flows as well as cooler water temperatures than many other Icelandic Rivers. For this reason, sunk fly techniques, often in conjunction with sink tip lines (or sinking leaders) are frequently more productive. During warm weather, fish will often respond to smaller flies fished on floating lines, but anglers need to be prepared to try a variety of methods.

As with most south coast rivers, the Ranga is primarily a grilse river, usually with range from 6 – 9 pounds (grilse as heavy as 10 pounds are not uncommon and fish under 5 pounds are rare). 2-sea-winter salmon range from 12 to 20 pounds, with the occasionally fish over 25.

Accommodation

At the West Ranga lodge are 20 twin rooms with private bathrooms. Each full rod has its own private room, and there are ample accommodations for full rod sharing. Meals and socializing occur in the newly refurbished main house lodge, adjacent to the sleep lodge, and also overlooking the “hot spot” in Home Pool. The lounge area offers comfortable leather couches and chairs making a comfortable spot to unwind and exchange stories from the day.