Overview
The remote Hölkná River slices through the volcanic basalt that built the island nation of Iceland, interrupting the verdant countryside as it tumbles over cataracts and flows deep and green on its way to the sea. Every summer, dime-bright Atlantic salmon return to the river to complete a cycle that's eons old. Situated above the river rests a pair of quaint, yet perfectly appointed, off-the-grid cabins that put you right in the middle of eight miles Atlantic salmon river.
Here, in distant northeast Iceland, you'll take in a private fishing experience few others will get to enjoy. After all, where else can you have an entire Atlantic salmon river all to yourself? Booked solely for groups of 2-4, anglers visiting the Hölkná have the entirety of the river — all 22 pools — exclusive to their group.
The Fishing
The Hölkná cabins stand sentry over eight river miles and 22 fishable pools where, every summer and into fall, sliverbrite Atlantic salmon gather as they move up the river in search of spawning water. Fished solely with traditional unweighted salmon flies, the Hölkná is intimate — you can certainly bring a two-handed rod, but it's not required on this river that, in many places, can be crossed on foot.
Your Icelandic guide, armed with decades of intimate knowledge of the river, will put you in the best position each day to catch fish. From the river's reaches to the top of the eight-mile run, the Hölkná offers ample water for two to four anglers to spread out and take in one this incredible salmon-fishing destination.
The Hölkná is a 2-rod river, which means that no more than two anglers can fish at the same time. As is common in Iceland, however, anglers can split a rod, allowing the Hölkná to accommodate up to four anglers per day. With Iceland being the land of the midnight sun during July and August, anglers splitting a rod can still each get in 6+ hours of fishing each day.
Accomodations
LODGING: The Hölkná Cabins are modest but luxuriously appointed and comfortable for those non-fishing moments. One cabin is equipped with a nice-sized kitchen and dining area, as well as two guest rooms and a living/gathering area. The second cabin has two spacious rooms, a beautiful living/gathering area with wide views of the river. Both cabins are equipped with full bars and beautiful bathrooms. The decadent mattresses and linens found in the cabin's bedrooms are ideal after a day spent scrambling up and down hillsides and basalt cliffs. Situated between the two cabins is a perfectly located outdoor fire pit where the whiskey tastes just that much better.
FOOD/DRINK: Enjoy beautifully prepared food. Each day starts with a hearty breakfast. Warm, welcoming lunches featuring soups, salads, and sandwiches are served midday at the cabins. Dinners, however are the main event. Icelanders have figured out the secret behind perfectly prepared lamb, delicious and locally sourced seafood is also on the menu. and the desserts are legendary.
CONNECTIVITY: The Hölkná Cabins are equipped with high-speed wireless internet. Cell coverage is generally spotty.
Sample Itinerary
You'll likely arrive to the Hölkná Cabins after a drive — either a long, scenic affair from Keflavik, or shorter shuttle ride from the commuter aiport in Thorshofn. Either way, it's time to get settled and get your gear ready for your first day on the water the next morning. Depending on your food situation, you'll either have dinner in the dining cabin courtesy of the local farm family, or you'll work your own kitchen magic with the help of your traveling and fishing buddies. After dinner, cocktails around the bonfire sounds pretty good.
You're up bright and early for breakfast, and the view of the river right outside your cabin window adds a bounce to your morning step. With coffee and a delicious meal in your belly, it's time to hit the water. Your guide will drive you to your first Hölkná pool, a deep, green stretch of water that looks so incredibly inviting that you can't imagine that there's not a host of salmon holding right at your feet.
You know the drill. Cast across, mend, and let it swing. Your Blue Charm creates a nice wake, but not takers just yet. Two more casts and you make a few steps downriver. Cast. Mend. Swing. And then you see it — that tell-table disturbance right behind your fly. Get ready. You're about to tie into your first Hölkná River salmon.
It may not seem like it, but when you're fishing a river that carves its course through the young basalt landscape of Iceland, making daily scrambles into the canyon a necessity to reach the water, eight miles is a lot of river. And, after touching your first Atlantic yesterday, your guide takes you to the top of the fishable stretch of the river, where a mighty waterfall serves a barrier to salmon migration. Here, in the froth and the spray of the falls and the pools below it, lies the terminus of the river's salmon run.
Nearly every day over the course of the annual run, fresh-from-the-sea fish push into the Hölkná, and the lower half of the river offers some of the best fishing for these migratory behemoths. On your last day, you'll drive down with your guide, bouncing along the gravel roads, eyes on always on the water. And, as you approach the first of the final handful of numbered pools, you see it: the tell-tale breach of a bright salmon just in from the ocean.
Included
- Guided fishing Fully guided fishing by a local guide with intimate knowledge of the river.
- Lodging Perfectly appointed guest rooms plus ample living/gathering space.
- Meals All meals, snacks, and hors d'oeuvres
- Beverages Non-alcholic and alcoholic beverages
- Equipment Rods, reels, lines, waders and boots included
Getting There
Anglers fishing the Hölkná typically arrive via rental car after flying into Iceland's capital, Rekyjavik (KEF) and connecting to either Egilsstaðir (EGS) or Akureyri (AEY). As an alternative, pick up your rental car at the airport in Reykjavik (which is actually in Keflavik) and spend a couple of days driving Iceland's famed ring road, taking Iceland's waterfalls, fjords, cliffs, glaciers, and more along the way.
