Laxá í Aðaldal Trout Beats: Recommended Flies

Laxá í Aðaldal is one of Iceland’s strongest brown trout rivers, known for fast currents, rich insect life, and highly active trout throughout the season. Below is a simple overview of the flies and sizes that consistently work well across the Aðaldal trout beats.

Recommended Flies & Sizes

Nymphs (#12–20)

• Pheasant Tail (standard & hot spot)

• Perdigons

• Zebra Midge

• Blow Torch

• Hare’s Ear

• Czech/Euro-style nymphs (early season)

Dry Flies (#10–22)

• Elk Hair Caddis

• Parachute Adams

• Klinkhammer

• F-Fly

• Griffiths Gnat

• Small midges (#18–22)

Large Attractor Dries (#8–12)

• Chubby Chernobyl

• Fat Albert

• Stimulators

• Foam beetles & ants

• Hopper/cicada-style dries

Streamers (#4–10)

• Black Ghost

• Rektor

• Grettir

• Wooly Bugger (black/olive/brown)

• Nobbler

• Small articulated streamers

Seasonal Guidelines

Early Season (April – Mid May)

• Mostly nymph fishing with indicators

• Larger nymphs and hot-spot patterns are effective

• Streamers may work in warm periods

Late May – Late June

• Insect activity increases

• Dry-dropper setups become very effective

• Streamers produce well as water warms

Late June – Early August

• Prime dry-fly period

• Foam attractors perform extremely well

• Selective trout may require small dries (#20–22)

September

• Cooler water → nymphing becomes dominant again

• Trout respond well to larger nymphs and streamers

Not the Only Flies That Work

These are our recommended patterns, but anglers are encouraged to bring their own trusted flies. Many standard trout flies used worldwide perform well on the Aðaldal beats.

Full Guide

For a detailed explanation of river conditions, seasonal tactics, and beat characteristics, see our full article here