September 2025
Tranquil, private accommodation; three different fly-fishing opportunities, hiking, riding (horses and overland) and well-being all in your own completely stunning, private valley.
I am a morning person; it is when I do my contemplating and there is no better place than Heidarvatn. I wake up early, others remain asleep (their loss/my gain) and I make myself a cup of tea and sit in front of the window and watch the view. It is transfixing, we are, after all, in Iceland where if you do not like the weather, wait a minute. Steam lifts off the lake, long white clouds form along the tops of the mountains and then slowly melt away as the sun lights up the peaks and creeps its way downwards illuminating the magical view in front of the house. It is completely beguiling, and one is totally at peace.
Other than those you have chosen to spend some magical days with, nobody is going to break that peace. You do not share the house with anyone, there are no fishing hours, no guides waiting, nobody will come and disturb you unless you have requested they do so.
About Heidarvatn
The centre of Heidarvatn is the Heidarvatn lake set in the Heidar valley behind the town of Vik about three hours along the southern coast road from Reykjavik, Iceland. The 4,500-hectare valley offers some of the most private and pristine Icelandic countryside there is. If you want privacy and solitude, you have found the right place.
The owners are aware that owning such a place is a privilege and a responsibility. Over the past 22 years of ownership, they have embarked on a rewilding programme to restore the valley to its natural state removing all old farm buildings and infrastructure. They have also planted 300,000 native birch and willow trees which are helping to restore the landscape, reduce erosion and increase biodiversity ultimately creating increased matter to feed the water courses.
Though catering can be organised, both accommodation options are self-catering using fully equipped kitchens. Despite its remoteness, the town of Vik is just ten minutes away and there you will find a full super-market and some good restaurants for your stay.
We suggest:
SudurVik
The Black Crust Pizzeria for superb pizzas
Drangar Restaurant in the Hotel Kria
It is truly an honour to have stayed and experienced such extraordinary place.
For the non-fisher
Heidarvatn’s location happens to be near some of Iceland’s most famous landmarks. The black sand beaches are just 19 minutes’ drive away, the Solheimasandur plane wreck just 22 minutes away along the black sand beaches.
The stunning Kvernufoss waterfall is just 32 minutes away. The backdrop to Heidarvatn is the stunning Myrdalsjokull glacier which feeds the glacial river Kerlingadalsá which can be fished. The famous Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, where massive icebergs break off from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and drift to the Atlantic ocean is a fascinating day trip away, a 2 hrs 30 mins drive along Iceland Route 1 across volcanic plateaus and glacial rivers.
But to be honest, why go anywhere? Upon request, wildlife/naturalist guides, hiking guides, horse-riding guides (with horses) and cross-country driving guides can be arranged to be enjoyed within the Heidarvatn hideaway, there is really no need to go anywhere. After all, Heidarvatn has numerous of its own waterfalls! Furthermore, why not combine all this with a yoga and well-being right at the lodge. With planning and preparation, this is all possible and remember… you have this to yourselves!
Finally, where better to see the northern lights and experience winter in Iceland than Heidarvatn.
The Fishing
There are three options for the fishing and, if staying at the Riverside Lodge, they are all at your pleasure.
Lake Heidarvatn has resident wild brown trout, numerous wild arctic char and, at certain times of year, numerous sea trout and some salmon. I have sat in the lodge looking out over the lake and seen sea trout jumping in the distance. It can be fished from one of the two boats or from the bank, wading out close to the drop off or along shingle banks. Some of the better spots include around where the Vatsna flows out of the lake, the bay and point near which the boats are kept and around ‘Pride Rock’ a huge rock that sits half in and half out of the lake, it cannot be mistaken.
The river Vatsna, runs out of the lake, it too has brown trout and char (mostly in pools near the lake) and the sea trout and salmon that are in the lake run up this small single-handed rod river. This river is perhaps 15 metres at its maximum, two or three at its minimum. The pools can be extraordinarily deep and can hold a lot of fish, do not wade into them without care – some are two or three metres deep. Stealth is critical. Try and fish the pools from behind the fish with nymphs or dry fly or from a long way back with salmon flies or streamers, some even avoid making a cast at all and lower the fly into the taking zone hoping it will be attacked by a sea trout. Hooking fish can be chaotic as they race around the pool jumping and the best approach is to simply give them the slack to do so and stay with them if you can if/when they leave the pool. Landing fish in lower water can be hard because the rocks are exposed between the pools and offer multiple opportunities to be break the leader. Generally, for a while, pools are spooked if a good-sized fish has been caught and they should be left for 30 minutes at least.
Into the Kerlingadalsá the Vatsna tumbles, clear water meeting milky, glacial water. The clear water enters the Kerlingadalsá about 8 kms (5 miles) from the sea and of course the sea trout and salmon run through the Kerlingadalsá to get to the Vatsna and the lake.
It is probably not dangerous because it is shallow but the river is fast and milky so, if you have to wade, care should be taken when wading and we recommend the use of a wading stick. Mouth-watering water is often just a short wade away if the fast water can be crossed but we urge caution and care. Look for softer, slower water. The sea trout are happy to lie in shallow water because of the colour but they like to relax and enjoy soft but oxygenated water where possible. There are usually two options – cast over the fast water and mend to hold the fly in the slow long enough for the fish to see it before the fast water whips it away and induces the take or, if on the slow water side of the pool, swing the fly right into and over the fish. A skated fly can be effective as it will hang well over the fish and come right into the shallow water where they may be sitting. One may see them in faster water, but this is usually running fish off the tide, but they will seek slower water to rest in and that is where they can be caught best. They do not go as crazy as they do in the clear water because they cannot see but they are wonderfully powerful and will tow you upriver cruising with ease only to turn and head down. They are bulldozers, broad shouldered and fat, very impressive and beautiful fish.
The char average 1 to 2lbs but there are larger fish.
The trout run up to about 2lbs but on occasion there are larger fish.
The salmon (the least numerous of the four species) will be grilse and multi-sea-winter fish but 15 lbs would be a big one.
The sea trout are numerous up to the 2lbs mark, there are plenty in the 3 to 5 lbs range and they go all the way up to and over 16lbs, the weight we have personally witnessed. The big fish in the right season are far from scarce; they are a very real possibility.
The best thing about the fishing is that one option may be out, two even, but rarely are all three options unproductive at the same time. Of course, there are seasons but the strength to the fishing in this beautiful place is the variety.
I first visited Heidarvatn in mid-July of this year. At that time of year, the char are in season and so are the brown trout and certainly the bigger sea trout and even some salmon are beginning to be on the move. Had I known what I know now, I would have gone to the Kerlingadalsá looking for both salmon and sea trout as well. The weather was well into this year’s drought, so the Vatsna was low, but I still hooked a 10lbs sea trout which admittedly broke me quickly! The brown trout were on too. I was only there for a day on the water, so it was hard to pack it all in.
I returned with friends/clients at the beginning of September. We were following a good guiding friend whom I have worked with on Ponoi and in the Seychelles. He had been there with guests the previous few days and together we shared notes and experiences which are as follows:
His first two days were low water, they caught some brown trout, a salmon and two sea trout from the Vatsna river and had a wonderful time. Then it rained and the lake and river rose. Fish began to appear, and they were able to sight-cast upstream to fresh sea trout with nymphs and downstream with small salmon flies. They landed 11 sea trout up to 7lbs from the Vatsna plus some brown trout.
By the time we arrived, we now realise the water had dropped away again (the water table was very low after a long dry summer) and we were perplexed by our inability to sight sea trout in the pools and catch them as my friend had done. We tried upstream nymph, streamer and hitches but only caught or lost salmon and small sea trout. We caught brown trout, a sea trout and char in the lake drifting in the boat but even the lake was not on fire compared to the stories we had heard.
We decided to look harder, and our attentions turned to the glacial river, the Kerlingadalsá which we approached both from where the Vatsna enters the Kerlingadalsá as well as driving down through Vik and up the river that way. The first time we went we saw nothing. The second time, we spent more time and this time the river began to reveal its secrets. We found soft, deepish water and there we found some serious sea trout landing fish from about 9lbs to 16lbs. We had other takes that did not hook up or broke us.
Let me remind you that the Kerlingadalsá is a milky, glacial river which will carry more glacial run-off with both rain and hot weather so it’s ideal conditions for best results are what we had, cool, dry weather. We started using black conehead streamers, evolved to smaller woolly buggers in black, green and white and concluded with the best fish of our three days, the 16lbs fish on a slowly skated muddler on the last evening.
I think these descriptions demonstrate how anglers need to move with the moods and conditions of the fishery. We are starting to learn that the lake and small river perform with water while the glacial Kerlingadalsá performs without as long as it is not too hot. The sea trout in the Kerlingadalsá are caught in the Vatsna and indeed in the lake under the right conditions with nymph, streamer and even skated or dry fly. I believe we have only scratched the surface of understanding the secrets of Heidarvatn but one thing is for sure, there are some very special experiences to be had while enjoying the privacy of this magical place.
This is a not a place for someone wishing to use a double-handed rod and wants to cast their way down long pools swinging a fly. This is a single-hander’s paradise, interesting, technical, sighted (at times) fishing with the opportunity for special rewards whilst always enjoying the magic and privacy of this special place.
A word about flies – you could load every fly you own into your bag and take it with you – honestly, at times, anything could work. But if I did not have enough room I would focus on the following:
A set of small salmon flies for the river – blacks and blues with some sliver. These will catch the sea trout and the salmon.
A set of streamers based around the woolly bugger design but in various sizes and colours from pinks and whites to greens and blacks – lots of flash in them and varying weighed eyes. Sizes from small (1/2 inch/1 cm) up to a couple of inches. If they come with rubber legs too… great. Other streamers that worked well were full tinsel baitfish patterns in various sizes.
Nymph patterns of all weights and sizes but mostly small as in the photo above and mostly tungsten but a broad selection of weights and sizes. Some pink tungsten nymphs for the char. Include nymphs with rubber legs etc. Bring indicators if you prefer to use them.
Some sunrays and hitch tubes of varying sizes and some muddlers to skate, especially in black.
Lastly, I am convinced that bonefish patterns imitating shrimp, baitfish and squid but ideally tied on trout hooks for best hooking results.
The Accommodation
There are two accommodation options.
The Riverside Lodge comes with the best of the fishing. The owners suggest five rods between the two rivers and the lake, but we suggest two or maybe three. Partly because of pressure or less thereof and partly because there are currently only two good sized rooms. Two rods is a luxury like Heidarvatn itself, three would be fine, more a crowd.
The lodge has two large ensuite rooms (both rooms have nice ensuite bathrooms) and currently three tiny bunk-bed rooms which share a nice big bathroom between them. We have suggested to the owner to knock these together to make a third large ensuite bedroom. We are hoping they agree. There is a lovely seating area, a kitchen/dining room and a wading room and spare room for perhaps a chef across the way.
Between the sitting room and kitchen/dining room is open space with seats along it almost like a viewing gallery to allow guests to just sit there and enjoy what they are looking at. The kitchen is well equipped, and everything is in perfect working order.
Just below and to the left of the Riverside House is the sauna with a massive window to give guests the best possible view as they enjoy their sauna. One cannot help but completely de-compress and relax here. There is nothing to disturb you except birds and their chicks.
The Lakeside Lodge is for larger parties and only comes with fishing on the lake. It has a capacity for up to 8 people across four double rooms with four bathrooms.
It too has a sauna positioned for best possible views out over the lake. There is a seating area which leads into the dining area which in turns goes into a fine kitchen. This is the more traditional of the two buildings in Icelandic farmhouse style. The two lodges cannot see each other though one does see this lodge as one makes the drive to the Riverside Lodge. There is a mud room in the entrance hall where coats and waders etc would be stored.
Both lodges have laundry facilities and Wi-fi.
In summary
I have worked in this industry for well over 30 years and have been lucky to witness many stunning, extraordinary places. It may be that I am finally getting old and therefore have a greater appreciation for wild places, peace and solitude and, as I mentioned, sitting with an early morning cup of tea contemplating life while enjoying the stunning view, Heidarvatn is truly special in every way. I am a fisherman so I find the fishing challenging, interesting and exciting but were I a hiker, horse rider or simply someone seeking tranquillity it would still be right up there for me. I am no yogi, but I can even imagine doing yoga looking at that view!
Equally, and sadly, of all the myriad of places I have been to and have been lucky enough to fish, none have got better, most have got worse, and, in most cases, the reason is too much pressure on a wild fish resource for the sake of just a bit more money. To date, the Heidarvatn team, are doing it right, keeping fishing pressure light and to a minimum. I hope that their wisdom continues to prevail, and this extraordinary place can defy the odds.
I keep wondering if I have made it clear enough how much I love this place, simply the place, with the fishing a great big fascinating and challenging bonus. Anyhow, I hope so! Heidarvatn is truly a world class hideaway.
End…