Is this the next best option to Ponoi?
Guest writer Roderic Hall of Frontiers explores the East Ranga wearing his 6 years experience of managing the Ponoi…
It is always exciting to have the opportunity to visit and fish a river for the first time, particularly a well-known and highly regarded river in Iceland which is operated and managed by old friends.
Earlier this month I made a last-minute trip to fish the East Ranga. I spoke my friends a few days before I left home and it seemed the river conditions were good with mild weather for mid-August in Iceland expected. All boded well for the trip!
East Ranga is situated in the south-west of Iceland, about a two-hour drive to the east of Keflavik Airport or just over an hour from Reykjavik. This makes it very accessible; I flew that morning from Heathrow and was at the lodge in time for lunch. Guests stay in the Aurora Lodge which is in a beautiful valley with views of Mount Hekla. My initial impression on arrival was of a very slick operation with a newly renovated and stylish lodge. The main building includes a spacious dining room with an open kitchen, then a separate bar that actually felt like a proper bar with a full range of drinks and then various other seating areas that allowed you to take in the views in comfort depending on the time of day. There is also a small tackle shop in the main building. The bedrooms are separate from the main lodge, in a series of smaller buildings opposite. The thoughtfully renovated interiors feel warm and comfortable with plenty of small touches that raised the level from an average fishing lodge room. I was pleased to see a coffee machine and the bathroom had plenty of hot, high-pressure water in the shower, both essentials for me on a fishing trip in a cold country!
East Ranga is slightly different from many other Icelandic rivers. Due to the low water temperatures and the volcanic sand which makes up the riverbed natural spawning is not generally very successful. This has led to a smolt release programme that ensures a healthy run of both grilse and large multi sea winter fish each season. Fish run into the river from late June and all the fish we caught in mid-August were still silver with a few sea-liced. There is no difference from a fishing point of view, these fish have made the migration that all salmon from Iceland do and return to the river as hard fighting beautiful fish that take a fly readily.
The river itself is also not a typical Icelandic river, although the landscape it flows through is quintessential Iceland. It is actually fascinating with each beat quite different, and many had the characteristics of pools I had fished in rivers as far apart as Russia and Tierra del Fuego. The medium-sized river is best fished with a double handed rod or switch rod using one of the shooting head systems that allow you to change sink tips of different densities.
Flies tend to be a little larger than those used on other Icelandic rivers I have fished and tend to be fished a little deeper, which is due to the colder water. The pools and beats have a lot of variety so it is necessary to think about your fishing, but the guide team is so good that you will always have good advice on how to approach any pool. Wading is quite straightforward with an easy bottom although sometimes deep wading is required. For those of you who miss Ponoi and like that style of fishing the East Ranga would suit you perfectly, for the fishing, the guides (many from Ponoi) and the lodge atmosphere.
Although I was fortunate to fish when the conditions were good, I was really pleased to land fish during nearly every session and some sessions rewarded us with multiple hook-ups. It was exciting fishing despite the fish not being super aggressive, partly down to the cold water. However, there were enough fish eager to investigate and it seemed that if you were patient you would be rewarded with fish when I was there. One aspect of the operation that I really enjoyed was the super experienced and international guide team. There were guides from Iceland, Scotland, Argentina, England, Ireland and South Africa. All were friendly, approachable and are going to add to anyone’s experience on the river, beginner and experienced fisher alike.
The East Ranga has a lot of fishable water over 22kms of river and the lodge can take several groups at once. It is ideal to visit as a single fisher or with a larger group. As with other rivers in Iceland there is space for rod-sharers and non-fishers to accompany the full rods. With a longer season than many rivers this is also a river to consider if you are not able to travel during the July period which is when many other Icelandic rivers are fishing at their best.
On a final but not unimportant note, the food at the Aurora Lodge was excellent. The dinner every evening was a highlight and something everyone looked forward to but breakfast and lunch were also of as high a standard as any other top level Icelandic lodge and there was always plenty of choice of delicious and healthy food. There is a really nice atmosphere in the lodge which is a mixture of friendly and efficient staff, the fishing guides and the other guests. Although this is not a small intimate lodge there is definitely a pleasant feeling of camaraderie amongst everyone there. I will definitely be back!