Freestone · Volcanic · Norðurland vestra

Blanda

The Blanda river at Blönduós, north Iceland, in summer.
Good · Atlantic Salmon
Sunray Shadow · 2-3 inch tubes
Goodlive now
A good day — worth the effort
Low and clear — careful approach country. Small, sparse flies, long leader, careful approach.
70% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp9.4°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Sunray Shadow
Sunray Shadow2-3 inch tubes
Big river demands big fly. Sunray is the Blanda workhorse.
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp9.4°C
ClarityClear
Weather7°C
WindN 13 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead1.1 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Morning into early afternoon.
Where
Pool tails, steadier runs, and any water with pace.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
13 ft #8/9 double-hander in spate, 10 ft #8 single in low water. Floating line plus a fast-sink tip. 12–15 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 8 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
1
GrannomHatch
2
2
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
Iron BlueHatch
1
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Beats · 4

Blanda is a big, powerful, early-running north-Iceland salmon river, beat-structured and rod-limited — there is no national licence, and access means a controlled rod allocation rotating through numbered beats from June. Beats I and II open early (5 June, 4 rods); Beat III opens later (20 June, 3 rods). Below the 1991 Blöndulón reservoir the once-turbid glacial river now runs blue-turquoise most of the season, but it stays heavy water that asks for a wading stick and life jacket. Confirm the current beat map, rod numbers and booking route before relying on this.

Blanda Beat I — early lower riverBallot
The early lower-river beat, opening 5 June with around four rods and famous for two-sea-winter fish of 10–18 lb in June and early July.
Blanda Beats II–III — middle/upperBallot
The middle and upper salmon beats.
Upper canyon waterBallot
The uppermost section runs gin-clear through the Rugludalur basalt canyon — specialist water needing a careful foot on wet rock.
Svartá — trout & char contextEnquiry
The Svartá and associated trout/char water is a secondary multi-species package, usually guide-hosted, sitting alongside the salmon fishery rather than replacing it.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Blanda is limited-rod premium water where access, wading safety and current management rules matter as much as the booking itself
  • Check beat allocation and river-condition guidance before fishing because this is bigger, more powerful water than many Icelandic salmon rivers.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 4
Víðidalsá
10 km
Salmon · Sea trout · Char
Vatnsdalsá
26 km
Salmon · Brown trout
Norðlingafljót
59 km
Brown trout · Char
Miðfjarðará
65 km
0
Brown trout · Salmon
Gallery · 6
  1. The Blanda river at Blönduós, north Iceland, in summer.
    Blanda at Blönduós
  2. The Blanda river at Blönduós in summer conditions, the lower river.
    Blanda at Blönduós
  3. The Blanda river flowing through Blönduós near the estuary, north Iceland.
    Blanda near the estuary
  4. The Blanda river flowing through the town of Blönduós, north Iceland, in November.
    Blanda river
  5. The Blanda river flowing beneath Langadalsfjall mountain in the upper valley, north Iceland.
    Blanda beneath Langadalsfjall
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature8530% weight
  • Flow4525% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time2515% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 5 June → 5 September
Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts
Permits & access