Higa's SOS

Icelandic competition nymph

TroutSubsurface

A modern competition-influenced nymph used on Icelandic rivers — sparse, tungsten-beaded, with hot-spot collar. Introduced to Icelandic fishing through the competition circuit and adopted on the highland trout rivers where light, fast-sinking nymphs outperform traditional wets.

Fish this when

Summer on Icelandic trout rivers in runs and riffles where competition nymph technique is applicable. A useful addition to the traditional Icelandic wet fly approach.

Why it works

Competition nymphs work on Icelandic trout rivers because the fundamentals — getting the fly to depth quickly and maintaining contact — are the same everywhere. The hot-spot collar provides a trigger point that the traditional wets lack.

Naturals it imitates