MINNIVALLALAEKUR

The Minnivallalækur, or ‘Minni’, is one of Iceland's most fascinating trout rivers and a true destination for the dry-fly purist.

A beautiful spring creek meandering for approximately seven kilometres through farmland beneath the foothills of Mount Hekla, the Minni offers highly technical fishing for big, old and entirely wild brown trout. This is a quality-over-quantity fishery, where careful observation, accurate casting and thoughtful presentation are far more important than covering large amounts of water.

The Minni is a wonderfully peaceful place to fish, and with exclusive access to the entire four-rod river, an intact group of friends can enjoy the water at their own pace.

The Fishing

The Minni's wild brown trout average around 3–4lb, but considerably larger fish are present, with double-figure trout caught each season.

Iceland's short summers mean that the trout need to make the most of periods when food is abundant. July is typically the prime month for dry-fly fishing, when trout can be actively feeding and the angler has the best opportunity to target fish on the surface.

This is not a river where you simply work your way up or downstream casting blindly. The ideal approach is to spot the fish first, study its behaviour and feeding pattern, and then decide how best to make the presentation.

The trout are old, wild and often extremely wary. Some can be highly selective, making the Minni a challenging and immensely rewarding fishery for anglers who enjoy the technical side of fly fishing. A good presentation to a large trout that you have carefully observed is far more important here than the number of fish caught.

For the dry-fly angler, this is the real attraction of the Minni: intimate water, visible fish and the opportunity to stalk large wild brown trout in beautiful surroundings.

The river is limited to just four rods, and anglers have exclusive use of the fishing during their stay. This makes it particularly well suited to an intact group of friends.

The Lodge

Accommodation is provided in a comfortable lodge overlooking one of the river's best pools.

The lodge has three twin bedrooms, two bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, dining room, sitting room and veranda with a hot tub. It provides a relaxed and peaceful base from which to enjoy the river, with the flexibility of self-catering accommodation.

Typically, the Minni is offered on a self-catering basis. Guests can fly to Keflavík, collect a hire car, stock up on provisions in Reykjavík and then settle into the lodge for several days of fishing.

For groups who would prefer not to cook, catering can be arranged, and guiding is also available.

The lodge has also proved an excellent setting for hosted trips. Renowned fly fisherman Charles Jardine has hosted two highly successful trips to the Minni, taking care of the cooking as well as sharing his considerable experience on the river.

An Ideal Fishing Trip for Friends

The Minni is particularly suited to a group of friends who want an exclusive and independent fishing experience.

With just four rods, there is no pressure to share the river with a large number of anglers, while the lodge provides a comfortable place to relax together between sessions. The self-catering format also keeps the cost relatively accessible, with the option to add guiding or catering if required.

Its location also makes the Minni easy to incorporate into a wider Icelandic trip, although there is plenty here to keep a dedicated trout angler occupied for several days.

For anglers who enjoy stalking individual fish, making careful presentations and testing their skills against large, wild and highly selective brown trout, the Minnivallalækur offers some of the most interesting dry-fly fishing in Iceland.

Suggested Package

A typical Minni trip could include:

Return flights to Keflavík

Car hire

Five nights' accommodation at the lodge

Five days' exclusive fishing

Self-catering accommodation

Catering and guiding can also be arranged.

Please contact us to discuss a bespoke Minnivallalækur itinerary, whether you are looking for a dedicated dry-fly trout trip or would like to incorporate the Minni into a wider Icelandic adventure.