East Ranga Report July 2013
By Charlie White
I have just returned from Iceland where I was with a group of 15 rods fishing the East Ranga. This group, in various guises has been fishing these same dates on the river for over 10 years and know what they can expect and what the river is capable of...
With reports of records catches all over Iceland our hopes were high and we were not to be disappointed. 15 rods over 3 days landed 175 salmon which was a great result and yet again highlights how tremendously reliable the Ranga system is.
We caught a lot of fish over the 5kg mark with one beautiful specimen of over 8kgs being the highlight. As can sometimes be the case on the Rangas, some beats were more productive than others but with a strict rotation policy in place, it was just a matter of time before everyone had a chance to fish the most prolific parts of the river and by the end of the trip it was fascinating to see how closely matched everyone’s individual scores were.
The chef this year is top notch and we ate extremely well whilst being supremely looked after by the very capable lodge staff. One of the great highlights of going back year on year is reaffirming the friendships with the guides that have been made over the years and this extremely professional team certainly help every rod land more fish than they would have done otherwise.
The East Ranga remains one of the most reliable salmon rivers in the world and given its smolt release policy is also one of the last where you can bring your fish home with you. If you are looking for a quick salmon fix, close to home and one where you do not have to take a full week then this river is one that should be right at the very top of your consideration.
