Main source Europe Source Europe Country Iceland | Length 85 km Mouth Atlantic Ocean | |
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River mouth North Atlantic Ocean
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Hofsá river, in Vopnafjörður fjord, Iceland, is one of Iceland's most productive salmon rivers. Every year, a large number of foreign visitors come to fish in the river. Charles, Prince of Wales came to fish in Hofsá in his youth.
Map of Hofs%C3%A1, Iceland
The average annual catch between 1974 and 2013 was 1119 salmon. The maximum catch during that period was in 1992, when 2239 salmon were caught. The minimum catch was only 141 salmon in 1980. The average weight is usually between 3.0-3.5 kg. The exact number for 2013 was an impressive average of 3.1 kg.
Hofsá has salmon for 30 km up from the river-mouth, and trout for about 6 km.
The salmon fishing season in Hofsá starts in early July, and ends in the middle of September. The best time to fish is late July and the first 2 to 3 weeks of August.
Fishing is currently limited to 7 rods (one per beat). All beats offer excellent opportunities to catch fish and have a differing number of pools per beat. Beat 7 is closest to the sea, with Beat 1 starting at the base of the waterfall, where salmon that have made it that far gather. All pools are accessible by 4 x 4 vehicle, with the exception of the majority of Beat 1 where you have to walk 2/3 km to the start of the beat, by the waterfall. It's a bit of a trek in waders over rough ground, but well worth the effort. The drive to Beat 1 is truly spectacular with the 'road' rising around 100m above Beat 2, with a near vertical drop to it.
In 2007, any fish landed over 72 cm (and in a condition where they would survive) had to be returned or placed into boxes in the river by some of the pools, to be used in the breeding programme.