Salmon and Norway  are too things that really stick togeather quite strong, and for me its not about farmed fish that can destroy the whole thing in the near future, but about wild ones. This year I had a chance  to visit our EFFA Master instructor Hans Spinler at Orkla in middle of the August – week 33. Of course, as one may suggest it was hard to refuse! In general, Trondheim area, where Orkla enters the fjord, is well known for salmon fishermen since around 1830, when gentlmen from Great Britan came here to catch fish of the liftime! Still you can find reports about 200 fish in 20 days and so on if you are keen salmon fishing historian.  Impressive… However, it was not yesterday – times have changed, but, yep, still Norvegian rivers in this area such as Orkla, Gavla, Namsen (enters different fjord) and also Verdal, are amongst the best world wide and have a plenty of fish to catch. First three mentioned rivers are in top 5 during the last years in Norway. But what is more important – its not about the numbers, but about the size – annually there are reports about fish ower 45 lb and 20lb fish are quite freequently landed. In Orkla, The largest salmon caught and registered weighed 25 kg,  so – it is worth to try!

Beat’s and other things to know

Good thing about Orkla, and I think also about other Norwegian rivers, is that run continues during the whole seasson – from June till the end of the August, so you can expect fresh fish almost all the time! The Orkla runs through the idyllic Orkla-Valley, about 50 km away from Trondheim and pours into the fjord of Trondheim near Orkanger. The salmon usually come up-river to 88 km that means a lot of water for fishing! After the tackle sterilization, Hans introduced me to fishing.

In the Norway usually you can not fish entire river, and rivers are divided in to beats or pools -  200 to1000 meters long river stretches that belong to… To somebody! Heh, here starts the trickiest thing. If you are newcommer to this area, and you are not familiar with the river, it can be quite hard to understand where to fish and where to by licences. In general Orkla have a lot of good pools, but only few of them are easaly to access. Lets say these are public pools! Licences for these pools are not so expencive, but usually public water is not so good and you can expect several fishermen fishing with different tackle – fly, spin and even worm that is popular and quite productive there. So in general its of corse worth trying, but there are better places to fish.  Everything changes in so called private beats (pools) whre rools usually are diffrerent. Local farmers are the owners of the river, and they are renting streches to clubs and other organisations who are offering fishing. So the prices are different but in fishing is better in so called private beets. In some placess, like in Hanss beets, flyfishing is the only name of the game and just a few fisherman are fishing in the same time. So if you have a plan to visit Orkla, or any other Norwegian salmon river, besides bying oficiall Norwegian state permit (200 NOK), find out as much as possible where, why and how. Otherwise.., yeh, you know it by your self.

OK, good news where, that Hans have 7 pools, and because of his reputation and relationship with locals (he is from Switcerland) these  where amongst best ones. I liked the fact that pools where different. Bakka, the lowest one, was about 3 km away from the Fjord and was “tide water” pool,  when Klovsteinholen and Brusholen was in middle or even upper part offering fresh salmon and also holding fish. I will not spend my time characterizing one pool after another, because they are well described in Hans home page, so you can see by yourself and reed more about them here.

I just would like to add that all of them are worth trying – just take a look at the biggest fish landed.

Rooles

General rooles are simple and correct.

Bag Limit: 1 Salmon or Seatrout a day.

If you catch + kill one fish, fishing must be suspended for that day.

Maximum 10 Salmon a season.

Minimum legth for Salmon: 40 cm.

Minimum length for Seatrout: 40 cm.

Maximum 3 hooks/rod. (one treble or one double and one single hook or 3 single hooks.

Sinkinglines maximum rate 3.

After each cast, the fisher moves 2 m farther downstream.

Never move in to the river in front of a fellow fisher – allways start behind him.

The last two I would like to introduce to our salmon fisherman – especially to spin fishermen! And also even more important thing – peopple here follow these rooles more like we do in our country…

Fishing

At the arrival day – august 14, Hans met mee with the nice silver bar around 10 punds in his car –  so fish where there in the river waiting for our turn! Those who think that salmon fishing  here or in Norway is easy thing, and you will have one take after another, most propobly have never fished here. Salmon fishing is lot more than swinging your line ower the perspective spot – you will learn it fast here! I know quite a lot of stories about fishless trips, so you better get preparred. On the other hand, almost in all beats salmon was showing time after time, so everything was in fishermans hands.  If you would like to rely only on luck, that of corse is important part of the salmon fishing, then following things may be not interesting for you. For me luck is relevant, but it is only a part. In August when the water is lower and bit warmer around 14 degrees your presentation skills are highly important. You have to change the angles and speeds in order to get the most exciting swing, that will provoke the heavy take on the other end of the line. Now floating line is more less only thing you need, so it’s the best time for learning. Some times you can go deeper with polyleeder, and usually sinking lines are not needed.

My suggestion to begginers: give it a try at August you will learn lot more than in early June when your sinking line is swinging your fly in uncontroled manner (uncontroled for begginers…). And here I would say is a lot to learn from Hans – he know the pools, tactics and how, when and on what fly! He also showed some important things to me – so thanks again.

Hans is familiar with atlantic salmon for about 30 years, and during last 20 he is bussy in his Salmon Fishing scool in Orkla.  His experience is worth to consider, and it is not just a few weeks anually, but lot more. For me it means something… Besides that Hans is a great caster who really master and understands Underhand technique. So, after fishing for one week in Orkla, when I gathered my experience and things I understood from others I came to following suggestions, that helped me and I think was also important part of Hans tactics (he landed more than others that week):

1.    Present your fly in a manner that is not too slow  – let say fast enough for the fish just to see it, not more! Or almost forget about takes.

2.    Move, move, move! Its no use to make a lot of casts from one point – fish will take most likely on first propper swing, and you will rather disturb the fish by casting rather than provoke them. You would say well known, ok, but frequently forgotten truth!

3.    Present your fly gently, in a quiet manner, and try to be constant with presentation. May be we miss the take during that one bad cast.

4.    Take a rest and give a rest to the pool – it will recharge you and fish. I had never a take when I was pushing hard with my fishing…

5.    Change and think if you have no success – flies, go deeper with line or leader, increase the speed of presentation and so on! There are days without any takes for everyone, don’t panic stay calm.

6.    Be out when its cloudy and rainy – for me these where the best days when I landed my biggest fish. Also, I must admit, that Hans landed his biggest fish at sunny days (evening and morning accordingly).

7.    Have a plan, belief and never, never, never give up!

I had a days without fish or with a small grilse, and so? It‘s salmon fishing! Now it is easy to say, but at that time every morning when I had a breakfest, I looked at 14 kilos Hans salmon that was hanging in dinning room and I knew by the hart – my time will come… So again never never give up! At that morning, almost it was the last day, i wake up at 5:30 was calm and relaxed. I new that this is the day …

Flies

I know that a lot of peoople think that fly is key factor in salmon fishing – its important but not as much as the way how you fish with it. Anyway, one week is not enough to say these are the best ones, but I believe that flies from Hans page are correct ones, so take a look here. No doubt – in low water conditions in generall smaller flies can be better, but also I can not ignore the fact that a big black creatures where deaddly too. In general Sunray shadow, Blue Norseman,  Phatagorva, Green gighlander, different shrimps, micro tubes and bombers are most popular here, but also we should not forget about suns of the gun, general practiotioners and, jeh, so on! As Hans like to say – some like spagettty, but some cutlet.

Tackle

During the whole trip i was fishing with 12.4 8wt LOOP Opti Rod and Runner reel on it. For me it was perfect, but usually rods between 13-14 ft are most popular at late season and low water conditions. Please notice, that during the June 14-15 ft rods would suit better, because distances increase and also sinking lines are  important tools at this time. Also bring some polyleaders with you and good monofilament in between 0.37 and 0.50. Not so much, is not it?

Recommended Links

Here are the links that I think can be helpful if you are about to visit Norway and Orkla in particular next year. Also it is quite possible that I will have a courses there next summer – so stay tuned, I will put some info later! So here are the links:

Hans page

Orklaguide

Jurij Shumakof experience at Gavla

*Big Salmon Fly fishing in Orkla!

Tags: Norway, Salmon

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