Sweden: Grayling and Trout Fishing in Lappland

Sweden:

Grayling and Trout Fishing in Lappland

Everyone knows Swedish Lappland is famous for its Baltic salmon and pike fishing, but were you aware that it also offers outstanding grayling and trout fishing? With the entire area being covered with lakes, streams, rivers, and marshes, it only makes sense that there are lots of other fishing opportunities at your fingertips.

By LAUREL WHITE, Photos by JULIUS KOGEL, LAUREL WHITE and TOBIAS PARK

My husband, Julius, and I travelled to Swedish Lappland in mid-June for two weeks of grayling and trout fishing with a couple of days of Baltic salmon fishing squeezed in. There are numerous fishing lodges and guides in the area, but we chose to go out and explore it ourselves in a campervan.

The sheer amount and types of water in Lappland to choose from to fish is a massive undertaking. Luckily, we had some help from local resident and salmon guru, Lars Munk and a couple of other locals we met along the way. Very few of the waters were a bust and the majority were a treasure trove waiting to be unearthed and exposed.

In the Torne Valley

Most of our fly fishing adventures were in the Tornedalen (Torne valley) area. Many streams are quite difficult to access and maneuver but can be worth the extra effort. Bushwhacking your way to a nice hole made catching a gorgeous grayling or trout that much more rewarding.

The chances are slim to none that you will encounter another angler as almost all fisherman in Lappland are there solely for the salmon fishing. The only time we ran into any other fishermen on rivers were on the larger salmon rivers and a few on one edge of a lake that sits right up to the edge of a road on one of the main highways.

“The chances are slim to none that you will encounter another angler.”

Starting our trip, Julius and I flew from Munich into Luleå, picked up our camper van, drove three hours to Kangos to meet up with Lars, and friends Tobias Park and Sarah Rønholt to immediately have a go at Baltic salmon fishing on the Lainio river as well as having our first introduction to the infamous Lappland mosquitos. “You’ll get used to them (mosquitos),” Lars said with a big grin on his face. A splash of bug spray later, we jumped into our waders and off to the water. We could not get down there fast enough!

Salmon fishing on the Lainio

I have never fished such a large river system and was in awe of the beauty surrounding me and the sheer amount of water passing by. This was also my first time salmon fishing with a fly rod, let alone casting with a two-handed rod. Casting even as a complete beginner, mistakes and all, I fell in love with it. Salmon fishing on fly gave me a feeling that I cannot explain. All I know is that it is something that I will continue to do the rest of my life.

Tobias and Sarah are salmon fishing fanatics who make the art of two-handed casting look easy and simply elegant. They spent the entire summer in Lappland exclusively salmon fishing. These two were in the river all hours of the day and night. We all fished into the night and caught a handful of nice grayling as the salmon were not coming into the river system too heavily yet.

Lappland is known as the land of the midnight sun in the summer months. There are 24 hours of daylight so one can fish 24 hours a day to their heart’s desire. This is what dreams are made of.

The giant Lake Naakajärvi

The first day of salmon fishing in Lappland was captivating but we were here for the grayling and trout. Recommended to us by Lars the day before, Julius and I drove to Lake Naakajärvi. The lake is known for its large brown trout, grayling, and Arctic char.

The lake is giant and surrounded by pine trees with many access points, boats and belly boats are prohibited here. The easiest access point is directly up to the highway. This is where one will always see at least one fisherman. We chose to access the lake on the northeastern side since it seemed more secluded. The weather was still cool and the skies overcast so the hopes for a good hatch were quite bleak. I opted for a streamer rod and Julius for a dry dropper setup.

“My tug was answered with an even bigger tug”

The fishing started out a little uneventful with only smaller fish rising. Julius had a couple of ravenous young grayling come up and take his dry making me regret not bringing my dry fly rod down to the lake with me. The streamer I was using was not attracting any attention, so I decided to change to a bright red/orange Wooly Bugger that, in the past, proved successful in difficult times. On the second cast, I thought I got stuck in the rocks so I gave it a tug. My tug was answered by an even bigger tug.

A golden beast with blue cheeks

I whipped my rod tip up and within a few seconds, the fish jumped out of the water, and it was a BEAST! Each time I lifted my rod tip, the fish pulled it right back down. It felt like we were playing a game of tug of war, and I was not confident I was winning. After a good five-minute fight, I landed a beautiful nearly 3-kilo brown trout!

He was covered from nose to tail with spots and had those signature, gorgeous blue cheeks, and beautiful golden body. I was glowing and grinning from ear to ear!

He was so gorgeous, and I thought to myself, if this is the only fish I catch this entire trip, I will go home happy. After a few quick photos, I sent him on his way. Soon after, the wind picked up and we retired for the night. I was still elated to have caught such a fat, healthy brown trout when I went to bed that night.

Why such an interest in grayling?

Julius and I spent a few partial days split between Lake Naakajärvi and another secret little lake that a local gave us some insider info on. The local laughed that we were so interested in catching grayling when there are giant brown trout and Arctic char right in front of our toes. This other lake per the local, holds 60 plus centimeter grayling. As soon as we heard that, we jumped in the campervan and immediately made our way there. The lake requires a little hiking to get to but proves worth every drop of sweat and mosquito bite obtained along the way.

“Julius landed a 2.2 kilogram, 60 centimeter grayling!”

We were slowly walking along the edge of the lake and right before our eyes, fish started to rise. I got overexcited and immediately got caught in the grass and trees behind me. Julius on the other hand kept his cool and within minutes of fishing, a grayling gently sipped his fly off the surface. You could tell this grayling was big, but we were not prepared for how big. Julius landed a 2.2 kilogram, 60 centimeter grayling!

This was the largest grayling we had ever seen, and we were completely blown away! This chunky guy looked like he had seen a lot in his years and was such a gem. Released back quickly, our adrenaline pumping, we were hungry for more! To our disappointment, the grayling stopped rising. The hatch was over as quickly as it had begun.

We tried with nymphs for another hour and had no takes, so we went in for the night with high hopes for the next couple of days.

In grayling land

Throughout the time at this lake, we caught copious amounts of grayling that were 40 plus centimeters. The weather was still cool and the winds picked up in the afternoons into the evenings. Unfortunately, the hatches do not last long, but if you hit them, you will be handsomely rewarded. You can occasionally get a grayling to rise when there is no active hatch but nymphs proved more successful here.

While fishing for grayling, Julius caught a 40-centimeter perch and I randomly caught a small pike on a small nymph. This lake holds a nice variety of species so you will never get bored. Between the two of us, we lost three big grayling that we could not stop talking about for days, I think Julius even had a few nightmares as one he lost was larger than the 60 centimeter one landed the day before. On Lake Naakajärvi, we caught loads of medium-sized grayling and smaller arctic char.

The grayling in Lappland have more energy and fight harder than the grayling we are used to in our home waters in Germany making them a thrill to catch. In the evenings, the edges of Lake Naakajärvi look as if the water is boiling. Schools of char and grayling cruise back and forth along the edges taking whatever is hatching. It did not seem to matter which fly, emerger, or nymph you cast as long as it hit right in the middle of the constantly moving feeding frenzy. If you miss catching on the first pass, no worries, just wait for the next pass and land right in the middle of it. If you land in the middle of the rises, you are almost guaranteed to catch one.

Exploring small rivers

Julius and I prefer smaller river fishing so we spent the rest of our days exploring small river systems and tributaries. We bushwhacked our way along several different streams and caught a considerable amount of beautiful, young brown trout on dry flies and a myriad of 40 plus centimeter grayling. With the right drift, one really cannot go wrong. We stumbled upon one river that really sparked our interest. It was surprisingly easy to access and easier to maneuver and cast than the others. It had clear water, lots of structure, and nice deep holes. It held many large grayling up to around 60 centimeters.

It was also the only river we fished that you could really sight-fish. We had to be a little stealthy but watching a grayling come from the bottom of the river, chase down your fly, and rise with such confidence was so thrilling. These guys are aggressive! Sight-fishing is our bread and butter, so this was a definite highlight from the trip. Most rivers in Lappland are completely clear but the waters have a brownish hue that makes it more difficult to spot fish - but it is not impossible.

How-to

Buying fishing permits can be a little tricky, it helps to ask a local fisherman. Fishing rights in Lappland are individually owned so you must buy a fishing permit for each water fished. The permit is typically good for 24 hours or you can buy a multi-day permit.

Sometimes you need to knock on someone’s door, sometimes you go into a convenience store, some can be bought online, and other times it is an honor system where you put the money in an envelope and fill out your own permit. When going to buy the permit, look for a small blue sign with a picture of a fish or the same sign that also says “Fiskekort” on the establishment. Cash is very helpful to have. The closest ATM is at least an hour’s drive away depending on where you are, so plan ahead.

In Lappland, there is basically no traffic, the roads are a bit bumpy so sit back, take your time, relax and enjoy the beautiful views surrounding you. You will be sure to see plenty of reindeer. They like to hang out right on the side of the road and sometimes on the road itself. If you are lucky, you might see a moose.

Recommended gear to bring: Mosquito repellant and lots of it! Everywhere you go, there are mosquitos, biting midges, black flies, and horse flies trying to suck you dry. A mosquito net over our head was very helpful at times, the little flies like to fly into your sunglasses which was distracting for me.

For grayling and trout, a 4 or 5 weight rod will be fine, especially on the smaller rivers and lakes. The fish do not seem to be too picky about flies as long as the presentation is right, but a big Caddis was very successful for usas well as a Paraloop BWO dun. Small brown nymphs were also a popular choice. My biggest brown trout was caught on a bright red/orange Wooly Bugger but locals recommend big, black, purple, or brown Wooly Buggers.

Some helpful links for buying fishing permits: https://www.fiskekort.se or https://www.ifiske.se and a helpful website to help plan your trip: https://heartoflapland.com

Lappland, the land of the midnight sun: a fisherman’s paradise. I highly recommend going out and exploring this beautiful part of the world! I would be perplexed if anyone could leave this place dissatisfied. We left with a smile on our faces, many mosquito bites, many great memories, enough fishing stories for years to come, and the unquenchable thirst to go back.