Plans were finalized, flights were booked, and fishing gear was packed. The end of September was to be an all out fishing frenzy through southern Norway with the highlight at the end of the trip being the Rena River.  Well, there aren’t many rivers still open this time of year besides Rena so we didn’t have many options. That’s just what happens when one of the group members can’t sneak away from a busy guiding season in Montana during the summer. So we decided to make the best out of it. A little late in the season but nothing to stress over, because The Rena is incredible during the fall.

The River Rena is a tail water that maintains a more constant temperature than most rivers in Norway and as a result it is very productive on the shoulders of the season. The prolific insect life in the Rena maintains a dense population of trout and grayling. As far as drifting is concerned, The Rena is a relatively safe river with plenty of structure and endless subtle nuances to look for that create ideal holds for fish. It’s a river you could float hundreds of times with having learned all of its’ secrets.

Watermasters ready for launch. Anders just needed some coaching on how to get around in flippers.

There are plenty of rivers in Norway that are ideal for floating, but many do not allow fishing from a boat, and even less are open for fishing in late September. The Rena is a technical river to fish from the bank and although many will argue that the level of difficulty is part of the fun, it is always exciting to fish a river you already know well from a different angle.

It didn’t take long before we had all hooked into fish.

Fortunately, although the trout are protected this time of year, the grayling fishing seems to only get better and better through September on the Rena. Although hatches and rising fish may become more sporadic throughout the fall, the fish are always feeding on something. Sometimes you just need to go subsurface to give them what they want. This can be especially effective on larger fish.

Grayling love streamers!

We didn’t have a specific timeline, but we had at least two days to fish and had decided that we would stay for as long as the fishing was good. Well, two days of fishing quickly turned into four. Part of Rena’s allure is that at any point in time you could come tight with the fish of a lifetime. It is home to absolutely massive trout and grayling, but the big fish here are well educated and wary of anglers, and the challenge is most of the fun. This is what keeps most people coming back to Rena year after year. A couple of larger fish were hooked on our floats, but none were landed. Although we did hook a good amount of fish on the surface, the majority of the action was on natural colored micro streamers.

Trout are protected this time of year and should be quickly released.

Although we were more than satisfied with the fishing we had, on the last day we felt that we were just finally starting to figure things out. We caught more fish and bigger fish as the days went along and as we figured out what worked. No matter where you fish, local knowledge is worth more than gold. If you’re interested in float fishing the Rena we would strongly recommend getting in touch with the boys at Rena Fiskecamp here 

The Good Life.

You will find some of the best options for lodging in the area at Rena Fiskecamp, not to mention proper food, a pub, a fly shop, and like-minded individuals that are guaranteed to keep your stay interesting.

A successful days float, but where is the car?

Just keep in mind that if you are running your own shuttle it is wise to park the car where you are actually planning on taking out. Or vise versa. We found out the hard way that at least a few of these access roads look pretty similar. “Dude, where’s my car?”

Found it! After calling the towing company, the Army Training Center, and almost the Police, we decided to look for another road. Good thing we didn’t call the Police!

The Rena was good to us this time. After spending countless hours in the past working on fish from the bank, it was refreshing to see the Rena from a different angle. Thanks Rena, we’ll be seeing you again soon!

John got a chance to meet the man, the myth, and the legend on our way out of town.

Text by: Jake Semons

Photos by: Jake Semons and Anders Dahl Ericksen