There are many fine rivers in Norway, and it can often be difficult to choose where to fish for trout and grayling with a fly rod. When Christian Beheim Rosvoll from Askøy and his crew were to set off on their adventure they decided on Grimsa in Folldal.

The fly fishing zone in Grimsa in Folldal is truly a hidden gem. What is better than fly fishing for big trout and grayling in the watershed of Norway’s very first national park? With the Rondane mountain range in the background this proved to be a fantastic fishing experience in a breathtaking setting.

We used a bit of time to get to know the river, but we didn’t need to look long before we found rising fish. It didn’t take long until we had fish in the net either.

There are more grayling than trout in Grimsa, but the average weight of the grayling is impressive and we caught several grayling over 50 cm in length.

The fly fishing zone on Grimsa is roughly 18 km long. We of course didn’t manage to cover the entire stretch, but we will be back the nest chance we get. We used a good amount of time walking the banks and waiting for risers. We waited longest for the rising trout, and they were not very easy to find. This was largely in part to the fact that we didn’t get to experience the legendary hatches that Grimsa is known for. It was also fairly windy which made it difficult to spot rising fish, but patience definitely pays off and the rewards can be great.

The water in Grimsa is crystal clear, and this is one of the reasons that the trout here can be very spooky. This is also a good reason to keep wading at a minimum while hunting for trout. It’s not always easy to find fish in a new river, but a bit of stalking and waiting is a big part of what makes fly fishing fun. The time you spend waiting is quickly forgotten once you get some bend in your rod.

Christian took the honor of catching the nicest trout on the trip, which was caught on a size 18 mayfly pattern. This was simply a gorgeous fish!

We fished both with nymphs and dries. We caught most of our grayling while nymphing, but the grayling were also keen to eat off the surface.

It never gets old with big grayling either, and if we didn’t have other duties calling we would probably still be standing in this fantastic river.

If you haven’t quite decided where you are going to be fishing during the summer months, or if you are already planning for next summers trip, we strongly recommend making the journey to Grimsa. Christian and I already know we will be coming back next year.

Øystein Enghaug Solstad