Late ­Summer ­flies ­and ­wandering ­trout

We are halfway through the month of July, and the opportunities in Fishspot land this time of year are endless.

The big mayfly hatches have come and gone, and the trout, grayling, and char have finally fattened up after winter. In terms of trout, the females are now more commonly caught while the big males are becoming more occupied with both chasing ladies and chasing away other males.

Soon on the menu we’ll see caddis, swimming pupa and daddy long legs before the smaller mayflies make a comeback later in the summer.

After a long dry early summer in anticipation of precipitation, we’ve finally seen some wetter weather. The water levels in the larger watersheds from Femunden, Dovre, and further south have risen, and the water has cooled off. With the days now getting shorter the trout might start to thing about their spawning migration.

This applies to all of the small rivers connected to large inland lakes which are home to big trout… Rivers such as Sømåa, Gløta, and Sølna in Engerdal. These rivers can surprise you with very big fish if you happen to be in the right place at the right time, especially after a solid rain and a bump in the water levels.

This also applies to the small rivers near Rondane. The Grimsa and the Atna watersheds are gin clear, and very exciting rivers which offer prime opportunities for sight fishing. The fish here can however just as easily see you, so keep a low profile and avoid stumbling around along the river banks.

Renaelva offers excellent fishing this time of year for those in the know. If you want to get to know the most famous river in southern Norway a little bit better we recommend booking a guide as a good investment. Each of these rivers have their own character, and Rena is no exception. It can take years to acquire the same knowledge as you can in one weekend with a guide.

We must also recommend Kvennan Fly Fishing. The grayling fishing at Kvennan is second to none. As the water levels drop we are confident the surface will be boiling with rising fish. Even though the dry fly fishing here is excellent, don’t forget that this is an ideal place to practice various nymphing techniques. The fish are there even if they aren’t rising, and the river is easy to wade.