We have just arrived at the cabin, we are tired for the long trip but badly in need for some fishing. After receiving a hint from the the camp owner, we decide to break ice with
a river a few kilometers from our cabin
The fishable spot is quite short but we just need to wet lines for a couple of hours. The advice turns out to be a slam dunk and we spot big rising grayling right away.
Easily reachable from the street, the lower part of the river runs after a dam, situated upstream of the Laila waterfalls and
in use by a hydroelectric power station. The tubing is an impressive handicraft, made out of wood and resembling a never ending wine barrel.
In the area downstream the dam the river flows in a natural environment. The grayling in the rapids are not really choosy and prey almost any type of fly.
There are areas were the fish are rising at both banks and in the middle of the river. Some spots are just full of wild grayling that, if not spooked, steadily sip flies from the surface
In the flat current the fish is smart and selective but once the right fly is found, even real big fish can be caught. In my case, in spite of a good emergence of olive mayfly, the matching imitation was always rejected. Only the black gnat was able to do magic.
In the rapids and close to the necks of fast moving waters are good places where to find the grayling at this latitude.
Expect strong fish offering fierce fights. Try not go too thin with the tippet and always have a landing net at hand.
The zone we visited turned out a good place where to spend a half day fishing on nice rising wild fish.
The Laila waterfalls are told to get their name from the Scandinavian epic movie Laila. The silent black and white film was shot in this valley in 1929 by the danish director and author
George Schneevoigt (footage images from youtube.com).
