It takes about a day by car to reach the fishing areas in the middle of Sweden once you have left the harbour of Göteborg behind you, from the Stockholm airport it is just a few hours driving. Whatever way you choose, be prepared to fish new and exciting waters for trout, grayling, pike and perch every day.
Text by Rudy van Duijnhoven, pictures by Rudy van Duijnhoven and Leon Godijk
On a Saturday in June of 2015 I took the Ferry Kiel – Göteborg together with Leon Godijk to explore, for the first time, some new waters in Sweden for Cordes Travel, a Dutch fishing travel agency. Our first stop was at Riverwild in Färila that has its apartments and cabins just a short distance from the River Ljusnan. The camp is open from May 15th until October 15th. Riverwild has five cabins of some fifteen square meters, each with four beds, a kitchenette, kitchen equipment, running cold water and drain. Covers and pillow are included, and bedding can be rented. The Systerbo Cabin is larger, offering a kitchen, living room and a small bedroom, shower and WC. The kitchen has an oven, microwave oven, refrigerator and freezer, plus needed kitchen equipment. The living room has a convertible sofa, TV and wood-fired stove, while the bedroom has a bunk bed.
Exclusive lodgings are available in the Sauna cabin located privately on the shore of the Ljusnan river. This cabin has a kitchen, running hot and cold water, a double bed that can be lowered, an extra bed if needed, shower and, of course, a sauna. There is a separate toilet outside the cabin. Riverwild can also rent out a wilderness hot tub for ten persons located near the river. Finally Riverwild has six sites for caravans with electricity.
Fishing in the area
The river in this area holds grayling and trout in the faster stretches, while pike and perch are the main species in the slower, deeper parts of the river. Perch and pike can also be found in a lot of the lakes in the area, these waters also hold roach, ide and bream. For more fishing information, visit www.ljusdalsfvo.se and www.farilafiske.se.
With guide Micke Hansson we made a visit on the first day to two sections of the River Leån (sounds like Leon), a river of some ten kilometers in length that runs between two lakes. The river was still running higher than normal (summer had only just started there…) which made it hard to reach the fish at several spots. We had a few nice grayling, one brown trout and a large number of small perch came to take our nymphs, emergers and dry flies. It was an overcast day with a bit of rain, but the temperature was comfortable enough. We did need DEET however to keep the midges at a distance…
Wading and boating
The next day we fished on the Ljusnan River in front of the Riverwild Campground. Using Teeny Nymph Lines and nymphs we hooked a good number of grayling and perch in some of the deeper, not too fast runs. There was some misunderstanding concerning our fishing guide on this day, but at least we had one booked for the next day when we wanted to go after pike on some quiet stretches of the river with a boat.
With fishing guide Roger Pekkala, Leon Godijk and myself tried for pike for some hours on this following day. We fished from a rowing boat at a slow flowing and at places deep stretch of the River Ljusnan upstream from Riverwild Fishing & Lodging. The pike did not want to come out and play, it seemed, we had a few fish following our streamers and we landed one small fish but other than that it remained rather quiet.
The shallower parts of the stream are full of water-plants, which should be perfect hiding places for the pike. We fished there and in the deeper parts as well, but apparently the pike were just not active. That same afternoon we drove to our next stop during our trip, the Wildlife Sweden Camp of Marco Hassoldt in Kårbole.
Staying at Wildlife Sweden
Staying at Camp Ängra is possible on three different ways: the camp has two cosy and modern, apartments. Both apartments have a kitchen, a bathroom, two bedrooms and a living room with fireplace. In the apartment ‘Järven’ there is place for up to seven persons. There is one bedroom with two single beds which can be put together as a double and one bedroom with one single bed and a two bunks. In apartment ‘Mården’ there is room for up to five people. There is one bedroom with two single beds which can be put together as a double and one bedroom with one single bed and one bunk. In the typical Swedish land-house of Wildlife Sweden there are two guest rooms. Both guest rooms are available for B&B or full service. In the family room there is one double bed and a bunk. In the other room there are three single beds available.
On the camping-field, which lays direct beside the beautiful river Ängraån, Wildlife Sweden has twenty places where you can put your tent, caravan or camper. On the field there is a fireplace where you can grill your fish or sausage, or just sit around and enjoy. All places have 230 Volt hook-up and there is a sanitary cabin with two showers and two toilets.
Of bears and fishing
With Erik Vork and Leon Godijk I fished on lake Gommorstjärnen on the first day of our stay at Wildlife Sweden, the lake where the bear observation cabin of Wildlife Sweden is to be found on the water as well. We had a super day fishing mainly dry flies and streamers, the trout were rising freely to the large brown mayflies that were hatching.
The lake holds a good population of wild brown trout, some char, roach and rainbow trout; the latter are of course introduced here for the fishermen. We caught a good number of colourful rainbow trout, some small roach and average sized brown trout. Leon caught two big brown trout towards the end, fish of 56 and 60 cm… An exceptional catch for sure, all fish were released unharmed and a little wiser.
After a few hours on the river Ljusnan in wind and light rain (the forecast was for dry and sunny weather…) whereby we caught some average sized grayling, Leon, Erik and myself spend the afternoon on Laforssjö in front of Wildlife Sweden. We caught a good number of small but colourful pike, all on streamers fished on floating or intermediate flylines. There was a good amount of mayflies on the surface again. That evening we had to pack our car as we would leave for Göteborg early in the morning.
Information
Fishing in the Middle of Sweden
www.fims.nu
Kustleden Hostel & Holiday Apartments
Harmångersvägen 2
820 72 Stömsbruk
Sweden
Tel. +46 (0)650 – 74 00 30, +46 (0)70 – 26 77 976
Website: www.kustleden.com
Email: info@kustleden.com
Riverwild
Morvall Färilavägen 90
820 41 Färila
Sweden
Tel. +46 (0)70 – 5091 570, +46 (0)70 – 6767 921
Website: www.riverwild.se
Email: info@riverwild.se
Wildlife Sweden Camp Ängra
Ängra 6
820 43 Kårböle
Sweden
Website: www.wildlifesweden.se
Email: info@wildlifesweden.se
Jessica Dolk Fishing Guide
Email: j.dolk@hotmail.com
Tel. +46 (0)72 – 732 6464
Cordes Travel
Groenveld 19
5752 BH Deurne
The Netherlands
Office: +31 (0)493 – 310 103
E-mail: info@cordestravel.nl
Website: www.cordestravel.nl