Fly Fishing Jämtland (Part 2): Långan at Risk

In June, it was finally time for some exploration of new waters abroad: Jan and I decided to go fly fishing Jämtland, Sweden.

What’s next?

After our license for the Harkan river had expired we drove to Krokom to resupply on food and stayed at the lake Storsjön. This lake can be fished from the shore without a license as I pointed out above (2017). We camped deep in the forest. Probably here, I drank some (filtered!) lake water which caused some serious stomach ache in the following days.

Our next stop was at the Långan river. Two fishermen who we met in the supermarket in Krokom told us to visit the Kallsta Gard (Farm) where a local farmer runs a small fishing shop and has great knowledge of the river. Unfortunately the farm was closed, but the views on the little hill was worth the detour.

Getting the License for the Långan River

Having not bought a license yet, Jan and I went to the Camp Dannevall where a lovely woman helped us to find suitable spots for fishing.

We followed another gravel road upstream for 5 km until we reached one of the spots she had told us. No wonder that so many rally drivers come from Scandinavia.

Given our long fishing abstinence of almost 12 hours, we instantly began fishing to rising grayling in a slower flow of the Långan river. Although the harr took the fly from now and then, we did not manage to land one. We crossed the river and fished the faster flowing sidearm. Jan was sceptical whether fish might hold in this white water. I assured him to give it at least a try because trout like to stay behind boulders. Shortly after, Jan hooked 2 trout on the heavy jig nymph and released them.

Enjoying the Solitude

We took a short break with some beer and observed the surrounding. Some small trout were rising to small mayflies at arm’s length from our place. A few casts later the small fish came for a visit. Jan had not caught a fish on the dry yet, so he tried as well – with success.

We headed back to the car because we had to fight with strong wind gusts. On the other hand, the fresh winds meant that the bad weather we experienced the first few days was blown away.

Långan River at Risk

At one of our next stops along the Långan river, we met Andres a journalist from the area. He told us that the Långan river is at risk due to a project which plans to rebuild a dam, that the river took away 7 years ago. Since this happening, the fish population had thrived and migration was facilitated so that the current state of the river was as good as it had not been in the last 100 years. At the moment, the case is at the highest court. Whereas the dam company pleads a contract from 1917 that gives them the right to rebuild it in case it breaks, Andres and the resistance try to buy the river and proof its indispensable value for the environment and the community.

Andres told us a hidden gem to camp which was our base camp for the following 3 nights. Only meters from the river we enjoyed the solitude in the forest.

Picky Graylings

On day 2 at the Långan, we fished the bridge pool where we watched many grayling sipping on the surface. We fished the entire day in this area, but it was not until the late afternoon that we began to catch fish. Refusing the dries we offered, the fish loved the copper bead nymph. Jan switched to his spinning gear and caught some decent pikes in the slower backwaters of the Långan. After having caught a dinner grayling, I wanted to catch my first pike on the fly. With Jan’s expertise on the behaviour of the esox it was not long until I had a vicious take on the fluffy streamer. My first pike on the fly ever!

We met the fisherman we talked to in the supermarket again. He struggled to entice the grayling for a dries as well.  This gave me some peace of mind, that it was not just us struggling with dry fly fishing.

Sickness

The next day was a dark one for me because I spent most of the time sick in the tent. However, Jan enjoyed an eventful journey that brought him to a close encounter with two moose. Moreover, it was the first time he was fly fishing on his own. Now he had to apply all the skills I taught him the previous days to catch some fish.

And he did

Other Parts about fly fishing in Jämtland, Sweden

Part 1:Skit Fiske Hårkan River

Part 3: Fjäll around Åre