Fish are not evenly distributed throughout a river. Ten percent of the water holds ninety percent of the fish. These ten percent are what we call good fishing places, and they satisfy the main needs of the fish: To be sheltered from the current, to have adequate food, and to hide from enemies. All places meeting these requirements are good fishing places.

A good fishing place in a river is a combination of the depth-, current- and bottom conditions. Before you start to fish, you look at the river and consider whether the river conditions conform with your ideas of a good fishing place. This is called reading the water. In the GLOMMAGUIDE I have read the water for you. With the help of this guide you don’t have to spend valuable fishing days on fishless, uninteresting stretches of the river. The GLOMMAGUIDE will help you find the right place at the right time. Fishermen who know how to read the water, how to find fish, and how to present a fly, lure or bait to them in a lifelike manner, catch far more fish than those who fish the water at random. If you want more exact information about a promising area, study the air photos on the CD-ROM.

The GLOMMAGUIDE is available as book and CD-ROM (Summer 1999).

The point of the philosophy behind this guide is to encourage you to use it as its title implies – as a guide. Neither the text nor the maps, pictures and the updated information foound on my website Glommaguiden.com are totally independent of each other. Use them together to gain as much information you can. Enjoy the outdoors, enjoy the fishing and enjoy the Østerdalen valley. 

The book
contains 27 detailed maps and an introductory text with good, local advice on the area and how best to fish it. The book is meant for field use, and the maps are printed on special paper that is not damaged by water.

The CD-ROM
contains the same information and maps as the book, but also houndreds of detailed photographs taken from the air, covering the map areas. They are often so detailed that the stones at the bottom of the river are visible. You will also find pictures taken from the bank or a canoe; usually every few kilometres. For every place where a road enters the river, you will find a picture showing the conditions of that area. Anything on the CD-ROM may be printed out and added to the book.

The CD-ROM is meant as an advance planner for your fishing trip.

Since the speed of the current and dangerous river stretches are marked, this guide is excellent for canoeing. If you follow the maps when paddling, you will not be caught unaware in dangerous stretches! EVERY problem area has been marked. But if you are in a canoe or a boat you must be alert: Dangerous stones and sunken logs may overturn your canoe even in the slower river-stretches!

I also mention some smaller streams and lakes in the Hedmark county which are suitable for paddling. Many of these small streams can be paddled during the May flood only. 

THE MAPS
contains the most valuable information in the GLOMMAGUIDE.

Please note: You will not find any crosses on the maps telling you where to find potentially good fishing places. For what is a good fishing place? A flyfisherman often goes to different places than a lure-, bait- or ice-fisherman. And the fishing places vary with the time of the year, water level and time of day. It is impossible to mark all good fishing places for all types of angling at any time of the year or the day in the Glomma and Rena!

I have swum, dived and paddled the water - walked, biked or driven all roads leading to the river, and for a general survey I have flown over the entire area. The result of my field work has been marked on the maps as speed of the current, depth, tail of the pools, seams and eddies, and I believe it has been done with an accuracy which allows you practical use of the maps to find promising areas. "Shore information" such as where to buy your fishing licences, shops, lodgings, post offices, etc. will help make your stay in the Østerdalen valley a successful one.

Water-depths have been marked as:
Very shallow: Sand or gravel bars which are above the surface at low water level. Such areas are marked on the maps with bluish grey colour. At high water level, these are the areas to seek out if you want to wade during fishing. 

Wadable: These are wadable areas at normal water level, with depths down to about 1.5 metres. They are marked as light blue areas on the maps.

All field work for this guide has been done in the years 1995 to 1997. These years the water level was low. It has been very difficult to "adjust" this low water-level from my field work to wadable depths at normal water-level since the depth is affected differently in the different areas depending upon the anatomy of the valley. 

Deep: Areas with a depth of 1,5 to 2,5 metres. These are marked with a medium blue colour. 

Very deep: These are the deepest areas of the river. You will find them in the slower stretches of the river or in the deepest pools with current speed from 1,0 to 1,5. The deepest areas are marked with a deep blue colour.

No depths or current-speed are exactly measured - they are done by estimate or by personal experience. 

The marked depth and current-speed are meant as an indication of the river conditions. To give exact information on something which changes all the time is impossible! 

The tail of the pools, seams and eddies
are marked with black lines in the river. They are all potentially good areas where you can start your fishing. Only the biggest tail of the pools, seams and eddies are marked. Along the shore there are countless smaller seams and eddies. These are also potentially good holding areas for fish. 

The current-speed
is marked on the left bank of the river with figures from 1,0 to 5,0. Current-speed 1,0 marks slow current – 5,0 is dangerous waterfalls. From the figure there is a drawn line to the bank. This marks the beginning of the current-speed, and it applies to where a new current-speed is marked. 

Kilometre markings (km)
on the right bank of the river indicates the distance in kilometres from the northern point of the Prestøya island in the Elverum county (km 000). There are two reasons for using kilometre markings on the maps. One is to have a reference point for the air photos on the CD-ROM. The kilometre markings are printed on these photos.

Another practical use for kilometre markings is to give an exact locality for your fishing. To say to friend that we can meet at km 047,8 is much more accurate than some kilometres south of the Steinvik bridge.

Cultivated land
is marked as grey areas along the river. On the CD-ROM the areas are marked with orange colour. Walking on cultivated land is prohibited during summer, so this may be an obstacle for reaching the river.

Roads
All roads leading down to the river has been marked. Many of these smaller roads are private roads leading to farms and houses. Don’t use these private roads unless you are visiting someone! 

Symbols
mark important "land information" as where to buy fishing licence, lodgings, shops, petrol stations, post offices, etc. 

UTM-WGS 84 zone 32 grid system
is used on the maps. (The horizontal and vertical lines). This is practical if you navigate with a portable GPS receiver. The UTM grid system on the maps in this guide is equal to the blue UTM grid system on the newest edition of the rectangle maps (1:50.000).

On most maps, north is parallel with the edge of the map. This is not the case with most of the maps in this guide. I have adjusted the map to follow the length of the river. North is marked with an arrow on all maps. 

The scale
of the maps is 1:18.000 in the book. A square on the map equals 1 x 1 kilometres. 

Names
are important when drawing maps. Many of the names correspond to those on the rectangle maps (1:50.000).

I am not satisfied with the spelling of many of the names on the common rectangle maps. The spelling is different compared to how the local people pronounce the names. An example: On the Elverum rectangle map the place Sørstugrenda is mentioned. In Elverum we pronounce this Søstugrenda, and this is how I choose to spell it on my map.

On the rectangle maps, some of the islands and brooks are incorrectly named. I have tried to correct the errors.

Originally, I had planned to interview people about names of pools, banks, rapids, falls, old fishing places, etc. I call these "blue names", since they have something to do with water. They are marked in blue writing on the maps. However, I soon realised that to do a good job I needed to spend a couple of years on this aspect.

The problem with "blue names" is that they are often part of a verbal tradition only, and as such are not marked on any maps. 

BEFORE FISHING
you must buy a fishing licence.

Except for the Røros county, fishing licences follow the county borders.

The fishing licence is bought locally, from kiosks, sports dealers, tourist offices, camp sites, hotels, petrol stations, some landowners and self-service boxes. You can choose between seasonal licence, weekly licence, week-end licence or 24-hours licence. (This will vary between the various areas.) All places where fishing licences can be bought are marked on the maps.

Children below 16 can fish inland free of charge from 1 January to 20 August. In areas where fishing licences are sold, children must contact the licence seller to get a free licence. (I have never met a child with a fishing licence. If you are below 16: Fish without asking any questions, but don’t tell anyone that I have told you to do so!) After 20 August, children, too, must buy a fishing licence.

In areas where fishing licences are not sold, children below 16 may fish freely without asking the landowner in the period 1 January to 20 August. After this date you must have permission from the landowner.

FISHING REGULATIONS
The fishing rights in Norwegian lakes and rivers belongs to the landowner, or whomever the landowner has transferred the fishing rights to. At present, most fishing rights and the selling of fishing licences have been transferred to landowners’ organisations or hunting and angling organisations. Since not all landowners along the Glomma and Rena are members of any organisations, there are many short river-stretches where fishing is not allowed even with a fishing-licence! This creates a problem for anglers: You will never find a sign on the river-bank saying that fishing is prohibited. When you buy a fishing licence, you seldom get a map where the illegal areas are marked. Landowners who don’t allow fishing on their land, should be responsible for the information about such areas.

I shall not say "do as I do", but if I have bought a fishing licence, I fish the whole licence area without bothering about any potentially illegal stretches. All anglers I know do the same. If I get a scolding by a landowner (which, by the way, has not happened yet), I shall respect this and fish in another area. Private and illegal river stretches are not marked on the maps in this guide.

In the Røros county there are some longer private stretches: From the bridge near the Orvos Camping ground to the outlet of the river Håelva (km 264,8 to km 255,6), and on the west bank of the Glomma from the end of the licence area of the Orvos Camping to the southern part of the licence area of the Øvre Glomma Fishing Association (km 265,5 to km 267,1). 

Fishing licence regulations and other relevant information:
County: Elverum. 
Licence area: The Strandbygda Landowners’ Association.
The licence is valid for the following area: The Glomma from the Gammelbrua bridge in Elverum town to the Åmot county border (km 001 to km 021). 

Fishing licence sold at:
1: Hagen Sport, Elverum town, (km 001,2).
2: Bekk Sport, Elverum town, (km 001,2).
3: Elverum Sport, Elverum town, (km 001,2).
4: Basthjørnet petrol station (Open 24 hours), Elverum town, (km 001,2).
5: Elgstua Inn, Elverum town, (km 001,2).
6: Tourist Information, Elverum town, (km 001,2).
7: Nils Rustad, Rustad Forest, Rustad, (km 021,2).

Fishing regulations for the area:
Fishing time: All year. Trout fishing is not allowed from 15 September to 31 October. All trout caught during closed season must be released even if it is damaged.
Protection zone: Upstream and downstream from the Strandfossen power plant. The area is marked on map 1.
Boat fishing and float tube: Yes.
Smallest fish allowed: 25 cm.
Legal tackle: Fishing rod and ice fishing.
Other: The fishing licence is valid in the calendar year. You should send in a report on how many and how large fish you catch.
Licence prices:
24 hours: 50 kroner.
Week: 150 kroner.
Season: 200 kroner.

Fishing regulations for the area:
Fishing time: For trout and grayling: 20 May to 31 October. On the stretch from Rasta Sund to Stai bridge (km 069,6 to km 083,9) you may fish all year. Note: All fishing for trout in the Glomma and lakes and rivers in the rest of Stor-Elvdal county is prohibited from 15 September to 31 October. All trout caught during closed season must be released even if it is damaged. 
Boat fishing and float tube: Yes. 
Smallest fish allowed: 25 centimetres for trout and grayling. 
Legal tackle: Fishing rod and ice fishing. 
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before your fishing begins. Some of the licence sellers also sell state fishing licence. If you catch a marked trout or grayling, the mark must be sent to: Fylkesmannen i Hedmark, 2300 Hamar. 
Licence prices:24 hours: Glomma card, 40 kroner. Main card, 40 kroner.Week: Glomma card, 120 kroner. Main card, 120 kroner.Season: Glomma card, 300 kroner. Main card, 400 kroner.

Fishing licence regulations and other relevant information:
County: Rendalen. 
Licence area: The Glomma Landowners’ Association. 
The licence is valid for the following river area: The Glomma in Rendalen county (km 119,4 to km 149,9).

Fishing licence is sold at:
1: Fina petrol station, Hanestad, (km 132,1).
2: Trudy Grann, Granvika (km 145,0).
3: Atna Camping, Stor-Elvdal, (km 117,3). 
Self service cash box:
4: On the west bank of the Glomma about 5 kilometres north of the Hanestad road bridge near the farm Kvernbekkmoen, (km 136,9).
5: At the suspension bridge above the river Atna near the farm Stenbakken some kilometres away from the Glomma, (km 119,0). 

Fishing regulations for the area: 
Fishing time: You can start to fish from 20 May. Trout fishing is prohibited from 15 September. From this date all trout must be released.
Boat fishing and float tube: Yes.
Smallest fish allowed: 30 centimetres for trout and grayling.
Legal tackle: Fishing rod only. 
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before fishing begins. Fishing with living bait (minnow) is prohibited. After fishing, please report how many and big fish you have got to Glomma Grunneierforening, N-2570 Hanstad. 

Licence prices:
24 hours: 40 kroner.
Season: 150 kroner. 

Fishing regulations for the area:
Fishing time: All year. Fishing for trout is prohibited from 15 September to 31 October. In this period, all trout must be released. 
Boat fishing or float tube: No. 
Smallest fish allowed: 30 centimetres.
Legal tackle: Fishing rod and otter. 
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before fishing starts. Motorboats up to 7,5 horse-powers are allowed. 

Licence prices: 
Inhabitants of the Alvdal county, 24 hours: 30 kroner. 
Others, 24 hours: 35 kroner.
Inhabitants of the Alvdal county, week: 60 kroner. 
Others, Week: 70 kroner.
Inhabitants of the Alvdal county, season: 120 kroner. 
Others, season: 140 kroner. 
Licence prices joint licence:
24 hours: 50 kroner.
Week: 150 kroner.
Season: 300 kroner.

Fishing licence regulations and other relevant information:
County: Tynset.
Licence area: The Tynset card.The Glomma in the Tynset county.Joint licence Tolga/Tynset/Alvdal counties. 
The licence is valid for the following river area: The Tynset card: All rivers and lakes in the Tynset county. The Glomma in the Tynset county: The rivers Glomma, Tunna, and Tela. Joint licence: The Glomma from the Rendalen county border border to the Old Bridge in the Tolga County (km 145,9/150 to km 224,5) 

Fishing licence is sold at:
1: Tynset Tourist Information, Tynset town, (km 198,8).
2: Tynset Camping and Motel, Tynset town, (km 198,8).
3: Alvdal-Tynset Sport AS, Tynset town, (km 199,0).
4: Storstuegga, Tynset county, (km 202,3).
5: Kvennan Camping, Tolga county, (km 215,3). 

Fishing regulations for the area:
Fishing time: All year. Note: Fishing for trout is prohibited from 15 September to 31 October. In this period, all trout must be released. 
Boat fishing or float tube: Yes. 
Smallest fish allowed: 30 centimetres for trout and grayling.
Legal tackle: Fishing rod only.
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before fishing starts. Fishing with living minnow is prohibited. 

Licence prices Tynset:
24 hours: 30 kroner.
Week: 75 kroner.
Season: 150 kroner.
Licence prices Tynset card:
Week: 150 kroner.
Season: 350 kroner.
Licence prices joint licence:24 hours: 50 kroner.Week: 150 kroner.Season: 300 kroner. 

Fishing licence is sold at: 
1: Hummelfjell Camping, Os county, (km 232,0).
2: Malmplassen Gjestegård, Tolga town, (km 223,1).
3: Kvennan Camping, Tolga county, (km 215,3).
4: Harald Jordet, Tolga county, (km 218,7).
5: Tolga Tourist Information, Tolga county, (km 223,0).
6: Sætersegga Camping, Tolga county, (km 222,0). 

Fishing regulations for the area:
Fishing time: 15 May to 15 September.
Boat fishing or float tube: Prohibited.Smallest fish allowed: 30 centimetres for trout and grayling.
Legal tackle: Fishing rod only.
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before your fishing begins. Fishing with living minnow is prohibited. 

Licence prices: 
24 hours: 50 kroner.
Week-end: 110 kroner.
Season: 200 kroner. 
Licence prices joint licence:
24 hours: 50 kroner.
Week: 150 kroner.
Season: 300 kroner. 

Fishing licence is sold at:
1: R. Dølgård, Os town, (km 241,4).
2: Os Tourist Information, Os town, (km 241,4).
3: Os Statoil Gasoline Station, Os town, (km 241,4).
4: Røste Camping, Os county, (km 243,5).
5: Hummelfjell Camping, Os county, (km 232,0). 

Fishing regulations for the area:
Fishing time: 20 May to 15 September.
Boat fishing or float tube: Prohibited.
Smallest fish allowed: 30 centimetres for trout and grayling.
Legal tackle: Fishing rod only.
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before your fishing begins. Fishing with living or dead minnow is prohibited. 

Licence prices:
24 hours: 30 kroner.
Week: 100 kroner.
Season: 200 kroner.

Fishing licence is sold at: 
1: Hans Galåen, Galåen, (km 251,2).
2: Håneset Camping, Røros county, (km 255,4).
3: Hummelfjell Camping, Os county, (km 232,0).
4: Røros Tourist Office, Røros town, (km 256,0).
5: Røros Sport, Røros town, (km 256,0). 
Self service cash box: Yes, at the bridge (km 251,4). 

Fishing regulations for the area:
Fishing time: 15 May to 15 September.
Boat fishing and float tube: Prohibited.
Smallest fish allowed: 30 centimetres for trout and grayling. 
Legal tackle: Fishing rod only. 
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before your fishing begins. 

Licence prices:
24 hours: 40 kroner.
Week: 75 kroner.
Season: 150 kroner. 

Fishing licence regulations and other relevant information:
County: Røros.
Licence area: The Orvos Camping. 
The licence is valid for the following river area: The west side only of the Glomma from the outlet of the brook Holtålsbekken to the end of the rapids north of the Ormhaugsfossen falls (km 264,15 to km 265,5). 

Fishing licence is sold at:1: Orvos Camping, Orvos, (km 264,8).2: Torgeir Øren, Ormhaugen gård, (km 265,4). 

Fishing regulations for the area:Fishing time: Grayling fishing is allowed the whole season. Trout fishing: 15 May to 15 September. 

Boat fishing or float tube: Allowed. Please notice that boat and float tube fishing is only allowed to the middle of the river. 

Smallest fish allowed: 25 centimetres for trout and grayling. 
Legal tackle: Fishing rod only.
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before your fishing begins. 
Licence prices:
24 hours: 30 kroner.
Week: 120 kroner.
Season: 250 kroner. 

Fishing licence regulations and other relevant information:
County: Røros.
Licence area: The Røros Fjellstyre (Mountain Board). 
The licence is valid for the following river area: East side only of the Glomma from the outlet of a brook at km 267 to the road bridge near Orvos Camping at km 264,8. 

Fishing licence is sold at: 
1: Røros Sport, Røros town, (km 256,0).
2: Røros Fjellstyre, Røros town, (km 256,0).
3: Domus Sport, Røros town, (km 256,0).
4: Røros Tourist Office, Røros town, (km 256,0). 

Fishing regulations for the area:
Fishing time: The whole year.
Boat fishing or float tube: Prohibited.
Smallest fish allowed: 25 centimetres for trout and grayling.
Legal tackle: Fishing rod only.
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before your fishing begins. 

Licence prices:
Norwegians, 24 hours: 50 kroner. 
Non Norwegians, 24 hours: 60 kroner.
Norwegians, 48 hours: 75 kroner. 
Non Norwegians, 48 hours: 90 kroner.
Norwwegians, week: 100 kroner. 
Non Norwegians, week: 150 kroner.
Norwegians, season: 300 kroner. 
Non Norwegians, season: 300 kroner. 

Fishing licence regulations and other relevant information:
County: Røros.
Licence area: The Øvre Glomma Fishing Association. 
The licence is valid for the following river area: Both sides of the Glomma from the outlet of a brook (km 266,8) to the Aursunden lake (km 274,3).

Fishing licence is sold at:1: Kjell A. Sandkjernan, Glåmos, (km 268,0).
2: Glåmos Samvirkelag, Glåmos, (km 270,3).
3: Kari Kroken, Glåmos, (km 269,8).
4: Odd D. Kroken, Glåmos, (km 268,9).
5: Slettmoen, Glåmos, (km 268,0).
6: Lars Ø. Granøyen, Glåmos, (km 271,5).
7: Røros Sport, Røros town, (km 256,0).
8: Domus Sport, Røros town, (km 256,0).
9: Marit Almåsvold, Glåmos, (km 270,4).
10: Else Jensvoll, Glåmos, (km 270,0).
11: Jostein Sandnes, Glåmos, (km 269,9). 

Fishing regulations for the area:
Fishing time: 1 May to 15 September.
Boat fishing or float tube: Prohibited.
Smallest fish allowed: 25 centimetres for trout and grayling.
Legal tackle: Fishing rod only.
Other: Fishing licence must be bought before your fishing begins. 

Licence prices:
24 hours: 40 kroner.
Week: 100 kroner.
Season: 200 kroner. 

FISHING FROM A CANOE OR BOAT
is an efficient way to catch fish. Fishing from a boat is legal in the Elverum, Åmot, Rendalen, Alvdal, Tynset and in some parts of the Røros county.

You should never use a boat or a canoe during a flood! One exception is rafting in large, special made rubber boats. Fish from the shore! Casting to the middle of the river is unnecessary, because the holding lies are often near the bank. Please note that an ordinary, open canoe is not constructed for use in falls and rapids.

When fishing from a boat or canoe, it is often preferable to use an anchor to keep the boat stable while fishing. The anchor should not be of the store-bought type with spikes securing themselves in the bottom. Those anchors are made for lakes and the sea, and are dangerous if used in rivers.

The "anchor" which I use consists of lead melted into a food tin with a metal cramp in which to fasten the rope. (You get lead for free in petrol stations which do wheel balancing). The anchor rope must be attached to the bow of the boat or canoe, and the centre of gravity (you) must be aft. Then the boat will stay stable even in strong currents.

New rules state that life jackets must always be available - also in rowboats and canoes. 

WADING
is the most common method for approaching the fish in rivers. In the Glomma and Rena the bottom rocks are often covered with algae that can be annoyingly slippery, so you must use wading boots with felt soles or soles with aluminium or tungsten studs. As an extra security you may wear a life jacket. There are compact, inflatable life jackets which are ideal for anglers.

Most fishermen use neopren chest waders. These isolate well against the cold water, and they act as a life jacket if an accident occurs. However, they are very hot on sunny days. "Breathing" Gore-tex waders are becoming increasingly popular. These waders let out the humidity so you won’t get too sweaty even on hot summer days.

FISH SPECIES
Trout (Salmo trutta)
The common size of trout in the Glomma and Rena is up to 500 grams. Larger sizes occur, but the giants are few. Every year, anglers catch several trout of 2 to 5 kilograms in the Østerdalen valley. The Rena is well known for its good populations of large-size trout; one trout of 6.3 kilos was caught by a flyfisherman some years ago.

Big trout often swim in pairs. If you have caught one big trout, continue to fish in the same area; you might catch his brother!

The trout eats insects, snails and smaller fish. All big trout are predators, but some will take insects during one of the numerous, heavy, insect hatches. You will never catch trout when ice-fishing on the Glomma. The biggest trout live in the slower river stretches with a current-speed of 1.0 to 1.5.

The trout spawn in the Glomma and Rena or their tributaries in autumn, and can migrate far in search for food: Trout marked in the fish ladder at Strandfossen waterfalls (km 007) have been caught in the rivers Åsta (km 027.5), Imsa (km 078), and Atna (km 119,4).

Angling associations and landowners’ organisations carry out valuable work within breeding and stocking of trout.

The giants are not confined to the areas covered by this guide. Monster trout have been seen at the Svartfossen rapids near Kongsvinger 100 km south of Elverum, and a trout weighting 7.2 kilos was caught on a lure in one of the falls south of Elverum. The biggest trout in the Hedmark county swim in the big lakes Mjøsa, Storsjøen, Osensjøen, Atnasjøen, Savalen, Breisjøen and Femunden. Trout weighting more than 10 kilos are caught annually in some of these lakes (trolling).

Trout is popular as food, and is excellent fried, cooked, smoked, baked, etc. 

Grayling (Thymallus thymallus)
The common size of the grayling in the Glomma and Rena is from the legal 25 or 30 centimetres to 500 grams. However, bigger fish are not uncommon. A grayling of 2.8 kilos is said to have been caught in the northern part of the Glomma. In the Rena, several grayling up to 1.5 kilos are caught annually. The biggest, official Norwegian grayling caught on a fly is 1.9 kilos, was taken in the Rena (km 23,4 map 27).

Graylings are looking for small meals like aquatic insects, snails and other small creatures. It is easily caught on a fly or bait. Small spinners may also be efficient.

Grayling spawn during springtime in May. Big grayling, the so-called "gråharr", can migrate widely in search for food and spawning places. The biggest graylings stay in stretches with a current speed of 1,0 to 1,5. The most popular river stretches for grayling fishing have a current speed of 1,5 to 3,0.

The flesh of the grayling is white, and tastes excellent.

Whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus)
The Glomma and Rena both have a good population of big whitefish. Fish up to 1,5 kilos are not uncommon. Every season I catch many whitefish of 1-1,5 kilos on dry flies in the Rena. The whitefish population in the Rena has increased during the last decade. This may possibly have happened at the expense of the grayling population.

The whitefish eat aquatic insects, snails and other small organisms. The easiest way to catch this tasty salmonida is by ice-fishing in March and April, baitfishing, or with a dry fly or nymph during summertime. It thrives in the slower river stretches with a current-speed of 1.0 to 1.5.

Whitefish can easily become over-populated in Norwegian rivers and lakes, and it is therefore wise to kill and eat all the whitefish you catch. I practise catch and release with trout and graylings, and catch and kill for most of the whitefish I get.

The whitefish tastes excellent fried, boiled, baked, smoked and half-fermented.

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
was planted in a few watercourses some years ago. Most populations have disappeared, but in one tributary to the Glomma and two to the Rena spawning populations have survived. It is possible that these populations were wiped out during the very cold winter of 1995/96.

Very rarely, brook trout has been caught by flyfishermen in the Rena.

Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus)
form large populations in the deep water of the Storsjøen lake north of map 27. Some fishes may swim downstream to the Rena.

It has been known for anglers to catch arctic char in the Rena, but it is extremely rare.

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykies)
From time to time anglers catch rainbow trout in the Glomma and Rena. These are always escapees from fish farms.

Pike (Esox lucius)
The common size of pike in the Glomma and Rena is up to 3 to 4 kilos. Pike up to 17 kilos is said to have been caught in the past in the Glomma just south of the map areas. The biggest documented pike I have heard of within the map areas weighed 14,5 kilos.

Pike is a predator and eats everything that moves in or on the water, i.e. fish, frogs, young birds, etc. It takes lures and streamers. Fishing for pike with a floating popper can be a lot of fun. Try it!

The pike thrives in lakes and slow-flowing stretches of the river, and it spawns in springtime. In May or the beginning of June it seeks a slow flowing area for spawning. The male pike is the first to arrive in the shallow spawning areas, the female follows somewhat later.

If you wish to fish for pike, the best pike fishing is done in lakes and the slower stretches of the rivers. You fish most effectively from the "water side", so I would strongly recommend that you bring a float tube or use a boat.

Here are the names of some good pike lakes south of Elverum: Haugsjøen, Kløversjøen, Store Røgden, Skasen and Namnsjøen in the Grue county, Gjesåssjøen and Hukusjøen in the Åsnes county, and Storsjøen in the Nord-Odal/Sør-Odal counties. In Akersvika, a part of the Mjøsa lake near Hamar town 30 km west of Elverum, you will find some of Norway’s biggest pikes, as well as record perch, ide, and bream. In the Elverum county you can fish for pike in the mouth of the Jømna river 15 kilometres south of the map areas. You can also try a lure or streamer in the small lakes Sagtjernet and Vesletjernet in the middle of Elverum town. The Bergesjøen lake east of Elverum might also be a good bet.

Many anglers throw away the pike they catch without using it as food. This is a waste. If we don’t want to eat the fish, we should release it unharmed! That goes for pike too!

Fish cakes made of pike are delicious, but unfortunately this is nearly the only way Norwegians use the pike for food. However, it is gourmet food when baked, and as fish soup.

Burbot (Lota lota)
If you are fishing at the bottom of lakes and rivers and catch a strange fish with a "beard", you have caught a burbot the, only codfish species swimming in Norwegian freshwater. Many anglers cut the line if they have the "misfortune" to catch one. That is really a pity, for the burbot is one of the most tasty fishes in Norwegian waters.

In the Elverum county, the burbot spawns around New Year. It swims into smaller tributaries to lay its smallish roe. Most anglers fish for the burbot in the winter-time. Its usual size is up to 1.5 kilos, but bigger fish are not uncommon. Norway’s largest burbot was caught in the big lake Osensjøen, 15 km east of the Rena.

The burbot is a predator. During spawning, it is easily caught on bottom baiting, with a lure or fixed line. The Glomma has a large population of burbot, and if you know a good fishing place you may make a good catch.

To prepare the burbot for food, you must first skin it: Cut the skin around the head. Hold onto the head while pulling off the skin with a pair of pliers. Burbot tastes very good boiled, fried and in fish soup, also in combination with pike. When you boil burbot, you should not add the salt until towards the end, to prevent the fish meat from becoming tough. Burbot is undoubtedly the freshwater fish from which it is easiest to remove the bones, which is an advantage to people "allergic" to fish bones.

Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus)
is a small carp thriving in slow-flowing parts of the river. It is of value as food for fish like trout, perch, burbot and pike. Unfortunately, some anglers still use living minnow (or other fish species) as bait. This is prohibited. The minnow must be DEAD when used as bait. In some counties it is prohibited to fish with dead minnow as well.

The minnow often groups in large quantities in shallows and slow water. It can be caught with a fine-meshed net or with a hook baited with a worm or insect larvae.

It is prohibited to bring minnow as bait to other lakes or watercourses. Use the "local" minnow only! Escaping minnows, brought in by anglers, have destroyed many fine trout waters.

In the Østerdalen valley the minnow is called "gørsild".

Roach (Rutilus rutilus)
is found up to the mouth of the Rena. It has no significance for anglers, and you very rarely catch it.

Bream (Abramis brama)
lives in the Sagtjernet lake in Elverum town with an outlet to the Glomma. As a rare event, anglers have caught bream in the Glomma in Elverum county.

Perch (Perca fluviatilis)
is found throughout the Østerdalen valley. The population is small in most stretches in the Glomma north of Elverum, and few anglers are fishing for this tasty fish.

Perch weighing more than 1 kilo are caught annually. 

Pope (Acerina cernua)
is a small fish related to the perch. It might have significance as food for other fish, but has none for anglers.

In Elverum the pope is called "snørrgjørs".

Sculpin (Cottus poecilopus)
or "steinsmett" as we Norwegians call it, is a small, bottom-living fish. It has some significance as food for other species. The trout loves sculpins.

Some anglers use it as bait. A dead sculpin is the best bait you can use if you want to catch trout. It is common in the Glomma and Rena. It always tries to hide, preferably under a stone in shallow water. By carefully lifting flat stones you may see it. When frightened, it seldom swims more than 50 centimetres away. You may catch it with a small baited hook. One of my friends spears the sculpins with a common fork.

 Brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri)
may grow to 20 centimetres, and looks like a small eel. Most of the time it lies buried in mud or sand. In the Østerdalen valley it is therefore called sand eel, "sandelle". The mouth is formed as a suction cup, and you may sometimes see lampreys fastened to stones.

It has some significance as food for other species like trout, grayling, burbot, perch, and pike.

Since the 1500’s, sea serpents, Monster horribilis, have been observed in the lakes Mjøsa and Osensjøen. If you make contact with one of these, please inform me immediately!

In 1836, a canal was dug from the Femunden lake to the Feragen Lake, which has an outlet to the Glomma some kilometres south of Røros (km 256,6). Through this canal whitefish, grayling, perch, pike and burbot populated streams and lakes in this area.

AQUATIC INSECTS
are the most important food source for trout, grayling and whitefish. Aquatic insects spend most of their life cycles in the water as nymphs, larvae or pupae. Four species are especially important: mayflies, caddis-flies, midges and oxygen-loving stoneflies. Millions of insects are often hatching at the same time - so some will always survive the hungry fish.

In the shelter of the night, many larvaes, nymphs, and pupas crawl from their hiding places and drift with the current. Several species also use the night to hatch into winged insect. This concentration of aquatic insects - food - during the night is the reason why night fishing is so effective in the summer-time.

Trout, grayling and whitefish take most of their food below the water surface. It is therefore important to have effective larvae, nymph and pupae imitations in your fly box, and not the least: To be able to fish effectively with them!

All fishing-flies which imitates aquatic insects in their various development stages from nymphs near the bottom to the winged insect on the surface, including traditional wet flies and streamers, may result in a good catch. The richest insect life - and thus the best fly fishing - is in June and July, and on warm autumn days in the end of August and September.

Identifying the insects the fish are feeding on and its life stage will tell you what sort of imitation to choose and what tactic to present it with, as well as where and when to fish it in the stream.

Variety is a sign of the health of a stream. Diversity of insect species reports a healthy environment.

Below you will find a description of the insects to help you tie some effective imitations for your fishing trip to the Glomma and Rena. It does not matter from which country you come: The imitations you use in your local river will also function here in Norway.

Midges
are small, 2 to 7 millimetres, black insects. Sometimes they appear in large quantities. Midges are the first insects to emerge, and on open water you may see single specimens as early as January. In March and April they occur in such large quantities that the fish are starting to rise for them. There are several species and sizes, so you need imitations in sizes 3 to 5 millimetres as pupaes, emergers and dry flies in your fly box.

Midges will hatch all through the summer. There may be good midge fishing just before the large hatches of mayflies and caddisflies in June. In some high-altitude forest- and mountain lakes, incredible quantities of midges may hatch. They form dark clouds hovering above the water!

Midges are recognized by their feathery antennae on their heads, and their small size. 

Stoneflies
are another group of aquatic insects which hatches in March and April. Two species of stonefly which hatch at this time of the year are the Grindal fly (Capnia pygmea) and what we in the Østerdalen valley call "morflue" (Taeniopteryx nebulosa). The water stage of the stoneflies is called stonefly larvae.

The Grindal stonefly larvae is tawny and 5 millimetres long. It creeps up on the ice and hatches there. Half an hour after hatching the winged insect still has the tawny colour of the nymph, but after a short while it turns black. The Grindal stonefly may hatch in enormous numbers in April. It is VERY popular as bait when ice-fishing.

The morflue stonefly-larvae is black and about 15 millimetres long. You will find the larvae and the winged insect on the Glomma ice and water in April. It never hatches in large numbers, but the fish often start to rise for the few insects floating on the river.

Stoneflies are an important food source for the fish throughout the entire summer and autumn. With one exception (Yellow Sally, yellow, 7 millimetres long) the colour is black, and the most common species come in three sizes: 7, 10 and 15 millimetres. Several species hatch, but they all look the same.

In the Glomma and Rena, the largest stonefly in Scandinavia occurs: Dinocras cephalotes. It is a 35 millimetres large "animal". Unfortunately you will only find single specimens of this large insect when it is sitting or running on the water surface. I wish we could have similar hatches here in Norway as they have of the salmon fly in the U.S.!

You will find stoneflies on the water until December, and you should have black, 7 millimetres long stonefly imitations in your fly box when fishing in September and October.

I f you see a black, thin, 7 to 15 millimetres long insect with wings lying flat on top or folded around the body, it is a stonefly.

The Grindal stonefly larvae can be collected in astronomical numbers from the following localities on the west side of the Glomma in April: 

Alvdal county:
Several very good localities between the Bellingmo and Kveberg bridges (km 167,55 to km 159,2)
Stor-Elvdal county:
Pålshaugen, Bjøråneset (km 107,6).
North of Djupdalen (km 102,4).
Revdalen (km 099,6).
Tresfloen (km 096,3).
Fram school north of the Trønnes church (km 090,7).
Skaterud fergeplass (km 089,4).
Stai church (km 087,4).
Stai Gjestehus and south to the statoil petrol station (km 083,5).
Seljordet (km 083).
South from Stai where the road leaves the river (km 081,2).
Berger farm near Svea (km 075,5).
Smedstua 300 to 400 meter south of Kroken (km 064,8 ). 

Mayflies
are among the most important food sources for the trout, graylings and whitefish. You can see the first mayflies in the middle of May, but there are no heavy hatches until the insect life explodes in the middle of June. The mayflies live 1 to 3 years in the water before they crawl or swim to the surface to hatch to a winged insect. After hatching they copulate, lay their eggs, and die.

The water stage of the mayfly is called nymph. The usual size of mayflies in the Glomma is 5 to 15 millimetres. In the Rena, you can find good hatches of a 20 millimetre long species. The colour of the mayfly are yellow to tawny, almost black, olive brown and beige. Mayflies can be found on the water until late October. The autumn species are usually smaller than the summer species. It is important to have good imitations of nymphs, emergers and the winged insect in your fly box.

During the last few years, I have observed an increasing number of the biggest mayfly in Europe, Ephemera danica, in the Rena. Let us hope that in the future we can have as heavy hatches here as they have in the rivers Trysilelva and Engeråa 50 kilometres east of the map areas!

Mayflies are elegant insects easily identified by the wings standing up as small sails, and by two or three tail fibres on the abdomen.

Caddisflies
are together with stoneflies and mayflies the most important food source for trout, grayling and whitefish. In June and July there are often heavy hatches of caddisflies. The common size is 4 to 14 millimetres. The colour of the winged insect is various shades of brown to brownish grey. A few species have a green body.

The water stage of the caddisfly is called larva. If you see a collection of small sticks, stones or sand particles moving on the bottom, you are looking at the case of a caddisfly larva. The larvae pupate and the pupae swim or crawl to the surface where they hatch into winged insects. Some species hatch in the water, and the winged insect swims to the surface.

The female caddis often crawl into the water to lay her eggs on a stone or underwater vegetation 15 to 20 centimetres below the water surface. If you are wading during a caddis hatch, you may find hundreds of the oblong, gelatinous egg masses as a belt around your waders.

The moment of most vulnerability for an emerging or egg-laying caddis is the trip to the surface. Especially in the instant it reaches the surface to break through.

The surface is quite a barrier to penetrate if you are a tiny insect. Sometimes hundreds of individuals just hang below the surface, they are the easiest of picking for fish, and the result is selective feeding that will drive you mad if you try to fish with dry flies. An emerger pattern that hang in the surface just like a natural, can change your luck amazingly.

In the Rena, the heavy insect hatches begin later than in the Glomma, but in the beginning of July you may experience fantastic hatches and swarmings of a medium-sized caddisfly. It’s like a snowstorm, and if you are in a boat or wading, the flies "lump" together creating large, connected insect masses.

In the Glomma the hatches diminish towards the end of July, with an increase in September. In the Rena you can find many insects even in October, but the fishing here is only allowed in the lake Løpsjøen (km 05,5 to km 10 on map 25).

Caddisflies are the aquatic insects with the most varied way of hatching, egg laying, life and death. Therefore it is also the most challenging insect to imitate and fish for a flyfisher. You must imitate its shape, size, and colour with your flies, and in the way you present it for the fish. It is important to have several patterns of the larvae, pupae, emerger and winged insects, in sizes 5 to 20 millimetres in your fly box.

The winged insect is recognized by its wings which lie as a pointed roof over the body, and two long antennas on the head.

Other aquatic insects and creepy-crawlies

are also important food for the fish. Many years ago I experienced some extremely heavy hatches and swarming of a small, black insect in the Glomma in the Koppang area. They were so numerous that I had to stop and scrape down the car’s windscreen with an ice scrape to see where I was driving.

The crane fly is a common insect which may be seen on the water in the summer-time. A 15 millimetre long Daddy Long-leg will imitate this insect.

Snails are not insects, but many species live in water, and they are an important food for the fish during the whole year. Snails may sometimes be drifting just below the water surface.

The trout in the Glomma and Rena sometimes have red-coloured flesh. This delicate colour is an indication that the fish have been eating some kinds of crawfish, like gammarus. In the upper parts of the Glomma (map 24) and in and downstream the lake Løpsjøen in the Rena (map 25), gammarus is plentiful.

FISHING METHODS

Lure fishing

The best time for lure fishing is from November to June. In the cold winter-water your lure must be fished near the bottom. Cast well upstream from the holding area of the fish. The lure will then have time to sink to the right depth before you start the retrive.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with strong-coloured lures. This applies to all kinds of lures. Generally, lures should be fished near the bottom. If you never get a bite from Mother Earth, you are fishing too shallow.

Trout and pike are the species most easily caught on lures. For some incomprehensible reason it is also possible to catch large graylings with wobblers or spinners.

The new non-stretch kevlar lines are fine for trolling, but you must make sure that the reel brake is loosely adjusted to prevent your rod from going overboard if a big fish bites.

 Wobbler

is your best bet for the spring and autumn fishing. Early and late in the season you should use 9 to 15 centimetres long Bomber or Rapala wobblers in the colours trout imitation, silver, gold or orange. Blue PLO-Bomber and minnow-Rapala are also efficient. Gold coloured Rapalas are popular in the Rena. In the summer-time, a small, 3 to 5 centimetres long wobbler can be good for night fishing. Bomber wobblers are supplied with an internal ball making noises supposed to be attractive to fish. For autumn fishing on sluggish fish you need large, 15 centimetres, blue Bomber wobblers.

Wobblers come in floating and sinking versions. An efficient way of catching trout in spring is to use a floating wobbler, letting the current take it downstream. If you use a long rod you can manoeuvre the wobbler clear of branches hanging down to the water when reeling in. This method will give you many trout when the water-level is high.

Rapala has a faster, more vibrating run than the Bomber, and you should have both types represented in your lure box.

Large wobblers are the favourites of many trollers for pike and trout-fishing in the Glomma and Rena and in all the big lakes.

Spoons

are also popular. The "Stor-auren" in various sizes and colours is a good choice.

Like wobblers, big spoons are also efficient if you are trolling for big trout or pike.

 Spinners

might be the best choice in the summer-time. Panther-Martin and Mepps are the most popular brands. A black Panther Martin with yellow spots may be the right choice for trout during bright summer-nights.

 BAITFISHING

is always efficient, and anglers using modern baiting techniques take more fish than any other angler. To be a good baitfisherman it is not enough just to plonk your bait into the water and wait for Lady Luck. Baitfishing is indeed a technique, and anglers are cleverly adjusting it to the local river conditions.

Be aware that even if you fish with a rod, this will be counted as a fixed line if you set your rod aside. Fixed line is prohibited! You must always hold onto your rod.

Here comes a short introduction to modern baitfishing techniques and the equipment used:

 Modern baitfishing

The Glomma is well suited for modern baitfishing. The sensitive equipment used by modern bait-fishermen makes it possible to set the hook as soon as a wary fish takes the bait.

 Rods

A so-called match rod is designed to throw weights from 2 to 20 grams. These rods are sensitive and long-throwing. The action can be compared to that of a common spinning rod.

 Hooks

The hooks you may buy at the general store or the sports dealer are unsuitable for modern baitfishing. They are too large and are made from too thick wire. Modern baiting hooks are small and made from very strong, thin wire, which keeps the poor creature you fish with alive for a long time. You don’t have to be a fish to understand that living bait is more attractive than dead.

Modern baiting hooks have no eyes. You must secure the line to the hook with a guiding knot. An excellent baiting hook is the Mustad Ultrasport.

Sinkers

The task of a sinker is to weight the casting line and bring the bait to the bottom. Modern baitfishermen divide sinkers into two categories: fixed and sliding. Fixed sinkers are bound or squeezed onto the line. Sliding sinkers have a loop or a hole through which the line is passed. The line must slide freely through the loop or hole. A stopper prevents the sinker from sliding down to the hook.

It is important to use the right amount of lead corresponding to the current and depth where you are fishing.

When you are baitfishing at the bottom with a sliding sinker, there is no resistance for the fish when it carefully takes the bait. The line glides easily through the sinker, and the sensitive rod tip or float shows when there is action in progress. This is an efficient method towards shy fish in the more slow-flowing parts of the river.

When you fish with a fixed sinker, it should be secured about one metre above the hook, allowing the bait to swing freely in the current. The line should lie on the bottom.

Floats

Modern floats are constructed to react to even the most wary fish. They have a brightly coloured top. You should fasten a weight on the line until the edge of the red top is just above the surface of a slow-flowing stretch of the river. In running water it may be an advantage to use an Avon float or similar. These are conical floats with most of the buoyancy at the top. It should be weighed down until it barely floats. If you use too much weight, the current will pull the float below the surface.

Modern floats are the most sensitive equipment you can use to catch extra timid fish which carefully nibble at the bait.

Feeding

It is possible to attract the fish to your fishing place by throwing out food which the fish likes. Useful food for the Glomma and Rena are chopped seafish, corn, shrimp, paste, bread, etc. Maggots and earthworms are very efficient for grayling. Trout does not like light coloured food, and it does not like to swim above light coloured areas. You can also buy food specially made for baitfishing. Some anglers mix scents with the food to make it extra attractive. In running water it may be a good idea to mix the food with sand and gravel to make it sink faster.

A well-known example of feed fishing is the Grindal stonefly-larvae fishery in the winter-time. But you can also feed in the summer-time. This is done with a swim-feeder, or by throwing the feed out to the fishing place.

A swim-feeder looks like an empty film container with a built-in lead sinker. It comes as an open or a closed version. The open swim-feeder is used in lakes or slow-flowing rivers. It is secured to the end of the line, and the hook with the bait is fastened to a dropper 40 centimetres above the swim-feeder. Maggots, midges or other food are mixed with breadcrumbs and packed into the swim-feeder. The current takes the food downstream and attracts the fish to your fishing place.

Closed swim-feeder, or block-end, is designed for midge larvae or living maggots. It looks like a film container with holes. The food is put into the box and will slowly ooze or crawl out of the holes, tempting the fish to approach.

You may also throw out the food manually, or use a slingshot. With cautious fish it is best to use loose-feeding, which will not splash and frighten the fish. When the fish has started to eat the food, it becomes less shy. When feed-fishing, you should fish at the same place, preferably for several hours.

 Presentation

The bait should move along the bottom with the same speed as the current. The worm must be presented in a lifelike manner. Forget what you have heard about the fish not taking the bait if the point of the hook is visible. The point should be visible! Thread the hook through the worm twice so that the body will hang in a bow with both ends free. It will then keep alive for a long time. Living bait is more attractive than dead.

The trout will often swallow the bait at once and try to swim away. Grayling and whitefish are more cautious. They invariably make two or three quick tugs, which is clearly seen on the sensitive float. With a little practice you will distinguish between bottom tugs and fish.

 Keep-net

is equipment modern bait fishermen use to keep the fish alive. It can be described as a fine-meshed, 2 metres long "sausage" with a diameter of 50 centimetres. When you are finished fishing, the fish are released alive.

 ARTIFICIAL FLIES

imitate the fish’s diet. It is the life cycle of aquatic insects that should decide the size, shape and colour of your fishing flies, and where and how they should be presented to the fish. The best way is to collect the insect the fish are taking, and select a fly that resembles it in size and form and has a lifelike action in or on the water. Good knowledge of the animals fish eat and how they live will make you a more efficient angler, and you will take more pleasure in fishing!

Streamers

imitate small fish, and this is the fly to use when you are trying to catch big trout or pike with your fly rod. The most common size of the streamers are 2 to 10 centimetres. All streamers imitating the olive grey sculpins, like Muddler Minnow, are effective. The Elverumsflua streamer and Woolly Worms in various sizes and colours are also effective patterns.

Streamers can be fished with a floating or sinking line. To get your streamer to the bottom you must weight the streamer with lead, fasten lead on the leader, or use a sinking line. Vary your presentation by fishing deep or shallow - fast or slow.

More than 250 years old "streamer-like" fishing flies tied on bone hooks have been found in Scandinavia.

Wet flies

are the oldest type of fishing flies we know. They are often so-called fantasy flies, and many contain colourful tying material. Good wet flies are the Glomma Special green, Royal Coachman, Zulu, Verre enn Minken (worse than the mink), March Brown, Greenwells Glory, Blue Dun, Tail and Red, Heckham Peckham Yellow, Heckham Peckham Green, Olsen and Elverumsflua wet fly.

The most common way of fishing with wet fly and a fly rod is to cast across the current, letting the current stretch the line with the flies until it hangs right downstream from your fishing position. You can vary the depth by using a floating or sinking line.

Most fish species in the Glomma will take wet flies, but primarily you will catch grayling.

Flyfishing is not only for the avid fly fisherman. Wet-fly fishing with a spinning rod and bubble is very efficient, and it is a good and simple way to catch fish for the more inexperienced angler. It is important that the bubble is placed at the end of the line, and that the wet flies are tied to 10 centimetres droppers 40 centimetres apart upwards from the bubble.

If you are an inexperienced angler who needs an advice on how to catch some fish, you can try this: Study the maps and find an area marked as a tail of the pool on 24 June at 21.36 p.m. Bring your spinning rod, bubble and wet flies, and cast to areas where you see the rising fish. Reel in slowly, or let the current take the bubble until the line is tight. The bubble and flies should "plough", drag. When the fish takes your fly, which you will both see and feel, you reel slowly in. Take the fish home, fry them, and enjoy your first self-fished meal!

It is not unusual to catch two graylings on the same cast.

Nymphs and pupaes

are the water stages of aquatic insects. Artificial flies imitating these stages are also called nymphs and pupaes. You will rarely see the fish when you use a nymph; therefore knowledge about the fish’s favourite places is very important. Good nymph imitations are: Gold Ribbed Hare Ear, Pheasant Tail, Midge Pupae and Goldhead. Nymph and pupa imitations that model hatching and emerging mayflies, caddisflies or midges fished in or just below the surface, can be very effective. Some of the nymphs should be weighted for bottom fishing, others should be tied as lightly as possible to be fished on or just below the surface.

Nymph fishing is the most difficult and efficient form of flyfishing, and many different techniques have been developed. A new and effective method is the so-called Polish nymphing technique with short casts, thin leaders and heavy nymphs fished near the bottom. Direct contact with the nymph from the rodtip is important, and you should fish downstream a little faster than the current. Strike immediately if the line stops or if you see an unnatural movement in the leader or fly line.

A more traditional technique is to use unweighted nymphs presented just below the surface, or weighted nymphs fished near the bottom. Many use a nymph indicator, which is a small "float" tied to the leader in a distance from the nymph of 1,5 to 2 times the water depth. You must make a fast strike each time the indicator stops or hesitates.

When fishing with nymphs in the Glomma and Rena, one out of ten fish you catch will be trout.

Dry flies

imitate insects lying in or on the water surface. Imitations are tied with light materials and impregnated (dry-fly powder is best) before use to keep the fly on top of the water. Every time a fish takes an insect on the surface, rings of waves spread outwards. This is what we call a rise. The fish breaks its holding lie by rising.

As always when you are flyfishing, you should take time to study the water before you start fishing. Look for rising fish and study the insect life. Be aware that seams upstream can concentrate the number of surface insects into small lanes downstream. Here you can often find the rising fish. You should look for such concentrations of insects, and make your cast from the most efficient position. Use an imitation which in size, shape and colour looks like the insects you see on the water. You must also plan where you must not go or wade to avoid frightening the fish by careless wading.

The dry fly can also be used as a nymph indicator: Fasten a small, unweighted nymph on a 15 centimetres long dropper to the hook eye, the bend of the hook, or on the leader in front of the dry fly. With these flies you can fish both on and in the water at the same time.

Present your fly 3 to 5 metres upstream from the rising fish. You can cast right upstream, across the current, or directly downstream. It is important to get a drag-free float. When you see the fish take the fly, strike. You must strike very fast if the fish is small – slow if the fish is big.

If you fish for whitefish with a dry fly it is important to wait about one second before you strike. Some believe that you can only get a whitefish on small dry flies. It is the slow strike that is the secret for catching whitefish on a dry fly.

You can also use a dry fly in combination with a bubble and spinning rod: Attach the bubble to the end of the line and one or two dry flies on droppers. Cast to rising fish, and let the bubble and flies drift with the same speed as the current. Lift the rod quickly as soon as you see a fish taking your fly.

Good dry flies for trout, grayling and whitefish are Parachute, Klinkhammer, Rackelhanen, Super Puppan, Ant imitations, Streaking Caddis, Floating Caddis Pupae, Europea 12, various CDC imitations and Stuck-Shuck Midge. The flies should be tied in various sizes and colours.

In the last 3 years most of the dry flies on the end of my leader were tied with soft CDC-feathers. CDC is the downy feathers found around the preen gland on all birds. Most of the CDC used for fly tying comes from ducks. Flies tied with CDC-feathers are high-floating and often very effective when used in combination with dry-fly powder.

When you fish with dry flies, most of the fish you catch will be graylings.

CHOICE OF FLIES DURING THE YEAR

March/April:

Stuck-Shuck Midge size 22, pupae and emerger imitations size 18-22, black parachutes, ants, black CDC rackelhane, CDC no hackle and palmer CDC in sizes 12, 14, and 16.

 Summer:

The same as for March and April, but also wet flies, Klinkhammer, Elverumsflua wet and dry, various mayfly spent-wing imitations and wet and dry caddisfly imitations. Ant imitations should ALWAYS be in your fly box in sizes 12 to 18. Popper fishing for pike is also most entertaining, therefore I always bring some floating poppers with steel tippet. Of the streamers, Wolly Worm, Elverumsflua streamer and imitations of sculpins are effective.

Autumn

Ants, CDC imitations and parachute in sizes 14 to 18.

I sell wet flies, nymphs, dry flies, CDC-flies and streamers tied especially for fishing the Glomma and Rena. You will find more information on Glommaguiden.com.

WATER LEVEL

The right water level is the key to good fishing. The best fishing is done on stable or falling water level.

In March and April the water level is low. The spring flood comes in May, and if a lot of snow covers the Glomma’s 15,355.7 square kilometres precipitation area north of Elverum, there will be a big spring flood. If it rains a lot as well, a disaster may be the result. This happened in the spring of 1995. On 2 June this year, the Glomma reached its highest level in 206 years! I hope 1001 years will pass before this record is beaten. The disastrous flood of 1995 killed some fish and changed the river bed in several places. But flood and high water-level is a natural event in the Glomma watercourse, and conditions return to normal in a short time.

The spring flood usually reaches its highest water-level around 20 May. As soon as the water level falls again, the water clears, and fishing can begin. The spring flood has two peaks: At first the snow melts in the lowland, and we get the lowland flood. A little later the snow in the higher altitudes melts, and creates the mountain flood. Some years the lowland flood is the largest, in other years it is the mountain flood.

In years with little snow, it is sometimes possible to have one week with good dry fly fishing between the lowland flood and the mountain flood in the last part of May.

From time to time there is a lesser autumn flood in September or October.

There are dams at several places in the Glomma: At the Aursunden lake (km 274,2), Kurråsen Power Station (km 273,8), Røstfossen Power Station (km 243,85) and Strandfossen Power Station (km 007). The most dramatic regulation is at the Høyegga dam (km157). Here a large part of the water in the Glomma is transferred away from the Østerdalen valley to a power station in the near by Rendalen valley. The result is that the water level in the Glomma downstream from the Høyegga dam can be very low.

The Rena has two dams. The Storsjø dam (km 31,5 on map 27) and the Løpsjø dam (km 05,4 on map 25).

Anglers may take advantage of the low water-level downstream near the Høyegga dam when the water-level otherwise in the Glomma is too high. But you must be very careful if you are wading in this stretch of the river: The water level can suddenly rise 50 centimetres or more!

Canoeing on the pocket-water stretch from km 228,5 to km 216 (the Tolga rapids) is impossible, and canoeing the stretch from the Høyegga dam to Koppang can be difficult. The current is strong, there are lots of stones and usually too little water for safe paddling. The last time I paddled from Atna to Koppang (km 119 to km 093) the water level was low, and I had to jump out of the canoe 10 times to avoid overturning. Canoeists should avoid the stretch Høyegga to Atna (km 157 to km 119), and you should be very experienced if you paddle from Atna to Koppang. The rest of the Glomma can be paddled. From Koppang to Elverum there are only two really problematic stretches: The first is downstream from the Åsta bridge (km 027,5 to km 025,8). It might be possible to paddle this stretch of the river if you are experienced and the waterlevel is right. The other problematic area is at the Insetfossen falls (km 017). Carry your canoe across the little Island in the middle of the river.

At low water levels in the summertime, the water temperature rises. Trout, grayling, and whitefish thrive best in temperatures up to 17⁰C. If the water temperature is high, the fish swim to deep pools or areas below waterfalls and rapids with colder water rich in oxygen.

The water quality in the Glomma and Rena and most other lakes and rivers in the map areas is good. You can drink the Glomma water in Elverum without any resulting unpleasantness. The good water quality results in good quality fish.

THE RIVER RENA

In many ways, the Rena is different from the Glomma. It begins as a tail-water below the Storsjø dam and the long, narrow and deep Storsjøen lake, and enters the Glomma at the Rena town (km 035). The Glomma water entering the Rendalen valley north of the Storsjøen lake rises the water temperature and makes the Rena water warm in winter-time and cold in summer-time. Even in very cold winters, the Rena is ice-free.

The Rena is my favourite river for fly fishing. Maybe because it is home to excellent populations of aquatic insects, baitfish and gamefish? Here I have landed trout, grayling and whitefish each weighing more than one kilogram on the same fishing trip. The stretch where I fish most often is from the Løpsjø dam to the Storsjø dam (km 10 to km 31,5 on map 25). But there are quite a few large fish in the stretches downstream from the Løpsjø dam as well.

North of the Storsjøen lake the fishing can also be good. The father of nymph fishing, the Englishman G.E.M. Skues, kept Åkrestrømmen and the northern part of the Storsjøen lake as his "secret" area for catching large graylings. He fished in this area for several seasons, and I should be much surprised if he did not also fish for big graylings in the stretches covered in this guide.

Typical for a long, narrow and deep lake like the Storsjøen lake, is that the direction of the wind has a great effect on the temperature of the water flowing out of the lake. With strong wind from the south, the warm surface water is blown northwards and cold bottom water is pressed into the river. When this happens the Rena can become too cold for summer insects to hatch.

There is a fish ladder in the Løpsjøen lake, which unfortunately works very badly, as is the case with the ladder in the Storsjøen dam. In the past, before the dams were built, shoals of big graylings, "gråharr", and monster trout, migrated up the Rena. These feeding migrations have become history.

The insect life in the Rena is extremely rich. This is mostly due to the special conditions with warm winter-water and cold summer-water in combination with the production of algae in the Storsjøen lake.

Large stretches of the river bottom is covered with aquatic moss and other plants, offering excellent shelter and growing areas for aquatic insect larvae, nymphs, worms, freshwater shrimp, sculpins and other food for the fish.

The Rena is especially known for its heavy hatches of caddisflies and mayflies in July. The number of insects has actually increased since the regulation.

In the Rena, fishing is prohibited until 20 May. From the 21st until the insects start to hatch towards the end of June, lure fishing is good. But even at the very beginning of the season some fish may be rising. Because of the special conditions in the Rena, the really good dry fly fishing starts later than in the Glomma. The beginning of July is the best bet for dry-fly fishing.

Except for some kilometres south of Deset (km 22,8 to km 19 on map 26), the Rena is in most places too deep for wading. Often you can’t wade more than 2 metres from the bank. With such conditions wading is unwise, since you will frighten the fish which often hold close to the shore.

These special conditions have necessitated a special boat and canoe fishing. Please note that all kinds of motor-boats are prohibited. Unfortunately, one exemption has been granted.

Until a few years ago, fishing was permitted both summer and winter. At present, the fishing season is from 21 May to 15 September. The most avid lure and bait fishermen have their rods ready one minute after midnight. Some years the most attractive places nearly cause fist fights.

In the Løpsjøen lake, fishing is permitted throughout the year, but outside the summer season very few people fish here.

 WHAT IS A GOOD FISHING PLACE?

A good fishing-place may be described by one word only: variation. It is variation in water depth, variation in current-speed and variation in the bottom conditions, which create the best fishing-places.

It is simple to explain where in the Glomma and Rena most fish are caught: 100 metres below and above from where a road enters the river. These are not necessarily the best fishing places created by Mother Nature, but most people can’t be bothered to walk further away from their parked car.

The advantage of knowing an area well, is that you know the holding lies of the fish. Trout and grayling can stay for weeks at the same place, and a vacant place is soon taken by another fish, maybe just as big. Such personal experience, and the ability to read the water and its holding lies, are the reason that experienced anglers catch more fish than others.

Not only must you learn how to find the good fishing places - just as important is to recognize stretches of the river which are empty of fish.

Study the water surface to find the holding areas of the fish! Waves and ripples will tell you the condition of the river bed. A slight darkness of the water indicates a seam in the bottom and deep water that would be a bit slower, giving the fish shelter from the current.

 Shelter from fast current

is the first and most basic need of fish in moving water. They need current, but they are most comfortable, and will usually hold, where the current is least. This is wherever it is deflected. Even in the fastest water an obstruction will create a pocket of slow or still water. Many of the good holding lies are visible breaks in the current: Boulders, ledges, logs, etc. Here the fish may wait for the food to come drifting by without using too much energy.

 Food

is also important. The current presents the food to the fish. Localities which give shelter and where nourishment is plentiful are the most popular. A fish can survive months without food if it is sheltered from the current, but when periods with a lot of food occur, eating will be the most important need. You will find the fish where the food is. Grayling and trout may stay at the same place for weeks if food is abundant.

Grayling and trout gather in the deeper parts of the river when the water gets cold during winter, or when the water temperature gets too high in summer. The fish eats very little when it stays in such places, and the lure, bait or fly must nearly hit it in the mouth to make it bite.

The food is scarce in the winter-time when water temperature is 0⁰C, and abundant in the summer-time with water temperatures rises to 9 to 16⁰C. When the water temperature reaches 18⁰C or more in late summer, there is a period with little insect activity and fish seek colder and more oxygen-rich water. When the cool of the autumn lowers the water temperature to 9 to 14⁰C, there is more insect activity and the fish are more active.

 Good hiding places

are deep water, below overhanging trees and bushes, under stones and among sunken logs, and in the shelter of darkness. Undercut river banks are also good fishing places. Roots from trees and grass have in a way "reinforced" 20 to 40 centimetres of the upper stratum. This "reinforcement" is very resistant to erosion and floods. Pebbly river-banks are never undercut.

When the fish is sheltered, it feels secure, and is easier to catch than a nervous fish. Just try to catch a fish which you have frightened by uncautious wading!

 Seams

are created when something in the river or on the bank obstructs the water flow. In such places there is a sharp border, seam, between fast and slow-flowing water. You recognize the seams by the fastest flowing current having stronger and choppier waves than the slower area. The fish holds in the slower current, eating insects drifting by.

The seams and eddies are marked on the maps as black lines in the river.

 Pool

The structure of a pool is simple: It has a head where the water enters, a body that deepens and darkens, and a tailout where the water lifts and shallows out again to break over into the next water type. A pool, small or large, is the slowest and deepest water in the stream it is in. They often hold the biggest fish in the river. Any water that is deeper than the water all around it attracts trout. Big fish feel the most security in deep pools and as consequence are least wary there.

 The tail of the pools

are created in places where the current starts picking up speed and goes from glassy flat to crude to riffle. This often happens across the direction of the main current of a river. Tailouts are often excellent habitat for aquatic insects, trout and grayling. In combination with deep pools near by, and large stones on the bottom, they are often the places to find the biggest fish.

The tail of the pools are marked on the maps as black lines across the river.

Stones

slow the current. Submerged stones are disclosed by large or small ripples on the water-surface. Try a worm, lure or nymph in front of or behind such stones! Surface stones create a V-shaped pocket of slow water. The most attractive place for the fish is at the point of the V. The area just in front of the stone can also be good. When there are many stones in the river, the point of the V-shaped pocket will often merge with the good place in front of the next. The two advantages will amplify into one really excellent fishing place. The more such combinations of potentially good holding lies a river has, the better the fishing will be.

In the Glomma you will find pocket-water in the Tolga rapids (km 228,5 to km 216,0), and the stretch from the Høyegga dam to Koppang (km 157,0 to km 093,0).

THE "FISHING YEAR" IN THE ØSTERDALEN VALLEY

Trying not to repeat myself too often: The fishing is best on stable or slowly falling water level, with winds from south or west. This applies to the whole year and any type of tackle. You can check the water-level and fishing conditions of some localities along the river on my website Glommaguiden.com, or by calling the FishPhone. The FishPhone can only be reached from Norway.

January

Even in this coldest of the winter months, there will always be open water in some of the fastest-flowing stretches of the river. But more interesting for the angler are the open waters created by the regulations. Winter fishing is allowed in the Glomma in the Åmot and Elverum counties. Most of the river is usually ice-free from where the Rena enters the Glomma and downstream to Elverum (km 035 to km 000). The Rena is always ice-free, but all fishing is prohibited from 15 September to 20 May. Winter-fishing is allowed in the lake Løpsjøen (km 05,5 to km 10 on map 25). Check the fishing regulations for more detailed information.

The only sensible ice-fishing in the January cold is bait-fishing for burbot in the Glomma and its tributaries. This fishing takes place during the night until 2 a.m. The best burbot fishing is around New Year.

Lure and bait fishermen say that trout are easily caught during winter-time. Such fishing is difficult when the ice is a metre thick, but you can try the open stretches of the Glomma (km 000 to km 035) on days when the weather is not too cold. If you are fishing in very cold weather, it might be better to hold the tip of the rod into the water, to prevent the water from freezing in the rod-rings. Seek out deep pools! The possibilities of lure and baitfishing during the winter-time should be better developed. How about a deep-fished nymph or streamer?

Please note that the trout may be in poor condition during the winter-months. You should carefully release all trout with thin bodies and large heads. They are not good to eat anyway.

February

As for January. The good burbot fishing is usually over. Ice-fishing for large perch can be very good in lakes outside the map areas.

March

This is the month when interesting things for anglers start to happen. The days are longer and on some days the temperature is well above zero, which is enough to prevent the water from freezing in the rod rings. Some anglers continue their efficient lure and baitfishing in pools and slow-flowing, deep stretches of the river. Fly fishermen can stop dreaming by the vice, as some insects can be seen in and on the water towards the end of the month.

At this time of year the water level is always low, and with strong winds the water of the Glomma changes colour from gin-clear to grey. This is not good for flyfishing.

The best flyfishing at this time of the year is from 11.00 a.m. to 21.00 p.m. on stretches with a current-speed of 1.5 to 2,0 and water-depths from 1,5 to 2 metres. The water is cold, 2-3⁰C, so thick neopren waders are necessary, or you can fish from a boat in areas where boat-fishing is allowed. If you are freezing you will not fish efficiently, so dress in several layers of warm clothes.

The beginning of insect activity in the Glomma is good not only for fly- and lure fishing. At the end of the month the real ice-fishing adventure begins: the Grindal stonefly larvae fishing. The Grindal stonefly larvae is a small stonefly (Capnia pygmea) which hatches in astronomical numbers in the middle of April. But some can be seen in the last part of March, and the most avid fishermen have kept some stonefly larvaes in the freezer from last season, in order to start the ice-fishing early. The Grindal stonefly larvae fly is one of the few things in the world which cannot be bought for money.

If you don’t have Grindal stoneflies larvaes, you can buy deep-frozen midge larvae in zoo shops who sell food for aquarium fishes. Buy the larvaes in January, if you plan to use midge larvaes for your winter fishing. When the ice-fishing season begins, the supply of midge larvae in the shops does not last for many days. It is also possible to fish without any stonefly- or midge larvaes, but this requires detailed knowledge about where to fish.

The Grindal stonefly fishing takes place like this: First you bore two holes on line in the direction of the current. The larvaes are scattered through the upper hole, and the fishing is done through the second. When the larvaes sink, they drift with the current. Whitefish and grayling follow the stream of larvaes until they come to the hole where the angler is lying. The fishing method consists of lying on your stomach looking into the jig hole. You will see the fish take your bait. When this happens, you strike. It is an incredible experience to see a big fish of one kilo or more take the bait 30 centimetres from your nosetip!

The best ice-fishing places are the slower river stretches where the current is not too strong. On the maps these stretches are marked with a current-speed of 1,0 to 1.5.

Ice-fishing is also best on stable or slightly falling water-level with winds from south or west. A northerly wind is often killing, even when thick ice covers the water!

March is the month with the first, regular, heavy insect hatches. The dry-fly fishing is seldom good at this time of the year, but not entirely hopeless. Try your nymphs or dry flies on warm days - the warmer the better. Overcast and dismal weather can also be good. I have also experienced good dry-fly fishing during snowfall. But the temperature should be above freezing, also during the night.

From around 20 March there may in Elverum and Åmot counties be surprisingly good hatches of midges. The graylings take advantage of this, and start to rise. I have often wondered why there are few insects and poor dry-fly fishing on some fine, warm days towards the end of the month. A rising water-level is often the answer. I don’t want to assert that falling or stable water level is the secret to good fly-fishing in March, but it is undoubtedly an important factor.

March is a good month to ice-fish for perch in forest lakes outside the map areas.

April

April is the best winter month for fishing in the Glomma. The water temperature has risen to about 3⁰C. You can find some stoneflies (Capnia pygmea and Taeniopteryx nebulosa) in March, they will be more numerous in April.

On a fine, warm 1 April some years ago I caught 12 graylings on dry flies. None was above 1.2 kilograms, but as the smallest weighed 800 grams I was quite satisfied with my catch. Dry-fly fishing can be good until about 20 April. The fishing can be good from about 11 a.m. until darkness.

In the beginning of April, the sculpin is spawning. This lasts for only a few days in areas probably only a few square metres in size. If you know when and where this happens, you have REALLY struck it lucky as far as catching many and large trout! Even if you are not fortunate enough to know the sculpins spawning areas, you can have good lure or baitfishing for grayling and trout in pools and in the somewhat deeper river stretches. Lure and baitfishing is best early (and I mean EARLY) in the morning or in the evening, but can be good all day.

From 15 April the Grindal stonefly hatches in astronomical numbers, and from this date the good Grindal stonefly fishing begins. If you have the possibility, you should try this fascinating way of catching big graylings and whitefish.

Normally the Grindal stonefly larvaes crawl through cracks in the ice. Modern anglers collect them during the night-time with the help of light; candles or flash-lights. On the very special places where it is possible to collect the larvaes, you drill holes in the ice and place a candle or flash-light near each hole. The insects are attracted by the light. You may not believe it, but many times I have seen billions of the 5 millimetres long, olive yellow Grindal stonefly larvaes emerging from one hole, while a hole 1.5 metres away is almost empty! You will find a list of collecting areas for the Grindal stonefly larvaes in the chapter about stoneflies.

Live stonefly larvaes are more effective in attracting fish than dead ones. If you keep the larvaes in a bucket of water they will hatch into floating, winged insects or die within a few hours. It is important that there is no water in the bucket. Larvaes can be kept alive for several days in "dry" snow. Seal the top of the bucket with a thin layer of wet snow, and put the bucket in a cold storage place or bury it in the snow. The insects will stay alive for days. The Grindal stonefly fishing goes on as long as the ice covers the river, usually until end of April or beginning of May.

Ice-fishing in forest lakes for perch and alpine lakes for arctic char, can be very rewarding.

May

Just before the spring flood, lure, streamer or baitfishing can be good as long as the water is clear. When the water of the Glomma rises and becomes muddy and full of all kinds of debris from pine needles to large trees, the fishing is bad. When the water level falls again, the water becomes clear. When this happens, you can have a period of about two weeks with good lure-, bait- or streamer fishing for trout and graylings. The fish stays close to the river bank, so you don’t have to waste your time with long casts into the river. Floating wobblers are efficient!

When the water-level falls enough to create pools, bait- and lurefishing for big trout and graylings is excellent. This is often the best time of the year for bait fishing. Day-time fishing from early dawn is best. If the spring comes early and the water-level is low, insects are hatching, and the dry-fly fishing can begin.

In low-altitude forest lakes the trout starts to rise for surface insects around 15 May.

From the middle of May, trolling for big trout is popular in the lakes Mjøsa, Storsjøen and Osensjøen. The trolling in the higher altitude lakes Atnasjøen, Savalen and Femunden begins about two weeks later. One trout of 21 kilograms is said to have been caught by an angler in the Mjøsa lake in 1895.

June

In the beginning of June, the water level is high. Lure-, worm- and streamer fishing can be rewarding. The good lure fishing lasts until the water level is normal around 10 June.

Around 10 June, depending on the season and the amount of snow in higher altitudes and the mountains, the water is clear and low enough to allow stoneflies, caddisflies and other aquatic insects to hatch. The water level has fallen to 178,80 (metres above sea-level) or lower in the Glomma in the Elverum county. This is what flyfishers have been longing for: The flyfishing in the last two weeks of June might be the best of the year! The best time for fishing is in the evening or during night-time.

The June nights are so bright that you can fish effectively with dry flies throughout the night.

July

The good flyfishing in the Glomma lasts until a bit into July, but with rising water temperature the hatches are sparse and the fishing becomes poor. The fish do not like bathing temperatures.

The water temperature in the Rena is not as high as in the Glomma, so here the fishing is usually good the whole month.

Evening and night fishing are best. The nights are still bright enough for effective dry-fly fishing.

August

The first two weeks of August are like the last halves of July. But towards the end of the month, the insect life is again on the increase, with a positive effect on flyfishing which gets better and better with the passing of the month. In a way August, at least the end of it, is the first part of autumn. Autumn is the time for grayling fishing.

September

September is THE month for grayling flyfishing. Some aquatic insects have a second generation that hatch in this month, and on warm days you can have extraordinary flyfishing for graylings. Most anglers use dry flies, but nymph-fishing can also be very effective. If you know the right place, you may catch grayling on the dry fly even if the fish are not rising. The best fishing time is the middle of the day and in the evening. Some years, heavy rain and high water-level makes flyfishing impossible.

September is the last month of legal fishing in many areas. Check the fishing-regulations!

October

If the autumn is mild you may catch grayling with dry flies until December, but October is usually the last month where you can expect good flyfishing. The warmer the day, the better the fishing. The water temperature has fallen to about 3 to 4⁰C.

The weather can be very unstable with grey skies and a lot of rain. In some years the autumn-flood can reach a higher level than the spring-flood. With such water-conditions angling is obviously not a pleasure. Lure and baitfishing can be good.

November

is often grey and cold. The days are short, and the temperature may fall below zero. In some years the first snow is falling in this month. However, if the autumn is long and mild it may pay to try the fly rod on fine, warm days in the Elverum and Åmot counties.

Lurefishing can be good, and you are guaranteed to have the Glomma for yourself.

December

Avid anglers maintain that between Christmas and New Year’s Eve you may have very good lure-fishing for trout in the Glomma in the Elverum and Åmot counties.

At the end of the month, the burbot drift into the Glomma tributaries to spawn. A popular sport in the past was to club the burbot through the first transparent ice. As far as I know, nobody engages in this any more. But fixed line and jigging during the night can result in good catches. In Elverum burbot fishing is best around New Year.

OUTDOOR RECREATION ACT

Public right of access is part of the Norwegian cultural heritage. Throughout the ages, the public have had the right to roam the countryside, the rivers and lakes, the woods and mountains and along the coast, and to reap the many good things that nature has to offer. It is these rights that are implicit in the term "public right of access". This ancient right also implies an obligation to leave nature as we would wish to find it.

The basic principle of the public right of access is that it shall not lead to unreasonable damage for the owner or the user of the land, nor unreasonably disturb the privacy of other people. In the Outdoor Recreation Act the terms "cultivated land" and "uncultivated land" are used to define and delimit the right of access. Access is unrestricted on uncultivated land, but is restricted to some extent on cultivated land. The owner may forbid motorized traffic on private roads or may charge a toll fee, but he cannot stop the public from using the roads on foot, on a bicycle or on horseback.

Cultivated land means all tilled land; fields, medows, gardens, etc. According to the Act, cultivated land also includes hayfields, cultivated pasture, forest planting areas, house plots and farmyards connected to buildings. None of these areas need to be fenced. In addition to knowing the difference between cultivated and uncultivated land it is necessary to be aware that special rules apply to access in areas protected in accordance with the Nature Conservation Act, such as national parks and nature reserves.

The public right of passage gives you the right to:

• hike and ski.
• cross cultivated land in winter when the ground is frozen or covered with snow.
• use a canoe or kayak, rowing boat or sailboat on lakes and rivers.
• to rest, picnic, put up tents and spend the night.
• to cycle and ride a horse along paths and roads across uncultivated land.
• to swim in the sea, and in lakes and rivers.
• Pick berries, mushrooms and flowers. There might be restrictions on nature reserves.

The Outdoor Recreation Act requires all countrygoers to behave considerately and with care. We must:

• not damage the natural environment.
• show consideration for other countrygoers.

These general rules imply that we may not:

• trample fields and meadows.
• walk about in newly planted forests.
• break off, cut or in other way damage trees and other plants.
• disturb animals and birds, including their nests and their young.
• damage fences.

And don’t forget:

• To take your litter home.
• That it is prohibited to use an open flame or light a fire from 15 May to 15 September. This does not apply on naked mountains.
• That in principle, motorized traffic on uncultivated land is forbidden.
• To keep dogs under proper control. Dogs must be kept on a leash from 1 April to 20 August.
• To safeguard water supplies.

 Staying the night, picnicking and camping

You may stay overnight, pitch a tent and picnic on uncultivated land. According to the Outdoor Recreation Act a tent must not be pitched less than 150 metres from a house or cabin. You can stay for two days in the same place. You can stay for many days high up in the mountains or in places far off the beaten track. You may place your caravan along the roadside. In the GLOMMAGUIDE sewage collection plants are marked on the maps.

 Boating

Travel at sea or on lakes and rivers is free for everyone. You can moor the boat, go ashore and stay the night on uncultivated land. There may be restrictions concerning the use of motors. There is a general ban on motoring on lakes smaller than 2 square kilometres. In the Rena, all use of motors is prohibited - also electrical ones!

 If you paddle or use a boat on lakes and rivers, you must remember to:

• Familiarise yourself with the river before starting the trip, so that you won’t encounter dangerous situations. The maps of the GLOMMAGUIDE will be useful.

• Use a life jacket. Life jackets must be available in all boats.
• Dry off the boat, oars, motor, and boots before moving to another lake or river. Sundry everything that has become wet. This will prevent spreading of most diseases or parasites.

• Show consideration towards anglers and others using lakes and rivers. If possible: Paddle as far away as you can from an angler wading the river. But you must not paddle over and frighten the fish a fellow angler is trying to catch!

• Leave nets and other fishing-tools alone.

The content of this chapter is taken from a brochure published by the Directorate for Nature Management.

FISH DISEASES

• Don’t use live bait or carry dead baitfish from one lake or river to another.

• Fishing tackle, waders, wading boots, canoes and boats must be dry before being used in other watercourses.

• Fishing tackle used in watercourses with suspected infectious disease must be disinfected. Sun-dry and spray with methylated spirits.

• Never empty water containers from one watercourse into another.

• Fish caught in one watercourse must not be gutted or cleaned in another.

• It is prohibited to plant fish, crawfish or other water-living organisms in new areas.

• If you arrive in Norway from abroad: DO NOT BRING DEAD OR LIVE BAITFISH INTO NORWAY! You can buy earthworms in sport-shops selling fishing-tackle. Baitfish like minnows or sculpins are easily caught from the Glomma and Rena. During the last 10 years, Norway has been "enriched" with two new fish species brought by foreign anglers: Gudgeon (gobio gobio) and sunbleak (Leucaspius delineatus). THE CONSEQUENCES OF ILLEGAL STOCKINGS MAY BE CATASTROPHIC, RESULTING IN TOTAL ELIMINATION OF FISH POPULATIONS!

According to regulations, fishing tackle must be disinfected when used in new lakes or rivers. The regulations are OK, but of no value because they don’t work: It is simply too much bother to get this done by the county veterinarian.

But you can disinfect your own gear yourself: Let the tackle and waders dry, preferably in sunlight. Take care that even the felt soles on the wading boots are dry. By doing this you have killed most of the dangerous parasites. When your gear is totally dry, fill a spray-bottle with methylated alcohol and spray your gear. You have now killed the remaining parasites and other disease carriers! Methylated alcohol can be bought at many gas stations and sport-shops. The Norwegian name for it is RØDSPRIT. (I have received this important information abot do-it-yourself-disinfection from one of Norway’s foremost experts on fish diseases at the Veterinary College in Oslo).

Perhaps it would be a good idea for those selling fishing licences to have a spray bottle of methylated spirits for free use? This would be very important in Norwegian salmon rivers!

PROTECT THE FISH RESOURCES

My main interest when I am fishing is the excitement of fishing in rivers with a certain chance of catching a big fish. My wish number one is to fish in rivers filled with large, wild fish swimming in a clean river with a rich and varied insect life.

The water quality in the Glomma and Rena is very good. Some organic pollution (fertilisation) produces more fish because it is nourishment for aquatic insects!

But I am not quite satisfied! I think that the Glomma and Rena have a potential to become better and more attractive fishing rivers with a "more correct" resource management. Older people I talk to maintain that they caught more and bigger fish in the old days. Until about 5 years ago I always caught one or more graylings in the Rena weighing up to 1,5 kilograms. Now this has become difficult. Why? I think the cause lies with us anglers: Never before have so many anglers caught and killed so many fish as today. Traditionally, a Norwegian angler kills every fish he gets. And the fish we primarily knock on the head are the biggest and most valuable fish.

What is your answer?

We should have limits to how many and how large fish we can kill. To preserve a good population of big fish in a river, a minimum size is not sufficient. Fishing regulations should also tell us how big fish we can catch, and that all fish above a certain length should be released unharmed. Perhaps we should volunteer to release the big fish, since there are no rules for catch and release or bag limit in Norwegian lakes and rivers? In 1999 we do not need to catch big, wild trout and graylings for food! But a river needs the big, wild fish to be attractive fishing rivers. Look at the two rivers dealt with in this guide: The Rena is the most popular because it has good population of big trout, grayling and whitefish (which often are hard to catch)!

Until a few years ago I killed all the big fish I got. Now I release every trout and grayling. However, I don’t practise "catch and release", but what is called "wise use". Some species over-populate rivers and lakes, and these must be fished on! In the Glomma and Rena this especially applies to the whitefish. Fish is food, and to get food I fish whitefish.

Many countries have regulations saying that all fish should be released unharmed (catch and release), or that you can take a few fish (bag limit). This has always been successful, and made for better angling in the lakes or rivers concerned. When it works in other countries, it might even work in Norway? The possibility of catching bigger fish will make angling even more of a joy, and make the Glomma and Rena more attractive rivers for fishing. I think we will get some catch and release stretches in the Glomma and Rena in the future.

Local hunting and angling organisations do a lot of good work by stocking fish from local populations and improving the breeding conditions of the tributaries.

Unfortunately, many good stretches have been ruined by logging all the way down to the bank along valuable pools and riffles. A row of protecting trees should always be left along lakes and rivers. This is important both for the wildlife, fish and aquatic insects. The forestry workers sometimes throw the felling waste in smaller breeding brooks, preventing all passage of spawning fish.

 CATCH AND RELEASE

A personal commitment to conservation can add satisfaction to your fishing experience. By following a few simple rules you can be certain that released fish will live to be caught again. Remember that a fish that appears unharmed when released may not survive if not carefully handled.

It is easier and faster to remove the hook if you use barbless hooks. Squeeze the barb down with pliers of forceps. If you use lure you can cut one leg off the treble with pliers. The type of tackle used can influence fish survival. Fish caught on lures or flies are more likely to be hooked superficially in the jaws and mouth and have higher survival rates than fish caught on bait.

• PLAY AND RELEASE the fish as rapidly as possible. Time is of essence. A fish played gently for too long may be too exhausted to recover.
• HANDLING YOUR CATCH. Gentleness in handling is essential. If the fish has to be netted, a net made from knotless mesh will cause much less damage than the commonly available knotted polypropylene landing nets which causes considerable skin damage, and can blind fish by scarring the eye. Hooks and lines catching in nets may delay releasing, so keep the fish and the net in the water. Wet your hands before you touch the fish. This will help the mucus film that protects the fish from infection. Don’t squeeze the fish or stick your fingers in its gills.
• REMOVING THE HOOK. Remove the hook with the fish in the water. Use release tools to work the hook and protect your fingers. Cut the leader close to the mouth if a fish has been hooked deeply or if the hook cannot be removed quickly. If a fish has been hooked in the gills or eye, consider keeping the fish; mortality is usually high for these types of injuries. If you are fishing with bait, you should set the hook as soon as possible to prevent the fish from swallowing the bait.
• RELEASING THE FISH. A small fish hooked in the lip can be released without the use of net or being touched by your hands. Revive the fish and then release it after it regains its equilibrium. After being released, grayling often stay in the release area, trout swim away immediately.

Flyfishermen in particular are increasingly more preservation-conservation oriented. They promote fishing for sport, and they appreciate the fact that fish should remain in the water. Remember: Fish for the future!

Recently a Norwegian government organisation has advised landowner organisations, fishing organisations and anglers NOT to practise catch and release. Every fish an angler catch should be killed!

 DIFFICULT FISH

What to do when the fish will not take your fly, lure or bait? You should first try a new bait or another fly or lure. If this does not help, you must change tactics - other ways to present your tackle to the fish.

When the fish don’t bite, here is some practical advice which can sometimes help you land a shy and difficult fish:

 Lure-fishing

• Change to another type or colour of your lure.
• If you are fishing with a wobbler, change to one which moves faster or slower.

• Change the speed of the retrive. When water temperature is low or high you must fish slowly.

• Fish at the bottom or near the surface.

• Fasten a wet fly on a dropper 50 centimetres above the lure. Often the wet fly is taken by a trout or grayling.

• Remove the hook from the lure and secure a 50 centimetre tippet with a wet fly behind the lure.

 Bait-fishing

• Change the bait. A live, moving bait may tease the fish to bite.

• Change from worms to maggot or vice versa.

• Use a float.

• Try feeding with a swim-feeder or loose-feeding to attract the fish to your fishing place.

 Fly-fishing

• Use a leader of smaller diameter. The tippet should be below the water-surface near the fly.

• Change to a smaller fly.

• Change to a fly imitating another insect group.

• Is your fly imitating the right development stage? Nymph, pupae, emerger or winged insect.

• Change to a lighter or darker fly.

• Present your fly with or without drag.

 Nymph and wet fly

• Change to a smaller nymph or a nymph imitating another insect group.

• Change to another type of line; floating, sinking or intermediate.

• Change to another type of leader; floating, intermediate or fast sinking.

• Fish deeper. Use lead, either on the leader or as a weighted fly. A thin tippet makes the fly reach the bottom faster.

• Use shorter casts.

• Use a nymph indicator. The distance from the indicator to the fly should be twice the water depth.

• Fish near the surface with an unweighted nymph.

• Change the speed of the retrive. Try a quick or slow retrive.

Most anglers fishing in lakes will have problems catching fish rising 100 to 300 metres away from the shore. These difficult fish can be caught even without the help of a boat or float tube by tying on an ordinary balloon. Let the wind blow your fly or lure to the fish with the help of the balloon.

Ice-fishing

• Put on another fly, or change from fly to worm.

• Fasten some dead or living Grindal stonefly larvaes into a lump of white skin cream on a bare hook.

• With shy and cautious fish you should try a modern, super-sensitive float in the jig hole. This can often be a very efficient fishing method, and there is no jigstick as sensitive as a float. Floats cannot be used when the weather is so cold that the water freezes.

ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES

A large number of fishermen come to the Glomma and Rena on family vacations, and often pursue activities other than casting to trout and grayling. I therefore address the needs of the entire family by presenting not only facts concerning fishing potential and techniques, but also recreational opportunities other than fishing, and the many cultural and community activities and events that all family members can enjoy in the towns and areas situated in close proximity to the Glomma and Rena.

Elverum Tourist Information, N-2400 Elverum, Norway

Activity: Bathing

The Løken beach: On the east side of the Glomma about 8 kilometres south of Elverum town. Very good beach with good-looking girls, but a bit difficult to find if you are unfamiliar with the route. The lakes Sagtjernet and Vesletjernet: 1 kilometres north of the Elverum centre. Follow the signs. Two nice small lakes with sandy beaches. Norway’s most northerly stock of bream, also crawfish, large pike, perch and topless beach. The Prestøya island (km 003): Nice sandy beaches. Lots of white anemone and lily of the valley. The Lisjøen lake: North east end of lake Lisjøen, about 10 kilometres from Elverum town. Small and nice beach. Pike and perch in the water. The Bergesjøen lake: A Protected nature reserve about 15 kilometres from Elverum along the Trysil road. Sandy beach. Large pike and perch. The Stavåsdammen lake: In the forest about 2 kilometres north of Elverum town. A small beach and a lot of small trout.

Activity Starmoen Golf Course

Access: Take the road towards Trysil. Turn right towards Likvern. Then the first road to the right after 3 kilometres. Follow the signs to the golf course. 18-hole, par 72 course of international standard at Starmoen. Open for all. Cafeteria and pro-shop. Phone. +47 62 41 35 88.

Activity Ole Reistad Centre (gliding)

Access: As for the golf course. National centre for gliding. Courses are arranged, and gliding trips offered. Booking in advance +47 62 41 23 98 or +47 62 41 67 89, fax +47 62 41 28 85.

Activity Riding

Situation: Sagaøya horse centre in Julussdalen several miles north-east of Elverum centre. Speciality: Iceland horses. Contact Ingeborg and Tryggvi Trygvason, 2410 Hernes. Phone: +47 62 42 58 87.

Activity Wilderness safari

Adventures in the forest and wilds. For companies and groups: Safari with the possibility of seeing moose. Nils Rustad, Nordre Rustad, N-2400 Elverum. Phone: +47 62 42 53 35, mobile phone 94 40 67 68, fax: +47 62 42 53 40, e-mail: jaktskol@online.no

Activity Hunting

Guided hunting in the forest belonging to the Rustad Farm west of the Glomma. Moose, roedeer, capercaillie, etc. Nils Rustad will arrange everything for you: Lodging, gourmet food, guides, etc. Contact: Nils Rustad, Nordre Rustad, N-2400 Elverum. Phone: +47 62 42 53 35, mobile phone 94 40 67 68, fax: +47 62 42 53 40, e-mail: jaktskol@online.no

Arrangement Cultural arrangement

At the Glomdal Museum on the west bank of the Glomma (km 000) in the middle of August. Large arrangement in the outdoor area. Many activities, demonstrations and entertainment.

Arrangement Children’s Day

At the Norwegian Forestry Museum in November. Popular special arrangement with activities and games for children of 3 to 13 years.

Arrangement Christmas Fair

At the Glomdal museum. Popular pre-Christmas arrangement the first and second Sunday in Advent. Entertainment, activities, exhibitions, demonstrations, etc. Very popular with children.

Arrangement Elverum Days

In Elverum town, the second week-end in August. Large commercial fair, lots of people, activities and uninteresting sales booths. Lively street life.

Arrangement Elverum Music Festival

In Elverum town the second week in August. 10 days of classical music, jazz and other musical forms. Most concerts are arranged in Elverum town, but also in the neighbouring counties.

Arrangement Nordic Hunting and Fishing Festival

At the Norwegian Forestry Museum the second week-end in August (4 days). Huge arrangement with around 30.000 visitors, hunters, fishermen and outdoor persons. Many activities and commercial stands. Large sheath knife market with knife making, forging, buying and selling of hand made sheath knives.

Building Christianfjeld Fort

In the centre of Elverum. Ruins of an old fort from 1683. Not much are left, but the area is idyllic with greenery and a nice view of Elverum town. (However, the view is better from the top of the ski jump to the north east.)

Building Grindal entrenchment

Situation: West of the Glomma (km 003). Remains of an old fortification with moats. Exciting for those interested in history. Fine view of the Glomma.

Building Terningenentrenchment

Situation: 5 kilometres west of central Elverum near the Hamar road. A well preserved fortifications with moats. Exciting for those interested in history. Good spot for mushrooms in the autumn.

Museum The Glomdal Museum

Situation: On the west bank of the Glomma (km 000). Rural culture and farm museum for the Glomma valley. Third largest open air museum in Norway with many houses and cabins. Herb garden. Varying indoor exhibitions. Library with historical and local literature. Largest collection of broadside ballads in Scandinavia. Museum activities on Sundays during summer. Farm animals. Traditional Østerdal fare served at the tavern Petershagen. Joint ticket with the Norwegian Forestry Museum. Address: Museumsveien 14, N-2400 Elverum. Open from 1 June to 1 September and at Christmas from 1 to 20 December. Phone: +47 62 41 91 00, fax: +47 62 41 58 82.

Museum The Norwegian Forestry Museum

Situated south of Elverum town where the GLOMMAGUIDE begins (km 000). Special museum for forestry, hunting and inland fishing. Large aquarium with most species of freshwater fishes. Open air collection with logging, hunting, and fishing cabins. Arboretum. Several annual arrangements. Special activities and demonstrations throughout July. Special subject days for school children. Library with forest-, hunting-, and fishing literature. The Forstmann restaurant has a splendid view of the Glomma with rising graylings. One of the few museums in Norway with brown tourist road signs, indicating a high quality tourist attraction. Joint ticket with the Glomdal Museum. Open all year. Address: P.O.Box 117, N-2401 Elverum. Phone: +47 62 41 02 99, fax: +47 62 41 30 15. E-mail: norsk.skogbruksmuseum@skogbruk.museum.no

Nature Korpereiret (Raven’s Nest)

Interesting gorge areas in the river Øksna north of Elverum. These are little known but fantastic areas for those interested in nature. Approach: Area 1: Drive towards Nordhue (toll road) and turn left at the sign Korperud. Drive to the end of the road. Cross the bridge and walk down along the river. After a few hundred metres you arrive at a large gorge with a deep pool splendid for bathing in summer. The gorge continues: Walk about 1 kilometre further downstream. A parts of the gorge is totally inaccessible, but in one spot you may climb down to the river. Area 2: This place is not really