The river Vindelälven, more than just big brown trout

Mister Millot with a pretty grayling that bit the fly at Lower Harabacken.
Photo: Guest

Introduction

Besides the nature reserve of Vindelfjällen, the track Kungsleden, the stream Tjulån and our mountain fishing it is the river Vindelälven that attracts most of our visitors.
Big grayling, but above all the Ammarnäs trout at average weight slightly below four kilos, offer all fishermen an exciting fishing.
If you want to see picture of brown trout click on the link to the left to get to the Gallery.

Guiding

If you are a newcomer to this water we warmly recommend you to spend some money on an hour’s guiding where the guide will bring you to all the sections and show you where you later on will fish. By doing so your fishing will be much more effective and you will stand a really big chance to get in contact with the Ammarnäs trout.
If you do not have the experience of fishing for big brown trout it’s worth considering a guide for the whole- or half a day with fishing in practice and detailed explanations of where and how to find the fish at Vindelälven.

Season

The season normally stretches from the beginning of July when the spring flood has stopped, until the brown trout fishing prohibition on the 14th of September. The fishing for grayling though continues during the whole autumn and gets even better as winter approaches.
At the beginning of July and August night fishing is most effective. Slowly the fishing in daytime gets better by the end of the season.

Fishing licenses

All parts of the river Vindelälven, with an exception for Sjöforsen, within Ammarnäs FCA are part of the public license. Sjöforsen is a separate section and you must book it in time to be sure to be able to fish this excellent part of the river Vindelälven.
There are also two rowing-boats for rent if you want to reach the Other side of the river. One of the boats is at Sjöforsen for them who fish this section. The other boat is just down the stream of Guordisbäcken and also for rent by anyone interested. Contact us at the Fishing Center for information about availability.

Click hear for valid rates.

The different sections within Ammarnäs FCA

Our part of the river Vindelälven is divided into five different sections of major interest to fly fishermen. There are other habitats for big brown trout but we leave them for them who are interested to explore on their own.

Sjöforsen

Sjöforsen is the most upper and our separate section. Here the first Ammarnäs trout are normally caught every year and Sjöforsen then continues to deliver throughout the season.

For the brown trout fisherman three spots are really top rated.

The head

Slow water where the stream narrows to a V-shape. Can be fished effectively from both sides of the river even if it is much more comfortable to fish from the far side. By the head you may catch Ammarnäs trout, arctic char, grayling, lavaret and Canadian char.

The blow-out

A powerfully streaming part of the river that always holds big fish.

Upstream of Guordisbäcken

This head is best reached from the Other side and offers an exciting fishing by several grooves of the stream.

He who fishes for grayling has a fine fishing by the whole stream from both sides of the river. The really big fish are at the sides of the groove and begin moving around more actively at dusk. A one kilo grayling is an everyday fish at Sjöforsen.
An area easy to fish with a windbreak, a fireplace and a lavatory at the top of the section where you land the rowing-boat.

Guordisbäcken and Hängbron

The name, “Guordis creek”, is from the creek that here has its outlet into the river and it offers several good habitats together with the area where you once would find the old suspension bridge (suspension bridge = hängbro).

The head at Guordisbäcken

DYou can wade from the road side to reach the head upstream of Guordisbäcken. Wading is not recommended at higher water levels since you easily risk getting caught by the stream when the water pressure increases.

Hängbron

Here you can wade out a shorter distance at the lower part to fish the edge of the stream.

An area easy to fish with a windbreak, a fireplace and a lavatory.

The Other side

Just down the stream you find the rowing-boat that is for rent to get to the Other side of the river. At the Other side you can then fish the head upstream of Guordisbäcken, Guordisbäcken, Gamla hängbron, Strykan, lower Harabacken, and the whole interesting part from Harabacken down to the border of Ammarnäs FCA.

Fishing by the streams just downstream of Holmarna a late August evening.
Photo: Mikael Båth

Holmarna

Between the holms, Holmarna, and Harabacken the river turns to the right in a large bend offering several fine habitats. Search along the boulders and fish. When your fly hits the right spot the fish usually bite immediately.

The section can be fished from both sides of the river and it is worthwhile to rent the boat only for these fine habitats.

Harabacken

This is the most common section to fish at Vindelälven. The reason is simply that it is a really good section and it is easy to fish. You could almost start talking about a comfortable fishing as you just have to cast out your fly into the stream and wait for the rise. ;-)

Upper Harabacken

The beginning of the section is interesting. The stream’s groove makes a S-shape towards Gubbrakan (“Old man’s straight”) and offers surprises if you can handle rod and fly by the stream. There are also a couple of spots of interest slightly upstream of Harabacken, half the way to the streams downstream of Holmarna. You fish it from the road side.

Gubbrakan

Here the width of the river makes it easy to cast with free space for your backcast and wading is fairly easy even if the stones might be slippery.

Gubbrakan is not much longer than a hundred metres but oh so many fish that have been landed and then released here! At the end of Gubbrakan the water shallows and offers the creative fisherman a number of habitats to fish. You fish it from the road’s side.

Lower Harabacken

Downstream of the end of Gubbrakan the stream once again forms a nice groove which successfully can be fished from both sides of the river. Wading is fairly easy from the road side while slightly deeper from the far side.

Upper Järnforsen

The upper part of the rapid Järnforsen, which is part of Ammarnäs FCA, is a
rather short section. The fishing, which here takes place at a few spots, is very good and a considerable amount of the big brown trout are caught at this section every year.

The best time to fish is from mid August until the end of fishing.

There are big graylings at this part of the river and it is without doubt worthwhile to spend some part of the daytime fishing here if you feel like fishing for grayling with a lighter equipment.

Map

Map of Ammarnäs Fish Conservation Area at Vindelälven.