Rena river spring report
The big trout have started to feed more, but conditions are demanding. Jon Erlend Sundnes who was at the river when it opened reports of a good number of big trout spooked and one netted over three days. Early Rena fishing never was meant to be easy.
A week after the Rena River opened for the season, reports from Søndre Rena suggest that things are warming up. But a streamer in the water is no guarantee of fish. The water has been cold, the fish nervous, and rises are few to non-existant. Fly fisher and fly tier Jon-Erlend Sundnes from Nordisk Fiskeutstyr was on the river when the season started.
"The fish were very nervous"
Sundnes describes the opener like this: low water and clear conditions in the days before, an abrupt rise of 40 cm just before the start, and falling water temperatures.
"On the opener itself, the trout were harder to deal with than usual. I had a bit of luck and landed a nice trout on a streamer," Sundnes says.
Three days of hard fishing produced one decent trout. Sundnes estimates he spooked around 30 trout over the weekend. That says something about how stealthy you need to be when the river is clear and the fish are easily spooked. He also noted that both whitefish and grayling were showing up the fly-fishing-only zone. Earlier than usual, especially for whitefish.
"Trout in water shallower than a meter were very easily spooked. Those holding at a meter and a half or more seemed to be easier to get a proper cast at."
So fish the deeper holes and be extremely careful when you move along the bank. Fish in the shallows can scare others and cause a mild chain-reaction of spooked trout up and down.
The south wind catches many off guard
In the Rena, the water temperature can fall on a south wind and rise on a north wind. It sounds counterintuitive, but it has a natural explanation.
"A south wind pushes the warmer surface water of Lake Storsjøen northwards. Colder bottom water then dominates below Storsjødammen. The difference can be several degrees, and that affects the cold-blooded trout," Sundnes explains.
The stretch from Storsjødammen and downstream is a classic tailwater—a bottom-released hydropower reservoir that produces cool water in summer and warmer water late in the season. This release pattern is one of the main reasons Søndre Rena is among Norway's most productive inland rivers.
A steady, cool summer flow and calcium-rich water support a rich invertebrate community, with large hatches of mayflies, caddisflies and midges through the season.
Wind moving up the valley can therefore change conditions in a short time.
Have realistic expectations
The Rena has a reputation as Norway's densest big-trout river. There is still good reason to claim that: the population of trout over two kilos is large, and fish over seven kilos have been caught. Even so, Sundnes's account matches what Rena anglers have said for a long time: this is not a river for the impatient.
Four things worth remembering before the trip:
- There are few rises this time of year. The mayfly and caddisfly hatches that the Rena is known for come later in the season. In early summer, streamer fishing and careful nymphing usually pay off best.
- Big trout are wary. The bigger the fish, the more nervous it is. An imprecise sidearm cast spooks more fish than it catches.
- The river is large. It is often deeper near the bank than you think, and the current is strong. First-time visitors typically need a day just to learn to read the water. Wading boots with good grip are essential.
Advice before you leave
A stop at a fly-fishing specialist is a good investment before the drive to Rena. Both Sundnes at Nordisk Fiskeutstyr and Christoffer Gaarder at Vak Fluefiske know the river well, and can provide up-to-date information on water levels, temperatures and which flies are working.If you are already in Åmot, Rena Fishcamp offers both guides and flies. Owner John Bond guided in Montana before he and Silje settled at the Rena.The Rena licence from Åmot Elvelag covers Renaelva, Glomma, Åsta, Julussa and Søre Osa. That gives you alternatives if the fishing in the Rena is slow.
