Fishing in Sweden – A Midnight Adventure

Char Fishing in Sweden

You don’t have to be a practiced fisherman to feel there is something about fishing in Sweden that take a hold on you. As if there’s an unspoken agreement between nature and fisherman, as if a game is being played and you’re constantly being challenged. And the winnings go straight to the person who plays the right cards. The excitement builds as you search for the perfect cast and read the conditions. This is why so many are full of anticipation when heading of for fly fishing in Sweden.

Back your gear and head out one afternoon during summer. Drive towards Ammerån and park the car not too far from the river, and walk the last bit down to the streaming waters. The sixty-kilometre-long river flows from the mountains, down through the forested landscape and finally empties into the river Indalsälven. There are many spots where the fish teem. Use a map and try out a few different spots – maybe you are lucky enough to find a secluded spot for fishing where there is no other sound than the streaming waters of the river.

It takes a few casts, but every cast challenges you to do better next time, to reach further out and turn the rod at just the right time. The Swedish summer evening starts to show its best side and evoke the feeling that one of the mythical beings, drawn by John Bauer, could appear at any time.

Fishing in the Ammerån River

The Ammerån river was used for log driving until the end of the 1960s. In order to collect the water in an even channel with a fast current, the river’s tributaries were blocked and stone caissons were built. The changes affected the fish population and both grayling and trout need a varied habitat for hunting and protection, which declined during the 1900s.

However, the river has never been harnessed for hydroelectric power and, as one of Sweden’s few unregulated rivers, Ammerån has been the topic of research projects and doctoral dissertations. This has resulted in an attempt to restore the rapids to how they were before the log driving era, so that the fish will thrive… yes, like fish in the water.

Standing along the rapids one feels there’s something special about running water. It leaves no one unaffected. The sweeping, rhythmic gestures of the rod are reasons why fly fishing in Sweden is so beautiful to watch. Getting the line to cut the air in an even arch and landing the fly correctly on running water is about “Fingerspitzengefühl” and timing.

Grilled Fish – Simple but Tasty

The rapids team with fish and hopefully you return to the wind shelter to cook your catch. Food should be simple but tasty. Once the fire has burned down to the perfect barbecue coals and the fish is gutted and cleaned, put it skin-side down on the grill rack. As soon as it’s cooked, remove the rack from the coals and throw on spruce twigs that quickly ignite and form dense white column of smoke. The grill rack goes back on the coals, but this time the fish is flesh-side down to give it the flavour of smoked spruce. A few minutes are enough for it to cook.

The fish is cleaned and put on soft unleavened bread – and the result is so delicious! The smoked fish flavour marries well with a sauce based on crème fraiche combined with chopped chives, caviar, salt and pepper. The hearty meal around the fire, with the June sun glittering on the rushing Ammerån after an unforgettable experience of fishing in Sweden leaves nothing to be desired. The night is here but the light hasn’t left. It is a Swedish summer night and it is absolutely delightful – just as it should be.