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Flyfishing in Hårkan, Jämtland, Sweden.

Hårkan is counted as a top class water in Jamtland, Sweden for flyfishing brown trout and grayling. The river’s sources are high among the Norwegian mountains and on the Swedish side its catchment area includes Hotagsfjällen.

A number of larger lakes and slow waters contribute to high production of insect species, primarily mayflies and caddisflies. Enormous amounts of stoneflies hatch during April; local names for them are Kry or Skorv. One local flyfishing method is called Krya, where the stoneflies are used as mash to entice out grayling and whitefish from their overwintering holes, and then the fish is jigged with small whitefish jigs by the mash hole. The stoneflies are scooped out from cracks and holes during the night and kept in airtight containers (to prevent them forming wings). Enormous amounts, litres and litres, can be caught in this way. Click on the following link for more details: www.fjellfotografen.se

Flyfishing in Hårkan, Jämtland, Sweden.

Our fishing camp on Hårkan is by Oxforsen, and is strategically placed on a section that is tens of kilometres long so that you can quickly and easily get to a number of beautiful stretches both up and downstream.


The grayling is dominant

The grayling is dominant, and for many flyfishermen it is their absolute favourite, but the brown trout is also widely found and every season real beauties of 2-3 kg are caught. Both the species are of a typical “Hårkan model”, i.e. short and muscular with magnificent colourful markings.

The hatching periods are often very intensive The hatching periods are often very intensive and when the mayflies swarm above the treetops it’s time to get out your gear. Those who have experienced these occasions, when the grayling are rising as if they’re obsessed, will be sure to return many times. The massive hatches of caddisflies have given Hårkan the title of “River of the Caddisflies” in fishing literature.

 


The road follows the south side of the river, making it easily accessible. There are a number of sideroads with picnic spots all along this stretch and the majority of the river is easy to fish, even for the most inexperienced fisherman in flyfishing. Many people fish with fly rods, but fishing with a reel and float and fly cast also work well, as does reel/spinner fishing with spinning reels or light spoons.

Hårkan in
Jämtland, Sweden is the perfect water for flyfishing , easy to wade and varied with lots of wonderful places to fish that have partly been created by biotope improvement methods. The grayling is, in principle, self-reproductive and brown trout from other populations, for example from Toskströmmen, have been introduced over a number of years. This has been done from cage farming in Hårkan and the introduction of eyed eggs in smaller tributaries.

Fishing regulations have been tightened over the past few years, with increased minimum sizes and daily catch quotas. Bans on nets, boats and bait have also been introduced on some stretches of water in order to ensure good long-term sport fishing with higher average weights and increased breeding of both grayling and brown trout. The majority of today’s sport fishermen realise that this is the only correct way to achieve sustainable, long-term sport fishing.

In general, serious flyfishing begins when the spring floods recede, which usually happens around Midsummer. Flyfishing is usually good throughout the season, but of course there are variations due to the water level and the weather. Nedre Hårkan (Lower Hårkan) is additionally open for grayling flyfishing during September and the dry flyfishing up until November is, for many people, one of the highlights of the season.

There is a general ban on catching brown trout in running water from 1st September.

When it comes to choosing flies, the well-known grayling flies also work well in Hårkan. Patterns such as Superpuppan, E12, Klinkhammer, Red Tag etc are generally effective on grayling in the majority of waters. Nymphs, flymphs and caddis pupae in natural colours have a natural place in the fly case. Don’t forget the “old” classic wet fly hooks; patterns like Black Gnat, Wickhams Fancy, Bradshaws Fancy, Butcher, March Brown, MB silver, Zulu, Royal Coachman, Coachman and Teal etc still work today. All you have to do is to fish with these flies as much as with other patterns.

Because the grayling’s food mostly consists of organisms that are bottom dwelling, fishing with weighted nymphs usually gives good results, preferably with reduced hook sizes (16-18).

Additionally, each river tends to have its own local patterns, as does Hårkan. The legendary fly tier Pelle Persson, “Flugpelle”, from Rörvattnet created a series of “Simpelflugor” and patterns such as Prästflugan and Makan (rosaflugan) are sacred to many local fishermen. Other locals are the Långså fly, or “Lappflugan” as it’s also known, as well as the “Djupflugan” in black and olive.

Apart from the abovementioned patterns, the autumn grayling also appreciate ant and wasp imitations, but it’s often worthwhile tying on both nymphs and wet flies during autumn fishing.

In order to describe the many fine and varying sections of Hårkan we will take you on a guided tour from Hotagsströmmarna, down to where it joins Indalsälven in Lit – a stretch that is many tens of kilometres long, passing through four fishery conservation areas.
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