Water level 2020 - river Glomma at Hummelvoll - about 15 km upstream from Eidsfossen waterfall


Fly Fishing Reports 2020

03-06-2020
water level : 589,21

This must be the first season opening at Kvennan Fly Fishing without fishermen in the river. Covid-19 and a very high water level in river Glomma are to blame. And while the water level will be good for fishing in a few weeks, the situation with the coronavirus makes it impossible for many friends of KFF to visit us this summer - or so it seems. One can always hope for better (fly fishing) days, and as always, no one can predict the future and the circumstances for travelling in Europe are changing by the day ...

A very large grayling - and the second fish of the season. 56 cm and about 1,6 kg  

Today the water level is still above 589 meter (above sea level), a full meter more then normal for this time of year. This is quit unusual, since 2006 I haven't seen so much water in the river for so many days. I guess the river will be good again for fly fishing in about two weeks. The weather here in the North is nice with sunny and warm days. For the longer term a slight drop in temperature is predicted.

Marius shows a 52 cm fish - photo HVA  

Anyway, for me the fly fishing season started with two very good grayling: 52 cm and 56 cm, from a special place not far from KFF. I have known this place for many years, the first time I fished there was in early June 1995, the year with the immense spring flood that hit Glomma and the other rivers around. Last week I fished the place with Marius, and he also had very good results. It was great fishing & the best possible opening of our fly fishing season !

this one was 52 cm  

08-06-2020
water level : 589,04

The water level is still very high. Fly fishing at KFF is possible only at a few places, and only with fast sinking lines and streamers. I guess the conditions will improve this week, and the long term weather forecast says we'll get nice summer days in the end of the week. So the weekend might just be nice for some fishing ! At the pic I show you one of the trout I landed in Glomma at KFF during the last days. This fish was not very large, but it was rather fat and it must have weighted around one kilo. I do recommend using a bullhead imitation, something like my Glomma Dog streamer pattern - it simply works almost always.

Hein shows a nice and fat little trout   


And I made a video for all you guys that would love to visit Glomma this summer, but cannot make it because of closed borders ... It's about the upper reaches of Glomma in our area, and how it looks like with all this melt water in it. Hope you enjoy it !

16-06-2020
water level : 588,70

Not much has changed in the water level, since last week the level has fallen with about 20 cm. For good fly fishing conditions the level just has to be well below 588,50. Even better, it should be below 588,00.   I fished a bit the other day, and landed a few grayling on nymphs, and some trout on streamers and fast sinking lines. There are a few places where one can fish in these conditions, but only a few.

a nice trout that ate my streamer - photo HVA  

The chart shows the water level from the beginning of the this month. The peak in the first days was caused by a weekend with a lot of rain, combined with the melting of the snow in the mountains. In fact, there is still so much snow high up, that the authorities have opened the high water valves in the dam located at Lake Aursunden, to prevent flooding. The wave form in the chart is caused by the difference in day - and night temperatures, and the corresponding amount of snow melting. I don't know how long this high water situation will last.

20-06-2020
water level : 588,55

I asked for info about the water level in Lake Aursunden, here is the answer:
"The water level in lake Aursunden is almost at the highest legal level, and the inflow to the lake is approximately 100 m3/s due to intensive snow melt. Therefore the outflow (in Glomma) also is 100 m3/s to prevent further rise in the water level in Aursunden. We forecast decreasing inflow at a rate about 10 m3/s per day, and we will try to control the outflow at about the same level. That will lead to more normal conditions downstream Aursunden in about a week. "

Hein plays a nice grayling at Kvennan Camping - photo HVA  

Geir fished at KFF last weekend in high water conditions, he send me a small report :
"Hello Hein - Nice to meet you and thanx for the flies you gave me ! I had some takes on the parts you tip’d me. Later in that evening I got one nice grayling of 43 cm on czech-nymphing in the bend downstream the camping. Sending you a picture of it. Tight lines and hope you get a good season. Hope to be back again in start of September. "

Geir landed this nice 43 cm grayling on the nymph  

30-06-2020
water level : 587,86

After weeks of high water levels in the river, things are now more normal. And so is the weather: it is nice and fresh again, the long time weather forecast gives us rain, wind and low temperatures.
Great, the temperature of Glomma's water will decrease, and the fishing will be very good.

swarming caddis just above the tree tops - photo HVA  

A fly fisherman from Denmark told me he had a little swim in Glomma yesterday (involuntary) when he was trying to cross the river. The water level is still a little bit high, and the current can be powerful. So he took a dip, and while the water was not very cold, he had to swim to save his fly boxes that fell from his coat pockets. He only had velcro on them - and that's not enough when you're going for a swim. Zippers is what you need ... 🙂

a nice may fly willing to pose on my fly rod - photo HVA  

The fishing is not bad at the moment, there are some insects around, I found one nice may fly willing to pose on my fly rod and I noticed lots of swarming caddis.

And here the reports over 2020 end - because of Covid-19. There were no fishermen, and no money to pay my salary, so my work for KFF stopped and I returned to Holland. Let's hope the future brings brighter (fly fishing) days ..

Get your fishing license here