The Åelva River is one of Norway’s hidden fly fishing treasures, a once-private system now open through Horstad Gård Lodge. Wild, remote, and consistently productive, it is regarded as one of the top salmon rivers in Scandinavia. In 2020, 436 salmon were landed by just 46 rods, averaging more than nine fish per angler. Salmon over 40lb run the river, joined by specimen sea trout over 25lb, with long summer evenings offering electric sport beneath the midnight sun.
Over 17 kilometres of private water with 19 named pools flow through rugged canyons and broad glides. Each beat brings new challenges, from stalking fish in intimate pockets with a single-hander to swinging large flies across classic runs with a double-hander. Rapids deliver heart-stopping battles, while Brattfossen is reputedly one of the most salmon-dense stretches in Europe, rewarding sure-footed anglers who like technical fishing.
Horstad Gård Lodge dates back to 1611 and sits just steps from the river. It blends tradition with comfort, offering simple but welcoming rooms, hearty dining, drying rooms, and a fly shop with tying facilities. Evenings here are as much a part of the experience as the fishing, with the lodge’s history woven into every detail.
For anglers seeking both numbers and trophies, the combination of exclusive water, historic lodging, and wild surroundings makes the Åelva one of Norway’s most compelling salmon destinations.
The season runs from June to August.
Season: June to August
Peak: June
Weight: 8lb to 45lb
Average Weight: 14lb
Season: June to August
Peak: July
Weight: 3lb to 25lb
Average Weight: 3lb
Depart Any international airport - Arrive Trondheim
Depart Any international airport - Arrive Trondheim
Depart: TBA
Arrive: Trondheim Airport, Værnes
General Note
General Note
Please note that depending on what international airport you depart from, travel to this destination may involve an overnight flight and/or an overnight hotel.
Once flights are available, your itinerary will be finalised.
Transfer from Trondheim Airport to your overnight hotel
Transfer from Trondheim Airport to your overnight hotel
Once you’ve landed and collected your bags, you’ll need to make your way to your overnight hotel, which is located just a short walk from the airport.
After checking in, the rest of the day is yours to relax and enjoy your stay.
Trondheim Standard Hotel
Overnight Accommodation
Trondheim Standard Hotel in a Single Room on a Bed & Breakfast basis
Travel from Trondheim to Terråk
Travel from Trondheim to Terråk
In the morning, once you’ve checked out of your hotel, you’ll need to collect your hire car (not included) and drive to Terråk, home of Horstad Gård Lodge. The journey takes approximately four hours, with plenty of scenic spots along the way should you wish to stop and take in the views.
Note: The hire car is not included in the package price, but we’re happy to arrange this for you if preferred.
Upon arrival at Horstad Gård, you’ll be welcomed with drinks and canapés before the lodge staff give you a tour of the facilities and the river. There will then be a draw for the fishing rota, and you’ll have the opportunity to disinfect your waders and tackle.
After your evening meal, if you wish, you’re free to head out for your first (non-guided) fishing session on the beautiful Åelva River.
Horstad Gård Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Horstad Gård Lodge in a Single Room on a Full board basis
Fishing
Fishing
On your first two fishing days, you’ll experience the Åelva River in all its glory, wetting a fly on its hallowed banks across 17 kilometres of water. The river offers a fantastic array of water from fast-flowing gorges, waterfalls and various pools, all prime spots for the mighty Atlantic Salmon and Set Trout that reside within it.
During your fishing week, you will fish the river on a rotation basis, which is drawn on the day you arrive; this ensures that the fishing is fair and that everyone gets some time on every stretch
Horstad Gård Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Horstad Gård Lodge in a Single Room on a Full board basis
Fishing
Fishing
On fishing days three and four and throughout your fishing week, you’ll depart with your guide around 8.30 am and fish a morning and afternoon session. Depending on your preference, you can return to the lodge for lunch or take a pack-up to enjoy on the river bank.
All the fishing on the Åelva River is based on two anglers per guide, fishing for an eight-hour day; however, during the summer months and thanks to the midnight sun, it’s possible to fish unguided for 24 hours per day.
Horstad Gård Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Horstad Gård Lodge in a Single Room on a Full board basis
Fishing
Fishing
On your last two fishing days, if you’ve been lucky enough to catch an Atlantic Salmon or two and fancy trying something a little different, the river is home to some fantastic Sea Trout. These fish average around the 3lb mark, but every season, some exceptional specimens get landed – the lodge record currently stands at a whopping 25lb.
Horstad Gård Lodge
Overnight Accommodation
Horstad Gård Lodge in a Single Room on a Full board basis
Travel from Terråk to Trondheim
Travel from Terråk to Trondheim
In the morning, after breakfast and once you’ve checked out of the lodge, you’ll drive your hire car back to Trondheim, a scenic journey of approximately four hours through beautiful Norwegian countryside.
Upon arrival, you will need to drop off your hire car and check into your overnight hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to relax or explore at your leisure.
Trondheim Standard Hotel
Overnight Accommodation
Trondheim Standard Hotel in a Single Room on a Bed & Breakfast basis
Transfer from your overnight hotel to Trondheim Airport
Transfer from your overnight hotel to Trondheim Airport
In the morning, after breakfast, you will need to take the short walk to Trondheim Airport ready to catch your return flight home.
Depart Trondheim - Arrive Any international airport
Depart Trondheim - Arrive Any international airport
Depart: Trondheim Airport, Værnes
Arrive: TBA
General Note
General Note
Please note that depending on what international airport you depart from, travel to this destination may involve an overnight flight and/or an overnight hotel.
Once flights are available, your itinerary will be finalised.
Prices are shown per person and are based on single rooms and two anglers per guide unless stated otherwise. All prices are accurate at the time of publication but may vary slightly depending on factors such as travel dates, booking time, airline pricing, or fuel surcharges set by the operators.
Flights are always priced at the most competitive rates available at the time of enquiry to ensure you receive the best possible value when booking.
Proudly an ATOL bonded company, our trips are complete packages, including all flights, transfers, accommodation, and fantastic fishing and shooting experiences.
| From | To | Days | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/07/2026 | 19/07/2026 | 10 | £5,416 | Sold Out |
| 17/07/2026 | 26/07/2026 | 10 | £5,416 | Sold Out |
| 24/07/2026 | 02/08/2026 | 10 | £5,416 | Sold Out |
| 31/07/2026 | 09/08/2026 | 10 | £5,616 | Sold Out |
| 07/08/2026 | 16/08/2026 | 10 | £5,616 | Sold Out |
| 14/08/2026 | 23/08/2026 | 10 | £5,616 | Sold Out |
| 21/08/2026 | 30/08/2026 | 10 | £5,616 | Enquire |
| 04/06/2027 | 13/06/2027 | 10 | £6,638 | Enquire |
| 11/06/2027 | 20/06/2027 | 10 | £6,638 | Enquire |
| 18/06/2027 | 27/06/2027 | 10 | £6,323 | Enquire |
| 25/06/2027 | 04/07/2027 | 10 | £6,323 | Enquire |
| 02/07/2027 | 11/07/2027 | 10 | £5,851 | Enquire |
| 09/07/2027 | 18/07/2027 | 10 | £5,641 | Enquire |
| 16/07/2027 | 25/07/2027 | 10 | £5,641 | Enquire |
| 23/07/2027 | 01/08/2027 | 10 | £5,641 | Enquire |
| 30/07/2027 | 08/08/2027 | 10 | £5,641 | Enquire |
| 06/08/2027 | 15/08/2027 | 10 | £5,851 | Enquire |
| 13/08/2027 | 22/08/2027 | 10 | £5,851 | Enquire |
| 20/08/2027 | 29/08/2027 | 10 | £5,851 | Enquire |
If your preferred week or travel dates do not appear in the calendar above, please get in touch. Many lodges release availability in stages, and some dates depend on tides, seasons, guide schedules, or short-notice changes. By speaking with us directly, you will receive the most up to date availability and clear guidance on securing the strongest options before popular weeks fill.
Enquire now and we will check live availability for the dates you are considering.
Our ATOL protection, means you have financial security on your booking.
All our destinations are thoroughly researched by our team of experts.
We have worked hard to be able to provide you with the best prices possible.
We offer complete holiday packages, making booking a holiday simple.
"Recent fishing trip to the Åelva and stayed at Horstad Gård Lodge. Very relaxing with excellent guiding and great food for breakfast, lunch and supper. Good company and well organised. Fishing was relatively easy in medium flows and more difficult in heavy water. I did not have any low flow days which must be a different challenge. Moose and deer and a few interesting birds to watch. A life jacket and wading staff are essential since the water flow can get strong. The plans to improve resting areas for smolts should lead to increasing fish returns in years to come. I hope to return. JB"
"The accommodation was great old fashioned and quirky. Food was varied and good. The lack of wine and beer at the lodge was a pain I understand it’s a licensing problem. The fishing was hard with sun and very low water. The river shows great potential with beautiful fly water and a healthy stock of fish. Have already book next years trip!"
The charming Horstad Gård Lodge is an authentic Norwegian farmhouse with a rich history dating back to 1611. Carefully renovated to maintain its historic charm, it’s located just a short walk from the river and serves as the perfect base for travelling rods fishing on the Åelva.
The lodge offers 13 traditional rooms with a total of 25 beds, providing comfortable accommodations for guests. Inside, there’s a cosy library with a large open fireplace, two dining rooms, a sitting room, and a spacious meeting room. All meals are served in the adjacent building, where there is a traditional dining room and open fire to enjoy meals together as a group.
For anglers, there’s a fly fishing shop, a fly tying area, and a tackle hut with a drying room for waders and a large rod rack situated in the middle of the grounds.
With full board accommodation, the experienced lodge chefs serve a traditional breakfast, lunch and delicious 3-course dinners with local ingredients, such as Cloudberries, Reindeer, Elk, Halibut and Cod. Weather permitting, serving lunch by the river is also a possibility.
If you’ve ever dreamt of casting your fly into wild, untouched waters where Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout run free, now’s your chance. The latest addition to our Norwegian Salmon fishing portfolio, the beautiful Horstad Gård Lodge, on the banks of the stunning Åelva River, allows you to do precisely that. Tucked away in the pristine wilderness of Arctic Norway, this fly-fishing gem is considered one of the country’s best-kept secrets. Privately owned and entirely off-limits for the public until recently, the system has been ranked as one of the top Salmon Rivers, boasting the highest catch rate per angler – something that’s not just good, it’s exceptional. (Fact: In 2020, 436 Atlantic Salmon were landed by just 46 anglers, equating to just over 9 fish per rod.)
The Åelva River, where Horstad is situated, is a charming waterway, and travelling rods stepping foot on its hallowed banks are spoilt with over 17 kilometres of water. It’s renowned for being gin-clear, and its rugged canyons and classic pools lend themselves perfectly to sight fishing for your prize. It’s home to a strong run of Atlantic Salmon with fish of over 40lb and specimen-sized Sea Trout, which provides a dynamic and exciting fly fishing experience throughout each month of the season.
This is wild salmon fishing on the Åelva River, the way it used to be — pure, remote, and unspoiled.
The Åelva River, or the Åbjora as it’s also known, is located in the Bindal Municipality in Nordland, Norway. It begins in the mountains between Tosen Fjord and the Namsen Valley, flowing for 59 kilometres before finishing its journey in Osan Fjord. Despite being a relatively small river in the grand scheme of Norwegian waterways, it’s considered the country’s ‘secret river’. It runs through pristine wilderness and is home to an incredible array of wildlife, most importantly – large Atlantic Salmon.
In the case of the Åelva, nature has created a dramatic river with fast-flowing gorges, waterfalls and various pools, and it’s this underwater topography which has been responsible for the fish that inhabit it evolving into large, powerful beasts. Anglers who visit, of which there are a maximum of eight per week, have access to 19 named pools and 17 kilometres of water, including the seldom-fished deep canyon area of the upper river. This area offers fantastic fishing for sure-footed adventurers in good physical shape who don’t mind a little climbing.
One such section of the river, below the prolific Brattfossen beat, is reputedly the most Salmon-dense stretch of river in all of Europe. The tall waterfalls also mean the prolific runs get concentrated for much of the season. However, for those who prefer an easier experience, there is plenty of other accessible water available.
The fishing methods and tackle used on the Åelva are as varied as the river itself, and there’s something to cater to the needs of all travelling rods, whatever your preferences and preferred style of Salmon fishing. This partly due to the unique range of fast-flowing gorges and waterfalls that break up the classic holding pools. These gorge sections provide excellent opportunities to fish smaller single-handed rods, apply stealth and stalk up onto the Salmon and Sea Trout in the narrow pools.
“Imagine a place where spying over rocks into the pool below and seeing salmon of up to 40lbs is a weekly occurrence – that’s one of the appeals of the Åelva.”
Fishing dry flies like the “Bomber” is very popular and exceptionally exciting, as watching the fish rise through the water column and engulf a fly is a heart-stopping moment and undoubtedly one of the best sights in fishing. Other common tactics include fishing the Hitch and small Sunray Shadows or dibbling these in the white water rapids that often hold a lot of fish waiting to continue upstream.
Other parts of the river are a little more open with dreamy runs and larger pools where spey casting a small double-handed rod will cover all those essential lies.
One aspect of fishing at Åelva, often overlooked, is the fantastic Sea Trout fishing from late July onwards. The fish average around 3 lbs; however, many fish pushing double figures get caught frequently, and the largest ever landed was an incredible specimen of over 25lb. Pools like Worlds End and Calm Water come alive in the evenings, and the fish can be targeted using traditional Sea Trout patterns on lighter tackle.
We recommend bringing two rods, a 12-15ft 7-10# double-hander and a 9-11ft 6-8# single-hander, matched with a reel with a substantial, smooth drag and the capacity to fight a big, angry Salmon. Leader and tippet materials must be between at least 15lb and 25lb, and all flies mounted on strong single and double hooks – small trebles are also allowed.
The Salmon fishing season on the Åelva River runs between June and August, with June highly regarded as the peak month, with fresh fish arriving on each tide, but July and August can be equally as fantastic. As with all fishing across the globe, lots will depend on the weather and water conditions. All the fishing on the river is based on two anglers per guide, fishing for eight-hour days; however, during peak season and thanks to the midnight sun, it’s possible to fish unguided for 24 hours per day if you wish. Other things worth mentioning include…
Rod sharing and room sharing are available at Horstad Gård Lodge and offer fantastic value for money.
The lodge is also child-friendly, and although primarily focused on serious fishing, families are more than welcome. At certain times of the year, fruit and mushroom picking is available, and there are opportunities to practice fishing, go swimming in the local ponds or even the sea, and take day trips to the beach.
A week at Horstad Gård Lodge runs from Saturday to Saturday, with six and a half days of fishing and a typical day consists of:
8.00am – Breakfast
9.00am – Meet with the guides
8.45am – Morning fishing
12.45pm – Lunch
13.00pm – Afternoon fishing
17.00pm – Return to the lodge
19.30pm – Dinner and drinks
Note: You can either have a packed lunch to take to the river or return to the lodge for a cooked lunch.
To learn more about Åelva River Salmon Fishing and the beautiful Horstad Gård Lodge, visit our YouTube channel.
Recent fishing trip to the Åelva and stayed at Horstad Gård Lodge. Very relaxing with excellent guiding and great food for breakfast, lunch and supper. Good company and well organised. Fishing was relatively easy in medium flows and more difficult in heavy water. I did not have any low flow days which must be a different challenge. Moose and deer and a few interesting birds to watch. A life jacket and wading staff are essential since the water flow can get strong. The plans to improve resting areas for smolts should lead to increasing fish returns in years to come. I hope to return. JB
The accommodation was great old fashioned and quirky. Food was varied and good. The lack of wine and beer at the lodge was a pain I understand it’s a licensing problem. The fishing was hard with sun and very low water. The river shows great potential with beautiful fly water and a healthy stock of fish. Have already book next years trip!
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