Winsnes Lodge | Gaula River | Atlantic Salmon

The lodges sit just across the road from the Gaula River and fairly central to all our beats/zones making it the ideal place to base the fishing operation from.

There is a tradition in Norway of Salmon fishing round the clock during the summer months, brought about by the size of the salmon and the chance to fish for them in almost 24 hour daylight. Such fanaticism, while understandable, is counter-productive to the health of the fishery, the mood of the guests and results in suppressed catches. While most of the water on Gaula is fished round the clock, at Winsnes the hours are different.
We run a unique system on the Gaula River, offering our customers the guarantee that they will fish rested water every day. This prevents Salmon pools from becoming stale and the mood of fish and anglers becoming dour. In June and July when it is almost never dark, the fishing is in 4 x 4-hour shifts, with rest periods in between, during which time, the river is closed to allow pools to rest.
Fishing is available for 16 hours per day (4 x 4-hour sessions) with the river closed for resting between 14.00pm and 18.00pm and from 2.00am – 6.00am. Whilst there are those who dislike this system, our customers love it and the catch ratio, per man, per hour, fished always results in the Winsnes fishery taking the top spot. We catch more fish (all on the fly) per hour fished than any other fishery on the river regardless of the method being used.

As during your fishing week you will have a car hire (pre-booked by Sportquest Holidays) the fishing from our various zones is from just over the road up to 40 mins travel by car.

Our fishing operation on the Gaula River is based on targeting Atlantic Salmon.

All Salmon fishing depends on the week you fish, the current water conditions and weather. However, we have the 5-year averages of all the weeks so we can advise you what are the best weeks for numbers of fish and which weeks on average produce the larger fish. Another factor that affects the number of fish caught is angler ability. In any given week you can expect anything from 1 to 10 fish all depending on the above.

Fishing is all wading and with double handed 13 to 15 ft rod. Lines are normally floating lines with interchangeable tips allowing customers to get to the correct depth.

There is only light guiding on these trips and the guides speak good English.

Fishing on the Gaula River is best suited to customers who are not looking for numbers of fish but chances of catching Atlantic Salmon over 40LB, as that’s the dream that draws our customers to this destination.

We have had beginner anglers but for the Gaula it is best suited to anglers with double handed fishing experience. Customers need to be able to cast a nice long straight line and have a good understanding about controlling the swing and fishing flies at different depths, with some experience of playing hard fighting fish in powerful rivers.

As you have a car for the week there is not too much walking to the fishing each day. However, the Gaula River is a big river, sometimes the fishing involves wading waist deep which combined with the slippery boulders can make for difficult wading. For this reason, it is best suited to customers who are good on their feet in this type of wading conditions.

The season runs from the 1st June through to the last day of August each year. The week you pick will depend on what your goals are. Talk to our staff in the office and they can advise you with all the information and catch statistics.

Fly to Trondheim and pick up your pre-booked car hire, from there it is only a simple 1.2 hours drive to our lodge.

Winsnes Lodge is situated on the banks of the Gaula River. This Lodge now provides high-quality guesthouse accommodation for anglers and their families over the fishing season from June-August. Seven bedrooms allow for both shared accommodation and for those who would prefer an individual room. Anglers can stay at either full board or B&B only rates.

Food is of high quality and the addition of the Lax Café and pub makes for a very convivial atmosphere. It is used by anglers and locals for lunches and socializing with the main evening meal being held in the lodge dining room.

The lodge does not provide tackle apart from landing nets. There is a small shop selling flies.

There is free Wifi available in the lodge and mobile coverage.

As you will have car hire for your week there are lots of non-fishing activities you can explore from historical sights to shopping.

We offer the complete package including all flights and transfers. To view all prices and availability click the “Dates & Prices” tab above.

Alternatively, if you wish to arrange all our own travel we can book just the lodge and fishing for you.