Orklagaard Lodge has been held by the Gundersrud family for over 30 years, originally built and operated by its founder Olaf Gundersrud Sr. as a corporate entertainment venue with exclusive salmon fishing on the river Orkla. Until recently Orklagaard has been relying on past guests, family and friends to provide revenue for its funding. Now Orklagaard has opened its doors for Sportquest Holidays in a UK exclusive, joint venture deal.Sportquest Holidays will have exclusive double-bank access to 1.1 km of the original Orklagaard water, plus three productive and breathtaking pools just a few minutes drive downstream from the lodge. We are excited to offer this program in a highly attractive and fully exclusive package. Orklagaard is approximately between 50 and 70 yards across so even though the wading would mostly be considered moderate, covering the water for the average angler is obtainable.
Location
The river Orkla is the largest river in the Trøndelag county and has a length of 180 kilometres. The river starts its journey in the lake Orkelsjøen and ends in the town of Orkanger. The pools of the Orkla river can produce some of the best Salmon fishing in Europe, with good numbers of fish entering its waters every year as well as some very good sized chrome bodied beauties.Orklagaard Lodge is a picturesque collection of the main lodge and accommodation nestled on the banks next to the river. The Orkla River Salmon love the pools in this private section of the river and the numbers of River Orkla Salmon caught in these pools are a testament to that. The private water that Orklagaard Lodge has access to is situated very close to the lodge with the majority just a short walk from the lodges bedrooms. This gives anglers the chance to maximise their time whilst fishing, with no need for long travelling times between pools. Orklagaard beats are located only 40 km from the ocean and Trondheim Fjord on Norway’s central coast, offering the promise of sea-bright salmon.
Fishing
Orkla River Salmon are typical Norwegian fish, with deep chrome bodies and big powerful tails. They are the perfect design to deal with travelling at speed through powerful rivers and over long distances. They can grow to impressive sizes with 30lb+ fish being landed every year and the numbers of good size fish landed in the catch reports of the lodge makes for impressive reading. The fishing is set on a rotation system where anglers fish in pairs and have set pools at three-time slots during the day. With the lodge in close proximity, customers can pop back to the lodge for refreshments at any time. The lodge manager rotates between anglers during the day to help out with any questions. The main Equipment used would be 13/14 ft 9#10# double handed spey rods with decent sized reels to match. Reels should have smooth drags and manage to hold at least 300 meters of backing connected to multi-tip floating scandi lines with a full collection of density heads and a couple of triple density sink lines in sink 3 and in sink 6. Orkla River flow is regulated by a hydropower station, which means there is always water even in very dry years. given the reliable water levels and fish numbers customers would hope to catch with at least 1 or 2 good fish per week.
Guides
Your guides at this camp speak English and know the area very well.
Other Activities
This lodge is surrounded by beautiful natural forests which in turn contain much wildlife so if you fancy a day off from fishing you can go for a hike and see what amazing animals and birds you can spot.
A week at Orklagaard would be the perfect weeks Salmon fishing for anglers who wish to have easy access to the river, great hospitality with the most friendly relaxed like-minded people.
‘For more information about this tour, contact our experienced team who will be happy to answer any queries you have. Alternatively, can request a free brochure.’