Reisastua Lodge | Norway | Salmon Fishing

The lodge is found on the banks of the Reisa river in the heart of the Arctic circle. The river spills out into the fjord, northeast of Trômso by the small town of Storslett. The lodge is situated approx. 30k up the river surrounded by wooded mountains and a stone’s throw from the water’s edge.

Using traditional boats, the guides will transport anglers up and down the river to their different licenced zones for that day. Once at the zones, the pools are fished from the banks, generally with a couple of runs through before moving on to the next.

Some of the pools are just a very short journey from the lodge but if your licence is in the upper zones for that day you will need to travel by boat up into the beautiful national park. A boat journey into the national park can take up to a couple of hours as you make your way into one of the last wildernesses in Europe.

Big Atlantic Salmon is what anglers come to the Reisa to hunt. Every year this river produces some of the biggest Atlantics on the planet. As well as the big salmon the Reisa has large Brown Trout, Arctic and sea-run Char and good numbers of large sea trout later in the season.

The Reisa is not a numbers river, it is a place to go to try and catch the biggest fish of your life! Big fish are not as plentiful as smaller ones, they are harder to trick into taking and when hooked they are a lot harder to land. When you put all these factors together if you manage to land more than a couple of big fish in a week then it has been a successful one.

As part of a rotation system, each day your fishing partner and you will have access to a selection of different licences to fish different zones in the river. As a pair, you will head out by boat or sometimes car with your guide and bank fish different pools within your licenced zones.
You will mostly be fishing with double-handed rods in 9# to 11# and swinging flies with anything from floating to heavy sink lines depending on the water height and pools that you are fishing. Your guide will explain if he wants you to mend your line to speed up or slow down your swing and then a long dangle before some sharp strips of the line can often entice a take.
In August if the water is at the right height and temperature a single-handed rod of 7# or 8# can sometimes be used to successfully fish a riffle hitch or bomber fly on a floating line that can give some of the best topwater action. It is during the August months that we now have light guided weeks with you and your fishing partner being taken to your zone and then your guide alternating between you, your fishing partner and one other pair. Being guided in this way can add a greater sense of achievement, especially if you do not like having a guide with you at all times it also has the added advantage of being a less expensive product.

Yes, all the guides speak very good English.

Anyone can fish the Reisa as it has some easily fished pools but also has some very technical ones. This keeps the less experienced as well as expert anglers interested at all times. We do believe that it is a river that anglers must work hard on as these big fish will not just give themselves up.

You do not have to be the best angler in the world to fish at the lodge, but a good understanding of Salmon fishing and managing a double-handed rod is advisable. The guides at the lodge are fantastic and very experienced when it comes to fishing the river, so a week spent with them will definitely make you a better angler. Some casting lessons before your trip is always a good idea as this will dust off any cobwebs and give you more confidence from day one of your trip!

On the whole Reisastua Lodge is not very physically demanding, however, if clients wish to trek to the top pools of the national park then they will need to be able to walk a decent distance in fairly rough terrain. Some of the pools can make for more challenging wading in certain river conditions.

For the big chrome fish that the Reisa is famed for July would be the best month! August can produce some lovely mixed fishing with the grils, Sea Trout and still the odd big chrome fish being caught on lighter tackle, methods such as riffle hitch and bomber being particularly exciting.

You will take your flight from the UK to Oslo. From there you travel to Tromso and then on to Sorkjosen. At Sorkjosen a Sportquest Holidays representative will meet you and transport you to the lodge, this drive will take 45 minutes and once at the lodge you will be greeted and shown to your room before refreshments.

The lodge is of a typical Norwegian nature with a very relaxed atmosphere. This is in no way a compromise on quality with a beautiful main restaurant, single en-suite bedrooms, large hot tub all of which have fantastic views and a peaceful living room for evening drinks.

Breakfast is served in the morning before you head out with your guide to your different zones, depending on what zones you are fishing will determine if you will be returning to the lodge for a three-course lunch or if your guide will cook for you by the river. Often your fishing day will finish very late in the evening so there is normally a light spread prepared as an evening meal, snacks and drinks are provided throughout the day by your guide!

The lodge does not provide full setups but it does have a shop.

The lodge has very good free WiFi service and some mobile phones will get a good signal.

There are other activities such as waterfall views, bike riding and walking.

We 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.