Swedish Lapland – Tjuonajokk Fishing Camp| Brittany Fly Fishing

Swedish Lapland – Tjuonajokk Fishing Camp – Kaitum River

Under the midnight sun, the Kaitum River with its rapids and sloughs is home to beautiful fish and some particularly excellent fishing.
It is one of the rare rivers in Europe where dry fly fishing is incredibly prolific no matter what the weather is like. It is so remote that you can actually feel lonely at times but the remoteness virtually guarantees great fishing. You can fish all day long, 24 hours at a time if you can stand it and the waters are literally boiling with rising fish.

The average European grayling will measure somewhere in the 40 cm range and is the most common species, followed by brown trout that can, on occasion, reach weight of several pounds. There is also an important density in char, whitefish and pike. Anglers routinely catch a large number of grayling of 45 cm or more on dry flies in a single day and the mythical 20-inch fish is always possible.

Tjuonajokk camp, exclusively represented by our agency, is located on the banks of Kaitum Lake that, due to its constant flow of clear waters, assures stable river flows and fishable water all season long from late June to early September. The camp is famed for its great lodging infrastructures as well as the welcome visiting anglers get here.

It is fabulous and beautiful river and the fishing is truly world class. It represents what must be considered the best European destination to dry fly fish for large grayling.
The camp can only be reached by helicopter and transfers between angling venues are done by motor boat, this only adds to the remoteness of the locale and the feeling of adventure.

The river stretches are divided into several rapids that are reached by the boats provided the camp. Some of the rapids are only accessible with the help of a “pilot”. Most fishing spots are located anywhere between 10 and 45 minutes from the camp. The camp has also access to some trout and pike lakes.

Guide’s notes

The River Kaitum definitely is top notch when it comes to dry fly fishing for grayling in Europe. It is a sublime river, majestic, easy to read and yet full of mystery. The average grayling is quite large and numbers of fish are mind blowing. During their stay, anglers can reasonably expect to catch several large fish between 45 and 55cm in length. I have never seen as many Thymallus feeding on the surface at the same time. During gnat or mayfly hatches, mostly during the magic hour in the evenings, the river seems to be boiling. If you put your mind to it, you can count many dozen rings on the surface or see fish roll on the surface in calm water or in riffles. If the angler chooses his spot wisely, he can cast to twenty risers without ever having to change spots.

What I like most about the Kaitum is the complete freedom and possibility to fish nonstop. During the day, the camp guides take you the more remote places, or those places you need a guide to get to (safely running the rapids).

After dinner, though (after 8 pm), anglers return to the water using his “own” boat to fish several locations. It often happens that anglers completely forget to get back to camp as there is no darkness in the late hours and fish are always feeding in this northern exposure. I have often found myself take an incredulous glance at my watch, having to realize it was 2 or 3 o-clock in the morning and still not thinking about returning to camp for a rest, the fishing had just been too good!

It is noteworthy to mention that the quality of the fishing is quite stable. Water levels are regulated by the lakes so the river itself remains clear and fishable, even if water levels are high, which can be the case early in the season. I like early August best, you can access most spots quite easily for a great variety of fishing.
To close the subject, I would like to emphasize that angers are in a pristine and wild environment, away from civilization yet they can take advantage of great, comfortable lodging and professional service.

Clip made by a customer

I am organizing guided fishing stays in partnership with Planet Fly Fishing on the Kaitum for groups of 3 to 5 anglers during the prime season in late July and August.

I will assist them together with the help of the camp people during their stay and will guide them on the water according to their fly fishing levels for technical and strategic support (dry fly, nymph and streamer fishing for pike). I will also assist the customers beforehand as far as tackle, flies and general trip information are concerned.