Erlend Nilssen is here today to shed some serious light on putting together his Euro game. We find out where you should be heading if you want to make a trip to Norway. Discover Erlend’s Top 9 Tips for Fly Fishing Norway – how he prepares for competitive fly fishing, averaging 220 days a year on the water!
Erlend tells us what his fly box looks like, the 3 types of nymphs you should have before you hit the water, and his gear setup for the competition. Plus, Erlend has a new group called Veig, that’s making cool fly fishing documentary videos on YouTube. Check it out!
Click below and listen to the Fly Fishing Norway Podcast with Erlend Vivelid Nilssen:
Find the show: Apple | Spotify | Overcast
(Read the Full Transcript at the bottom of this Blog Post)
Sponsors and Podcast Updates
Fly Fishing Norway Show Notes with Erlend Vivelid Nilssen
04:25 – Erlend began fishing at the age of 10 and was introduced to fly fishing by his older brothers – he has been fishing for 22 years now
05:09 – Devin Olsen from the USA Fly Fishing Team was on the podcast at WFS 043 – and also Lance Egan at WFS 108
06:12 – Erlend fish mostly Sea Run Browns nowadays
06:46 – Atlantic Salmon in Norway
07:54 – You need a boat to get in contact with big sea runs
08:19 – Erlend fish a lot with shrimp patterns because sea-run trouts love them
09:01 – The European Fly Fishing Championship will be hosted in Norway this summer
12:58 – The difference between Czech style nymphing and European nymphing – Czech style nymphing is perfect for Grayling
13:19 – Erlend explains Grayling’s behavior and the sizes of which you can find in Norway
17:12 – Erlend thinks they have the home-court advantage for the upcoming European Championship
20:18 – Erlend fishes an average of 220 days a year
22:15 – The Glomma River is the longest river in Norway
23:03 – Hemsedal is a good place to fish for trout in Norway
24:03 – Vosso is a river in Voss municipality in Hordaland, Norway – an hour and a half drive from where Erlend lives – Vosso and Ekso are Erlend’s home rivers
25:00 – The best time to fish for trout in the Vosso River is from mid-June to September
26:25 – Typically, Erlend uses 10 or 11 foot 3 weight rods – Vision brand
27:37 – The line he uses is a level Euro Nymph coated line – also by Vision
29:17 – Erlend uses a.. yep you guessed it – Vision reel
30:47 – Erlend does some guiding and Euro nymphing courses
36:53 – His typical leader setup is around 17 to 20 foot
38:25 – The Pheasant Tail nymph is Erlend’s favorite and is the most important nymph for him
40:23 – Indicators aren’t allowed in fly fishing competitions
43:14 – What his fly box looks like
45:30 – Nick Pionessa will be on the podcast soon – stay tuned!
46:37 – Erlend’s got his own YouTube channel – be sure to subscribe! Scroll down to watch one of his nymphing videos
47:57 – The VEIG series that Erlend talk about – scroll down to watch the 1st episode (check out the next episodes on Veig YouTube channel)
49:05 – In September 2022, Spain will host the World Fly Fishing Championships
49:46 – The European Fly Fishing Championship will be hosted in Norway this summer (July 4 to July 10)
50:28 – The copper bead is what Erlend use the most – next is black nickel
51:29 – For trout, the orange bead works well as an attractor nymph
52:29 – Erlend uses a 470 barbless Hanak hook along with Hanak heads
54:54 – Erlend recommends having guys from SeaRun.No on the show
55:39 – Erlend recommends getting Iain Barr on the show to talk about Stillwater fishing
56:33 – John Bond is an American guy running Rena Fishcamp in Norway
57:44 – Erlend wants to fish the Jurassic Lake in Argentina – and come back to Colorado
1:00:18 – People come to Norway to hike
You can find Erlend on Instagram @erlendvivelidnilssen and @veig.no
Check out their YouTube channel and website as well at Veig.No
Fly Fishing Norway Top 9 Tips
- It’s important to get a little bit of back weight on your rod
- Start with water load – put the nymph’s downstream of you and have that tension then bring them upstream
- Cast 6 or 7 meters max for a start and get comfortable with it before going longer
- Look for some kind of variation – a structure on the bottom that’s breaking the current – that’s where you’ll usually find the fish
- The fly pattern is never the most important – the important thing is how you bring the fly to the fish
- Have at least 1 dark, 1 light, and 1 attraction nymph in different sizes, beads, and weight
- When casting upstream, never let the line land on water – only the fly, and keep that indicator (siders) close to the surface
- Keep in contact with the fly without dragging too much
- To avoid dragging your nymph, find the right weight for the fly that doesn’t just hit the bottom and spend more time with your rod on the water to get that “feel”
Videos Noted in the Show
Related Podcast Episodes
WFS 043 – Devin Olsen’s Euro Nymphing Rig and Tips from a Competitive Angler
WFS 108 – Euro Nymphing Rig and Tips with Lance Egan – Cabelas, Fly Fish Food, Team USA
Read the Full Podcast Transcript Below
Fly Fishing Norway Conclusion with Erlend Vivelid Nilssen
Erlend Nilssen shared what he’s been up to lately preparing for the Euro Fly Fishing Championship this year. We found out where you should be heading if you want to make a trip to Norway. Check out Erlend’s Top 9 Tips for Fly Fishing Norway!
We dug into his fly box, the 3 types of nymphs he recommends, and his gear setup for the competition. We also found out about Erlend’s new group called Veig, that’s making cool fly fishing documentary videos on YouTube.