Between Rolling Hills and Jagged Peaks a Salmon River Runs 

New Destination! Orklagaard on the Famed Orkla River in Norway for only £2500.00 per week per person

Norway in all its glory…
Since the 17th Century, Norway has been the Holy Grail for the seeking salmon angler. For many generations, anglers from the world over looked toward Norway in the hunt for the biggest salmon. What they found was an awe-inspiring, northern land with mythically large salmon swimming in sparkling rivers.

Today, Norway is a destination best suited for those who enjoy fishing beautiful pools and runs in exceptional scenery with the ever-present possibility of a “lifetime” fish. For those chasing catch counts, it would be wise to look elsewhere.

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 the holy gates for Salmon Junkies in an exclusive, joint venture deal.

We are extremely excited to now offer salmon fishing at Orklagaard in a very exclusive package offering a golden mix of attractive pricing and productive fishing in the most gorgeous surroundings combined with highly luxurious accommodations! Salmon fishing at Orklagaard, under the life-giving Arctic sun, comes with all the magic ingredients to make any angler's dream come true.

In terms of catch, Orkla is consistently one of the top four rivers in Norway. It is also home to big salmon. Not only are 30 + lb. fish caught every year, but 20 + lb. fish are caught in most weeks, and one or two 40 lb. salmon are caught each season. And, last but not least, the Orkla valley is stunningly pretty.




The Fishing and the Season
Prime season in Norway is June 1 to August 31. And Orklagaard is no exception. 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.

Salmon Junkies will have exclusive double-bank access to 1.1 km of the original Orklagaard water IN ADDITION TO three productive and breathtaking pools just a few minutes drive downstream of the lodge. We are excited to offer this program in a highly attractive and fully exclusive package.


Fishing Program
Our beat rotations will be on daytime basis, with some provision for “after hours” fishing activity. We want to run this program in a relaxed and civilized manner, NOT in the 24/7 assault often seen in Norway.
Daily schedule: Fishing starts each day after breakfast at approximately 08:00 - 08:30 am and continues until lunch. Guests will return to the lodge to eat.

The fishing stops around 07:30 pm and dinner will be served at 08:00 pm in the lodge. After that it is time to socialize and relax in front of a roaring fire, where the air hopefully will be filled with wild and passionate stories of the day’s activities.

Guests may go out for more fishing during the evening as arranged by the lodge.


Lodge and Accommodations
All guests will have single, en suite bedrooms. As the lodge was originally built for corporate entertainment, guests can expect very comfortable, if not luxurious, accommodations. Features include:

• Spacious lounging room, separate from guest rooms, for socializing and relaxation after a day on the river
 
• Dining room and area for all meals in the main house
 
• Comfortable individual guest rooms, each with a 4-poster bed, private bathroom, small living area with table and chairs

• Electricity in all rooms   

• Wi-fi in main house area

• Detached drying room for waders and wet clothes

• One guide, one chef and delicious food — we promise! — to serve six rods


Tackle & Technique
Orkla fishing starts in early June when the usual spring flood is running off and the white polar nights can create a euphoric fishing trance for guests.

Rod: We encourage you to bring an 8- to 9- or 10 weight double-hand rod, which will easily handle salmon in the 8- to 30-pound-plus range. Matched with the proper line, most rods can handle anything from floating flies to deep-sinking tips with heavy tube flies. A good rod length is 12’6” to 14’ which will allow you to cast long distances without fatigue throughout a long day.

Reel & Line: Bring reliable reels that will not let you down when a “hot” salmon takes off. Reels for double-hand rods should contain 200 meters of backing. (Please buy the best available gear to avoid any failures — cheap gear will always let you down).

Lines: In early season, bring sinking lines. For the remainder of the season, bring floating  and intermediate lines and sinking tips. Important: Always bring some fast sinking tips.

Leaders: 20–25–30 lbs breaking strength.

Flies: All rivers have their favorites, and Orkla is no exception. That said, a wide range of flies will work.  Here are some of the “hot” flies you might wish to bring: Traditional hook flies: Red Butt, Silver Doctor, Ally’s Shrimp, Cascade, Green Highlander, Thunder & Lightning, Willie Gunn, Black Sheep, Hairy Mary, Blue Charm, Undertaker, Billy Butt, Black Bear Green Butt, Monroe Killer. Our size recommendations are: 2–6 from June 1 to middle of June; 6–10 in late June through August.

Tube flies: Bring tube flies with a wing length around 0.5–2.0 inches. We recommend a classic Temple Dog design. Productive colors include black, yellow, orange, green and brown. The tube fly body should be in length 10–30 mm and we recommend brass, copper or aluminum.



What To Expect
Besides rivers with some of the largest salmon in the world, there is so much more to the complete Norway experience. Positioned only 40km from the ocean, Orklagaard pools will first inline for the big, fresh chromers. Catching one or two fish a day can be expected, and 30lbs-plus fish have been caught every year since the very early days. Orkla River flow is regulated by a hydro power station, which means there is always water even in very dry years.

Catch-and-Release Policy
Like all Salmon Junkies programs, Orklagaard will operate under a  catch-and-release policy. All fish must be reported and registered daily in the camp’s catch statistic book. All fishing is strictly fly only. We request extreme care in handling all fish. The future of the fishery depends on it.
 
Orklagaard Package

6 days fishing / 7 nights accommodation at Orklagaard Lodge; all-inclusive except travel (including car rental), alcohol and gratuities

Promotional rate: £2500.00 per week per person

Orklagaard Itinerary
 
Sunday / Day 1: Arrive Orklagaard before 08:00pm dinner
Monday / Day 2: Fishing
Tuesday / Day 3: Fishing
Wednesday / Day 4: Fishing
Thursday / Day 5: Fishing
Friday / Day 6: Fishing
Saturday / Day 7: Fishing
Sunday / Day 8: Departure day

Breakfast will be at approximately 07.30 - 8:00 am, with fishing rotations starting thereafter at 8:30 am. Lunch will be served at around 1:30 pm. Dinner will be served at around 8:00 pm. These times are subject to change before or during the season when we ascertain what is best for our guests.

Orklagaard Team
There will be a fulltime chef and one guide to serve all anglers (fishing in pairs). Operation manager will be Paul Becher
Guide : Diego Hernan Peralta.

Travel Information
Norway is easy access for all. Leave Europe and step into you waders the same day. For overseas anglers, be prepared to sweat one day extra.
Flights to arrive at Trondheim / Viernes airport (code TRD): Guests to arrange their own car hire from the airport to the lodge.

The lodge is located approximately 1 hour 20 minutes easy drive from Trondheim. Orklagaard Lodge is situated at the village of Drogsetmoen near Storas. We will of course provide the precise address and driving directions upon booking.

Guests departing the lodge should leave four hours minimum before their scheduled flight departure.  It’s 1 hour 20 minutes to the airport, plus hire car gasoline fill up, plus drop off. Check in bags two hours before flight, so approximately 4–4.5 hours is needed comfortably.

Dinner will be served on day of arrival. (The only exception to that would be if flights were to be changed to very late arrival in which case buffet style food would be served/waiting on arrival.).

With this great, new program we feel well equipped to meet the needs of the true salmon angler — those looking for exciting fishing in the Atlantic salmon fishing community.

We at Salmon Junkies hope that this information along with our website www.salmonjunkies.com will nourish your dreams and provide you with information for the trip of a lifetime. We hope to meet you out there with a Spey rod in your hand.

Tight lines,

Steffen Juhl