Upper River Guden
With 150 km the River Guden is by far the
longest Dansih river system. But we have to go down to Tørring
before it becomes of any interest for fishing. Only here the
river has achieved a fishable size.
Originally, this part of the river was
inhabited by red-spotted brown trout. It was like that ever since
the last Ice Age. But the time when trout reigned supreme was
over when grayling was introduced by enthusiastic fishermen -
from the other side of the Jutland Divide in 1936-37.
It took place on bikes, in milk cans and
with bicycle pumps to areate the water during transportation.
Distance across the Divide was short so grayling that live naturally
in the west were easily caught and transported across to the
east.
The grayling established itself very quickly.
During the years of World War Two the population almost exploded
and soon the native brown trout had become second to the grayling
in the upper River Guden.
Since then brown trout have lived in the
shadow of grayling. But things seem to have improved since trout
now have unrestricted access to the upper River Guden and its
many suitable spawning grounds. This is due to the removal of
old dams just upstream of Lake Mossø.
From the city of Tørring and down
towards Åle the River Guden runs through open farm land.
Not until the confluence of River Mattrup does it reach a hilly
landscape. From here on down to Lake Mossø we find some
of the most beautiful areas in Denmark - and the first major
dammings of the river. This happens at the Lakes of Vestbirk
that mark the transition to a larger River Guden.
Earlier on the power station at Vestbirk
was a giant threat to salmonids and other fish in the river.
Today a diversion has been made so that fish and invertebrates
may move freely up and down.
The River Guden between the manmade lakes
of Vestbirk and the impressive Lake Mossø offers some
of Denmark's most original river fauna. In and on the gravel
under the quick current live a number of rare water insects that
demand a high water quality. Insects that in many cases only
are found here. Insects that please grayling as well as graylling
fishermen.
Here we also find some of the spawning
grounds used by the original River Guden salmon before 1920 when
salmon still had unrestricted access to the upper reaches of
the river. Before the construction of Tangeværket and the
damming of the River Guden to Lake Tange.
Angling hotspots
Main river:
1. River Guden at Tørring
The River Guden becomes fishable at the
city of Tørring where you may experience excellent fishing
for both grayling and trout. With the exception of a few shallows
the river is deep and narrow here .
Enthusiastic fishermen took grayling across
the Jutland Divide in 1936-37 and planted them in the River Guden.
Transportation was easy and the fish caught on quickly - to such
an extent that they rapidly pushed the native brown trout out
of its natural habitat.
- [ see
map ] -
2. River Guden at Uldum Kær
Good fishing from the city of Tørring
on down through Uldum Kær where you may fish in both the
river itself and a good number of smaller lakes fed by the river.
Here you may catch pike, perch, eel, roach, bream and tench.
- [ see
map ] -
3. River Guden at Åstedbro
Below Uldum Kær the River Guden flows
by Åle and reaches Åstedbro where several fast flowing
shallows are found. Here large numbers of water insects live
which attract many grayling and trout. Plus fishermen with an
inclination towards flies and fly rods. Good fly fishing can
be had if you avoid days with heavy traffic on the river. Expect
a crowd of canoes from June 15 to September 15.
- [ see
map ] -
4. River Guden at Brestenbro
At Brestenbro the River Guden has reached
a width and a depth that harbour large fish. Grayling are still
the dominant fish while trout number second. In quiet stretches
of the river pike now show up on a regular basis. At Bredstenbro
the River Guden flows through an open landscape.
- [ see
map ] -
5. River Guden at Gammelstrup
Below the manmade Lakes of Vestbirk the
River Guden finally reaches Gammelstrup where it is wide and
shallow in many places. These shallows are important spawnings
grounds for salmonids as well as year-round habitat for many
rare water insects like mayflies, sedges and stone flies. Wading
therefore to be avoided.
- [ see
map ] -
6. River Guden at Voervadsbro
At Voervadsbro the River Guden is quite
wide and mighty. Water is deep between the shallows that provide
grayling and trout with plenty of food.
Current speed diminishes due to the dams
below and fish are kept from reaching their spawning grounds.
From these dams on and down to the inlet of River Guden into
Lake Mossø fish have excellent living conditions. Unfortunately,
fishermen have very limited access to the fishing which is mostly
on private hands.
In recent years a lot of money has gone
into the building of diversions at old dams. Thus a run of spawning
fish from the lakes below is expected.
- [ see
map ] -
7. River Guden at Emborg
On the stretch between Lake Mossø
and the bridge at Emborg good fishing for pike, perch, pikeperch,
roach and bream may be had. Mostly though this part of the river
is known for its fine pikeperch fishing.
- [ see
map ] -
Tributaries:
8. River Salten
The River Salten is known for its large
trout - and for the former Danish record brown weighing 5,7 kg.
Undoubtedly this fish was not a river trout but a lake trout
on a spawning migration from nearby Salten Langsø.
The huge brown trout that are regularly
caught here thus seem to be mostly lake trout on their way up
to spawn in the river or on their way down to the lake after
spawning.
The River Salten also harbours a good number
of true brown trout and even better numbers of escaped rainbow
trout.
- [ see
map ] -
9. Salten Langsø
This lake is the feeding grounds of most
of the trout that migrate up the River Salten to spawn. Private
area with no fishing allowed.
- [ see
map ] -
10. River Funder
(not shown)
Probably the fastest flowing river in this
country. From the wells in the Hills of Funder water rushes downstream
until it meets the first dam at the first fish farm. The naturally
cold water of this river combined with its fast current quickly
made this particular river popular amongst early fish farmers.
The dams at the fish farms prevented the
wild trout of the river from reaching their spawning grounds.
At the same time pollution from the large number of fish in the
ponds ruined the water quality. However, the River Funder is
now in better shape than earlier, and you may still enjoy some
good fishing in this unusually swift river.
- [ see
map ] -
11. River Mattrup
A minor tributary to the River Guden below
Åstedbro. Not until the confluence of the River Guden and
the River Mattrup does the River Guden enter the hilly landscape
of Middle Jutland.
Periodically River Mattrup holds a good
number of grayling that migrate upstream from the River Guden
plus some stocked brown trout and escaped rainbows. Access to
this river is very limited.
- [ see
map ] -
12. Lakes of Vestbirk
The Lakes of Vestbirk came into existence
when at the beginning of last century the River Guden was dammed
to make a minor hydroelectric powerplant. This resulted in three
smaller lakes:
Bredvad Møllesø: The uppermost of the lakes where the River Guden
comes in. A long and narrow lake where you may catch trout as
well as grayling around the inlet. These lakes also hold a good
population of pike and freshwater cod that feed on the trout
and grayling.
Lake Naldal: Good
fishing for pike, perch, freshwater cod, eel, roach and bream.
Pike are often found in the narrows between the lakes.
Lake Vestbirk:
Fishing as in Lake Naldal.
- [ see
map ] -
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