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.

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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