What do I need to start fishing?

A six to seven foot spinning rod, a small fixed-spool reel with 0.20 mm line, and a handful of lures between five and twelve grams. Add pliers, a knife, some spare hooks and a couple of snap swivels and you are set. All of it costs less than a decent pair of boots.

What line thickness should I use?

Monofilament of 0.20 to 0.25 mm covers nearly all inland fishing for trout, perch and grayling. Thinner line casts further and is less visible, thicker takes more abuse from rock and pike teeth. If you are after pike, add a leader that survives the teeth.

Fishing gear: rod, reel and line

With a handful of 5 to 12 g lures you can fish for trout in mountain lakes and grayling along the river. Adapt it to the water and species. For fly fishing, see the separate fly guide.

Which rod and reel suit which fish?

Trout in mountain lakes take an ultralight rod that handles about 1.5 kg, while pike need a rod that handles 3 to over 10 kg.

The table shows rod, reel and line for the common species. All of it is advisory.

Rod, casting weight, reel and line for each species, and how heavy a fish the setup handles
Fishing	Species	Rod	Casting weight	Reel	Line and leader	Handles fish	Tips
Trout in mountain lakes	Brown trout and Arctic char	Ultralight spinning rod, 6-7 ft	2-10 g	Size 1000-2500	0.18-0.22 mm nylon, or 0.08-0.10 mm braid	Up to ~1.5 kg	Small spinners and spoons. Shy fish in clear water need thin line and a careful presentation.
Trout, all-round (river and lake)	Brown trout and grayling	Spinning rod, 7-9 ft	5-20 g	Size 2500-3000	0.22-0.25 mm nylon, or 0.10-0.12 mm braid	Up to ~3 kg	Covers most of the trout fishing. Slightly heavier lures when there is current or wind.
Big trout (trolling and otter board)	Brown trout	Heavy spinning or trolling rod, 8-10 ft	15-40 g	Size 3000-4000 with a smooth, strong drag	0.28-0.35 mm nylon, or 0.15-0.20 mm braid	3-8 kg	For big waters like Mjøsa, Vangsmjøse and Tesse. Plugs and spoons behind an otter board or on the troll.
Arctic char (mountain lake and ice fishing)	Arctic char	Ultralight spinning rod or jigging rod	1-8 g	Size 1000-2000	0.16-0.20 mm nylon	Up to ~1.5 kg	Small spoons in red or natural colours. Jigging lures and maggot through the ice in winter.
Perch	Perch	Light spinning rod, 6-7 ft	3-15 g	Size 2000-2500	0.20-0.25 mm nylon, or 0.10 mm braid	Up to ~1.5 kg	Jigs, worms and small spinners. A shoaling fish, so search along edges and jetties.
Pike	Pike	Heavy spinning rod, 7-8 ft	20-60 g	Size 3000-4000	0.15-0.20 mm braid + wire leader	3-10+ kg	Big plugs, jigs and spinnerbaits. A wire leader is a must against the teeth.

Find your gear

Pick species, where you fish and technique, and we suggest a complete setup with rod, reel, line and lures.

What do you want to fish for?

Where?

Technique

Suggestion

Trout in mountain lakes

Rod: Ultralight spinning rod, 6-7 ft
Casting weight: 2-10 g
Handles fish: Up to ~1.5 kg
Reel: Size 1000-2500
Line and leader: 0.18-0.22 mm nylon, or 0.08-0.10 mm braid
Try these: Mepps Aglia, Blue Fox Vibrax, Mepps Black Fury

Colour to start with: SilverColour guide

Rods, reels, line & swivels

The spinning rod and the fixed-spool reel are the most common types, and nylon of 0.18 to 0.35 mm is a cheap all-round line. Here is the difference between them, so you know what is what.

Rod types

Spinning rod
1.8-2.7 m · 2-40 g
The most common rod. Casts lures, spinners and plugs using the bait's own weight. Available from ultralight to heavy.
Telescopic rod
2.1-3.6 m
A collapsible spinning rod that is handy to bring on a mountain trip. A little less sensitive than a two-piece.
Ice fishing / jigging rod
50-90 cm
A short rod for vertical fishing through the ice, used with a jigging lure or a mormyshka.
Trolling rod
2.1-2.7 m · 20-150 g
A heavy rod for pulling baits behind a boat on big waters. Handles heavy fish and sinkers.
Float rod
3-5 m
A long rod for float fishing with a bobber, bait and a light sinker. Common for perch and coarse fish.

Reel types

Fixed-spool reel (spinning reel)
Size 1000-4000
The most common and simplest. Line peels off a fixed spool. Suits a spinning rod and most species.
Baitcasting reel (multiplier)
Size 150-300
Sits on top of the rod and gives more power and precision, but has a steeper learning curve. Popular for pike and trolling.
Closed reel (spincast)
Size 10-40
A reel with a cover over the spool. Beginner-friendly and rarely tangles, but casts shorter.
Ice fishing reel
Size 500-1000
A small, light reel for ice fishing, often on a short jigging rod.

Line types

Nylon (monofilament)
0.18-0.35 mm
A cheap all-round line with a little stretch that cushions jerks and runs. It floats and is easy to handle.
Fluorocarbon
0.12-0.30 mm
Almost invisible underwater and it sinks. Little stretch. Used as a leader, or as the main line in clear water.
Braid
0.08-0.20 mm
A braided line with no stretch. Gives maximum contact and long casts at a thin diameter, but it is visible, so always use a leader.
Leader / tippet
0.10-0.25 mm
The thin, transparent end between the line and the bait. A wire leader or heavy fluorocarbon is a must against pike teeth.

Swivels & snaps

Snap swivel
Size 12-1/0
A swivel and a clip in one part, between the leader and the bait. The clip lets you change lures in seconds, and the swivel turns so spinners and spoons do not twist the line. Sizes count downwards: size 12 is small, 1/0 is big. Use the smallest one that handles the fish, an oversized snap is visible and kills the action of light lures.
Ball bearing swivel
Size 10-6
A swivel with ball bearings that keeps turning even with heavy load on the line. Worth it for spinners, which twist the most. A plain barrel swivel seizes up more easily under load.

Kit list

An all-round spinning rod handles fish up to about 3 kg, and 0.20 to 0.25 mm nylon breaks at about 3 to 5 kg. The tags show how heavy a fish the rod handles, and how much the line and swivel take before they break. All of it is advisory.

Rod

All-round spinning rod
Max ~3 kg
6-9 ft, casting weight 5-20 g, covers most of the trout and grayling fishing.
Ultralight spinning rod
Max ~1.5 kg
6-7 ft, 1-7 g, shy fish and small lures in clear water.
Pike rod
3-10+ kg
7-8 ft, 15-40 g for big baits.

Reel

Spinning reel size 2000-2500
Matches the all-round rod; smooth, finely adjustable drag.
Ultralight size 1000-2000
For thin line and light lures.

Line & leader

Nylon (mono) 0.20-0.25 mm
~3-5 kg breaking strain
All-round for trout; the stretch cushions jerks and runs.
Braid 0.10-0.13 mm
~5-9 kg breaking strain
Better contact and longer casts, always use a leader.
Fluorocarbon leader 0.14-0.20 mm
~2-4 kg breaking strain
Nearly invisible in clear water.
Wire / heavy fluorocarbon leader
Pike-proof
Necessary against pike teeth.

Swivels & small parts

Snap swivel size 12-10
~5-8 kg breaking strain
Ultralight and light spinning: 1-10 g lures for trout and char. As small as possible in clear water.
Snap swivel size 8-6
~12-18 kg breaking strain
All-round: 10-30 g spoons and plugs, trolling and otter board. The size most people use most.
Snap swivel size 4-1/0
~20-35 kg breaking strain
Pike and big baits, together with a wire leader.
Ball bearing swivel size 10-6
~7-15 kg breaking strain
For spinners that twist the line. Turns freely even under heavy load.

Accessories

Unhooking pliers
Quick and gentle unhooking, especially with barbs.
Net with rubber mesh
Gentle on the fish and does not tangle hooks.
Waders & wading boots
For river fishing and edges in mountain lakes.
Polarised sunglasses
See fish and structure, and protect your eyes from hooks.
Lure box
Keep things tidy and keep the baits dry.
Fishing licence on your phone
Buy it on inatur or iFiske before you start.

Recommended setups

Light spinning at 5 to 15 g covers most fishing, ultralight at 1 to 7 g takes shy fish, and pike need a wire leader.

Light spinning (all-round)

Rod with 5-15 g casting weight, 1.8-2.4 m. Reel size 2000-2500 with 0.20-0.25 mm line or 0.10 mm braid. Lures 3-12 g: Mepps Aglia, Blue Fox, small spoons and plugs. Perfect for trout in mountain lakes and along Lågen.

Fish ~0.5-3 kg · line 3-5 kg

Ultralight spinning

Rod 1-7 g, thin line (0.14-0.18 mm). Small spinners and microjigs for shy trout and grayling in clear water.

Fish ~0.3-1.5 kg · line 1.5-2.5 kg

Pike/perch

A heavier rod (15-40 g), braid and a wire leader for pike. Big plugs, jigs and spinnerbaits. Perch take small jigs and spinners.

Pike 3-10+ kg · line 7-12 kg

Common questions

What do I need to start fishing?: A six to seven foot spinning rod, a small fixed-spool reel with 0.20 mm line, and a handful of lures between five and twelve grams. Add pliers, a knife, some spare hooks and a couple of snap swivels and you are set. All of it costs less than a decent pair of boots. The full kit list
What line thickness should I use?: Monofilament of 0.20 to 0.25 mm covers nearly all inland fishing for trout, perch and grayling. Thinner line casts further and is less visible, thicker takes more abuse from rock and pike teeth. If you are after pike, add a leader that survives the teeth.