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Well below is our 2014, now annual trip to the far north reaches of Norway…….
Due to popular demand you need to book early and this trip was booked 10 months before hand so lots of time to think about tackle, tactics and what maybe lurking in the depths. For anyone who has not been to North Norway it is difficult to explain the full experience, yes the fishing is fantastic but the scenery, the wildlife the people, cultures and the general ozone all adds to the experience as we are only 620miles from the north pole, from the report below you will notice more none fish pic’s because how many pic’s of 20-30lb cod does anyone really wish to see, the other sights tell a better tail.
Ok the trip, well it started by a meet up at 3pm and off for our first flight from Edinburgh, 32hours later we arrived at our chosen destination after an overnight stay in Oslo. Previous years we have been blessed with some good weather and found ourselves fishing some days in t-shirts in the 24hr sunlight but this year was to be an exception and we had landed during a Artic blow.
Wild santa's helpers
We arrived at out accommodation, chucked our bags down, got the boat keys and at about 1am in the morning decided to head out to a mark 1 mile from the harbour that we caught fish up to high 20s the year before. First drop and I had a cod of 12lb within 10 seconds of having the line in the water with the other 3 lads all bent into fish, we took a host of cod and torsk from here up to low 20s before we called it a night after a couple of hours and went back to get a few hours’ sleep before up to a cooked full English breakfast and out fishing again, as is the norm for our group.
When we got up the following day a weather front from the north i.e the Artic had moved in and a harsh cold north wind was blowing, the weather was saying this was in for the long-term so we had to accept it and grasp our opportunity’s if any weather windows came along to fish the more productive open water marks between 8 and 14miles from the harbour.
10lb torsk
The first two days where a battle with the elements with sleet and driving rain in a 25-30mph north wind and rough to very rough seas, luckily with this particular destination you can always fish somewhere just not necessary the spots you wish so we moved around the sheltered areas using the mountains in the fjord system for cover and landed a host of cod in the 20s with more in double figures than under and the best about 26-27lb, torsk, redfish, coalie, wolfish and a couple of halibut, It was hard going but it was still better than anything you get at home and a great stamp of fish.
7lb Haddock
The third and fourth day the weather was a tad better and we ventured out into the fjord in some seas that would of turned Sir Nelsons stomach. Once again landing a host of fish with a few knocking on 30lb and a nice halibut of almost 40lb. The area is breath taken and time must be taken to look around and take in where you are fishing, we also got treated to 6 sea eagles training their young on how to hunt and so many puffins and razorbills that it felt you could walk over the sea on their backs.
Fish finder on my fav mark
32lb new PB
3am in the morning, heading in from fishing
Day 5, at last the weather was improving and coats off with a moderate sea now, we headed straight for a mark I had been chomping at the bit to get to all year, I call it “the promised land” it is a panicle that goes from over 110m and rises up to 20m at its tip, the idea is you work this panicle drifting down one side then up the other. We got to this mark after a bumpy ride and greeted with 100s of birds diving and a fish finder that was boiling with fish being chased with larger fish on the hunt, the whole area was alive with life.
My first impression was at last here we go new PB coming and you could tell everyone was feeling the same, lines down with a mix of 10” shads on 14/0 hooks, 2lb coalie dead baits and large pirks. Bang we started getting fish with very few under 15lb hitting the deck, 20s started to become a pain as they had in previous years with us just shaking them off at the side of the boat and then one lad goes quiet and you can see the concentration on the face, a few minutes later and a 41lb cod hits the deck, at the same time I was quiet and also winding in what felt a better fish, I had to step over his 41lber on the deck and move it to one side so I could land what is now a new PB a cod of 32lb, with in the space of 3mins we had over 90lb of cod laying on the deck being unhooked and within a few hours over 1000lb of prime cod……that’s what Norway was about and why people go.
We fished away until once again the wind came strong and the sea became unsafe and forced us back home but not to be out done we had a quick tea and when the wind dropped headed out again about 11pm to a mark in open water, as stated above it is 24hr light here and 3am is no different to 3pm light wise, one lad landed the best halibut of the trip of 47lb and we also had cod up to 30lb again in the short session with me equalling my new PB once again at 32lb’s.
Day 6 and 7 was a struggle against the wind and sea conditions but we fished on and took fish every time we headed out, taken halibut, wolf fish up; to 12lb, coalie to 9lb, haddock to 10lb sometimes two at a time and of course cod with loads high teens and 20’s.
The trip seemed to be over before it had started and I for one felt I could of fished a second week easy, the day we got up to catch our ferry the sun was out the sea was flat but that’s fishing for you and next year could be a heat wave. On our last night our host treated us to whale meet and a BBQ.
So a quick round up…
Great week as always in an awesome part of the world
Fishing with good skilled company
Bruised and battered but not beaten by the weather
Best fish cod 41lb, halibut 47lb, coalie 9lb, torsk 13lb, haddock 10lb, redfish 2lb and wolfish 12lb
Looking forward to the next trip but hoping for better conditions so we can fish in comfort and target bigger cod and bigger halibut, if we can get booked up this year it will be later in the season but within the 24hr daylight period.
Maybe an opportunity to add a couple of new faces to the group for next year but this is for the hardcore angler only, for example in a 24hr day eat 1hr, sleep 5hrs, general rest 1hrs fish 17hrs x this by 7 days and it weeds out the hardcore angler or the nutters however you wish to look at it J
Thanks for reading.
Due to popular demand you need to book early and this trip was booked 10 months before hand so lots of time to think about tackle, tactics and what maybe lurking in the depths. For anyone who has not been to North Norway it is difficult to explain the full experience, yes the fishing is fantastic but the scenery, the wildlife the people, cultures and the general ozone all adds to the experience as we are only 620miles from the north pole, from the report below you will notice more none fish pic’s because how many pic’s of 20-30lb cod does anyone really wish to see, the other sights tell a better tail.
Ok the trip, well it started by a meet up at 3pm and off for our first flight from Edinburgh, 32hours later we arrived at our chosen destination after an overnight stay in Oslo. Previous years we have been blessed with some good weather and found ourselves fishing some days in t-shirts in the 24hr sunlight but this year was to be an exception and we had landed during a Artic blow.
Wild santa's helpers
We arrived at out accommodation, chucked our bags down, got the boat keys and at about 1am in the morning decided to head out to a mark 1 mile from the harbour that we caught fish up to high 20s the year before. First drop and I had a cod of 12lb within 10 seconds of having the line in the water with the other 3 lads all bent into fish, we took a host of cod and torsk from here up to low 20s before we called it a night after a couple of hours and went back to get a few hours’ sleep before up to a cooked full English breakfast and out fishing again, as is the norm for our group.
When we got up the following day a weather front from the north i.e the Artic had moved in and a harsh cold north wind was blowing, the weather was saying this was in for the long-term so we had to accept it and grasp our opportunity’s if any weather windows came along to fish the more productive open water marks between 8 and 14miles from the harbour.
10lb torsk
The first two days where a battle with the elements with sleet and driving rain in a 25-30mph north wind and rough to very rough seas, luckily with this particular destination you can always fish somewhere just not necessary the spots you wish so we moved around the sheltered areas using the mountains in the fjord system for cover and landed a host of cod in the 20s with more in double figures than under and the best about 26-27lb, torsk, redfish, coalie, wolfish and a couple of halibut, It was hard going but it was still better than anything you get at home and a great stamp of fish.
7lb Haddock
The third and fourth day the weather was a tad better and we ventured out into the fjord in some seas that would of turned Sir Nelsons stomach. Once again landing a host of fish with a few knocking on 30lb and a nice halibut of almost 40lb. The area is breath taken and time must be taken to look around and take in where you are fishing, we also got treated to 6 sea eagles training their young on how to hunt and so many puffins and razorbills that it felt you could walk over the sea on their backs.
Fish finder on my fav mark
32lb new PB
3am in the morning, heading in from fishing
Day 5, at last the weather was improving and coats off with a moderate sea now, we headed straight for a mark I had been chomping at the bit to get to all year, I call it “the promised land” it is a panicle that goes from over 110m and rises up to 20m at its tip, the idea is you work this panicle drifting down one side then up the other. We got to this mark after a bumpy ride and greeted with 100s of birds diving and a fish finder that was boiling with fish being chased with larger fish on the hunt, the whole area was alive with life.
My first impression was at last here we go new PB coming and you could tell everyone was feeling the same, lines down with a mix of 10” shads on 14/0 hooks, 2lb coalie dead baits and large pirks. Bang we started getting fish with very few under 15lb hitting the deck, 20s started to become a pain as they had in previous years with us just shaking them off at the side of the boat and then one lad goes quiet and you can see the concentration on the face, a few minutes later and a 41lb cod hits the deck, at the same time I was quiet and also winding in what felt a better fish, I had to step over his 41lber on the deck and move it to one side so I could land what is now a new PB a cod of 32lb, with in the space of 3mins we had over 90lb of cod laying on the deck being unhooked and within a few hours over 1000lb of prime cod……that’s what Norway was about and why people go.
We fished away until once again the wind came strong and the sea became unsafe and forced us back home but not to be out done we had a quick tea and when the wind dropped headed out again about 11pm to a mark in open water, as stated above it is 24hr light here and 3am is no different to 3pm light wise, one lad landed the best halibut of the trip of 47lb and we also had cod up to 30lb again in the short session with me equalling my new PB once again at 32lb’s.
Day 6 and 7 was a struggle against the wind and sea conditions but we fished on and took fish every time we headed out, taken halibut, wolf fish up; to 12lb, coalie to 9lb, haddock to 10lb sometimes two at a time and of course cod with loads high teens and 20’s.
The trip seemed to be over before it had started and I for one felt I could of fished a second week easy, the day we got up to catch our ferry the sun was out the sea was flat but that’s fishing for you and next year could be a heat wave. On our last night our host treated us to whale meet and a BBQ.
So a quick round up…
Great week as always in an awesome part of the world
Fishing with good skilled company
Bruised and battered but not beaten by the weather
Best fish cod 41lb, halibut 47lb, coalie 9lb, torsk 13lb, haddock 10lb, redfish 2lb and wolfish 12lb
Looking forward to the next trip but hoping for better conditions so we can fish in comfort and target bigger cod and bigger halibut, if we can get booked up this year it will be later in the season but within the 24hr daylight period.
Maybe an opportunity to add a couple of new faces to the group for next year but this is for the hardcore angler only, for example in a 24hr day eat 1hr, sleep 5hrs, general rest 1hrs fish 17hrs x this by 7 days and it weeds out the hardcore angler or the nutters however you wish to look at it J
Thanks for reading.
and great pics 
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