Let me say it right away: I've just been to Norway, and I had a salmon on the hook for 1 minute. And that one minute was worth the whole trip!
When I was a boy, I fished a lot in local lakes and bogs, and even invested in a Puch Maxi moped so I could expand my radius of action. Fish, fish, fish, fish, fish... It was a big hobby that followed me through the years.
I'm the type who thoroughly researches things, so I read all the books on the subject. And the fishing magazines were read again and again. One of the writers who really captivated me was Berlingske Tidende's Børge Munk Jensen, also known as "Munken" back then. He wrote quite vividly, among other things, about his trips to the famous salmon river Namsen in Norway. Many stories came out of it, where my imagination worked at full speed, and I dreamed of catching a huge salmon with a fly rod.
(The fly is cast at Løkas Vald in the Gaula river)
The dream has followed me through the years, and I have fished a lot in salmon-bearing rivers and streams. But without much success. In fact, I only caught one salmon in the River Tay in Scotland, 15 years ago. Otherwise, nothing. Until last year, when the dam broke, with over 60 salmon caught in Alaska.
But "real" salmon fishing, for Atlantic salmon in a Norwegian river - that hasn't happened until now.
I got the chance to go to Trondheim in mid-Norway, and it's right in the middle of salmon country. Because the rivers Orkla, Gaula, and Nidelva flow into the sea, almost next to each other.
And in June and the rest of the summer, salmon start pouring into the rivers. So my timing was good, and I had my fishing gear with me: A giant 2-handed salmon fly rod, waders, oilskin jacket, and oilskin cap. And a collection of old flies, though with razor-sharp hooks.
I got a fishing license for Løkås Vald, on the lowest stretch of the Gaula river, downstream from Gaulfossen. And my fishing was to start at midnight (Far north, it never gets completely dark in summer).
I had met the fishing manager earlier in the evening, and he came over to my car, where I was sitting and working on my computer while waiting for midnight. He said I could start fishing right away, and I spent fifteen minutes finishing up with the computer. In that short time, a fisherman came down to the river, and when I got out of the car, he came up from the bank, carrying a nice salmon! After 10 casts, he had a bite and landed the salmon on his own.
(The happy fisherman who pulled out a salmon just before I started fishing.)
I became completely excited, congratulated the man, took pictures, and hurried to put on my gear. Down to the river, into the water, and started fishing. I saw salmon moving on the surface several times, so I knew things were happening.
And after about 20 minutes, there was suddenly a bite. I must admit that I became completely ecstatic and roared "yiiihaaaaa" across the river, even though I was all alone. The salmon bit in a strong current and thrashed wildly. It was a quite indescribable feeling: That my dream came true after all these years. My 14-foot rod bowed respectfully to the pressure from the fish, while feelings of happiness rushed through my body.
As I was standing in a rather strong current, I moved further towards the bank. And here I messed up, as my inattention made me not see that the salmon was about to jump. When a salmon jumps out of the water, you should lower your rod to counteract the pressure on the line and thus the fly hook. I saw over my shoulder that the salmon jumped in one direction and the fly flew in another direction. The fight was over, and the salmon had won.
It all lasted a minute, and it turned out to be the only time on the trip that I had a bite. But the feeling of happiness and the image of the jumping salmon will probably stay with me forever.
Salmon fishing in Gaula - an old dream came true
Let me say it right away: I've just been to Norway, and I had a salmon on the hook for 1 minute. And that one minute was worth the whole trip!
When I was a boy, I fished a lot in local lakes and bogs, and even invested in a Puch Maxi moped so I could expand my radius of action. Fish, fish, fish, fish, fish... It was a big hobby that followed me through the years.
I'm the type who thoroughly researches things, so I read all the books on the subject. And the fishing magazines were read again and again. One of the writers who really captivated me was Berlingske Tidende's Børge Munk Jensen, also known as "Munken" back then. He wrote quite vividly, among other things, about his trips to the famous salmon river Namsen in Norway. Many stories came out of it, where my imagination worked at full speed, and I dreamed of catching a huge salmon with a fly rod.
(The fly is cast at Løkas Vald in the Gaula river)
The dream has followed me through the years, and I have fished a lot in salmon-bearing rivers and streams. But without much success. In fact, I only caught one salmon in the River Tay in Scotland, 15 years ago. Otherwise, nothing. Until last year, when the dam broke, with over 60 salmon caught in Alaska.
But "real" salmon fishing, for Atlantic salmon in a Norwegian river - that hasn't happened until now.
I got the chance to go to Trondheim in mid-Norway, and it's right in the middle of salmon country. Because the rivers Orkla, Gaula, and Nidelva flow into the sea, almost next to each other.
And in June and the rest of the summer, salmon start pouring into the rivers. So my timing was good, and I had my fishing gear with me: A giant 2-handed salmon fly rod, waders, oilskin jacket, and oilskin cap. And a collection of old flies, though with razor-sharp hooks.
I got a fishing license for Løkås Vald, on the lowest stretch of the Gaula river, downstream from Gaulfossen. And my fishing was to start at midnight (Far north, it never gets completely dark in summer).
I had met the fishing manager earlier in the evening, and he came over to my car, where I was sitting and working on my computer while waiting for midnight. He said I could start fishing right away, and I spent fifteen minutes finishing up with the computer. In that short time, a fisherman came down to the river, and when I got out of the car, he came up from the bank, carrying a nice salmon! After 10 casts, he had a bite and landed the salmon on his own.
(The happy fisherman who pulled out a salmon just before I started fishing.)
I became completely excited, congratulated the man, took pictures, and hurried to put on my gear. Down to the river, into the water, and started fishing. I saw salmon moving on the surface several times, so I knew things were happening.
And after about 20 minutes, there was suddenly a bite. I must admit that I became completely ecstatic and roared "yiiihaaaaa" across the river, even though I was all alone. The salmon bit in a strong current and thrashed wildly. It was a quite indescribable feeling: That my dream came true after all these years. My 14-foot rod bowed respectfully to the pressure from the fish, while feelings of happiness rushed through my body.
As I was standing in a rather strong current, I moved further towards the bank. And here I messed up, as my inattention made me not see that the salmon was about to jump. When a salmon jumps out of the water, you should lower your rod to counteract the pressure on the line and thus the fly hook. I saw over my shoulder that the salmon jumped in one direction and the fly flew in another direction. The fight was over, and the salmon had won.
It all lasted a minute, and it turned out to be the only time on the trip that I had a bite. But the feeling of happiness and the image of the jumping salmon will probably stay with me forever.