Fishing in Norway

Perhaps only Norway is equal to our home waters in Atlantic salmon fishing history. Stories of mammoth battles with great fish have stirred all keen Atlantic salmon fishermen to look  longingly north. There are famous stories about the Duke of Westminster catching 33 fish averaging over 20 lbs in one night in 1926 and the one-armed General Trotter catching 29 fish of the same size in one night with the 29th at 43 lbs!  Perhaps one of the best, simply for its story telling, is by Bromley Davenport in his book Sport where a huge battle takes place with another 43 lb fish on the Rauma. Read these stories and it is no wonder we all think of Norway.

But things have not been quite so easy in recent times; fish are less plentiful, rivers more populated and therefore rather more fished and with multiple methods. In summary, finding decent fishing with reasonable accommodation where multiple pieces of metal work are not being tossed at you from the other side now proves rather hard to find. It is possible however and Frontiers has spent, and continues to spend, considerable time looking for those specific opportunities some of which are represented here.

The season in Norway is short, made shorter by a very fine prime time on each river, which, for the most part is when we like to see our guests head to Norway. There are so many better options for catching lots of fish that Norway should rarely be considered for filling the fishing book. As a result, expectations need to be in check with a blank very much a possibility while eight fish would be a real bonanza. What makes Norway different is that one genuinely has reason to dare to hope that when the line does that wonderful firm draw, it might, just might, be a thirty or forty pounder. Combine this with stunning rivers in breathtaking surroundings, a wonderful country, reasonable prices and easy travel, and it makes the effort and taking the chance very worthwhile.