When the fjord's water boils: angling holidays in Norway

By Georg Alexander Jun 15, 2010, 12:51 GMT

Molde, Norway - In theory, angling is quite a simple sport: exchange a pair of shoes for Wellington boots and head out in a small boat onto a body of water.

But where exactly do you go? To catch a fish, you need to be in the right place at the right time.

This rule also applies to the Romsdalfjord in Norway, a popular destination for anglers that branches out in many directions.

So, where to cast your line first? The centre of the fjord, perhaps? Better not go there as it is over 400 metres deep. If you only have 200 metres of line, you're sure to head back to land with an empty net.

The right thing to do here is to first have a look around and see where the other anglers are casting their lines.

The fjord, which is surrounded by mountains capped with glistening snow even in high summer, stretches from the town of Molde to Andalsnes. Holidaymakers come here in droves because of the mountainous landscape, the wealth of fish and good transport connections.

It takes just six hours by car to get to Andalsnes from Oslo's ferry harbour.

But it hardly matters which of Norway's many fjords you visit as they all have plenty of fish to catch and traditional Scandinavian comfort to offer. The main ingredients of a good angling getaway are a clean camp site or comfortable holiday home by the water, a boat in front of the door and a covered terrace.

Back at the Romsdalfjord, hundreds of seagulls circle in the air and dive down toward the water's surface, which at this point in the fjord is churning like boiling water.

'That's caused by sprats jumping about near the surface. They're being hunted by mackerels,' explains Albert Baan from the Netherlands. He's been coming to the fjord for 21 years.

Fishing boats bob about in the middle of the action, with anglers hauling mackerels from the water. With a little luck, they will also hook a few cod and pollack.

On some evenings, there is so much work going on behind the boat harbour that it looks like a fish factory. Cod, mackerel, pollock and plaice are cleaned and filleted. Later on, the air fills with the smell of grilled fish as campers cook the day's catch. A few have even brought along small ovens to smoke their fish.

On many of Norway's fjords, anglers can also take to the water on a trawler. John Kofeoed from Andalsnes is busy every summer guiding anglers around the fjord on his boat.

'Not a day goes by without a rod snapping or a line breaking,' he says.

Many anglers arrive with equipment not suited to the conditions. If a large pollack gets caught on their hook, it can quickly dive down 50 metres. In a case like that, you will need a strong rod and correctly engaged line brake.

Some anglers catch so much on a trawler tour that they need to have their catch frozen. To help them bring it home, ferry companies have installed cool boxes and deep-freeze lockers on their ships.

'These days, most anglers just take fillets home with them, not the whole fish,' says Odd Anniken from the camp site in the small town of Mandalen.

That's because anglers are only allowed to take 15 kilograms of caught fish out of the country. Norway, although rich in fish, is seeing its cod population decline.