We have come to the end of the second week of the year up here in Havoysund. We were visited by 5 happy anglers in the guide boat who have never fished in Norway before, 2 Swedes and 3 French and together they all had the goal of catching large Cod and Halibut. The weather has not been on our side to say the least, and it has thundered in strong winds and heavy rainfall from the west since the guests arrived, however, we have been able to fish every day but sometimes under very limited circumstances. However, the first day,Thursday, was a more productive day where we could come out and focus wholeheartedly on the two main goals, and did we succeed?
As an introduction, we would go to an area that in the prevailing weather conditions on Thursday, which in my opinion, would be great for warming up with Cod fishing and also learning how to handle the equipment correctly. However, it was easier said than done to find the fish up there and the planned 30-minute boat trip to get there, quickly turned into an hour when it was a little rough at sea. After a good while searching in the area, I located a structure in the middle of the flat bottom, which I quickly logged up with the chart-plotter and I could see on the clear view that it was pushing a lot of Cod really close to this nice hard bottom.
So I put the boat up and tried to dot the jigs right down on the structure in the tough current and as soon as the jigs arrived at the fish, it started to tap, all five guests finally got to catch their first fish for the trip. The fish ONLY fed around the structure and as soon as we had passed it there was nada, you only got one chance per drift! So it was of the utmost importance to be fast, efficient and above all to SET THE HOOK when you got the chance, it was also easier said than done for some as it was difficult in the big waves to learn, but it went really well after a few attempt.
Every time I repositioned the boat, it was such a small window to fish as soon as the jigs came down, we would have to move. After a while it was so messy that we rounded off the Cod fishing and went in for Halibut which everyone was really excited for.
After a couple of spots where the wind ruined fishing for us, I finally found a spot that worked well and previously delivered Halibut early in the season, and no one in the boat had previously seen or felt a Halibut, so I was full of nerves when I thought that one of my guests would get to experience these wonderful flatfish!
On the second drift, I see how one of the French rods bows properly and he puts the counterattack, no reactions in the boat erupted until I started shouting at everyone that it was serious and that a Halibut was sitting on the hook. He salvaged the fish almost to the surface before the first fight from the fish came and rushed down to the bottom again, and after another effort, the first Halibut was finally in the boat at 97cm and the whole boat cheered!
A wonderful feeling and now the discussions started in the boat, how would this play out if we actually hooked a really big Halibut? We set up for a third drift on the spit and this time things would start to happen when we drifted over the 18-meter deep reef, and now it was Antonio’s dad’s turn. I throw myself out of the cab and start instructing in how he should proceed, but a minor blackout or “flounder chill” had already taken a firm hold of the angler and the pressure made the hooks lose their grip and the fish tore off after the incredible first rush…
Unfortunately, after this run, this was the last thing that actually happened after that, they actually spent the next two days half and half at sea, but the anglers could not fish very effectively, we have had to hide from the wind, and the fish have not been to the places we have been able to fish, at least not eating our baits. So today is finally the first day when the guys are out on really hot hunting grounds and tomorrow looks really really promising so we hope it will be an early start and then homecoming with some really big Cod and a couple of fat Halibut!
CONTACT US
If you, like many others, have ever dreamt about fishing the prolific waters of Havoysund and would like to know more information on how you can join us, you can contact our sea fishing specialist, Paul Stevens, on 01603 407596 or email at paul@sportquestholidays.com.
