As we have said 1000 times, one thing we can always count on with our guides in Norway, is that they will always make sure to put guests onto the fish no matter the conditions.
Tough week in Vesterålen…
To put it mildly, the week that has passed has been one of the more challenging weeks. The weather has not been with us, and it has rained continuously for a week. The wind has come hard from the southwest, and that has made our fishing opportunities very limited. For the most part, we have had to lie inland inside the fjord just outside the camp. There is rarely much sea here, but the strong winds made it incredibly difficult to fish. But we had some windows where the wind went down to about 10m/s, and then we crossed the fjord and got to test other areas! On the change day last week, we had a visit from Anton and his wife, who were having a fishing day here with us. They drove out on the West Side when the weather actually allowed it. They had a great day with a couple of nice Halibut, where the largest at the top was 125 cm! They also caught a lot of Cod, and were kept in the company of a herd of killer whales out there! But the highlight of the day for them must have been when Anton pulled up a nice Monkfish of 6-7 kilos! A rather unusual catch, but incredibly tough!
On Sunday we luckily got a small window where the wind calmed down to 5-6 m/s for a few hours. All boats left at 4 o’clock in the morning to an area that houses lots of Cod! Håkon accompanied Christoffer his 2 sons in the boat, and boat 2 hung behind. The boys had some very nice fishing for Cod, and pulled up some nice fish in the 10-12 kilo class. There were lots of Cod there, but the previous storm made the sea quite noisy, so the boats chose to drive home at lunchtime. Even so, I had Emma and Stine with me in the Guide boat, and we went out a little later in the day. The wind had now picked up, but we were going out to test for the Halibut. It was tough. The wind blew loose, and that made it at times almost impossible to drift efficiently. But Stine narrowed down with a nice Cod around 10 kilos almost immediately, so the mood was in place at least. There were not much more than a couple of contacts that day. The wind made it very difficult for us.
The next few days did not look promising either. We have, as I said, been forced to fish near the camp, and in the places that have kept us sheltered from the wind. Luckily we have some nice fishing spots right outside the camp for species other than Halibut and Cod. The lyre is full on the steep edges and skerries inside the fjord here. So we have a diet with UL fishing for Pike when the wind has been at its worst. With small jigs and light rods, it will be an incredible fight against the strong hunters. The technique is a bit reminiscent of Perch fishing, but the cuts can now be said to be far more brutal. We got some specimens up to 4 kilos those days, and quantities of fish in the 2-3 kilo class. A very fun option when the weather does not allow otherwise…
Now a new week is underway. We have already got the first group to be here this week, and the weather actually seems to be getting better. The next two days look tough, but on Saturday / Sunday, the wind will finally calm down and change direction. Then it probably opens up an opportunity to get west and out on the steep deep edges. We are really looking forward to it at least… But thank you to last week’s guests for showing good patience and respecting the weather for what it was. It was a great bunch to have at the camp, and we have had a lot of fun even though the weather has been tough… We are recharging for a new week now !!
Contact us
We do still have the odd week available for the 2022 season at Vesterålen. If you would like to join us at the famous Northern Norway destination call us on 01603 407596 or email us info@sportquestholidays.com.
Tight lines,
Paul
