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Giant Halibut Fishing | Havoysund | North Norway

Overview

Tour code: NOR008  
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They say the most remote fishing is the best and they are not wrong. Especially when talking about Halibut fishing in Norway. Havoysund is the most northerly part of Norway you can reach and is the go-to place for anglers around the world. The seas around Havoysund are teeming with Norway’s prime species, put this with an outstanding camp and guides and you have the best fishing spots in Norway. This camp is world-renowned for its astounding Halibut fishing with plenty of monster fish being caught each year.

Location
This Halibut fishing trip is situated at Havoysund in Norway. Havoysund is a small fishing village located on the island of Havøya with a population of around 1200. Despite its small size, it has all the local amenities you will require such as a small supermarket within a 5-minute walk of the camp and a restaurant a stone’s throw away from the cabins that serve up many dishes like burger and steak.

Once you land at the airport of Alta you will then be transferred by coach to the camp which takes you around 2.5 hours. You will be travelling through some of the most beautiful scenery in Norway which provides great photo opportunities. Getting you in the mind-set for the remarkable Halibut fishing to come.

Halibut Fishing
The camp of Havoysund is world-famous for its summer Halibut fishing and Plaice fishing with some incredible monster fish being snared here each year. Your day will start off with breakfast in the restaurant and you will then make your way to your boat for the day ahead. The guides on the camp will be on hand in the mornings to offer advice on the best places for Halibut fishing or to target a particular species. They will also offer any advice on rigs and tactics. With such a wide variety of marks to fish, you will never run out of new places to head to in your search for that monster you crave.

When Halibut fishing you can either use shads or dead bait. Shading is done by lowering a lure down to a depth you wish to fish at and then by moving the rod in a motion that resembles an injured fish, you will entice predatory fish to strike at the lure. Dead baiting is carried out by using Halibut anti-twist leads and rigs which will enable the Halibut to hit the fish bait you are using, this is a very successful method accounting for many fish each year.

Halibut fishing isn’t all you’ll be doing. The Plaice fishing in Havoysund is fantastic with many big spotty flatfish being caught each year. The best method to catch these fish is by drifting baited hooks over the clean sandy ground. One of the best baits for the Plaice fishing is frozen prawn which can be purchased from the local supermarket.

Boats
At Havoysund we have 10 of the best fully equipped Halibut fishing boats. These boats have been carefully designed to be fast, reliable and stable in the roughest of conditions. They all come fitted with Suzuki 150hp 4 stroke engines which have been carefully picked for the reliability, how fuel efficient they are and how good the service is from Suzuki. All boats come with the most up to date Garmin fish finders, chart plotters and VHF radios. Each boat has the AIS system fitted so the guides at the cabins can constantly monitor where each boat is at any time during the fishing days.

Guides
Our full-time guides based at this destination have been fishing these waters for many years and will pass on the huge amount of knowledge and experience they have gained. These guides are on hand to offer any help with whatever questions you may have about Halibut fishing and the local area.

Other Activities
There is the opportunity to visit the restaurant over the road from the cabins where you will find a bar along with darts and a pool table. There is also the chance to hike into the surrounding area and sample the stunning local scenery.

If you have any questions on any of the Halibut fishing trips we offer then contact us in the office, our experienced team will be happy to help you with any queries you have. Additionally, you can request a free brochure.

Alternatively, can see all our sea fishing holidays in Norway here.

Accommodation
Havoysund Lodge

The cabins in Havoysund are of a high quality and are stylishly furnished. There are two bedrooms with two single beds, a large living room, fully equipped kitchen and a bathroom with a shower. The rooms have Widescreen TV’s with limited Norwegian channels. Each cabin also features its very own terrace that looks out on to the harbour.

Board: Bed & breakfast
Rooms: 2 x twin rooms
Telephone: Main hotel
Internet: Free WiFi
Power: 230 Volts
Meals: Breakfast in restaurant
Alcohol: Available to purchase
Equipment Hire: Chargeable
Shop: Tackle shop
Cards Accepted: Debit & credit cards
Cash Accepted: Norwegian Kroner
Freezer Room: Walk in freezer
Filleting Area: Dedicated filleting area
Species Information
Halibut
Season: May to September
Peak: June to September
Weight: 20lb to 350lb
Average Weight: 50lb
Cod
Season: April to September
Peak: April to June
Weight: 10lb to 80lb
Average Weight: 25lb
Coalfish
Season: May to September
Peak: June to July
Weight: 5lb to 40lb
Average Weight: 10lb
Plaice
Season: May to September
Peak: July to September
Weight: 1lb to 8lb
Average Weight: 4lb

Itinerary

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Although the fishing has set weeks, we have daily flights departing from the UK, therefore should you wish to either extend your stay with additional days at the beginning or end in Norway, the itinerary below can be tailored to suit.

 

Day 1

Depart UK (alternative routes available)
Arrive Oslo.

On arrival at Oslo airport, you will take a taxi or shuttle bus to your overnight airport hotel (Taxi or shuttle bus not included).

Overnight Accommodation: Oslo Airport Hotel (Twin Rooms) B/B

Day 2

You will check out of your hotel and take a taxi or Shuttle bus ride back to the airport.

Depart Oslo
Arrive Alta.

Once you have cleared customs our driver will meet you.

You will then be transferred by private bus from Alta to Havoysund fishing camp. (Transfer time approx 2.55 hrs).

Overnight Accommodation: Havoysund Fishing Camp (Twin rooms) B/B

Days 3 to 5 Fishing Days

We have full-time guides on hand for you, each day of your holiday, which will assist in any way you wish.

On your first days fishing, subject to availability, one of our guides will come aboard your boat free of charge and show you some hotspots.

We strongly recommend this service on your first days fishing.

Overnight Accommodation: Havoysund Fishing Camp (Twin rooms) B/B

DAYS 6 TO 8: Fishing Days.

As you have your own boat, you can fish as much as you wish and at certain times of the year, it remains daylight 24hrs a day.

The area around Havoysund is perfect grounds for the huge Halibut and have made this camp world famous for this species, so one normally only has to drive a short distance to find the perfect ground to fish on.

Overnight Accommodation: Havoysund Fishing Camp (Twin rooms) B/B

Day 9

In the morning our representative will transfer you back to the airport ready for your departure flight back to the UK.

Depart Alta
Arrive Oslo.

Depart Oslo
Arrive UK

Prices

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Remember that Sportquest Holidays' services are completely FREE! When you book a trip with Sportquest Holidays, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge and flights independently. Plus what’s more if you book with Sportquest Holidays your holiday is protect by our ATOL and the Travel Package Regulations Act. To see more details CLICK HERE.

Start Date End Date Days Nights Fishing Angler Non-Angler Availability Notes
14/04/2020 22/04/2020 9 8 6 £1,477 On Request Book Now N/A
21/04/2020 29/04/2020 9 8 6 £1,477 On Request Book Now N/A
28/04/2020 06/05/2020 9 8 6 £1,477 On Request Book Now N/A
05/05/2020 13/05/2020 9 8 6 £1,477 On Request Book Now N/A
12/05/2020 20/05/2020 9 8 6 £1,487 On Request Book Now N/A
19/05/2020 27/05/2020 9 8 6 £1,677 On Request Book Now N/A
27/05/2020 04/06/2020 9 8 6 £1,527 On Request Book Now N/A
03/06/2020 11/06/2020 9 8 6 £1,542 On Request Book Now N/A
10/06/2020 18/06/2020 9 8 6 £1,572 On Request Book Now N/A
17/06/2020 25/06/2020 9 8 6 £1,627 On Request Book Now N/A
24/06/2020 02/07/2020 9 8 6 £1,647 On Request Book Now N/A
01/07/2020 09/07/2020 9 8 6 £1,727 On Request Sold Out N/A
08/07/2020 16/07/2020 9 8 6 £1,607 On Request Sold Out N/A
15/07/2020 23/07/2020 9 8 6 £1,637 On Request Sold Out N/A
22/07/2020 30/07/2020 9 8 6 £1,647 On Request Book Now N/A
29/07/2020 06/08/2020 9 8 6 £1,707 On Request Sold Out N/A
05/08/2020 13/08/2020 9 8 6 £1,607 On Request Sold Out N/A
12/08/2020 20/08/2020 9 8 6 £1,527 On Request Sold Out N/A
19/08/2020 27/08/2020 9 8 6 £1,507 On Request Sold Out N/A
26/08/2020 03/09/2020 9 8 6 £1,562 On Request Sold Out N/A
02/09/2020 10/09/2020 9 8 6 £1,527 On Request Sold Out N/A
09/09/2020 17/09/2020 9 8 6 £1,507 On Request Sold Out N/A
16/09/2020 24/09/2020 9 8 6 £1,507 On Request Book Now N/A
23/09/2020 01/10/2020 9 8 6 £1,507 On Request Sold Out N/A
30/09/2020 08/10/2020 9 8 6 £1,507 On Request Book Now N/A
07/10/2020 15/10/2020 9 8 6 £1,507 On Request Book Now N/A

Price Notes

Prices are based on four adults sharing transfers, fishing and accommodation (unless otherwise stated) and are correct at the time of going to press. Subject to time of year or date and currency fluctuations, these prices may fluctuate slightly due to flight price increases or fuel surcharge.

ATOL
Holidays or flights booked with Sportquest Holidays Limited are protected by the Civil Aviation Authority by our ATOL bond (Number 6371). ATOL protects you from losing your money or being stranded abroad. It does this by carrying out financial checks on the firms it licenses and requiring a guarantee, called a bond.

What's Included

  • All international flights (Based on London departure)
  • Airport hotel
  • Transfers to and from Havoysund and Alta
  • All accommodation as per itinerary B/B
  • 6 days fishing via self drive boat
  • Fishing Boat with Sonar, chart plotter (GPS), VHF & radar
  • Freezer storage for your fish
  • Access to professional guide for guidance
  • Bed linen, towels and final cabin cleaning

What's Excluded

  • Oslo airport hotel transfers
  • Fuel for boat
  • Fishing tackle
  • Personal holiday insurance
  • Lunch and Evening meals
  • Final boat cleaning

Options

  • Other UK departure airports are possible (additional cost) Please call a member of the Sportquest team for further information.

  • Additional luggage can be added, please enquire about up to date prices

  • Fishing equipment (rod, reel, line) £50 pr week
  • Survival suits £40 pr week

Price Supplements

  • 3 anglers sharing 1 cabin and 1 boat additional £199 pp

  • 2 anglers sharing 1 cabin and 1 boat additional £599 pp

Price Match Promise

We are so confident that our packaged prices are the best available and offer great value for money.

If, however, you find an identical holiday available with any other fully bonded Tour Operator at a lower price, we will match that price.

Financial Security

Holidays or flights booked with Sportquest Holidays Limited are protected by the Civil Aviation Authority by our ATOL bond (Number 6371). ATOL protects you from losing your money or being stranded abroad. It does this by carrying out financial checks on the firms it licenses and requiring a guarantee, called a bond.

Tour Notes

Visa

A machine-readable passport with at least 6 months before expiry. No visa for UK citizens required.

Medical Requirements

No vaccinations currently required.

Please Note

All details of visa and medical requirements are correct at time of press however please check these requirements for changes.

Departure tax

There is no additional airport departure tax when leaving Norway.

Flight Route & Flight Time

UK – Oslo (approx 3 hrs) Oslo to Alta (approx 1hr 30 mins)

Baggage Allowance

Your actual allowance is based on both which airline you are flying with and also what class of seat you are travelling in. Normally in economy it is 1 checked bag, Premium Economy / Business 2 checked bags, First 3 checked bags. In addition to your checked bags you are also allowed 1 cabin bag and either 1-laptop bag or ladies handbag. The actual size and weight limit for bags is dependent on the airline. We therefore recommend that once your flights are booked you check on the airlines website for the up to date allowances.

If your itinerary includes private light aircraft or helicopter flights we will advise you on your baggage and weight allowance.

Transfer Time

Chartered bus Alta to Havoysund (Transfer time approx 2.55 hrs)

Questions & Answers

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Where is the destination?

Havoysund is the administrative centre of the Måsøy Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The village is located on the small island of Havøya, but is connected to the mainland by the Havøysund Bridge. The 0.62-square-kilometre (150-acre) village has a population (2017) of 976.

Where will I fish?

The great advantage of Havoysund is that you have many sheltered fjords and open ocean fishing all very close to the cabins. If the wind is strong then you can simply find a very sheltered bay/fjord where you will still find big Halibut and Cod along with many other species. The best fishing grounds are normally found out in the ocean or close to mountains that protrude from the ocean floor. However, if you do not fancy fishing the open ocean there are hundreds of sheltered bays and long open fjords to try and temp one of Norway’s monster fishes.

How long does it take to reach the fishing grounds?

The open ocean either way out of the harbour is around 40 minutes boat road, this is where you will find the first drop-offs where huge shoals of Cod are located. Some of the best Halibut grounds are around 30 minutes to a 1-hour boat drive away. However, there are always very large Halibut caught 5 minutes from the cabins. The further away spots tend to be known holding areas for Halibut big and small and are always worth a long journey. Some of the areas you will hear the guides talking about are south of Soroya.

What fish will I catch?

The main species to target at Havoysund will be the Halibut, it is one of the best places for large Halibut as the pressure on these fish is very low so the stocks of Halibut just keep getting better and bigger. There are also the normal species to target. However, if you are after big Coalfish then this may not be the destination for you. In the early part of the season, March an April, the Skrei Cod pack themselves around this Island but for the rest of the year, the Cod fishing is average for Norway standards.

How many fish will I catch?

This depends on the species you wish to target. For example, if you visited Havoysund wanting to purely concentrate on the Halibut then you should expect to catch between 15–20 Halibut for the week. This may sound low but when you consider that some of these fish can be in excess of 200lb then it is more appealing. The Cod fishing is very good and once the shoals are located you should expect constant action all day and the same with the Coalfish. However, the Coalfish shoals at Havoysund are not full of big ones but the average size to expect will be around 10lb.

How will I fish?

The main style of fishing will be from self-drive boats using a combination of pirks, rubber shads and bait. The exact method will depend on the species you are trying to target. There is also very good shore fishing around Havoysund.

Do the guides speak English?

All our guides speak perfect English along with many other languages.

Who is best suited to this destination?

The great advantage of Havoysund is that there are always 2 full-time guides on hand to help the most or less experienced anglers. They will even jump on your boat for a day guiding you and showing you all the hot spots. They are always on hand to help out with any questions about fishing marks and are always keen to help out as much as they can to ensure you have a great experience.

What skill level is required?

There is no skill level required for the fishing as the guides will help you with everything. A little knowledge of boat handling would be an advantage but not necessary.

How physically demanding is this trip?

The boats are located a minute walk away from the cabins down a fairly steep bridge on to the dock. The rest of the holiday is certainly not physically demanding.

When is the best time to go?

The start of the season March/April sees a huge influx of the Skrei Cod, these are around for about 6 weeks then move back to the Barents Sea. Once the temperature starts to rise in April/May the Coalfish start to move in and along with these will come the Halibut. The Halibut will then stay around until late October. The best 2 months for the Halibut are August and September.

How will I get there?

There are several airports in the UK which we can book your flights from. The main airport is London Gatwick but we can use Manchester and Edinburgh. We then fly you to Oslo where you will have an overnight stay in a hotel as the internal flight does not line up with the UK’s international flights. The hotel is a short 5-minute shuttle bus ride from the airport. The next day there is a small flight from Oslo to Alta. Once you have arrived at Alta there will be coach waiting to take you the final part of your journey. This coach ride will take around 2.5 hours through some very scenic scenery.

What is the accommodation like?

Havoysund fishing camp is fully kitted out for anglers. The cabins themselves are spacious with fully equipped kitchens with all the mod cons. Also, downstairs there is a living area with sofas and a table with chairs for eating around. Each cabin has a wall mounted wide screen TV. Downstairs is the main bathroom with a walk-in shower, sink and toilet. Most of the cabins have underfloor heating in the bathrooms.
Upstairs you will find two twin bedrooms with single beds, these rooms are compact but practical. There is clean bedding when you arrive along with a face flannel and a towel and these can be replaced at the reception in the hotel.
The other great advantage of Havoysund is that there is a hotel joined on to the cabin complex and is where you will eat breakfast each day of your holiday. There is a very nice restaurant/bar with a pool table in the hotel.

What is the food like?

The breakfast in the hotel is a continental style breakfast providing food such as cheeses, cold meats, bread, cereals, toast, boiled eggs, yoghurt, jams, pickled herrings and fresh tea and coffee. This breakfast is on a help yourself basis. If you choose to eat in the restaurant of an evening (not included) then they serve things such as burger and chips, steak, pizza, fresh fish and rack of ribs and a few different vegetarian meals are also available.

Does the lodge provide fishing tackle?

You can hire top of the range fishing equipment at the time of booking your holiday. They supply Westin boat fishing rods and a variety of top-end multipliers. There are also a small number of lighter rods for Plaice fishing. Onsite there is a fully stocked tackle shop that supplies everything you will need for your entire weeks fishing. The prices on the tackle are very similar to UK prices and normally have everything in stock

Is internet and phone signal available?

There is WiFi available all around the cabins and hotel free of charge plus the telephone signal is very good whilst out fishing and you will often be able to pick up some type of internet connection whilst out at sea.

Are there other activities available?

This holiday is mainly aimed at the amazing fishing on offer and as this destination is so remote there are not that many other activities to be done apart from walks and the amazing wildlife.

How much does it cost?

We the complete package including all flights and transfers. To view all available weeks and prices click the ‘Dates & Prices’ tab above.
Alternatively, if you wish to arrange all your own travel we can book just the lodge and fishing for you. If you wish to book or have any questions please feel free to call our offices on 01603 407596.

Blogs

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Species Spotlight: Atlantic Halibut
atlantic halibut
Name: Atlantic Halibut Scientific name: Hippoglossus Stenolepis Descriptions: Starting life as a round fish, these Jurassic looking creatures of the deep soon evolve into a flatfish. The eyes migrate around their head at around 6...
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Giant Halibut Fishing Havoysund Q&A
Halibut in Norway
Havoysund is an outstanding place in Norway with it being the most northerly part of Norway you can get to. These trips are known for the outstanding Halibut fishing on offer and are ideal for...
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Crazy Halibut Fishing In Havoysund - Fishing Report
We have received the latest weekly round – up from Havoysund and it is safe to say the fishing is completely on fire there at the minute, lots of great fish are being caught including...
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Tough Weather Good Fishing In Havoysund - Fishing Report
We have received this report in from Havoysund and the weather has been making fishing tough but despite this the customers have still been finding some good Halibut on the sheltered marks.    With the...
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Weekly Round Up Havoysund 6/7/19 - Fishing Report
  The latest weekly round up is through from Havoysund and the fishing has been very good with some great Halibut and Cod being caught. Read the guides from the camps round up below.  ...
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20 Kilo Cod And Of Course Halibut In Havoysund - Fishing Report
We have just received this great report in from Havoysund of the past weeks fishing and both the Halibut and Cod have been feeding well. The customers at the camp have some amazing fishing this...
Read More

Reviews

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Allan

Best part: The organisation, the location, the boats and the guides.

Worst part: Missed a holiday saying may is good for Halibut when guides said Sept/Oct

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Allan

It is very unfortunate that when you travelled to Havoysund the fishing was not that great.

The following weeks we received images and reports that the Halibut had started feeding at Havoysund, well with some great catches coming out.

Hopefully I will get to speak to you again in the near future.

David

1. Flights. Better connections are available we should have flown direct and not overnighted in a hotel. The airline lost one of our bags and 2 when we received it back we had 2 broken tackle boxes and a dented steel flask.

2. Transfers. Very disappointed at being made to wait 3 hours for a bus transfer to the camp due to another flight landing after us with more customers onboard.

3. Accommodation. Very small and poky with no storage space and poorly equipped for self catering.

4. Meals. Breakfast was pretty boring without a lot of choice.

5. Fishing. The first day we had 14 Halibut up to 150lbs but after this it became pretty poor with only a few more Halibut being caught along with Cod, Coalfish and Haddock. Rods and reels were good quality but the braid was not with at least 4 very good fish being lost due to breakages.

For inexperienced people like us on this type of trip I think it would be better to be given the option of being guided everyday. It would also be a good idea to be given a paper map with various marks added.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi David

Firstly I must congratulate you on an amazing Halibut that really is a big fish especially on your first day.

Secondly I apologise agin for the time you had to wait at the airport for your transfer to the camp.

Thank you for your feedback, we have taken onboard the issues that you have raised and will be looking into the ideas you suggested.

I will keep you updated on the shore fishing as well

Tight Lines

Phil

1. Flights. Due to connectivity of flights this made travelling too long and the airline lost our cases.

2. Transfers. We had to wait 3 hours for the transfer bus as another flight was landing after us with more customers for the camp.

3. Accommodation. Very very small!! Inadequate facilities and no where to put clothes, no chest of drawers, no wardrobe so had to leave clothes out of suitcase. The suitcase was not even able to hide under the bed so what tiny space was available was reduced further by storing our clothes in the open. Not even room between beds to carry the cases.

4. Fishing. Firstly what awesome boats supplied by the camp, very good and stable which gave me the confidence to use as not that experienced. Plenty of room lovely to fish on. Flotation suits were not water resistant let alone waterproof. Inadequate drying room, only having 4 pegs against a wall does not provide sufficient drying operation.

5 Meals. On first day we were impressed but by the 4th, 5th and 6th day we were bored. the choice and availability of some items were reduced with only earl grey tea available... not to everybody's taste. But the service was quality.

6. Guides. Both Douglas and Jurgen were very very good, helpful and friendly with impeccable English, they were very good humoured and couldn't ask for better. Excellent.

7. Staff. Breakfast bar and restaurant staff were all very good being pleasant, friendly and expedient. A pleasure to meet.

8. Sportquest Holidays. Overall the pre-trip information was excellent, detail impressive in most parts and phone contact was very good.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Phil

The points you have made have been addressed by us in the office and yet again I apologise for the delay at the airport.

It was great to speak to you on the phone and after our conversation hopefully we can find you the right destination in 2019 to get back to Norway and catch some more great fish.

Tight Lines

Gareth

Norwegian Airlines provided a very good service. The hotel at Oslo was excellent, the coach transfer was excellent with a good driver. The accommodation is in need of a refurb at Havoysund and the breakfast was poor. The boats are all very good as are the guides.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Gareth thanks for your feedback. Glad you liked the place and I bet you cant wait for next year as you are going back for 2 weeks. The breakfast is just a normal continental breakfast with toast, hams, cheeses and cereal so nothing exciting but very handy if you do not want to do it your self.

Tight lines

Paul

Paul

Dealing with Sportquest was good and I am using you again.
However Norwegian airlines were a disaster.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi paul

Thank you for your feedback, it was a pleasure meeting you whilst in Havoysund and it sounds like you had a great trip despite the luggage issues you had.

Tight Lines

Martin

Best - Group trip to Soroya - Guides Helpful - breafast good. Accommodation fine.

Not fussed on the overnight stay in Oslo - Parking space for the boats not too good. Boat and engine great - GPS played up a couple of times.

Overall a very good trip. Love Norway but would probably look at a more direct location. Last year Lofoten was very direct for us

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Martin, great to chat with you today and glad you enjoyed the trip. Unfortunately the flights with the overnight stop for this destination is completely out of our hands. We do try and keep the length of time at the overnight hotel to a minimum.

Glad everything else was enjoyable and hopefully we can get you out there for 2019 once you have a big enough group

All the best

Paul

Michael

No stop over in Oslo if possible. Boats were very good and introduction from guides ok. If you ask where to fish they do not pinpoint the good areas, they just say the deep water in the north or the sand by an Island or if you look at a chart and say is this any good?they say yes but we always have to ask. No tips on the tackle or how high to fish. We haven't been before & have no idea but more help would be welcomed. If you call me I will explain.
Guides very good but need to help more although some parties do not want help. If you only go for 6 days I think you need all the help we can get.

We had a nice time. Nothing you can do about the weather. We had 2 nice days to fish and caught Cod to 20kg and Halibut to 40kg. Thanks Mick.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Mick, thanks for your feedback. Its a bit of a hard one with giving people advise as many people dont like help and just like to get on with it and then some people need more help than others. I have found the guides ta Havoysund very helpful when needed but they give you enough space to not over crowd you.

Looks like you all had a good time though and caught plenty of big fish and a 20kg Cod in the summer is a huge fish so a massive well done

All the best

Paul

Gavin

Highlight of the weeks holiday was catching Monster Halibut.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Gavin, I did hear off Jez that there were some monster Halibut caught. Havoysund is a great place and are you one of the guys going back next year?

Tight lines Paul

Roger

Our trip got off to a disastrous start-flight when the flight was cancelled on the morning we were assembling! At one point it looked like our only option was to attempt to get us all to Heathrow in four hours,as we still had a member of the team in Scarborough this was not possible. Luckily Paul managed to pull some strings and we finally got to our destination via Manchester,Frankfurt, Munich, Oslo, Alta and 2 public transport buses-phew! However,it all went smoothly -and we only missed 3hrs fishing!
We've been to Havoysund before,which was lucky as we were told we couldn't have a guide till the following Monday,so we did our own thing and landed some good fish,including two 40lb cod and six halibut,biggest 9stone! Our Monday guiding didn't occur as we found out second hand (and at the last minute! )that Douglas would be taking 5 boats for a 16hr session to Soraya-and we could tag along if we wanted!No apology,nothing. It was too late notice so we carried on fishing alone...It wasn't until two days before our return that I caught sight of Douglas again,when I tackled him about guiding he denied everything -so he got a bollocking!We then miraculously got a guide,Jurgen for our last day. He was a good lad and one of our party landed two halibut,of 40 and 80lb on his watch. If it had been our first time there,we would have struggled without a guide till then, however.
But,all in all-we had a great trip,landing well over 500 cod,6 halibut plus haddock,torske,wolf fish,coleys, red fish and more. Lots of wonderful wildlife to see too -I even saw a reindeer with a red nose!
Roll on next time!

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Roger, Thanks for your very detailed feedback.

It was looking like a disaster to start with but with some hard thinking we managed to get you guys out there and sorry for flight around Europe......

I have passed on what you have said about Douglas which is very strange as I hear such good things about him and I have fished with him a few times and always found him very helpful.

Thanks for the pictures and will be in touch soon

Tight lines Paul

Rupert

Not blessed with good weather, fished three days and caught some great fish. There were three guides which was very helpful but it could have been so much better if they had co ordinated results and which methods were producing and where the fish were, depth etc, time of tide.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Rupert,

Thanks for your feedback and I will mention to the guides about sharing info with customers as it is important that everybody has the same experience. I will try and catch up with you as soon as I can but trying to get thing tied up before I head over to Norway next week.

Tight lines

Paul

Lee

The guides should stop going to the hot spots. A lot of them are fished out. I mentioned this and they agreed.Honestly, I hadea great time. Anywhere in Norway. Graet fishing. I love the place. Thanks.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Lee, thanks for your feedback. I totally agree with you regarding going to the same areas, they need to explore more

Tight lines Paul

Andrew

In all a good trip. Accommodation basic but ok. The guides were inexperienced in guiding but luckily the stand in guide, Tony soon put us on the Halibut. The fishing was tough, wind and cold but we had fish to 164cm - 55cm. Cod Fishing was good and managed Cod to 30lb
The only issue I had was with boat safety; we had no radio for 2 days, no flares/life jackets and no basic instruction on boat controls. Luckily our group are all boat owners so beware if you not experienced in driving boats.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Andrew, thanks for taking the time to fill out your feedback form.

So glad you guys had a great trip and managed to catch some good Halibut. Havoysund is a great place and produces huge Halibut on a very regular basis.

Its a shame you felt like that about the guides, I have fished with them and they always seemed fairly competent when I have been there. I know Ulf, the head guide who has been there for 15 years retired last year maybe it is just a matter of experience and knowing the place.

Not having a radio isn't good and I shall bring this up as I know these boats are maintained every week as you can imagine how much they are being used and it is very important to us that safety is always taken care of.

The guides normally give everyone a briefing on the boats. Unfortunately it is not law to have flares on board in Norway. There are life jackets provided for every person which can be found near the tackle shop. Most people take out flotation suits with them and very rarely use the life jackets, but there are there if people need them.

I will pass on all your comments and once again thank you.

Where next for you guys?

All the best

Paul

Neale

Flights with Norwegian excellent. Overnight stop in Oslo slightly boring but if no way of connecting with next flight unfortunate. Fishing camp accommodation very basic but clean, warm and reasonably comfortable. Bedding pretty worn out. Boats, guides and cleaning facilities all excellent. Due to very cold winter water temperature 4 degrees C lower than usual so fishing suffered a bit. Still got 6 Halibut to boat which included 2 for our guide. 4 hour stop in Oslo on way back also boring but if no option, so be it.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Neale, it sounds like you had a good time. The Nordic guides are all great guides to have on board when fishing over there, its a pity that the fishing was not as great as it should have been but like you say it's all down to the extremely cold winter they have had.

Tight Lines

Grant

I think Havoysound would benefit from a more mature head guide. Not as good as Ulf and Sebastian although Andre was excellent.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Grant, thanks for your feedback. Ulf and Sebastian were great guides and have been there many years. Douglas and Andre are both very good and after a couple of seasons will be top guides. Look forward to speaking with you soon

All the best

Tony

Hi Paul,

Just to add some additional comments to Mel.

Firstly we had a great time, and I think we would be interested in visiting your other camp next year where we can also catch Cod and Coalfish.

Personally I think the camp was suffering from a feeling of everybody had had a long season and were ready to go home, the tackle shop was not manned that often and they had even run out of suitable single Halibut hooks !
As Mel said we did struggle to get some basic info on marks etc, but we did manage to get some rough marks from a rival company, after that we were fine as I just fished the same as I would for Turbot and it seemed to work very well, we were the best boat twice (I think Ulf was impressed :)
My feeling was that a bit more support for the guests would have been useful and appreciated.

Ref the boat and engine and were great just as you said, and the fuel bill although expensive was as expected, the gear was very good, however a full spool of braid would have been helpful.

Many thanks for your good advice.

Best Regards

Tony

PS The Beanie hat you sent me was really good, however I managed to lose mine unfortunately, should you have a spare one going begging it would be much
appreciated :)

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Tony,

Many thanks for taking the time to fill out your feedback form. All very helpful information for future travellers.

Sorry to hear about the tackle shop not being manned very often. I shall mention it to the camp manager. I should think as it was right at the end of the season maybe running the camp on skeleton staff? But should still have staff onsite to help.

A huge well done on your Halibut I did hear that you guys had done very well, like you say, if you have got it you have got it.....

If you want Cod and Coalfish then take a look at Å on the Lofoten Islands, its awesome and you stand the chance of getting a very big Halibut

Speak soon

All the best / Paul

Mel

Hi Paul

Here is some feed back

Largest 192 mm Halibut, we had 17 and fished seriously for 3 days only , main method ,drifting
dead baits in 10 to 40 mtrs. and from one afternoon deep perking in 75 mtrs where we hooked 3 and lost one ,also had Good size cod from perking. Will send some photos separately.

Negatives:

Lack of guidance, pretty much left to get on with things after the first day and in fact used info from guide from the other camp on tides and areas to fish

Spent an awful lot of money on beer, food and tackle , around 750 pounds each

Would I go back , yep had a good time

Thanks

Mel

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Mel,

Thanks so much for filling out your feedback form. It is great to hear how people get on and sounds like you guys had a great time and caught loads of big Halibut. You picked a great week to go!

I think the camp was short on staff as it was the last week of the season and not very busy so they tend to sned one of the guides home as normally there are 3 guides onsite at Havoysund, 2 out fishing and always 1 on land.

Wow, you guys did spend a lot of money but I bet you enjoyed it.

All the best / Paul

Martin

Great holiday , fishing good , accommodation good apart from beds were too narrow . Bit disappointed with guide he said he would email us with a photo of the halibut I caugh as the photos we took that day did not come out . But have not received any thing yet.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Martin, you guys had a great weeks fishing with loads of Halibut. Very good for your first time to this destination. I have spoken to the guide and he said he would send them to me at some point.

All the best

Paul

Grant

Well organised as usual. Excellent camp + guides! Good boats, all amenities.

Don't miss the plane - M25 nightmare!!!

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Grant, thanks for your feed back.

Havoysund is my personal favourite destination. Just every thing about the place is perfect for the angler.

Yes the M25 is a night mare but unfortunately unless they can move the airports then it is a route that we have to take!

All the best

Paul

Jonathan

On the whole, the trip was good, but would be helpful, if we were given some rough idea where to fish, lats & longs, would be great as there was a competition on, our rep was not much help. I am an avid fisherman and was a bit frustrated, but the trip was good.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Jonathan, sorry for the lack of correspondance from the on site guides. They were all tied up in the Halibut festival, I should of made a little clearer before you headed out there. Glad you all had a good trip though and by the looks of things you guys managed to catch some big fish.

Hopefully next time we can arrange you a trip away from such events and you will have the guides

All the best

Paul

Walter

Boats were great, lodging were fine, but a bit basic - very few utensils, no draining board at sink - poorly laid out kitchen!
Never seen the guides, very little advice, nor check on how we were getting on. General feeling of being neglected.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Walter, thanks for your feedback. The lodges are a little basic in Havoysund and I dont know what was going on with the lack of utensils. I shall email the cabin owners to find out what happened there as normally there is everything available in the cabins and if its not there then they will get it there.

That was the only problem of going when the Halibut festival was on as the guides are tied up with organising the event and sorry that you felt neglected. Hopefully you guys still managed to have a good time and I believe you had some lovely Halibut....

All the best

Paul

Mel

The accommodation was a bit cramped, especially the kitchen.
The fishing around Havoysund was poor and we had to travel long distances to fishing grounds.. 30 miles plus.
Having fished 5 times at Skjervyoy, we would find good fishing a lot closer. Also fuel for boat was very expensive.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

HI Mel, So sorry to hear that you had to travel for the fishing. The water temps around Havoysund have been very low this year at least 2 degrees colder compared to last year. The fish just have not yet moved in to the area as previous years.

Normally the fishing is a lot closer to the Island than 30 miles. Hopefully everything else went well and thank you so much for filling out your feedback form.

Tight lines

Paul

Matthew

This was my first time summer fishing in northern Norway with halibut, cod and large coalfish the targets. So I didn't quite know what to expect after 3 successive trips to Soroya for the Skrei fishing.

We arrived to be told the weather was looking windy the next day but there was the option to go out that evening fishing, so we fished until 1.30am in the "midnight sun". That, in its self, was a an amazing experience and we got 7 days fishing!!

The weather wasn't with us all week (it snowed most days) and we never quite had the conditions we needed. Due to the weather we couldn't get out to the cod grounds so had several days of solid halibut fishing which is hard work. However when you finally hook one they are amazing fighters, my first ever was 66lb so chuffed to bits. When we finally got out to the cod grounds the sea was too rough to allow us to get to the best spots, and fish effectively due to the size of the swell. Least we got some sport though!

So the fishing was difficult due to the weather (that's fishing ) but both Mathew Rickard and the Nordic Sea Angling lads did their best to put us on the fish. All in all a really good week though and looking forward to going back to Havoysund for the Skrei in March.

Thanks you Sportquest.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Matthew

Thanks as always for both your custom and customer feedback

So glad you enjoyed the trip and also understand that sometimes the weather makes things a little tougher and thats what we all call it fishing.

I am sure you will have an amazing time in the spring again chasing those huge Skrei Cod.

Have good one and feel free to call me in the office at anytime.

Tight Lines Paul

Stephen

The fishing was poor and I won't be going back to Havoysund. Fishing is very restricted if the weather is bad.
There was no English speaking TV which is a must when the weather is bad.
The cabins kitchen is pokey and badly positioned at the foot of the stairs. The Boats were well maintained and the walk-in freezer room was great.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Stephen, thanks for your feedback. I guess when the weather is bad then everything else seems worse. Such a shame you did not get to see Havoysunds full potential as the fishing there is normally very good.

I suppose they try to maximise the living space in cabin and try to squeeze things in to give you the most room, but I do agree about the kitchen at the bottom of the staircase is not ideal. Glad you liked the boats

All the best

Paul Stevens

Stuart

Take as much food and vodka as possible! Cost of living very expensive.

Good location, beautiful scenery!

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Stuart, thanks for the feedback and words of wisdom. I would totally agree with all the above.

Hopefully we can send you to other amazing destinations in the future

All the best

Paul

Andrew

All of it was great! Norway is an amazing place! Roll on next year!

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Andrew, thanks for the feedback form. Glad you liked Havoysund and sorry once again for knocking off that Halibut but hopefully the next one you caught made up for it!!!

Your next trip will soon come round

All the best

Paul

Russell

First time in Norway. Used sportquest for the first time also.
Lodge was spot on, boat dock on your doorstep. The boats and engines are perfect for the area. The Norwegian breakfast's were bad.
The Halibut fishing was great, awesome fish that fight really well ! Had some huge plaice and Cod too.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Russell, thanks for your feedback. I totally agree with all that you mentioned apart from he breakfast I like it and saves you having to make it your self. I agree its a little repetitive but the fishing more than makes up for it and it is very unusual to actually get any food in packages.

Thanks for choosing Sportquest and hopefully we can help you in the future

All the best

Paul

Terry

Havoysund guides the best! Much better than Soroya guides! They worked hard and fished hard (both guides).

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Terry, it was good to talk to you yesterday and thank you for taking the time to fill out your feedback form. Glad you liked Havoysund, it is a great destination. Shame the fishing was a little slow for you guys but I do believe there were a few Halibut caught

All the best

Paul

Raymond

Upgrade accommodation in Havoysund. It really is very poor.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Ray, its shame you you feel this way about Havoysund as I have been there many times and stayed in all their cabins and have never had a bad experience. Most people we speak to think the cabins are very good and a lot bigger than other places they have stayed in. Perhaps losing so many days fishing due to the bad weather you guys experienced left you with cabin fever!

Would be interested to know which cabin you stayed in?

All the best

Paul

Gavin

Being a guided trip, I was disappointed at not being given the opportunity to fish along with any of the guide's on our boat, or the guide boat.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Gavin thanks for your feedback form.

A thing that is confusing me is that you thought you were on a guided trip! This was never booked by your party as a guided trip. Nigel must of misled you in to thinking it was a guided trip. You were out there at the same time as my guided trip but not part of it.

The guides, as explained to nigel when he booked your trip on the same dates as my trip, there would be no guides available as I would have them driving my boats on the hosted trip. Nigel was ok with this and I mentioned at the time that he was more than welcome to follow us about. He decided to book at the same time as when I was taking people out there so he could follow us around if need be. He was always aware that he was not part of the hosted trip and sorry to hear that you thought you were part of it.

Hopefully Gavin that you do not feel let down by Sportquest and look forward to helping you out in the future

All the best

Paul

Mark

Undoubtedly the most professional run fish-camp I have visited in Norway. Great guides, superb boats and very conveniently sited accommodation. Not to mention the fishing - 32 Halibut shared equally between two of us, best fish 1.8 m. The Plaice and Dab fishing close to campus also excellent, numerous 1lb + Dabs , best Plaice 5 lb 4 oz.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Mark, many thanks for taking the time to fill out your feedback. Sounds like you had a dram trip. Having that many Halibut between only 2 of you must of been arm aching stuff!!

Havoysund is an awesome place and is probably my personal favourite destination in Norway. And as you mentioned, how convenient everything is at this place with shops etc right on your doorstep.

Where to next year? Hopefully you would like to use our services again

All the best

Paul

Ian

Great holiday 10/10!
Halibut fishing at its best, fish to 1.8 m long. 30 Halibut in 6 days not bad for 2 anglers.
The fishing camp at Havoysund was fantastic, high standards, the guides + team took pride in the camp.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Ian, thanks for taking the time to send us your feedback. Its is very important to me and the camp that we get every ones feedback so if there is anything wrong both us and the camp can work on it to put it right plus it gives future travellers honest reviews of what to expect.

The fishing you had sounds excellent and I totally agree the Halibut fishing is the best.

Thank you so much and look forward to speaking to you guys soon

All the best

Paul

Jeffrey

The fishing was very good. Boats and guides excellent!

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Jeffery, thank you so much for taking the time to fill out your feed back form, they are very important to me to ensure peoples holidays are living up to your expectations and by the sound of it, the holiday was great.

I will also back you up on the guides and boats being excellent, they really do take pride in their jobs at Havoysund.

I will try and catch up with you guys soon as I believe you want to go to Iceland next?

All the best

Paul

Ken

All good, thanks you! Good service, good camp, good fishing. 5 AM - 12 PM breakfast would have allowed us to have breakfast more than twice during the week we stayed there.
Overnight hotel service and restaurant was very poor.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Ken, thank you for your feedback it is very important to us and the camp owners to see what people thought of their experience.

Glad you enjoyed your stay at Havoysund, I love the camp and the fishing.

I will take on board what you have mentioned about the breakfast, but in their defence, the hotel is really nothing to do with the cabins or the fishing we have just struck a deal to serve our anglers breakfast in their restaurant. It is only a small hotel and for them to open breakfast for that amount of time would not be feasible for them. I will certainly email them your review to see what their comments are

Hopefully we will be helping you again in the near future and I promise I will email you with some info on the Ascension Islands

All the best

Paul

Eric

A big thank you to all staff at Sportquest who make our trips so special.
"One call does it all" The most stress free booking process we have found.

Although a windy week at Havoysund it did not stop us getting out there is nearly always somewhere to fish. The weeks fishing was very good Cod to over 20lb Plaice to 5lb Haddock Coalfish Dabs and large mackerel. The Halibut came in all sizes from 50cm to 170cm and one fish i could not stop, after a long run of over100yds the 80lb leader was parted off on the bottom.
Best tip dont under estimate the size of fish thats possible at Havoysund, next time its 150lb leader for me.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Eric thank you so much for taking the time to fill out your feedback form it is always nice to hear that we are doing our job correctly.

Sounds like you guys had a brilliant week and caught and lost some monsters. I totally agree about the leaders bigger is always better

Where to next Eric? I will call you in the next couple of days

All the best

Paul

Alec

The trip is amazing. Watching someone have a Three hour battle with a Halibut is something you can't believe, they are one strong fish!

As regards to tackle you can get what you need on site and would get away with taking as little as possible

The guides are helpful but you need to approach them and ask as much as possible on catching the Halibut as they can be tricky to set the hook

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Alec, sounds like you struck gold with the Halibut. What weight was it?

Havoysund has to be the best place in Norway for the chance of a proper big Halibut. I have had them on for a couple of hours and know how he must of been feeling.

The onsite tackle shop is very well stocked at all times and we try and comment on this as anglers tend to take far to much tackle with them when they can purchase it there for not a lot more.

Hopefully we can help you again next year

Until then, tight lines

Paul

Jason

My best part was getting my Halibut. We were unlucky with the weather so fishing was hard work but our guide Sebastian was great company and work hard to get us on the fish. Crossing a straight in a 4 metre swell will stay in my memory for a long time. Very exhilarating

Our hire suits were ok but did leak.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Jason, so glad you made the most out of the bad weather. Norway has been suffering from bad weather this year I think like most places around the world.

Yes Sebastian is a very good guide and have found him to work very hard when it comes to fishing and hopefully his passion for fishing shone through.

I will mention something to them about the suits. Did you say anything at the time as I am sure they would of replaced the suit for you straight away

Look forward to organising your return trip next year

Tight lines

Paul Stevens

Ben

The whole trip was excellent and ran smoothly from start to finish. In particular the organisation of the camp was excellent, with plenty of facilities to make the stay comfortable and practical e.g. a large drying room, freezers, very well stocked tackle shop, a lot of fish filleting stands both indoors and outdoors, bar, restaurant with pool table and dart board etc.

The fishing was outstanding, with the obvious consideration of the weather which cannot be helped. A vast variety of fish could be caught from numerous marks and there is plenty of opportunity to beat personal best fish. The guides were friendly, very helpful and knowledgeable.

The most memorable moments were catching my first halibut (albeit a 60cm one) and smashing my personal best cod! Catching 7 different species of fish was a new record for me too in Norway. The other best moment was one of our boat catching a huge halibut and landing it, fantastic to see for the first time too.

My only suggestions to help would be to show the weather and winds and the impact on which fishing grounds they may hinder or help. Some experience of driving boats is very beneficial at this camp in my opinion.

For future parties I think a fish catching method / technique briefing would help a lot (e.g. knowing to use ‘dead bait’ or more glow shads for the halibut and that heavy pirks are needed for the larger cod due to the depth), especially with packing and also emphasise the variety and amount of tackle the onsite shop has, because it really does have everything.

All in all, an excellent camp, a fantastic trip and some brilliant people out there both guides and other anglers. The camp was fantastic and had all the facilities you wold ever need and with the shop within a couple of minutes walk it really had it all. We will be re-booking for 2018 (if not before).

Also worth mentioning the excellent service pre departure, Sportsquest always kept in contact and all information, tickets etc all sent in a very professional and timely manner. It was a slick operation and very noticeable from a customer perspective. Paul as ever was on hand to help us before and during the trip, thank you Paul.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Ben

Thanks so much for taking the time to fill out your feedback, its a great thing for future people and we are sure that it has helped people decide where to travel next.

The points you have mentioned about the camp, I totally agree with. It is one of the best places I have been to in Norway. The guides on site, the tackle shop, basically everything is how you should expect it.

Well done on your Halibut and 7 species! At least catching one of that size gives you something to beat next time.

With regards to a briefing on methods, the guides normally are on hand to advise you on any methods that are currently working.

The best and most up to date way of checking the weather is on line the night before you are going out. Checking the weather in advance is sometimes dangerous as it can change very quickly. All our camps put up a daily weather forecast in the tackle shop or just outside the shop so you can keep an eye on the weather.

Thank you for your kind words about Sportquest, we always try our hardest to ensure every traveller has an experience that they have been dreaming of.

All the best and speak with you very soon

Paul

Stella

Good accommodation; great guides - very safety conscious. Very good boats and great fishing. On the downside, breakfast pretty repetitive and boring.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Stella, so pleased you guys had a great trip and really good to catch up with you after the trip, whilst you were again out fishing...... Hope you ended up having a good day.

Like to see you showed them how to catch the first Halibut. Yes i agree the breakfast is a bit the same every day but on the other hand it is a great bonus not having to cook or prepare another meal. I shall pass on your comments to the guides as they always like to here feedback.

Hopefully we will help you next year and if you have got any pictures of your trip would be really good to see them

All the best

Paul

Andrew

The only down side to this holiday was the hassle that we had at the airport with Norweign Airlines. They wanted to charge us at Oslow for the rod tube again at £9 per kilo.
Great location, good guides, good company. Was impressed with Sports Quest and the organisation. The stay at Best Western in Oslow very good and had a very good meal there that evening.
Fantastic experience of catching and releasing all our halibut including a 169cm 170lb fish.
Will send pictures under separate cover.
Two friends of our have already booked for next year on our recommendation

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

There seems to be a little confusion sometimes at the airports as once you have paid at your home airport that should be the only charge you have to pay......

Glad you loved the place and the guides i agree are brilliant and have a good laugh with all the anglers and always very helpful.

I can not wait to see the pictures, 2 fantastic Halibut in fact both of them have beaten my personal best..... A huge Congratulation

Hopefully we can get you out to Norway again next year

All the best

Paul

joel

Hello Sportquest, thanks for organising a great trip. The camp and staff were brilliant and the fishing was some of the best i have ever experienced.

I have been going to Norway for the last 10 years and i must say that Havoysund will take some beating.

We both have agreed maybe to go for 2 weeks next year but to the Lofoten Islands as we like to try different places. Once again thank you

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Thats great, i knew you would enjoy Havoysund. It has everything that you could want from a Norway trip. The guides are top quality and a massive bonus. I am working on your two week trip and will call you soon with dates etc

All the very best

Paul

Roger

Another great holiday in a fantastic location! Although weather conditions meant that we opted for safety and didn't head too far out, we caught lots of quality fish, 9 species in all, including excellent cod and haddock (lots of these) and 3 halibut! Our fellow anglers and the guides were all friendly and sociable, although we were the only English party,-we certainly didn't feel out of place. Paul Stevens at Sportquest was, once again,a great help, always replying quickly to any enquiry and offering lots of good advice.A very competitively priced, good value angling holiday-I have recommended you to lots of friends and acquaintances-I'm sure they wont be disappointed!
The only negative was once again the Airport hotel-as last year, they only appeared to have one room allocated, after a long wait another room was given-it was only the next morning that I discovered our friends had been allocated a double bedded room, but were so tired that one slept on the "Put me up"!! Breakfast was supposed to commence at 4am, we came down at 4.30, we received very sparse food offerings, cold coffee and orange juice so dilute it looked like it was passed by the management! No staff were to be seen apart from the receptionist, who simply shrugged when I reported our experiences on checking out....Thats the second year running that we have been let down there-a great shame and disappointing start to our holiday.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hello my friend, good to see you had another great holiday at Havoysund, it never lets you down. All the anglers at the camp are always friendly and will always speak. Fishing is an universal language

Thats a real shame about the hotel on the way out there as i have stayed there many times and always send other people there with out so much as a problem and for you to have problems twice in a row shocks me. I will email the person and ask what went wrong....

Apart from that it sounded very good trip and look forward to calling you soon as i always do

All the very best

Paul

John

We are Four members of the Breakaway Sea Angling Club from Ireland ,we recently booked a Fishing Trip with Sportquest Holidays to Havousund in Norway ,the reason for the trip was to catch some of the large Cod and if possible to catch a Halibut ,our dreams were fulfilled, on every drop of our lines we caught a fish Cod,Haddock,Coalfish,all very good fish ,and finally on our second last day a 30lb.Halibut fell to Paddy Bourke a former Lord Mayor of Dublin this fish made our trip well worth while,the end tackle we used were pirks of 500/700 grammes with three hooks, and shads with stingers attached ,we took too much gear with us ,a combination of 3 or 4 of each would be enough,if you can ,bring your own food and drink, as things are very expensive in Norway.the trip up to the fishing grounds was not too bad ,but the trip back was very long ,as we were told there were no direct flights to Dublin but on the day there were two .........,all in all we had a very enjoyable time ,the team at Sportquest ,Melanie,Paul, and Peter, handled our arrangements with great care ,with follow up calls and were always on the other end of the Phone.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hello Guys, sounds like you had a great trip and Havoysund lived up to its reputation and produced the goods for you guys.

I just took another look at flights from Dublin and getting you out there would not be a problem however getting you home with Norwegian, you would have to overnight in Oslo until the following Sunday..... Norwegian do always release new flight schedules so i will keep my eye open if the introduce the flight path

Glad you felt cared for, it was our pleasure and hopefully you will choose Sportquest for future trips

All the very best

Paul

Stewart

Hi Mel,
We have had a great holiday.
The fishing has been excellent, on a couple of days you felt almost too tired to reel the next one in!
Loads of cod over 10 kilo's, Haddock up to 4.5 kilo's and we each caught at least two Halibut upto 20 kilo's with one of the other boats getting a 120 kilo Halibut.
The weather stopped us from targeting big Coal fish so sadly we will have to go back and do it all over again!

The accomodation is good with the benefit of a buffet breakfast. The supermarket is very close which makes lunch and dinner very easy.

The Arronet boats are superb and come equipped with a fantastic navigational aid and good sonar allowing a run to be fished reliably and finding fish is simple.
We could only scratch the surface of the huge potential that this site has so will definitely return.
Thanks for all your help with organisation,
Best wishes Stewart

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Stewart

Sounds like you had some great fishing. Havoysund is by far the best camp and i love taking my hosted trips there. You mentioned about the Coalfish not being so good, thats a shame as the week before there were some real big ones caught, maybe next time

The breakfast i also think is a massive bonus as it sets you up for the day and yes having the shops so close makes for a very enjoyable trip

Give me a call when you guys are ready to look at some more dates for next year. Once again thank you and look forward to speaking with you soon

Regards

Paul

Peter

HI i will attempt to send the best photos i have so far , I am awaiting a whole bunch more that look to be of better quality, unfortunatly we did not spend as much time shooting good photo shots as we would have liked now that we are home , you kind of get lost in the fishing moment and the taking of pictures becomes a chore! and there just never seems to be Time? considering the amount and diversity of the fish we had around us almost all the time, Poor Stuart could not put his rod down from the moment we got to the camp especially after he watched me hook an 85 cm halibut on a dexter wedge from the jetty on my bass rod and 20 lb braid second cast And almost land the fish without a gaff or net !! (he still has the scars to prove it from its teeth) FUNNY! . We all struggled with the 24 hr sunshine ,Its just so hard to leave the fishing and try to sleep.On the last day we we left the shelter of the islands and travelled North into the Barrents Sea for a short 4 hr session , I have never seen a shoal of fish so large in my life, we were in 150 meters of water on the edge or a drop off that contoured for about a mile and a half we had fish thick on the sounder from bottom to 10 meters below the surface, a mix of Cod , Coalfish, big Haddock, Ling Cod and Wolf fish that went on as far as we were drifting and probably much further.We were catching just off our leeder, Stu had Coalies to 18 lb and a big Haddock everytime the Coalies were a bit slow, I was the same ,I hooked and landed 38.8 lb Cod at literally 10 meters under the surface. Our days fishing were ended by some gentle drifting by the rocks in shallow water with light gear and prawn baits for big Dabs and Plaice, Of course Halibut of all sizes were part of our daily catch from 70 cm being about the smallest to the largest we caught at 160 cm, we all had big fish ,Simon 115cm ,Stuart 130cm. I had the big one but Stu lost a very strong fish on a 3 lb livebait.smashed up like it was 6lb line. AWSOME. We did not loose a days fishing but we saw awide range of weather conditions, some ugly but mostly beautifull just like the scenery. We all had a fantastic trip ! This is our second time to this camp and it will not be the last, highly recommend Havoysund to anyone wishing to target some of Norways finest species

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Peter

thank you so much for a great detailed report, really enjoyed reading it and has made me keen to go back. The Halibut off the jetty sounded awesome, one that i have never heard or experienced before perhaps you may hold the title for the closest caught Halibut to the camp!!!!!

Sounds like the rest of the party also had a blast and glad you all upped your PB's really looking forward to seeing the rest of the pictures and helping you organise next years trip

All the best

Paul

KEVIN

FROM MY INITIAL ENQUIRY, TO THE PERSONAL CALL 5 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE AND THE SUBSEQUENT CALL 5 DAYS AFTER OUR RETURN, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FAULT PAUL AND MEL FOR ANYTHING,THEY ARE BOTH POLITE , INFORMATIVE, AND A PLEASURE TO DEAL WITH , THEY BOTH POSSESS A PALPABLE DESIRE FOR YOUR ARRANGEMENTS TO GO WITHOUT A HITCH, ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR THE USUAL BARRAGE OF QUESTIONS WHICH THEY ARE ONLY TOO PLEASED TO ANSWER.
THE HAVOYSUND CAMP IS VERY USER FRIENDLY, AND VERY CLOSE TO THE BOATS AND FUEL PONTOON - THE BOATS ARE FIRST CLASS AND IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION.
WE WERE BLESSED WITH OUTSTANDING WEATHER EXCEPT FOR ONE VERY "SEA MISTY DAY" BUT WE STILL HIT THE MARKS 7 MILES OUT EVEN THOUGH WE COULD'NT SEE 25 METERS ALL AROUND US ALL DAY ! PERKS OF HAVING AN EX COMMERCIAL BOAT MASTER AS OUR DRIVER.THE GUIDES WERE ALL FRIENDLY AND INFORMATIVE AND THE BREAKFAST WAS VERY GOOD AND FILLING.
ALL THINGS SAID "A VERY GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL" IN OUR PARTY - WOULD I GO BACK TO HAVOYSUND OH YES IN A HEARTBEAT. TIGHT LINES !!

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Kevin, so glad to hear you guys had a great trip. Havoysund is simply awesome, the boats the guides and the fishing is first class. Shame you did not manage your Halibut but maybe next time

Thank you for your kind words for both myself and Mel in the office it makes our job worthwhile when we receive feedback like that.

Hope to help you in the very near future

Kind Regards

Paul

Jim

A fantastic week with fishing you normally dream about! When we arrived in Havoysund we were met by the guides and given an introduction and tour of the fishing camp, shown how to operate our boat, GPS and fish finder and encouraged to go out and get used to the boat on our first evening. This we duly did and, with the help and advice Paul Stevens at Sportquest gave us before we left, we were catching fish within 20 minutes of leaving harbour! Before we went our ambitions were modest with a 20lb cod and a halibut the target. We all caught a number of cod of 20 - 30 lb on our first evening with the largest being 32 lb. Throughout the week we caught lots of cod in the 20 - 30 lb range on both shads and perks with one or two muppets above. Perhaps our most successful shad for cod was a Savage Gear 300gm Tequila Sunrise but natural herring also did well. When fishing perks and muppets it was not unusual to catch two, or even three, 15 lb cod at the same time!

Paul had arranged for our guided day to be the first full day we were there. This was a good move (thanks Paul) as it meant we were shown places to fish and more importantly these were logged on the GPS enabling us to go back later in the week. It was also good finding our own places as well. The boats were very stable and excellent to fish from and cruising at 20 knots or so meant you could get around very quickly.

Besides catching lots of cod we also caught a 112cm long, 27 lb coal fish that put up an excellent fight. This was caught just outside the harbour. We also managed to catch a halibut and the lessons form the guides on how to deal with these once at the boat became very important as the one we got was 153cm long and weighed an estimated 50.5 kg and caught on a “Crazy Daisy” shad. This took 45 minutes to get to the boat when all the guys were needed to get it on board. Once on board the fish was measured and photographed before being released safely. Also caught were a number of wolf fish, long pliers being necessary to get these of the hook!

The cabins were very comfortable and overlooked the harbour so it took no time at all from leaving the cabin and getting to the boat. We had complete freedom of when and where we went. An added bonus was that a good breakfast was provided at the camp. We also took Paul’s advice and booked in an extra bag each in the form of a cold box. This was filled with food on the way out and frozen fish on the way back. This worked very well indeed. We also hired floatation suits and rods and reels from the camp. The suits were vital, being thick warm and waterproof. All of us were impressed with the rods and reels. While we were there (end of June) the temperature didn’t get above about 10C and waterproof gloves were an important item. The tackle shop at the camp carries plenty of different lures and price were not that much different than the UK. Coming from the North of England we flew from Edinburgh rather than Gatwick. This worked very well for us as Edinburgh airport is easy to get to and park at. The only downside was an 8 hour stop over at Oslo on the way back but still much better for us than the Gatwick option.

In conclusion an excellent holiday at a first class fishing camp. So if you are thinking about going to Havoysund for a week stop thinking and GO! You won’t regret it.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Jim

I am so pleased you guys had a great trip and caught so many different species. The Halibut fishing at Havoysund is awesome and glad you managed to get amongst them. The fight of 45minutes sounded an epic battle and glad you were victorious

The camp is also great with it being so close to the boats.

I shall pass on your kind words to the camp and the guides as i am sure they will love to hear it.

Really looking forward to getting your pictures and call me anytime for us to sort out your trip next year.

Speak soon Jim

Kind Regards

Paul

Chris

Havoysund sea fishing exceeded my expectations, the weather, sea conditions, boats and equipment could not have been better.
Never experienced fish stocks like these were anywhere, guides gave good advice on where and how to fish, all you have to do is get out there and fish.

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Chris,

I am so pleased that the camp lived up to your expectations. I have been to this camp myself lots of times and absolutely love it there, the fishing like you say is out of this world, the guides on site are some of the best i have worked with.

Thank you for your very kind words and it would be a great pleasure to help you guys in the future

Best Regards

Paul Stevens

Roger

We are currently in Oslo Airport on our way back from a very happy and successful first Norway sea fishing trip. I just wanted to let you know how much we all enjoyed it,with amongst great sport and glorious weather, cod to 33lb,a27lb coalfish-and a first halibut of 110lb shared between us!
Thank you very much for all your help and prompt reply to our many queries,its been a memorable visit!

Lots of best parts! Fishing excellent, advice and willing help at all times of Paul Stevens, organisation, guide and transfers. Not so impressed with Great Western Airport Hotel-first room allocated not cleaned with dirty beds and linen, second room missing towels and soap/shampoos-very basic accommodation. …

We'll be back!

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Roger, thank you for your very kind words it was a pleasure to help you guys all the way. I knew you would have a good time at this camp, every one does.

The bit that concerns me is the overnight hotel in oslo! we have never had any complaints about this hotel, i have stayed there myself lots of times and have never had a problem. I shall email them straight away and voice my concerns

Apart from that it sounds like you had a great time and caught lots of fish. Really look forward to assisting you in the very near future

All the best

Paul

simon

Fantastic destination for sea angling. Great facilities, brilliant guides and the best fishing we have ever experienced.
Thanks Paul for all your help organising the trip, all we had to do was turn up and start hauling fish. My arms are still aching!

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Simon, thank you so much for your kind words. It is a brilliant place and the fishing is some of the best in Norway.

It is a great bonus having the guides on site to help out in any way you need them. I can not wait to get the pictures you are sorting out for me.

Look forward to helping you guys in the future

Tight lines

Paul

Mr Slapp

The camp is very well run with guides on hand everyday. you also get 2 days free guiding which was a great advantage to us as we have never been to Norway before and having those guides was great. they put us on fish everytime and we even managed a 70kg Halibut which was great to watch get caught. The cod fishing was also very good with lots of fish around the 30lb mark. Thanks guys see ya next year

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Colin, i felt so comfortable sending you there as i knew for your first visits to Norway that the guides on site would take good care of you and your group

Where is next then Colin????

Tight lines

Paul

Roger

We had loads of fish Cod, Halibut, Plaice, Haddock, Coalfish and these strange little fish that looked like Scorpion fish. What a well organised camp with a great restaurant on site serving lovely meals

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

It truly is a place where you can target nearly all the species Norway is so famous for and i found that nearly all the fishing was close to the camps

Great boats as well

Tight Lines

Paul

Stephen

This camp is so well run. i have been to other places in Norway and they are nothing compared to this place. you get a free buffet breakfast which we also made our lunch from, good tip Paul, we found this to be a great plus as it saved time in the morning which in turn ment more fishing time. We also took full advantage of the on site restaurant/bar and ate our evening meals in there nearly every night. See ya next year

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Stephen, really pleased you liked the camp and yes the breakfast is a huge bonus. I run hosted to this camp and is my personal favourite camp. The staff the guides and area really make this a camp for everyone

If you are looking for the perfect camp then look no further

Regards

Paul

Nicholas

The guides took us to their favourite spots to target some Halibut and they were spot on with the tides and managed to get us all our very first Halibuts. They also took us Plaice fishing one day and we had so many around the 4lb area we even managed a small halibut on light rods which was a great fight. I have said to the guides we will be coming back next year as i lost a Halibut that looked massive

Thanks to head Guide Ulf

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Nicholas

The guides at Havoysund are spot on with all their decisions. Ulfe tends to move about a lot but he is doing this for reason, he is one of the best Halibut fisherman i know and you just have to look at his list of big fish to realise how good he actually is.

Did you try the Plaice fishing from the harbour? when i was there we had them to about 5lb from the harbour wall

Awesome destination

Regards

Paul

Carl

I wanted a big Halibut and wasnt disappointed i landed the biggest out of our group, it went 90kg and was released unharmed as were all our fish. My next target on my bucket list is a Cod over 50lb's and looking at your website i think i may be coming on your hosted trip to Soroya

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Glad we could help, i did after speaking to you email the head guide and ask if he could guide you personally. He said he would try his hardest to get you your Halibut and i guess he did

If you are interested in my Hosted Soroya trip then please call me asap as i only have one place left

Regards

Paul

Barrie

Made many new friends and caught more fish than I could imagine (but could manage I might add).

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

That is a good thing about this destination that the evening times are very social and is a great place to meet new people from all over the World.

We never thought for a second you wouldn't of coped

Great pictures

Regards

Paul

Colin

The camp is very well run with guides on hand everyday. you also get 2 days free guiding which was a great advantage to us as we have never been to Norway before and having those guides was great. they put us on fish everytime and we even managed a 70kg Halibut which was great to watch get caught. The cod fishing was also very good with lots of fish around the 30lb mark. Thanks guys see ya next year

Reply from Sportquest Holidays

Hi Colin, Really happy you had a good trip. i felt so comfortable sending you there for your first visit to Norway and now you have that under your belt i think its time for some where different next year

Having the guides there on site really makes a huge difference to you and your group as i found when i first went to Norway i spent the first 2 days moving around a lot searching for fish

Give me a call some time Colin and we will look at sorting you out for next year

Regards

Paul

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