Everybody in the sea angling circle has heard of how good the Halibut fishing is at Å on the Lofoten islands. With this in mind, we have picked to run our annual Halibut fishing competition at this fantastic destination located in the North of Norway. This international fishing competition is exclusive to Sportquest Holidays and in conjunction with Nordic Sea Angling.
We will be running our Halibut Sea Fishing Competitions each year at the start of July. July is the peak time for the big ones.
This is the first-ever Halibut Fishing competition run at this location which only gets bigger and better each year. There are big money prizes, and many fishing tackle prizes up for grabs for the runner ups. A full list of the competition prizes will be announced each year. It will be open to teams of 4 anglers fishing from our boats and will run over two days of your six standard fishing days.
Useful Links:
- Halibut Fishing Competition – Rules, requirements & prizes
- Competition Q&A – Your most frequently asked questions answered
- Halibut Competition Tips – Helpful Tips from the experts
- Apply Today – Reserve your teams space
- Norway Sea Fishing Guide – A Comprehensive Guide to Norway Sea Fishing
Location
The area you will be staying in is in a village called Å. Located at the very end of the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway. The reason for the outstanding Halibut fishing here is because, located nearby, is of the well-known Moskenesströmmen. One of the strongest maelstroms (where two tides collide) in the world.
Here the difference between high and low tides vary by almost four meters and the water can move at up to 6 knots. This creates a colossal conveyer belt of food for these super-sized flatfish. Fishing just on the outside of the stream is very productive for the large ones; however, further afield there are lots of other exciting grounds to target the Halibut.
As you will have a further four days fishing around the competition, you will get to see what else this destination is so famous for and that’s the fantastic Coalfishing. Now, this is something to witness, as around July, the stream fills with super hungry Coalfish. And they get big.
They are there chasing Mackerel, and other small prey fish and this is the perfect time to either chuck poppers around or use shallow diving lures. Once you have located these charged up fish, they are very addictive.
Halibut Fishing Competition
The reason why we have chosen the Lofoten Islands to host contest is that the fishing grounds are mostly right on your doorstep. The ‘Stream’ is located a short 15-minute boat ride from the marina. Making sure no time is lost in getting to the peak area of this location. On the way to the stream, you will also pass some pretty amazing spots for bait fishing.
The main draw to this destination is the Halibut and Coalfish. Last year there were more Halibut caught over the magical 2m mark than all the other destinations we offer in Norway. Coalfish fishing is also a very big draw for many sports fishermen.
Fish averaging 20lb plus are now classed as small, a 40lb Coalfish is now a reality rather than a dream with fishing techniques such as popper and lure fishing being the chosen way to attract the larger Coalfish. There is nothing better than seeing a huge black Coalfish leap out of the water with your lure hanging out of its mouth; it’s a pure adrenalin rush.
The period of the competition will have a media team covering the two-day event filming the anglers each day while out fishing. A full report all about the tournament will appear in the Salt Water Boat Angling magazine.
As each year’s fishing competitions finish, competitors that took part will be invited to return the following year. Only then will the remaining spaces be advertised to the general public. The remaining spaces are booked on a first-come-first-served basis.
Boats
At Å we have 10 of the best fully equipped fishing boats from a Swedish company called Arronet. These boats have been carefully designed to be fast and stable at sea. Even in the roughest of conditions. They are well-known for their reliability. As this is a boat fishing competition, care has been taken to make sure that all the boats used are to the highest standard possible.
They all come fitted with Suzuki 150hp 4 stroke engines, which again, have been carefully picked for the reliability, how fuel-efficient they are and also how excellent 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 meaning that our guides at the cabins can constantly monitor where each boat is at any time during the fishing days.
This is with safety in mind as if there is an issue they will know precisely where each boat is. In the competition, there will be nine boats with four anglers in each boat taking part over the two-day event. The 10th boat will have our media team, a Nordic Sea Angling guide and a representative from Sportquest Holidays. This boat is not part of the Halibut fishing competition but will be on hand to photograph and film the event.
Guides
The guides on site will be there to meet you from the airports or ferry terminals. The guides will then transfer you and all your luggage to your cabin. They are then on hand each day to make sure your fishing experience is the best it can be.
The guides all speak fluent English along with many other languages and will go out of their way to ensure your holiday runs smoothly. If you have any questions when you are away, the guides are the first port of call. There is no guiding available during the Halibut fishing competition.
Other Activities
Lofoten islands are a significant attraction for many tourists as the scenery is like nothing else in Norway. The local Norwegians have nicknamed this part of Norway as ‘The Jewel of Norway’, and once you have spent a short time there, you will see why for yourself. At the destination, there are a few other activities on offer such as the comprehensive fishing village museum displaying 150-year fishing artefacts.
There is a small bakery on-site that is many years old and still produces bread and cakes as they used to all of those years ago. There are also many different trails and walks you can follow, and these will take you to some of the most stunning views looking across the open ocean, mountain lakes, and spectacular waterfalls.
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding our Halibut Competition or any of our Sea fishing competitions for 2021 and 2022, please feel free to contact us. Our experienced team will be happy to help you with any queries you have. Still not sure if this fishing competition is right for you? Why not explore all our alternative Sea Fishing destinations in Norway or request a free brochure.
