t.z. | Friday, 28 July 2017
It´s an exploration.
Going into “driftwood mode” just observing what will happen next was a good idea First I was in the Trondheim area for a few days and met a really interesting “old man” who had many manshit things to share. A former specialist in “combat in extreme cold climate” and quite a nature person. Not a military person as one generally would suspect. Rather the opposite. He reminded me a lot of Mike Connor in a way.
We went fishing together too, which for him is - as he has put it - part of the daily life economics. He and his family are relying on gathering food from their farm and the nature around. It made a lot of sense to me - regardless their economic status - these were some of the most generous people I ever met. It was a fantastic week, which resulted in mackerel on fly.
I travelled on via the mountains and met real bad weather. It was not very fishable let alone fun to ride the motorcycle in rain and temperatures a few degrees above freezing. This forced me much quicker up north than I had planned.
During one night I made a jump from Lierne, (the home of the jurassic hare) to Tromsø. A 1200km stint … which was real fun. The nights are bright anyway and riding through the Swedish and Finnish forest night is interesting. Luckily I did not meet a moose or any other animals on the road. Believe me - I was careful. Any animal bigger than a hare is a serious threat to a motorcycle.
As luck would have it I found the perfect place. A little hut right by the Straumsbukta. For me a first being so close to the North-Atlantic. The wildlife at this place is stunning.
Thousands of birds and countless numbers of fish … and all that in 24h daylight. So my inner clock is changed totally. I live by the rhythm of the tides now. Low water means that everything is quiet and one can get some rest and sleep.
As soon the water reaches higher levels the action starts. The seagulls make such a noise that one can forget about sleeping. It did not annoy me at all. I just went with it. I started fishing than too.
The amount of fish in reach from land is crazy. The first day out I caught a fish with every cast. Coalfish or saithe as they are also called. This was not was I was looking for. I either wanted to get some sea trout or at least cod. So I had to change tactics. I know that cod live in deeper water. The trick is to sneak the fly through the layers of coalfish down to the cod. A funny endeavour, but the results came rather quick. Fetching a cod or two for dinner is now a 30 minute task.
The tackle I use is a HT4 rigged with a SA5S stillwater clear line and a simple self knotted leader.
A little further up the “road” is a very popular fishing spot for “regular” tackle anglers. The chances of catching deep sea species are pretty high there and people fish for sea wolves, rose fish, cod, cusk and what-not - and of course big halibut. I don´t know wehether any oevr attempted such species with a fly rod, I personally would not see the point ... but there sure is someone (Bernd maybe) who would even try that and invest hundreds of bucks, dough, bread, tamales, scratch, moolah, cheddar, Cheese, guap, lettuce, paper, scrilla, scrill, stash, chips, cake, cabbage, Benjamin, Benji, loot smackers, simoleons, ducats or whetever you prferred nomenclature for fly tackle whereas the locals just get themselves a sinrod at the supermarket ;-)
——— THE ENCOUNTER ———
While fishing I watch the ships go by. One very special ship passing by was the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise. This was very special. It was pretty misty that day and the ship came from nowhere of sorts and disappeared towards the “Straumen” out of sight. I don´t know why but it really moved me seeing this ship. I read and heard some stories, but it was always very “virtual”, you know this kind of “news-channel” virtuality. But seeing the ship in reality was something different.
I have huge respect for the folks on this ship and the Greenpeace activists. They really do something and I decided I need to do more myself. Just signing petitions and not buying meat or farmed fish isn´t enough. The planet needs these people and they need support. I have not much of a very clear idea what and how I will participate, but I will look deeper into the matter when I get back to Oslo after summer.
The Arctic Sunrise came by several days after gain heading towards the artic ocean to protest against the oil drilling by statoil. I god cause I believe which defenitly deserves all the support it can get. If you want to find out more read further on greenpeaces website - http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/2017/Lucy-Lawless-Norwegian-oil-arctic-protest/
Have a good weekend and see you again next friday ...
Cheers,
t.z.
www.tzflyfishing.no