With its vast stretches of wilderness, the Norwegian tundra holds endless opportunities of crystal clear rivers. The salmon run wild and lake upon lake upon lake provides some of the best hatches you can imagine. With weeks on the road to explore the rivers of Finnmark, we were sure that this would be a trip to remember!

The van completely filled with gear, we ventured off on the 24-hour drive from Oslo, through Sweden and Finland. As every hour passed, we witnessed the scenery change, knowing we were getting closer to some of the best fishing Norway has to offer.

Three and a half-mad fishing tales later, we were there. A short yet sweet night’s rest was all we would get, but with the aid of some thick, gritty, tar-black coffee we found ourselves at the river bank and our first location.

With great expectations, we worked our way down the usual way, one cast at a time. Throughout the day we encountered several fellow fishermen. But neither of us or them would the fish be fooled. No bite. Nada.

Days went by, arms got sore from the constant casting as well as legs, from constantly moving.

So far we already knew the season had been pretty bad, but this was way worse than we could imagine. I’m not going to lie; at this time, the moral was pretty low.When the invitation came to fish the sea pool on a private stretch that hadn’t been touched for a while, we knew. This was it! Morale back at 100%. With confidence, we made our way to the river, rigged up and ready to go.The river ran clear, the sun was setting and fresh sea-run salmon were entering, stirring up the pools. Not another fisherman in sight. Not long after, the tug finally came, and it came hard. punching the rod followed by an almost violent scream from the reel. It was on! We all came running over to assist, laughing eagerly and screaming. It was safe to say we were a bit malnourished. What came after gave us a good shock.

 It’s a f.. sea trout!!

..and a beast trout it was. Giant, shiny, obese and beautiful. Not the fish we expected at all, but hey, can’t complain when the trout of a lifetime decides to eat your fly.

It’s been a tough trip so far, but finally, we could all lower our shoulders. Our bodies and minds where refueled with motivation and power. Power to trek deeper, and carry on.

We fished our way through miles of water, saw lots of jumpers, but it was still tough. We did end up catching and safely releasing some beautiful Atlantics throughout the weeks, however, the amazing sea trout was the real trophy this time.

With hopes for a better 2019 season, we already started planning the next trip up north on our drive back home.

Photos and words from ANDRE FOLKEDAL a European content creator and co-founder of Switch Productions. Check them out on Instagram @switchproductions_. 

https://theflylords.com/2019/01/13/mosquitoes-mayflies-ep3-finnmark/

https://theflylords.com/2018/07/09/experimental-trout-stocking-program-in-europe/