ANGLING NOTES:THIS is my second trip to Norway. My first visit, the northern Tromsø region had left me with such fond memories of huge cod from deep fjords that I eagerly returned to sample the delights of its grand scenery, mighty rivers and this time, seeking Atlantic salmon.
We are on a three-day tour of Trondheim, in the centre of the country, to assess the angling potential of the Namsen, Gaula and Stjørdal rivers. We flew to Norway with Scandinavian Airlines, which schedules six flights each week from Dublin to Oslo.
On the Grong route, we travel 210km north to Hotel Vertshuset, our accommodation for two nights. On the banks of the upper Namsen River, this three-star hotel is a splendid example of Norwegian culture and presents a high standard of local cuisine.
We meet charismatic owner, Jon Moe, who has rights to 15km of both banks on the upper Namsen. "I am biggest owner of river, with six beats in June and five for rest of season," he says. As well as the hotel, Moe runs a lodge, a farm and a guesthouse, and can accommodate 16 anglers on any day.
After a hearty breakfast, angling guides Stan Mellingen and Roar Hermanastad take us the short journey to Fiskumfoss Falls, hailed as one of the best pools in Norway. Low water levels allow us to observe teams of very large fish, some resident and coloured, others fresh, waiting to ascend the spectacular, 300ft, stepped fish-pass.
I take time to check my kit: 14ft double-handed rod with No 8 sinking tip, 15ft fluoro-carbon leader and size-10 Munroe Killer variant.
Guy, our tour operator, is a non-angler, but on his first attempt at spinning, lands a splendid salmon of 4.5kg while harling close to the Falls. Alas, our efforts on the fly are without reward.
The afternoon session at the Railway Pool is more productive. Here, I meet and land two fresh salmon of 2.5kg on the Munroe. "Always have yellow in your fly pattern when fishing in Norway," proves sound advice.
After dinner, angling guide Kurt Are Lona calls to say hello. "Have you been fishing," we ask. "Yes, I have just caught a 12.5kg salmon at the Falls," he says with a broad smile.
Back on the road again, this time to Valdøyan Lodge on the Gaula River, about 60km south of Trondheim airport. The Gaula is regarded by many as the best salmon river in Europe. At 58km, it is the longest river in Norway.
The afternoon session is memorable, as we cover the Valdum Beat and enjoy lunch in the fishing lodge overlooking this spectacular river. I manage to catch and release a third salmon of 2.5kg.
The quality of the river is reflected in the fact that the local club of 37 anglers caught their 10-bag limit in the first month of the season. So, effectively, their fishing was over in June. A 30km dash brings us to Hembre Gård, just in time for dinner. Close to the Stjørdal river, Hembre is an "olde worlde" Norwegian farmhouse, recently converted to include a motel with 10 self-contained apartments.
"Tomorrow you will fish the 2km beat, considered one of the best on the Stjørdal," Inger, our host, says. Over dinner, we meet Brian, from Farlow's famous country life emporium in Pall Mall. "Try these Willie Gunn patterns tomorrow," he advises.
The Stjørdal is a fascinating river, with fast swift parts and quiet pools. However, our three sessions and special patterns fail to impress any salmon. We must settle for three small sea-trout.
We meet Harald Øyen, from the Norwegian tourist authority, Innovation Norway, for an overview of the salmon sector. He explains: "As a farmer along the fjords, you have the right to fish for salmon inside your land. This is a very important principle. The problem is when the government starts to change these rules." He tells us the commercial fishing season in Norway runs from June 1st to August 4th. However, as the numbers of Atlantic salmon continues to fall, the breeding stock in some rivers is below sustainable levels.
"The government this year stipulated that netting could not start until July 10th (in some areas June 20th), to allow the mixed stock to come into the fjords. As a result, we have seen huge numbers of big salmon in our rivers this year.
"To balance the netting ban, a bag limit of one salmon per day and 10 per season for anglers was introduced this year. While this restriction is acceptable to the tourist, it does pose a problem for local anglers. However, they are adapting, and this year saw 25 per cent catch and release in Norway.
"More than 600,000 salmon, many over 18kg, are estimated to swim the Norwegian coast, fjords and rivers every season," says Øyen.
When asked to comment on the Salsea project, established to solve the mystery of salmon disappearing at sea, he says: "Sea lice might be the reason for the high mortality of salmon at sea".
As we say our farewells to Trondheim, my thoughts centre on a region where the salmon is king and is a major source of revenue from locals and tourists. Undoubtedly, the main run of big fish is in June and July.
Our visit coincided with the last three days of the season to August 31st.
For further information on salmon fishing in Norway, contact Guy at 01-2108391 or guy@projectpr.ie or www.flysas.ie.