A fishing trip to remember
Updated: Feb 12, 2022
Flyfishing is one of my latest hobbies that I have fallen totally in love with. It is not the easiest to learn, but with some effort you can get a around most things. youtube is full of good videos for how to master it. So some good spent hours practicing and you are ready to go.
I have always been attracted to fishing as a sport or hobby. From a young age, being out at sea catching the big saltwater fishes, or in some river or inland lake catching freshwater goodies. I remember at a young age trying flyfishing for the first time, thinking how hard can it be. Well I don´t think there was any fish left in the river after I was done whipping it to shreds. About twenty years went by before I again picked it up and decided to learn it the right way. Apperantly you have to practice I found out. Who could have thought. There was some good whipping action going on at first. But realizing that going slowly and smoothly is better, than wacking the hell out of it trying to throw the line as far as I could. You could say there was quite the learning curve. But when you first get a hang of it I would not trade it for any other fishing tool. And the feeling when mastering a new thing is always so satisfactory.
Well one thing is to learn how to toss that damn fly out. Another thing is to learn how to mimic the bug you are actually presenting the fish. Because this is also a key component to catching fish apperantly. There is a whole science behind it, and if you want to get it right you have to spend the time. This is maybe why flyfishers is not like every other rod fisher. It requires quite a lot of effort to do it right, studying the bugs hatch cycle. Using the correct presentation method and mimicking the movement of the bug as correctly as possible.
Having a cabin with some good freshwater lakes nearby. There was some good opertunities to put the knowledge to the test. And yes, practice makes perfect. Well there is a long way to perfect. But we are getting there slowly. Did not think this would be a challenge, but hooking the fish also presented some inner mumbling, but after a while I started to catch more and more, giving a boost of optimism. Moments like these seen in the picture, sharing the love for fishing with my son. Well what more can you ask. So me and him started talking about what if we did something bigger out of it this shared passion the upcoming summer. He was not hard to convince being a copy of me. So let the planning begin.
Living in Northern Norway, there are many great freshwater lakes where you can catch big trout, char and other freshwater species. We have big rivers with salmon, famed internationally for its quality. We decided to make the valley called Dividalen, in Troms county our destination. A valley famous for its beautiful nature and scenery, freshwater lakes and rivers. Here you can get a good experience of being off the grid since there is poor to non cellphone resception pretty much everywhere. So the three amigos, me, my son and a good buddy of mine was going on an adventure into the unknown. As my last post about how to make the most out of anything. We used quite a lot of time planning and preparing this trip. But as will unfold, maybe not enough. Gathering intel on what lake to try also gave some challenges. Norwegian fishermen and women are not the easiest to convience to let up their knowledge about what water is good. But with some good persuasion and kind words we managed to get a general understanding of some that could offer good possibilities of catching one or two. Where will remain a mystery, since it was part of the agreement.
The day of the trip arrived, and the weather forecast was saying it would be clear blue skies, and temperatures in the high 20 celcius. Not the best conditions to catch arctic char. But catching fish was never the sole purpose of the trip. It was being an all boys weekend out. Our two dogs also came along for the ride.
Arriving at the parkingspot our first reaction was that it was super hot. Like super hot to be this far north. And the bugs were bussing, especially the horseflies. Satans only creation in my opinion. We got ready in a hurry and started walking. Making swift steps up the steep start to not fall victim for the vicious flesheating winged monsters. But the heat slowed us down after a while. Our dogs being made for 40 below freezing, was not to fond of the heat. And there was not a breath of wind. Reaching the forest border the winged monster startet to give up. And we could finally lick our wounds and patch up what was left. We still thought this was a good idea.
Getting up to the valley floor took some good hours of walking. We were all tired. But super stoked to finally be in the wild. A tiny breeze had also started, So life was good.
Reaching our first campsite, and oh what a place. A vast landscape just waiting to be explored. Potentially good fishing waters all around. Where to begin. Well dinner of course. Having kids with on such hikes, means you go at their pace. And eventhough junior deserves all the credit for completing this hike like a true sport. He now needed dinner. As did we all.
With dinner well within, we laid outside on our sleepingbags looking at the map. Setting a goal for tomorrows hike. A lake past the mountain seen in the above picture. Some 8 km of walking. A spot we were told should hold good sized fish. We dreamt sweet dreams about catching the big ones. The next morning, and very early morning to be honest we woke up. Head hammering like if we had a heavy night out. The tent feeling like a finnish sauna. Being midsummer, it is midnight sun season up north. And with no trees or tall enough mountains in the valley to give us shade. The sun startet early with its roasting.
Nothing else to do, than to get out. The light breeze was still thankfully there and gave a nice fresh start to the day. The temperature was already pushing the 20 mark. Even though the clock had bearly passed 05 in the morning.
The rest of the bunch for some reason unknown managed to lay in the tent. At least the door was open so they didn´t die of instant heatstroke.
It was absolute quiet, only the sound of the river close by running its endless cycle. Me and my dogs just gently starting the day. Thankfully they are slow starters, and doesn´t mind sleeping in. So a slow start fitted us just fine. Well it didn´t last very long. When suddenly miss princess spotted reindeer in the horizon. We had the wind in our favour. And they were at such a far distance that they disappeared short after. We all fell asleep the dogs well attached to me. The sleep was abruptly interupted by the sound of the whole reindeer flock coming down, thinking it was a good place to have a little break some 100 meters away from the tent. Some even ventured under 50 meters away. My dogs of course found this very interesting. Not to our knowledge we had camped just where they cross the river. Well we all agreed after they had passed that this had already become quite the adventure. Even the lazy bunch in the tent had risen to watch this unfold.
After an easy breakfast, all feeling not at our best we decided to break camp and start the hike of the day. The stream we had camped by runned all the way up to the lake we had set as a target of the day. We decided that we were in no hurry, and that we would stop an fish as much as possible the way there.
With boyish spirit we were off. Sadly no fish were to be seen all the way. Many stops were taken, and many tosses made. But not a fish in sight. The wind also slowly died off. And we now slowly started to witness what we had gotten ourselfs into. An ever increasing humming sound, and an ever growing cloud of darkness started to surround us. The mosquitos had started to hatch. We had of course anticipated that there was going to be mosquitos around. So the bugspray was applied and we carried on. Reaching the camp many hours later, a little bit bummed we had seen no fish. The show was about to start. The word of the jungle had been spread.
We had walked right into a feasting, and we were on the menu. The hatching was immense, nothing like what I had witnessed before. Luckily we had packed for bad weather. So in close to 30 degrees celcius, pants and jackets was put on. But we were still optimistic, and with some food in our belly. We started fishing. We tried the whole lake around several times. With no luck. But we knew there was fish here. Because there was the occasional rise of fish feeding. The evening started to come, and the temperature started to fall ever so gently. Dressed in windproof clothing to fight of constant attacks from the mosquitos it was still pretty hot. We rested and started to acknowledge that we were in no hurry. Lets wait for the temperature to drop even more and the evening patrol to start. Char is quite a peculiar fish. Very stubborn, and super picky in its diet. It hates heat, So it often lurks deep towards the bottom. You can do hundreds of cast with no luck, to suddendly turn 180 around and witness a feeding frenzy. The evening came, and the fish started its patrol as anticipated. But whatever we did, not a single one took even a nibble at what we presented. So no luck again.
Night came and we were all pretty done with the day. We laid a new plan for the next day, our original plan would just cause unnecessary suffering in the heat. We choose to call it an early night. Since the sun would come knocking early again the next day.
As we expected the new day started early again. But this time there was not a breath of air moving outside the tent. So no lazy start outside this time. The mosquitos had also woken up, beating on the tent door wondering if they could be let in. Sorry but no admission this time. We were feeling the heat now, and it was putting a big toll on the body and mind.
A quick skinnydip, and wash of the body gave us a fresh beginning before it was back into the windproof garment. We were hiking back to where we came from. and we were running out of bug spray. So this time, no fishing just a swift transport to a new location. We had talked about this place early on in the phase of planning the trip. But left it as a backup plan. Well backup here we come. The heat rised to a new hight, and pushed passed 30 degrees celcius. It was quite unbearable. But it had to be done. Halfway there we met another hiker, who actually came from where we originally planned to go. And luckily for us, not a fish in sight there as well. This gave us some much needed spirit. And after a short break, we were off. After an hour or two we had arrived at our final destination for the trip. The small lake looked promising, and there were others connecting giving us high hopes for it.
Camp was made, and the dogs were done. It was to hot for them to handle. Eventually, being not very fond of bathing, and after much persuasion they submerged themself with a little help to cool down. While I was handling the dogs, a sudden cheer shock the valley. Fish on! The mood went crazy from 0 to a 100 in a split second. Fish landed safely on land, the first catch was made. It is weird how humans work. How our mentality can change in such a short while with just a little positive motivation. We can endure a lot of negative stress, and need very little positive reinforcement to trive again. Junior fished like crazy, and finally landed his first fish of the trip. And his first char in his life. Life couldn´t be better we agreed. There is something special about seeing true happiness in a child, doing what they love, just living in the moment.
Danger is always lurking in the shadows. It felt like the heat continued to rise, but actually I was starting to develop a heat stroke. Not what you want when you are in no mans land with no reception. With not a shade in sight, which is the first thing you should get in, second hydrate alot. The only alternative was to undress and go swimming. This was no joke, and a very uncomfortable situation to be in. Luckily I caught it early enough an managed to get myself out of it. After some much needed water, and a cool down. It was time to fish. The evening had started. And the fish was rising.
We fished the whole evening and well into the early night. I landed my first couple of chars on a dryfly. The thrill was immense.
My friend fixed us all dinner, and we made a campfire. It must have looked very odd to make a fire when it was 30 degrees outside. But if you had witnessed what was hovering just outside of the smoke. You would have cuddled up close to it. It is amazing how much mental torture such a tiny bug can give, just by doing what it needs to make it kind survive. Well we didn´t want to be apart of it. And we were totally out of bugspray.
We were now totally exhusted from the heat and lots of hiking in it. The rest of the smoke available from the campfire were used to lay a gameplan for the next day. Should we stay or should we go. We went to sleep undecided.
The next day the sun made the decision on our behalf. It was already pushing mid 20s at 07 in the morning. This would become the hottest day so far. Nothing to do but to break camp and go down. We tried a new route down, to cut some of the length off, but was forced to backtrack due to heavy currents in the river we had to cross. Lesson learned for junior after realising that even a shallow river can topple you over. No harm done, just a scratch in his pride. We made swift progress down to the forest boundry where our gang of killers waited patiently for our return. With a drink of water and some melted chocolate consumed. Junior speeded up and made the hike through the forest in an instant. Reaching the car, we were all drained of energy.
On our way home with the AC blasting out a winter storm, we stopped for icecream and a icecold soda. While consuming, we debriefed and decided that this was the absolute best and absolute worst trip we had ever been on. And that next time, remember to bring a lot more bugspray. And to my little champ, that hiked over 35 km over 4 days with a smile on his face. I love you.
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