Norway's big day with big salmon!
publication date: Jun 3, 2008
With several 30 pound salmon caught on the Tay this spring and a 28 and 25 pounds fish caught in recent weeks on the Ballathie stretch of the river could a 40 pound salmon be caught before the close of this season on the Tay?
With a delayed start to the netting operations around Norway, great excitement and expectation has surrounded the opening of the season this year. And for those rivers entering the Trondheim fjord and neighbouring areas the big salmon that Norway is famous for have returned.
Opening day on most Norwegian salmon rivers produced good numbers of hooked, caught, released and lost salmon. Good catches have been reported on all the major Central Norwegian rivers like the Namsen, Verdal, Stjørdal, Gaula, Orkla and Surna – and it is an encouraging sign that salmon have been caught as far as 50 to 60 kilometres upstream (30 – 40 miles).
Namsen’s largest reported salmon so far is 20.5 kilos (45 lb), Gaula has reported several around 15 kilos (33lb), Stjørdal and Verdal rivers have registered salmon up to 14.2 and 16.1 kilos respectively and Orkla beat them all with a magnificent 22.1 kilo (48 lb) fish. The Surna River has also recorded a 14.1 kilo salmon. Fishing in Southern and Northern Norway has comparatively been quiet but some good catches have been reported on some of the West coast rivers.
Big salmon from the Orkla. 22.1Kg (48lb). Caught on Fly.
Netting activity has not started yet so these great fish are able to enter the rivers, for now, unrestricted. The newly introduced netting regime has helped of course (netting in the Trondheim fjord as from 20 June), in addition to the still existing net-buy-out, now in effect on its third season.
Important changes have been introduced in Norway prior to the 2008 season – both on rivers and sea-netting regulations. Most rivers have strict bag limits - daily and seasonal quotas. This has also opened the way for catch & release, and the Minister for Fisheries has declared that the Animal Welfare Act does not prohibit catch & release.
There are still a number of concerns with regards to Norwegian stocks – Gyrodactylus and fish farming seen as the two majors. Coastal and fjord netting, although reduced by a third from this season, are still seen as unacceptable as long as the river-angling community is showing its commitment to conservation. The new river regulations will not be popular with all anglers, particularly local anglers, but hopefully it will be favoured by the majority of fly-fishermen.
With unrestricted access to their native rivers the great fish of Norway have returned and clearly illustrates what an impact netting cessation for a whole season would have!
