In the heat of the summer we thought we would share some correspondence with one of our favorite European fishing journalists who went off-the-beaten path to very northern Norway during a 10-day holiday and writing assignment of abundant recreational fishing in a cool location. For Roberto Ferrario, it was his third fishing trip to the north Norway fjords. He and his fishing partner Giovanni Stangalino flew from their native Italy to Denmark, then to Oslo and from there to Tromso. With a population of 62,000 the small city is the outpost and home to the world’s northernmost brewery, university, planetarium and mountain cable car. It is also 200 miles north of the Polar Arctic Circle.

At the beginning of this year I found the place and made the decision and soon I was in contact with a Norwegian fishing agency, Din Tur www.dintur.no  that was mainly specialized to rent small houses (cottages) and fishing boats. So immediately with my friend Giovanni we booked our fishing trip for August.

Our choice was directed to the Tromso region, the Melangen fjord, one of the most productive place in all the North Norway Circle. The fishing center was the Buvik Brigge, a very new center with 4 cottage that can accommodate 4 anglers each. The boats that were at out disposal had the same high quality of the accommodation and were center console 18’ ocean boats powered by 40 HP outboards and with GPS and fishfinder.

This fishing center is placed in a crucial position for the sea fishing because the best fishing area are not far more that; 10 to 20 minutes by boat. Furthermore, there are many freshwater lakes placed very close to cottages and they can be easily reached by car or some walking.

Having a house at its own full disposal, with no obligation of any timetable, we were able to plan our days as we wanted and fish as much as we desired. The same rules were for the boat that we can use in any time of the day and how many times we wanted.

"There is no other region in Europe that can offer the angler as many species of fish and possibilities as the fjords in northern Norway. With its inlets, bays, headlands and islands, the coast, rivers and lakes are a multitude of challenges to the angler. " He described the region as a sportsman’s nirvana with haddock, cod, coalfish, ling, torsk, arctic char, arctic trout, Atlantic salmon, catfish, pollack and many more fresh and saltwater species. “In Italy we don’t have those kind of fish in our seas. We have mainly bluefin tuna, dorado, broadbill, groupers and all are in very scarce quantity.

The temperature differences from Italy to northern Norway were also extreme even in the summer time. “In Italy we have 36 degrees Celsius (about 90 degrees Fahrenheit) while in Norway we found around 10 – 12 degrees Celsius. And because of the location and long days we had almost constant sunshine. “There is no bad weather, just bad clothing,” the Italian writer emphasized. “If the fish are there, we faced the rain and cold. Only strong winds would stop us - then it is dangerous to put out to sea and waves and current make it very difficult to find good fishing spots. On windy days we would go up the fjords, anchor landward of the islands and fish in sheltered waters.

“That is one of the best things about the fjord Norway. We can always find good, safe fishing places, and big fish can be caught even far up the fjords. For many the cod is the king of saltwater fish. It bites all year round, though the main season is winter and early spring. The cod moves in big shoals towards the coast and imminent spawning means the fish are hungry and greedy.

He said an evening on the coast with spinning or fly rod is a wonderful experience for the patient angler though the two men used mainly the jigging technique. “It is the most productive style of fishing. Well wrapped up in warm clothes, in the middle of the day when there is some warmth from the sun, we’d go out onto the fjord with jigging rod, plenty of 100-200-gram jigs, rubber worms and some feathers, fishing from 30 to 350 feet in depth.