BELLY BOATING IN NORWAY:

There is a new invention spreading like wild fire among sports fishermen. The luxurious floating revolution is here to stay…..

Here I am with my first of the season

Paul in the summer groove

The two most common models on the market

Not long after an American fisherman saw a bunch of small children playing with an old tractor inner tube an idea was born that will change lake fishing forever. It was not long before all the bugs were ironed out of his early prototypes and what we see here today was born! I’m certain that after reading this you will question your old methods.Belly boats have had a mixed response both here in Norway and in the U.K. There are advantages and disadvantages with these craft. I believe that a combination of misinformation and fear of new ideas is to blame for the sceptical reception. It is apparent that fishermen stand to gain the most and our beloved salmonoid species run the greatest risk. But there are more issues.

PROS AND CONS

Often it is impossible to find a good spot to fish due to difficult conditions. Having to look for boat rental outlets valuable time is wasted. This often ends in frustration due to irregular hours kept by particular rental agents. Boat rental is never cheap and the added cost of permits and the expenses of our hobby keep us working dreaded overtime just to pay for our leisure time. It’s a never ending cycle us fisherman are constantly fighting. I spent the first of many seasons plagued by endless problems finding landowners, boat rentals and so forth and so on.

A belly boat owner never needs to worry about this happening again. Belly boats are light and portable (they’ll fit in an none too large backpack) and ready for use in a flash: inflating your boat takes a few minutes with the aid of an inexpensive lightweight pump. Pure economics calculate in our favour. If this little toy is used fifteen times over the course a season it begins to pay for itself. The true advantage is that you can flock with your “crew” or find your own little slice of paradise. Never again will you be crammed in a small boat with your stinky mates. I’m certain we all have lived through that all too often

So what are the sceptics’ objections? Some claim its portability is also one of its major disadvantages: its too easily transported between an enormous range of environments. The increased chance of spreading diseases is a factor that should not be dismissed without thought. I believe it’s in the fisherman’s own interest that he must take full responsibility for disinfecting and cleaning equipment. After all: it isn’t that difficult, is it? Further more overfishing is a controversial topic among lake managers. A simple matter of a bag-limit solves all of the banter between the parties involved. Overfishing from belly boats is something I haven’t witnessed so far. If you are so fortunate to get such a large catch that you’re uncertain what to do with it all: try catch and release? It never hurts to think of the next generation. After wouldn’t we all love to introduce our children to the bountiful world we live in today?

New techniques

As with all new forms of fishing some adjustments must be made. The most telling of these is your casting. Be aware of your back cast: your fly will constantly strike the water with a hell of a splash. You can kiss your chances of a fish goodbye if you continue to slash and thrash your way though a still lake. I see this simple mistake being made over and over again. By holding your casting arm higher up you will avoid both failure and embarrassment. The greatest challenge faced by us “boaters” is landing our quarry. Most people I meet tend to use landing nets but I’ve had to many near misses. Landing your fish by hand has the distinct advantage that your fish will re-enter the water unharmed. Belly boat angling requires a little more self-control. Playing your trout that little longer will help you land a calmer fish. After all, landing large fish on a small floating craft is not that easy. Because of this I no longer have the desire to carry a net.

Fun factor

An entire new world has opened up for me. Over the last three years I’ve used my boat in both fresh and salt water. I have yet to find an environment where I can’t fish. Finally I can give all our readers photographic evidence of some of my better days! My greatest adventure to date was early spring 2001. Well dressed against the cold we set out to find one of western Norway’s famous rainbow trout. Armed with our all time classic rainbow flies we paddled to the perfect location. This particular lake is known for its overhanging trees and steep cliffs. Normally this would have left us no other option but to hit the water with one of the few rental boats or walk for hours finding the so-called perfect location. Now it took us about twenty minutes to ready our own “boats” and start paddling towards a remote arm of the lake where we would be completely undisturbed by hordes of landlubbers. It was not long before the first rainbow struck my Montana. At first I figured I had hooked a “pounder” because a lack of response from below. Its behaviour changed when it spotted the Unidentified Floating Object: the battle was on!

Suddenly a lazy day on the lake with a few mates turned into something very serious. During the first half hour I felt I had no control. Not in my wildest dreams had I imagined that such a large fish would take my fly! As it leapt I caught a first glimpse of the great beast. Seeing the challenge before me made me even more determined to land this wonderful creature. At this point my experience took charge. I let the fish run deep to stop it from spitting my fly. Not before long the fish was exhausted and I could start reeling it towards me.At this moment a little problem showed up. My net was well undersized for the fish. What to do? I had no idea. My mate Glen paddled over to lend a hand and thank God for that! He used the steady hand of a cocktail barman to land my little baby. I must say that little baby was a whopping 9 lbs! It turned out to be the first of many that season.