Southern magic

One of the many aspects of my job is testing the many lodges that fishbooking.com offer. The first test of the 2002 season was a new company called ALT I FISKE. A friendly open man called Eirik manages this lodge. He is both owner and manager this lodge. My first impression was positive; Eirik runs a professional set up with everything a fisherman needs. Added to this the fishing in the local district, (Vats in southern Norway) is red hot.

A result of three hours fishing

A welcome slice of sunshine!

Light tackle is always a "blast"

Alt i Fiske has a handy shop for those like me that always forget something

Eirik can offer every form of fishing Norway has to offer: deep sea, mountain trout, sea-trout and salmon fishing. The boss and I were so keen to test the fishing. So Friday afternoon we jumped in the car picked his son up from school and hurried down the new motorway bound for the county called Haugasund.

This is one of the best-known areas for sea-trout and weeks prior to our trip I had received reports of big fish been caught. This added urgency to our drive. By five o’clock we were at our base for the weekend. It took but moments for us to find our way to the boat and it was here our guide showed his skill. Within second of finding our first casting zone we hooked into good sea-trout. Late Friday evening the four of us were sitting on the lake, so cold that I thought my finger would fall off but we soldiered on. After two hours we had six sea-trout but the biggest surprise was yet to come.

We were chatting about the salmon Eirik took earlier in the season, in fact the middle of winter when suddenly Torbjørn hooked a great sea-trout. I must be honest and say I was a little sour to see him fight another good fish. To my relief it was not a sea-trout but the first salmon for the year. We were using lightweight gear so this was quite a sight to see the boss working for a change. Unfortunally the salmon was a little thin so it went back in the water. This form of fishing went on for the next two days. We lost count of how many fish we caught by the end of the weekend

“Alt I fiske” offers accommodation for up to six people in a sweet little house situated a stone throw for the lake, Nedre Vats. Added to this there is a cabin for 4-6 people on the fjord. This is not all be he also has exclusive rights to the charming river (Åmselva). This particular river has just four cards per day, which means a greater chance for a good fish than many other rivers I fish. I’m counting the days until opening.

If all of this is not enough for you then try the mountain fishing prospects. Eirik has told me that he has a private lake that is full of kilo trout and Canadian char. If you would like more information just read fishbooking’s, “where to fish” page or ring 52 76 55 60.


At this point I must say no one has paid me to write a good word about this lodge. This is an honest review of one of the countless lodges Norway has to offer. I would recommend a weekend away with your mates or family at this lodge. Not only is the fishing great but also Erik runs a great operation in Norway’s south.