Stamneshella. 6000 years of fishing history.

Fifty kilometers east from Bergen you will find one of the many side roads that the average tourist would drive past with out a seconds thought but trust me a few kilometers down the narrow road is a seldom visited treat. Not only are you surrounded by thousands of years of history but also you stand a chance of catching salmon, trout and sea-trout. What more can you want?

I'm always happy to see browns of this quality

Glenn waiting for the "one" to hit his worm rig.

Baywatch Norway stlye!!

My trusty Vagen rod has done it again.

Stamneshella is so rich with history where to start is a daunting task. As far back as 6000 years this was an important settlement for the Stone Age Norwegians. It was here that they build a settlement and until this very day people continue to live in the shadow of their ancestors. If you follow the path you can see the “Skipshelleren” (boat cove). In fact in resent years archeologists have discovered bone and stone tools from a time long since forgotten

One of the “modern” features of this district is its salmon towers. Perched on the valley walls are Baywatch towers that for some time mystified me. It wasn’t until a local TV program explained what they were ultimately used for. The salmon wheel “laksegilje” was an import source of income from the 16 hundreds. The fisherman would spot fish from his tower and when it was time to trap his income he simply steered the salmon via ropes and cables called Drags. This enabled the crew below to simply collect another sellable commodity.

How does it rate?

Included to these cool features are old school museums and 18th century boathouses. By know you must be wondering what’s the fishing like? I’ve fished here for some years and some days I must admit it can be tough but on the whole it can be insane. I can remember a few years ago Glenn got stuck into some great brown trout that wouldn’t give an inch. It was a spectacle. Trout around a kilo were fighting with little respect for Glenn’s dinner plans. By days end only two fish made it to the dinner plates. Countless other laughed at us from their watery homes.

I have had the pleasure of losing two salmon both of which had no plans of modeling for Fishbooking. The first was a laugh. I was planned a sweet little sea-trout meal around the fire, when all of a sudden a small salmon engulfed my bomber wobbler and ran down the strong current. My trusty Vagen trout rod was out classed but with 150 meters of new monofilament I figured that it was a walk in the park. With out warning it leapt higher than even I could have expected. The final result was my Raparla’s hooks were totally straightened out.

There is an important note. All wild salmon must be released but that should not stop you from fishing “catch and release”. Stamneshella’s true asset is it sea-trout fishing. During August fishing up stream from the current can produce some magic fishing. Fish are willing to bite worm, tube flies and small herring lures. This should give everyone the chance.

How and where?

Stamneshella is a fjord that forms the outlet for Bolstadfjord, which in part is the lower half of the once famed Salmon River Vosso. By looking at the map it is clear to see which way the ocean current runs, knowing this well help you time the best tide. My experience has shown that the incoming tide is best for the sea-trout but if its brownies you want walk towards the western end (upstream). It is here you will find some great flats that are a fly fisherman dream. I’ve always used larger sea-trout tube flies with great success. The important tip with this system is to be flexible. Everyday is a test for any angler. I’ve fished for hours with out a nibble on my bait set up only to switch to fly and suddenly have it explode with fish

To truthfully describe this fjord current is to typify western Norway: Interesting and challenging yet steeped in history. Not only are you surrounded by breathtaking vistas but also there is more than enough to entertain both you and your family. In all a fantastic day out!



Skot