Fishing in Norway´s untouched and dramatic nature has always been a dream shared by the four of us: Daniel, Anton and Sebastian from Sandqvist, and the house photographer Knotan. And this past fall we finally had the chance to go, thanks to our good friend Dag Vidar Øksland, who owns a large piece of land with access to several lakes of crystal clear water.
For all it’s beauty, Norway—especially where we were—can be an arduous place to explore on foot. Luckily for the first ascent up the mountain we had assistance from a six-wheeler loaded up with all of our equipment. After the relative ease of guiding the rig up the trail and over streams, the path became too steep and rugged and we were left with the only option of carrying our gear on our backs for the remaining 90 minutes. Once we arrived at the hut that would be our base camp, the hump seemed well worth it.
For the next three days, the hut gave us shelter and refuge. A little 4x5 square meter building with moss on the roof and three boards for a door, built just above the tree line. It was there we slept, made dinner, ate breakfast, and stared out into the great wide open. At night, the thermometer crept down towards zero and when we woke the fine grass outside was frostbitten. We started each morning with a hearty breakfast consisting of porridge, fruit, and strong coffee. Then we hiked for a few hours up the mountain ridges and down the valleys. The landscape seemed to be taken straight out of the most spectacular scenes from Lord of the Rings. There we fished in both lakes and streams at an altitude of 1000 meters. If we where thirsty, we dropped our canteens in a stream and enjoyed the most cool and refreshing water we´ve ever had. If we where hungry, we caught a fish and grilled it right on the spot.
