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Langeland. Your platform for chasing Sea Trout on Fyn, Ærø and for Sea Trout - apart from st que r you in d nee you g hin ryt eve nd fi can you e, Her the salt water! Check out the interactive map of the 1,100 kilometres of sea trout coastline. For the first time, EVERYTHING you need has been brought together on one sea trout map. There are 117 fishing spots with satellite photos, topographical maps, descriptions of fishing spots, seasonal recommendations, conservation zones, special rules, etc. – all right at your fingertips whenever you need it!
WHERE TO CATCH A SEA TROUT? You can also:
• Find accommodation at a certified anglers’ establishment • Book the island’s best sea trout angler as your own guide • Watch a video about fishing for sea trout • Follow our work to promote Fyn’s sea-trout stocks • Read news from the coasts, the fishing guides and partners • Gain new knowledge about sea trout and practical fishing • See conservation zone information and fishing rules for Fyn’s coastlines
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rout T a e S d Fin Fyn on
More wild fish on Funen The increased focus on sustainability – global as well as local – also affects anglers. For instance, “catch and release” has caught on, even though the sea trout is both a sought-after sport fish and an excellent fish on the plate.
More and more anglers recognize that wild stocks of sea trout can no longer be taken for granted. Many anglers who visit Funen from abroad express their desire to fish for wild fish. Where they come from, wild fish is often something you have to look up in history books. In this light, it makes sense to return to the water at least some of the sea trout we are fortunate enough to catch. One of Seatrout Fyn’s core tasks is to secure and bolster sustainable stocks of wild sea trout on Funen, and we take pride in supporting the work to restore natural streams.
On average, Seatrout Fyn supports a river restoration project every single month, year after year. The projects include creating spawning beds and removing obstructions that bar the way to and from the spawning areas in the upper reaches of the rivers. While rebuilding the wild stocks of sea trout is essential, it is still necessary to support the sea trout population with stocked smolts. It should be pointed out, that all the smolts released are the offspring of Funen wild sea trout.
These same volunteers can be trusted to undertake the hard work of spreading tons of gravel on the riverbed with shovels and rakes. Thanks to their efforts, streams and rivers are once again becoming good habitats for the sea trout and their fry. In the years to come, Seatrout Fyn will continue to finance new projects to improve the environment. Our future work will focus on restoring the streams that have the greatest untapped potential for producing smolts. We are confident that you will see for yourself the results of our investment in a more sustainable future. All things being equal, the many green projects will increase your chances of experiencing the unmistakable powerful tug of a sea trout when you go fishing along the coast of Funen!
Tight lines
The fact that Funen today offers world class sea trout fishing, is in no small part due to the dedicated anglers and volunteers who work for The Board of Good Streamside Management (“Vandpleje Fyn”). Over the years, local enthusiasts have devoted thousands of hours as volunteers, helping to create healthy fish stocks. Every autumn, they participate in electrofishing for parent fish for the hatchery. Similarly, they turn out in the spring, when the silvery sea trout fry – ‘smolts’ – are ready for release into the rivers.
Publisher: Sea Trout Fyn / www.seatrout.dk Editor: Martin Porsborg Hemrich Print run: 30.000. Published in Danish, German and English versions Layout: anglingconsulting.one Print: Clausen Grafisk Translation: Thomas Vinge Photos: Martin Jensen, Johannes Radtke, Lars Kyhnau, Terkel B. Christensen, Christian Skov, Finn Sivebæk, Fyns Laksefisk Elsesminde, Nicklas Engelbrecht Sørensen, Omar Gade, Frederik Lorentzen, Jonas Høholt, Mauro Barbacci Cover: Mauro Barbacci / maurobarbacci.com
By Anders Dalgaard Christensen, CHAIRMAN OF SEATROUT FYN
e the What a thrill to gseain its released fish re ll y swim wits a nd gracefu by the away, unharmed ex perience.
HOW TO MAKE GREAT FISHI Funen is famous throughout Europe for its sea trout fishing – a well-deserved reputation! However, we cannot automatically assume that the good fishing will continue in the future. Read here to learn how The Danish Sportfishing Association believes the success can be maintained and further developed. By Kaare Manniche Ebert,
BIOLOGIST AT THE DANISH SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION
Anglers from all over Europe are in no doubt: you are hardly likely to find better coastal sea trout fishing trout anywhere else in the world. There are several explanations for Funen’s excellent reputation. Top of the list come accessibility and the first class fishing itself. Add to this the thorough information provided to guide visiting anglers so they do not have to reinvent the wheel. There is a direct link between the superb sea trout fishing
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along the coasts around Funen and the targeted efforts to restore streams, the smolt stocking programme and the farsighted way the fishery is managed. If we are to ensure that Fyn can continue to offer world-class sea trout fishing going forward, it is essential to continue improving life for the sea trout in the many streams on Funen and the islands. New rules and regulations will also have to be considered.
ING EVEN BETTER The trout are back Less than 40 years ago, Funen was known as the Danish island with many beautiful rivers and only one problem: the rivers had no trout in them. Funen’s wild trout stocks disappeared in step with the island’s water courses being shaped to suit human needs. Most of its rivers were straightened out, increasing soil erosion and resulting in the loss of spawning areas, while hundreds of barriers obstructed the passage of the sea trout. To make matters worse, added to this was massive pollution – including contamination by pesticides from the horticultural industry, which killed fish and insects, and indeed all life, on long stretches of the rivers involved. The fact that Funen today offers such excellent coastal sea trout fishing is largely due to the visionary work done by Funen’s municipalities in close cooperation with the many highly dedicated local anglers and volunteers who work for The Board of Good Streamside Management (“Vandpleje Fyn”). But the good fishing is due to other factors, too, namely a successful stocking programme. Funen, Langeland, Ærø
and the many smaller islands also greatly benefit from their favourable geographic location, surrounded as they are by waters that suit the sea trout all year round.
Stocking local trout fry These days, some 500,000 smolts are released every year. When the stocking programme was initiated in the 1980s, the smolts came from wild sea trout stocks from Eastern Jutland. A new stock of sea trout was established when these sea trout returned from the sea to spawn in the rivers on Funen. Since then, all smolts stocked have Funen ancestors. An evaluation of the stocking program published in 2017 concluded that no less than 40 % of the sea trout caught along the coasts of Funen came from stocked smolts. This is surprising, since smolt stocking has ceased elsewhere in Denmark after research revealed that stocked smolts did not contribute significantly to the number of sea trout caught by anglers in those parts of the country. On Funen, however, the many released smolts definitely do have a positive impact!
A large number of Danish sea trout from the rivers of Jutland will pass by the coasts of Funen on their way to and from the rich feeding grounds in the Baltic.
SEATROUT.DK · 5
Sea trout on long journeys
DNA analysis has shown that much of the sea trout caught around Funen come from rivers in Jutland. Sea trout from virtually every river in Jutland migrate in a south-easterly direction in pursuit of food. In fact, Danish sea trout have been caught as far away as Gotland, off the east coast of Sweden in the Baltic Sea. The sea trout are attracted by huge numbers of herring and sprat in the Baltic. At the same time, the environment there is more favourable for the sea trout because the water is less salty. This means that the trout use less energy to maintain their internal salt and liquid balances. Moreover, in winter the sea trout can find areas in the depths of the Baltic Sea with ‘warm water’ at 4-6 degrees C. This
living conditions. Or they retreat to areas of deeper water south of Funen. In summer, the strong currents in the straits to either side of Funen – the Little and Great Belts – create optimal conditions for the sea trout, their cool waters having a high oxygen content. In conclusion, the sea around Funen is ideal for sea trout as they can stay here all year round without the need to make long journeys. Although the best streams on Funen are among Denmark’s most productive, they are generally small and therefore have 6 · SEATROUT.DK
means that more of the sea trout that migrate south and east will survive in even the coldest winters.
Perfect for sea trout
Funen represents a geographic “sweet spot” for sea trout. Located between Jutland and the Baltic Sea, many sea trout migrating from rivers in Jutland have to pass Funen, where they stay for a shorter or longer period, provided there is enough prey and good quality water. As mentioned before, the salt content of the sea is a key factor in the cold winter months. At that time of year, the Funen sea trout can avoid ice-cold and saline water by keeping to the brackish bays, where freshwater tributaries reduce the salinity, thus providing the sea trout with better
a relatively modest trout production. However, they certainly contribute to the fishery.
Safe investment
The municipalities, in cooperation with local anglers and Seatrout Fyn have achieved great results. To preserve and to extend the success, the good work must carry on. Some surprisingly low-hanging fruit remains. Experts point to barriers that prevent sea trout from reaching the spawning
grounds in rivers as the biggest problem. By successfully removing barriers to migration, it will be possible to multiply wild Funen sea trout numbers. As always, funding is the limiting factor, but it is well documented that money spent on removing barriers quickly provides a positive return on the investment in the form of increased income from the tourism and angling sectors. The municipalities’ investment in removing barriers has powerful ecologically benefits, too. Removing just one single barrier can deliver impressive benefits, improving access to fish for miles both up- and downstream. The fish have to migrate upstream to spawn because the upper reaches offer what sea trout need: gravel in which to spawn.
The cormorant problem
Limiting cormorant numbers in the streams where they eat both stocked and wild trout is not really a low-hanging fruit as the problem is difficult to handle. Nevertheless, it is an issue which has to be taken very seriously. Several Danish studies have shown that the fish-eating bird is capable of almost emptying long stretches of rivers, removing every single trout fry. More than 50 % of the smolts in the River Skjern are eaten by cormorants. No fish stocks can survive such a high level of predation in the long term. In Denmark, the cormorants’ behaviour has changed in recent years. The change was first observed in 2009-2011, when successive hard winters prevented the cormorants
The waters arou nd Funen are ideal for sea trout as they can stay here all year rou nd without the need to make long jou rneys. from finding food in the fjords, which were covered by ice. The cormorants then started fishing in the streams. Since then, the birds have expanded their hunting grounds to include the country’s rivers. So caring cormorants away will be a necessary management tool in the future.
Climate challenges
In recent years, the climate has become more unstable. We have become accustomed to new weather records hitting the
news. We have had the coldest winter, the warmest winter, the wettest and driest summers and unheard-of drawn out heat waves. Higher water temperatures will increase the risk of large blooms of algae developing, depleting oceanic oxygen. We have already seen examples on how algae and oxygen deficiency negatively impact sea trout fishing. In the short term, it will be very difficult to counteract the negative consequences of climate change. It therefore becomes even more important to do something about the factors we can do something about and actually make a SEATROUT.DK · 7
A daily catch limit of three sea trout per angler has been proposed – for net fishermen and rod anglers alike. difference. The best example being to solve the problem of the barriers along the streams.
Fewer trout end up in nets
Now let’s look at another low-hanging fruit - one that costs nothing to reap. It will be a question of introducing more sustainable regulation of sea trout fishery and progress in this field has been made in recent years. One good example of this is the new rules introduced for gill nets in Odense Fjord. It used to be entirely legal for commercial and semiprofessional fishermen to erect kilometres of nets in the inlet, transforming the sea trout’s migrations to and from the rivers into a real obstacle course. This is now history, and targeted net fishing for sea trout is no longer permitted in Odense Fjord. In another fjord, in southern Funen, fishing with nets is no longer allowed, whereas rod angling has not been restricted. This visionary way of managing the fishery could also be extended to other fjords and narrow straits. Regulations similar to those in Odense Fjord would mean that net fishing was only permitted using special flounder nets designed primarily to catch flatfish.
Three trout per angler
At the same time, a daily catch limit on sea trout should be introduced and should apply to all types of fishing – including angling. Why limit anglers, you may ask, because it is not the rod anglers who overexploit the stocks of sea trout? That is quite true, but conversely, a daily catch limit of e.g. three sea trout per angler per day is not unreasonable. On Bornholm, such a rule is in place and it seems to work just fine. After all, anglers don’t make money catching fish, and the sea trout is a limited resource, after all. Introducing a general catch limit would greatly benefit the sea trout fishery. At the same time, it would not have any significant negative impact on commercial fishing. 8 · SEATROUT.DK
Unique branding opportunity
The benefits of introducing a bag limit of three sea trout per day are many. It would limit the number of net fishermen targeting sea trout. You risk getting caught by the fishery control and fined nearly 350 euros / 400 US dollars if you sail into port with more than three sea trout on board your boat. In other words, it is a rule that can be easily enforced – and it is actually easier to check in the harbour than on the water. On Bornholm, where the rule has been in force since 2017, the conclusion is clear: practically no net fishermen target sea trout anymore. If, at the same time, a general ban on the sale of sea trout were introduced, the last incentive for targeting sea trout with gill nets would be removed. A visionary regulation like this would be a real game changer and would create a new great opportunity to brand Funen as a unique destination for anglers.
FISHING GUIDE BOOK Fyn, Ærø and Langeland offer kilometre upon kilometre of coast just made for sea trout and sea trout anglers. More than 1,100 kilometres of coastli ne await, With scarcely a single metre where, at some point, a sea trout can not be caught.
117 pots!
Costal S Book contents: Answers to these and many other questions can be found in our guide book to guide you to 117 brilliant fishing spots around Fyn, Langeland and Ærø. Several of the islands’ most experienced saltwater anglers have contributed to the book and share the benefit of their fishing experience. The guide book is full of inspiration for the seasoned trout angler and the novice alike. Good maps and accurate descriptions make it easy to find just the right fishing spot – depending on the season, fishing method and wind direction.
• 117 coastal spots on Fyn, Langeland, Ærø and the numerous smaller sea trout isles. • Aerial photos of every single fishing spot bring a brand-new dimension to fishing. • Fifteen detailed maps with depth contours. • The best season and wind direction for each fishing spot. • Useful tips about tackle, strategy and how to fish all year round. • Useful knowledge about the sea trout. • Guide to sandbars, reefs, troughs and other coastal features. • Ten fascinating tales from some of the spots described in the book.
Buy the book from your local
Fyn fishing tackle store
SEATROUT.DK · 9
n io t a c o l t s e b e h t g in s o o h C
for the season
owned sea trout You can always choose to go fishing at one of theesren will have luck spots and trust your chances there. In many cas atiyou fish equally on your side, but not always, because not all locto selons ect a location well in all seasons. It is therefore much better that actually suits the season.
By Johannes Radtke Photos: F. Pippardt, J. Jasper, A. Lohse og Johannes Radtke
Though the water is shallow, don’t be fooled!
The ‘bathtub’ – the deeper water between the shore and the sand bank further out, acts like a magnet to hunting sea trout.
Even at the most beautiful and inviting sea trout location there will be times of the year where all that counts is missing, such as sea trout! Yet there are anglers who stick to certain places to which they will return again and again, their reasoning being that, sooner or later, sea trout are bound to appear at that chosen ‘unfailing location’. Sure, if you stay at the same spot fishing for a whole year, sea trout are bound to pass by – one fine day – but as a strategy, it is not productive. Exactly where on the coast you are most likely to find sea trout will be determined by at least two factors: the temperature of the water and the supply of food. For that reason, although some coastal locations are popular among sea trout anglers, if you stay there you risk having
to wait for a very long time without getting even the faintest nibble by a sea trout. At the same time, and maybe only a few kilometres away, sea trout may be on the hunt in a ‘boring’ bay... while you are waiting on the ‘perfect’ reef. So is it possible, then, to predict which coastal area will offer the best fishing when you plan a fishing trip, say in April? The answer isn’t obvious because it very much depends on weather, wind and water temperature. And also on something as indeterminate as the ‘mood’ of the sea trout. As a matter of fact, sea trout will sometimes turn up where they are not supposed to at that time of the year. However, there definitely are some classic locations that offer the best chances of success in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. In this article, we shall take a closer look at those classic locations.
The bathtub Wonderful spring sea trout. It was lured by a small top-water fishing wobbler fished through a bathtub on the open coast.
The deep water on the outside of the sand bar I stille vejr og ved lavvande skal havørrederne især søges i det dybere vand på den anden side af sandrevlen.
The small mussel or pebble banks that protrude into the sandy bottom act as ‘shortcuts’ for the sea trout on their way to and from the bathtub near the shore.
Large boulders Boulders offer good shelter for sea trout, as well as a plethora of prawns and smaller crustaceans that live between them.
Weed-covered boulders, small reefs and old groynes surrounded by slightly deeper water.
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The bathtub – a spring classic Sea trout anglers often talk about ‘bathtubs’ – and the name is well-chosen! For the bathtub designates the deeper water along the shore that you will sometimes wade through to get to the shallower water out on the first sand bar. Typically, the bed of the bathtub is dark and consists of rock or clay overgrown with seagrass and seaweed. You will find bathtubs along the open coast as well as in the fjords. In some places, the water is very shallow over the sand bar on the seaward side of the bathtub. In other cases, it will be more than a metre deep. Some miniature bathtubs are only five metres long while others stretch for 100 metres, or further, along the coast. One thing all bathtubs have in common is that the water in them is deeper there than over the sand bar further out. The deepest bathtubs can be up to three metres deep. Other bathtubs are so shallow that they can only be fished at high tide whilst being almost dry at low tide. As the spring sun grows stronger, the water in the bathtub is quickly warmed up and it then offers warmer water than the sea further out.
Whereas a temperature difference of one or two degrees is barely noticeable for the coastal angler, it can make all the difference to the sea trout. This explains why coastal bathtubs are top-notch in the early spring. By mid-April, the water will be warm enough all along the coast for the fish to spread out more. Sea trout are certainly not picky eaters and finding their food of the day is no big problem in the spring. Their menu includes sand worms, bristle worms, shrimps, gammarus, gobies, sticklebacks, and sand eel. In late summer, as the water temperature drops, the bathtubs become interesting again. At that time of the year, the sea trout will frequent the bathtubs to munch on shrimps when they accumulate in swarms before migrating into deeper waters, where they will spend the winter. The bathtubs are also well worth visiting during autumn and winter, as sea trout will regularly go on short hunting expeditions close to the shore.
The bathtub
good catches possible
some chances
Along the sandy beach At the edge between the sand bar and the bathtub, the water is often rather deeper than in the bathtub itself.
Sea trout that patrol here keep a watchful eye on any small fish or shrimp that carelessly venture out across the sandy bottom.
Close to the shore The greatest amount of food is to be found in the zone nearest the shore – between the bathtub and the shallow water, on the sandy bottom.
SEATROUT.DK · 13
FJoRD Small flies and lures – in pink and other fresh colou rs – are good when the cold bites.
A broad belt of reeds along the shore is characteristic of inlets and bays – and a signal that the place is sheltered by the wind. In such places, the bottom can be very soft.
Low water areas
As long as the water is agitated, sea trout can be found in water that is only knee-deep.
Winter hotspots Compared to the open coast, the water is not as salty at the bottom of fjords and large bays, due to the fresh water flowing out to sea. Another characteristic of such brackish environments is the lack of current as there is only a very little difference between high and low tide. Sea trout don’t cope very well with a combination of high salinity and cold water. For this reason, the fish much prefer the ‘dull’ locations in the inner fjords and avoid the open coastline and the reefs where the tidal flow generates currents. The sea trout’s favoured spots in winter are sheltered for the
FJORD
good catches possible
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some chances
wind, which helps the fish save energy. The bottom is mostly soft with scattered mussel banks and patches of seagrass and seaweed. At the end of the cast, the water will seldom be deeper than 0.5-1 metre. In late winter, as soon as the sun starts to get stronger, the low water immediately above the soft bottom warms more quickly. Even a couple degrees increase in water temperature will bring small creatures to life, and the winter sea trout will be on the spot to chase bristle worms and schools of sticklebacks and gobies.
Deeper water In quiet weather, the sea trout will seek areas with a dark bottom and water that is preferably deeper than a metre.
R E T A W P E E D E TH
Here, the water may be up to five metres deep at the end of your casts –far too deep to be of much interest to sea trout.
Typical ‘leopard-spotted bottom’ alternating between large stones, seaweed and patches of sandy bottom
Medium-deep water
In summer, the sea trout seek slightly deeper water in pursuit of herring, sprats, and sand eel.
Close to the shore
Sea trout regularly patrol quite close to the shoreline, checking out the seaweed belts, attacking from the shallows towards deeper waters.
Seaweed flourishes on the stony bottom.
THE DEEP WATER
Cold, oxygenated water in the heat of summer
Areas directly adjacent to deep water and with good currents are to be found in fjords, narrow straits, and at the heads of peninsulas. Here the seabed is firm with patches of sand, and in the spring, the water only warms slowly up because of the pronounced current. Such locations are thus less interesting to sea trout in spring, whereas in the summer, fresh, cool, and oxygenated water is just what the sea trout is looking for.
From April onwards, locations with current will be hot spots for the sea trout and its prey: schools of herring, sprat, and sand eel.
On dim summer nights, the sea trout lingers close to the shore from dusk to dawn. Even in the middle of a hot summer’s day, locations with current can be top-rate, provided the wind is blowing and the current is strong enough. Then the sea trout will be hunting shrimps close to land. So as not to scare the fish, it is best not to wade. Most fish will be found where the water depth is less than three metres. If you sneak along the shore, you will easily be able to target them with short casts. On the other hand, casting across deeper water may bring you a cod as a by-catch.
This large, bright sea trout was fooled by a speed-retrieved spoon.
SEATROUT.DK · 15
THE REEF Along the edge of the reef
Reefs offer perfect hunting conditions for sea trout. From here, they attack in the direction of the sandy bottom, where their prey has no chance of escape.
mmer u s n a i d n I t c e A perf ide on a t h g i h t a t h trout caug f. shallow ree
Inside the reef Quite often there will be a ‘pocket’ of deeper water close to land on the inner part of the reef. This makes for an excellent hiding place, one which anglers often overlook. The sea trout use areas like these both as resting places and as the point of departure for short hunting trips out on the reef.
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The deep water over the sandy bottom next to the reef constitutes a perfect habitat for sand eel and sand shrimps.
Large boulders
Where there are large boulders, sea trout hunt prawns and small fish and try to surprise their prey by swiftly swimming around the stone.
The top of the reef
‘Flats’ overgrown with seaweed.
At high tide, and in rough weather with waves, the sea trout will hunt baitfish and other prey, even on the lower part of the reef.
Far from land, the waves break over large boulders surrounded by deep water.
The perfect coastal spot Reefs are the most popular spots among sea trout anglers. They are to be found along the open coastline as well as in the fjords and at the heads of points and peninsulas. All reefs, be they sand reefs, mussel reefs or stone reefs, are characterized by a pronounced current, which means that the water is always cooler here than in the more protected areas in fjords and bays. This is why the reef is not the obvious location to look for sea trout in the early spring. From April onwards, however, the reefs will regularly have hunting trout visiting them because they offer an abundance and variety of prey in a limited area. You will find sea trout on the reefs even in summer, especially after dark and in the early morning light. The bright summer The inner part of the reef often has one or more breaks with slightly deeper water.
nights are light enough for the sea trout to see its prey silhouetted against the sky. In the early autumn, the reefs are well worth visiting as well – and also during the day at that time of the season. Reefs are built of rocks and gravel, overgrown with bladder wrack. The cavities between the rocks make perfect hiding places for small fish, shrimps and other smaller crustaceans, and hidden in the bottom, dense populations of bristle worms thrive. At high tide, the sea trout chase at the top of the reef and you have to move like an Indian scout so as not to scare them, because you will often be casting your fly or lure to sea trout swimming in water no deeper than 30 centimetres!
RIFF
SEATROUT.DK · 17
ONE DAY’S FISHING is never enough! If you intend to hunt fyn’s sea trout over several days, there is good news for you and your fishing buddy: stay in an authentic angler’s cottage and get more fishing time by the water.
ALONG THE COASTS OF FYN, ÆRØ AND LANGELAND THERE ARE CLOSE TO 30 CERTIFIED ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS, ALL MAKING US ANGLERS, IN PARTICULAR, VERY WELCOME. THAT MEANS THEY ARE AWARE OF THE THINGS THAT MATTER TO US. THE ACCOMMODATION ESTABLISHMENTS HAVE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE FISHING; THEY CAN ASSIST WITH PROCURING CERTIFIED SEA TROUT GUIDES, FISHING LICENCES, YOU CAN DRY AND STORE YOUR GEAR AND EVEN HIRE FISHING BOATS AND KAYAKS – AND MUCH MORE BESIDES!
DV N U O F E B N A C S T N E M ALL THESE ESTABLISH
IA
k d . t u o r t a e www.s THEM BY THIS SIGN: E IS N G O C E R L IL W U O Y AND
. R E N T R A P N Y F T SEA TROU
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Stones and gravel – the formula for more
t u o r t a e s coastal Throwing stones is a thrill. And gravel in the ‘machinery’ is just fine, too. At least if you want to give the sea trout optimal opportunities for spawning. A group of enthusiastic volunteers does just that and their modest changes make a bright difference! ing out spawningad re sp k or w at g’ ale The ‘Gravel Gan of wal nuts. The fem ze si e th s le bb pe . gravel, i.e el, where d’ [nest] in the grav ed ‘r a gs di t ou gs. tr sea she deposits her eg By Birgitte Christensen & Søren Knabe
The Gravel Gang is a network of volunteers who can be marshalled whenever a river restoration project on Funen is to be carried out, laying the foundation for more sea trout along the coasts.
Missing – gravel!
As well as clean and oxygenated cold water, breeding sea trout need a good gravel riverbed. The gravel is essential when the female digs out a ‘nest’ in the riverbed in late autumn. Buried in the gravel, the eggs are safe until they turn into tiny trout fry in the early spring. Unfortunately, many rivers have lost their natural gravel beds, which has resulted in a shortage of spawning sites for sea trout. The gravel may have disappeared when the river was dug deeper. It may also have been covered by migrating sand.
The Gravel Gang goes in action
A shortage of good spawning gravel is no big deal for the Gravel Gang. Every year, a number of restoration projects are identified along stretches of the sea trout’s spawning rivers that require a bit extra precious stony material. The Gravel Gang goes in action, using a digger to unload gravel into the river or as near to it as possible, after which the gravel gangsters take over and rake it into a perfect spawning bed.
A day in the name of the sea trout
On one particular day of the year, you can be sure to experience hectic activity along some of the small rivers on Funen. “World Fish Migration Day” aims to generate awareness of the importance of free-flowing rivers and migratory fish like eel, salmon and trout. On this day alone, some 500 projects are carried out by volunteer enthusiasts in more than 60 countries all over the world.
100 helping hands
In 2018, ten such projects were carried out on rivers and streams on Funen. On World Fish Migration Day, more than 50 volunteers helped to make the designated ten rivers even better places for the trout to live in. Fifty people may sound a lot, but when tons of stone and gravel have to be moved around, the Gravel Gang needs all the helping hands it can get.
Shovelling gravel
Gravel and rocks were transported to the rivers by lorry, after which the volunteers loaded them onto wheelbarrows to move them to areas inaccessible to heavy machinery. Armed with rakes and shovels, other Gravel Gang members made perfect spawning banks for the sea trout by spreading the gravel on the river bed. SEATROUT.DK · 19
Expert is something you become
Some participants already had previous experience, while others were novice ‘gravel spawners’. Fortunately, experience is not a requirement for those who want to participate in river restoration work, as everyone gets thorough guidance from the project managers.
Hiding stones
With the gravel in place, so-called ‘hiding rocks’ were distributed to give the fry somewhere to hide when the tiny fish emerge from the gravel bed in early spring. Some of the streams were even ‘retrofitted’ with tree trunks and roots for the benefit of not just the fish but aquatic plants and insects as well.
Ripples on the surface
When the last shovel of gravel was distributed, and the last rocks had landed in the water with a splash, it was time to stand back and appreciate the labours of the 100 volunteer hands. The many fine ripples on the surface of the water told their own story. Previously unexciting sections of the river now had a completely different flow and the water looked lively and inviting.
Tired the good way
A day out like this in the open doing hard manual work has many benefits, one of them being guaranteed good night’s sleep with a good feeling in the body. Giving nature a helping hand makes sense in so many ways. It’s a hands-on experience, you get to meet new people and have fun at the same time!
Fol low the Gravel Gang (Grusbanden) on Facebook: www.facebook.com/vandplejefyn
At sites with easy access to the stream, the gravel can be unloaded straight into the water.
20 · SEATROUT.DK
The Board of Good Streamside Management
On Funen, 26 local anglers ’ associations under The Da nish Sportfishing Association are working to create good livin g conditions for sea trout. It is the Board of Good Str eamside Management which organises the enthusiastic volunteers who carry out restoration projects and hel p electrofish parent fish as well as giving a helping hand wh en smolts are released in the spring.
The Funen Gravel Gang
The Gravel Gang is a group of men and women who spend a day throwing stones along a river. They do this not just for the fun of it, but also to help create new sea trout spawn ing habitats by adding gravel and stones to rivers of Fun en. • You don’t have to be an ang ler or member of an angler’ s association to join the Gra vel Gang. Anyone can join this network of volunteers. • Members are free to say yes only to the tasks they have the opportunity to participate in. • Typically, 10-20 people can be mustered to solve a specific task – and you can never be too many when several cubic meters of sto ne and gravel have to be moved. • Don’t forget to send a tha nkful thought to the Gravel Gang volunteers next time you feel a sudden hard tug on your rod out there on the coast!
What a triumph to hold the fish. And what a thrill to watch it wave its tail goodbye an instant later after you have shared a few moments together.
Summer fishing in daylight By Lars Kyhnau Jensen
Very few sea trout anglers think of summer as a peak season – except from those who fish for them at night. Perhaps you, too, were under the impression that sea trout are not on the take on a cloudless day with little or no wind and a water temperature approaching 20 degrees? If so, then it’s time to think again! SEATROUT.DK · 21
“Have you seen the weather forecast?” It is Christian, my fishing pal, phoning to ask. We have been keeping a close watch on the weather for quite some time. Now, finally, the weather forecast is promising, with optimum beach weather in sight. The following morning, we meet at the harbour, where we arrange the fishing gear and a decent-sized food cooler bag in the boat before setting out for the small island of Lyø in the South Funen archipelago. As we approach the island in bright sunshine, several families are already taking their morning swim in water at around 1920 degrees Celsius. For our part, we hope to spot sea trout hunting along the sand bars. Christian is the first to cast his line. The chance of a sea trout
taking the lure or fly is greatest in the first two or three casts and as if to prove this, Christian already has a follower on his second cast. A bow wave rises behind the lure and we see how the fish speeds up to take the lure in a rush. After a nice fight, a half-meter-long fish slips into the net. I snap a couple of photos before we release the sea trout to fight another day.
Sight fishing
As the hours pass, the sun climbs higher in the sky, giving us a better chance of catching sight of fish foraging on the sand bar itself or spotting them as they cross the bar between the ‘bathtubs’ of slightly deeper water.
Tropical ‘flats-fishing’ experience on a budget holiday in southern Funen.
The weak south-easterly wind is just perfect, giving our boat a natural drift. This means I don’t have to operate the electric motor but can concentrate 100 % on what is essential: looking out for grey shadows on the bottom. Having drifted for no more than a couple of minutes we spot the first fish as it swims towards the boat at a steady pace. Neither of us is quick enough to react and the fish changes direction and disappears. 22 · SEATROUT.DK
Spin stop
Our next chance comes but a few moments later and this time we don’t waste it. I flick out a wobbler and wiggle it into the fish’s field of view just as a natural bait fish would. Several shifts in tempo can be necessary to get a fish to take, but not this time. As I speed up the retrieve, the fish turns on its own axis on seeing the bait, a single spin stop being enou-
gh to convince it. “Yes, I’ve got one!” I shout as I feel the weight on the rod and the splendid fish takes to leaping before diving downwards, pulling my rod tip over hard. The fish is around the same weight as the first one and puts up an awesome fight before it is gently returned – unharmed and a little wiser.
The pursuit of the sea trout
Casting at fish you’ve seen first may not sound so easy, and success with sight-fishing does require determined effort. I spent three whole summers before landing my first ‘sight fished’ sea trout and before this initial success, I had seen several, and even lost a few. You may now be thinking, why go to all that trouble just to catch a fish? The answer is the excitement and the visual element involved in sight fishing. It is reminiscent of going hunting, catching sight of the prey, sneaking up on it without being detected and then, finally, executing that crucial shot – or cast.
Sight-fishing from a boat
Sight-fishing is best done from a boat, kayak or paddle board. However, sight-fishing can also be practiced as you wade, provided you know the location well and can find fish in water that is not much deeper than half a metre. When wading, you will often catch fish closer to the shore than when fishing from a boat. If you have had a fish follow the fly or lure all the way to the boat, it will easily scare – and you probably won’t get another chance with that fish. Here the odds are better when wading.
With the sun behind you
If you are fishing at a familiar hot spot, it is a good idea to anchor with the sun behind your back in relation to the area you want to cover. When exploring a new location, I prefer to fish from a drifting boat as it allows me to cover a much larger area of water. If the sun and the wind are coming from the same direction, it is just a question of strategically planning how you drift. If not, a small front-mounted electric motor can be a great help.
Let the anchor go
Once I have spotted a fish I usually drop anchor, as there will almost invariably be more fish in the area. If I see a fish but am unable to cast to it before it disappears from sight, or if it gets out of reach, I will always wait a few minutes to see if it comes back. Often the fish will stay in the area for a period of time, and I have experienced casting five times to the same fish within 10 minutes on a 30-metre stretch.
Short casts
Optimum conditions for sight fishing are at noon when the sun is highest in the sky. If the sky is clear and deep blue you will be able to spot fish up to a distance of about 25 metres. Most often, however, you will discover them at a shorter distance and you seldom have to do long casts. On the other hand, your cast must be accurate.
Light gear
Sight-fishing is light-gear fishing. I use a nine-foot rod casting lures from 2 to 12 grams with a medium sized reel and a 0.10 mm braided line. For fly-fishing, a class 6 rod with a fast action is perfect. The line of choice is a weight forward-line with a compact front tapering. When you spot a fish, you must react quickly. This calls for a fast action fly rod that can deliver the fly without much blind casting. As there is no need for long casts, you can benefit from choosing a line a class heavier than the rod’s classification.
Effective blind fishing
It is not crucial to see fish to catch them. In fact, if you can’t see them, then blind fish for them. When fishing at a typical location with sand bars and ‘bathtubs’, I prefer to cast and retrieve along the sand bar. Often it is enough to make one cast along the actual sand bar and then another cast along each ‘bathtub’. In most cases such ‘exploratory casts’ will tell you if there is anyone at home. If there is no sign of fish, then move on. To fish this way may seem a bit half-hearted, but if a fish is in the area, it will almost invariably show up immediately.
A wobbler resembling a sand eel to perfection deceived this trophy summer sea trout. Note the rubber mesh net that doesn’t harm the fish.
SEATROUT.DK · 23
Sandy bottom and deep water
My favourite locations consist in the main of sandy bottom, preferably with deeper water nearby. It goes without saying that followers are easiest to spot when the sun is shining on a light sandy bottom. And that it is much more difficult to detect fish when fishing over a deep ‘bathtub’ on a grey day.
Sandworms, sandworms and yet more sandworms
You might expect sand eels, prawns and gobies to make up the bulk of stomach content in sea trout caught over sandy 24 · SEATROUT.DK
bottoms. Surprisingly, though, no less than nine out of ten fish also have fresh sandworms in their stomach. The typical stomach content consists of a couple of grey sand shrimps, some small baitfish and a bunch of sandworms. I once counted 25 sandworms in the stomach of a 50 centimetre-long fish!
Sea trout love speed
Summer fish are rarely sceptical or choosy, and they will take both lure and fly. I’m particularly fond of a small sand-eel wobbler, but otherwise there is not much to say about the choice of bait. What is key, in my opinion, is to believe in the lure
que simply doesn’t work in summer. When fishing in warm water, it’s better to use a more abrupt stop. As a matter of fact, in summer I have never experienced a sea trout taking the lure when slowing down my retrieve. On the contrary, if you make the lure speed up, the sea trout will do the same. It seems to trigger the sea trout’s hunting instinct to see its prey trying to escape.
Don’t strike to soon
The most difficult part in sight-fishing is not to strike too soon. I must admit that this is a mistake I still make far too often. When you see a fish take the lure, always wait till it turns away. Otherwise, you’ll just pull the lure away from the fish. The simplest thing to do is to continue retrieving until you feel the weight of the fish and it hooks itself.
Larger fish in the majority
The average size of summer sea trout is large, about 5055 centimetres, and they are always is great shape. An interesting observation is that you seldom see undersized sea trout in the middle of summer. Admittedly, small fish are harder to spot than larger specimens, but then I don’t tend to hook many small fish, either. The explanation may be that the bigger fish adapt better to the relatively warm water.
The 20 degree limit
As long as the water temperature is below 20 degrees Celsius, sea trout will be cooperative. When the temperature exceeds 20 degrees, on the other hand, there will be fewer fish around and they will seem a bit reserved. In warm water, it seems the fish only seek the shallow water locations for shorter periods of time. In these hunting periods they are very active and a hungry sea trout usually is determined.
Can the water get too warm?
The author with a whopper of a sea trout that took the lure as it was being retrieved at the edge between the sandy bottom and the dark ‘bathtub’.
you’re fishing with. On the other hand, your line retrieval can be crucial. Sea trout simply love speed and even if you work the lure as fast as you can, it can never go too fast.
Spin stop – the right way
If the sea trout don’t take the lure while retrieved at a normal pace, most times a spin stop will do the trick. Many sea-trout anglers know that a ‘hanging’ spin stop can be most effective in spring, autumn and winter. The idea of a hanging spin stop is to gradually reduce the speed of the retrieve before making the lure actually stop. This techni-
This brings me to the next question: Can the water be too warm? Well yes, perhaps it can. In this respect, the summer of 2018 was revealing. I can’t remember ever before having experienced a summer when I neither saw nor caught a single sea trout for more than a month. But that’s how it was during the heat wave of 2018. When, in the middle of July, the water temperature reached 22-25 degrees, the fishing became more than difficult. I heard of a couple of fish caught out on deeper water and on locations with a pronounced current, but they really were exceptions. According to my experience, temperatures around 20.7-21 degrees seem to be the upper limit for sea trout. In water warmer than this, you will be hard pushed to even find a single sea trout. My logbook shows that I have only once caught a fish when the water was 21.8 degrees.
Falling water
I personally prefer to fish as the tide is going out, although I can’t back this up with a load of scientific theory. And I never time my fishing excursions to coincide with a running tide. All the same, I often experience increased action as the tide ebbs and the water falls.
Give it a try
Although you may be sceptical, you really should give summer sight fishing a try because it is such a thrill. If you hit it right, you’ll spot cruising sea trout in bathtub-warm water – and be in with a chance of catching one!
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Where do all the sea trout come from?
Every year, half a million sea trout fry are stocked in the rivers and streams of Funen. Each and every one of them has Funen ancestors, as their parents are wild sea trout caught during the annual electrofishing in local streams. The fry is bred to a length of 15 centimetres and then released at the smolt stage, ready to go out to sea.
By Linda Bollerup, hatchery manager at Fyns Laksefisk
Seatrout Fyn finances the breeding and stocking of around 365,000 sea trout annually. An additional number of smolt are paid for with money from the national fishing license. In total, this makes up for about half a million small sea trout being stocked annually on the islands of Funen, Langeland and Ærø. All stocked fish originate from wild fish captured during the electrofishing undertaken in local streams and rivers in October and November.
Fishing with electricity
Now 12 to 15 centimetres long, the smolts are ready to head to sea.
When electrofishing for brood stock (parent fish), an
SEATROUT.DK · 27
Fyns Laksefisk is a moder n land-based hatchery that makes use of recirculation aquaculture technology.
spot and retrieve using tweezers. The eggs hatch after 1-2 months. At this stage, the tiny fish are no more than 2.5 centimetres long and unable to feed themselves. They carry a food supply in the form of a sack of egg yolk attached to their bellies, which provides them with nutrition for the next 3-4 weeks. As the fry grow, they are moved to larger and larger tanks but are kept in separate compartments depending on which stream their parents originate from. There are thus compartments for fry from streams flowing into the sea at Eastern Funen, Western Funen and into the Odense Fjord, respectively. The division aims at ensuring that the genes of the different local trout stocks are not mixed.
Smolt release in April
electric current is sent into the water in order to safely stun any nearby sea trout. Stunned fish are scooped up in a net and placed in a temporary holding tank where they can revive. Later, the sea trout are transported to Fyns Laksefisk, a modern land-based hatchery, where they live in large tanks until they are mature. When the fish are ready to spawn, they are anaesthetized and ‘stripped’ by applying gentle pressure to the fish’s belly until the eggs and milt are expressed. The eggs and milt are then gently mixed, thus fertilizing the eggs. The parent fish are released later the same day in the lower part of a stream. From here, these so-called ‘kelts’ (slim sea trout) will return to salt water to recover and start feeding. During the winter months, they become bright and silvery again and put on weight.
Yolk-sack fry
At the hatchery, optimal survival is ensured by placing the fertilized eggs in trays with cold, clean and well oxygenated water flowing through them. Nevertheless, not all eggs will survive. The dead eggs turn white, which makes them easy to
28 · SEATROUT.DK
When the sea trout is one and a half years old and measures about 15 centimetres, the so-called smoltification process begins. The appearance of the fish changes and a number of physiological changes take place in preparation for the smolts’ journey to the ocean. The development of the silvery smolts culminates in April and they are then ready to be released into the wild. An adequate number of smolts are stocked to the individual rivers, on the basis of stocking plans carried out by fish biologists.
Sea trout in the classroom
The Fyns Laksefisk hatchery, where the many smolts are bred and live during the early stages of their lives, is part of Elsesminde Production College in Odense. Young people aged 16-25 use their stay at the school to plan and prepare their future education and career. The hatchery has four full-time employees and one part-time. In addition, the production college hosts three students on internships as part of their fish farming education. The staff, in cooperation with the students, take care of the fish at the hatchery, undertake electrofishing for brood stock and the release of smolts.
Visit the hatchery
Contact hatchery manager Linda Bollerup to arrange a guided visit. Mail: lbh@elsesminde.dk.
a of es en sc e th nd hi be – n ai ag at th y tr t’s Le t o o h s m l fi sea trout The film series “Sea Trout Secrets” starring two expert Danish anglers, Thomas Hansen and Claus Eriksen in the roles of the spin and the fly fisher, and with Niels Vestergaard behind the camera, has become pure cult among sea trout anglers. There are currently eight films in the series, most of which are shot on locations along the coast of Funen.Despite the great experience of the trio when it comes to hooking sea trout as well as catching them on film, filmmaking is not for the fainthearted: bad weather is just one obstacle. What’s even worse is when the rather inconsistent leading actor – the sea trout – doesn’t show up on the set. In this article, Claus Eriksen reveals some of the challenges they encountered during filming of parts 7 and 8 in the sea trout film series. Back in December 2015, our little film crew met to prepare shooting of two new angling films. Both Thomas, Niels and I had quite a few ideas for situations, tips and tricks we wanted to include. We planned to launch our two new sea trout films during the autumn of 2017. As usual, Niels would need four to five months for the editing process and to write the narrations and get them translated. This meant that the footage would have to be completed in early June 2017. In other words, we had a season and a half in which to get the job done. We considered this to be entirely feasible. Personally, I had a wish list of three types of angling, I wanted to present in our films:
1- The harsh winter angling on the open coast. 2- The pleasant summer angling in the middle of the day. 3- The autumn’s entertaining and effective angling with foam flies in daylight. I was sure that the winter and summer angling would be quite easy to nail. The foam fly sequences were more challenging and less certain.
Challenging winter weather
Winter fishing on the open coast is magnificent. Short, cold days along a rough and desolate coast with bitingly cold winds. Usually you have the hot spots for yourself. At this time of year, all the winter sea trout are bright silver and very beautiful. On the other hand, they are not numerous, although this is outweighed by the fact that you are most likely to hook up with a really big, shiny bright ‘jumper’ when the water is cold. The weather, however, is a serious player in February, both for and against. Ideally, a few degrees above freezing and low wind speeds are what you want. Frost and strong winds are no-go.
Film days in the calendar
Niels is invariably involved in several film projects, and I do not make a living making films about angling. As a consequence, we both have to invest quite a lot of our spare time. Finding consecutive blank days in our busy calendars can be difficult, especially at a short notice, since we also depend on the weather forecast. However, we did manage to book a few shooting days in mid-February 2016.
of a m a a e A dr out a nd ovie sea trweight m y heav star.
SEATROUT.DK · 29
Two days may have been a little too optimistic. We would need luck on our side – and somehow between talent and luck we actually got some hook-ups and footage, though not with as many shiny bright sea trout as we had hoped. But we were now on track, and confident because we would have another winter period the following year to fish and film.
spectacular splash. On the contrary, the fish can follow the fly quite discreetly. You may therefore notice a wake on the surface and see a whirl when the fish turns under the fly. At other times, the trout sucks the foam fly down. Though the take may be easy to see with the human eye, it is notoriously difficult to film.
Sea trout on foam flies
No cheating
Our summer shootings in 2016 never really took off as we were too busy with other projects. It was a pity but then again, we were in no hurry, as we could catch up the following year, or at least so I thought. At this stage, it was more important to work on the autumn fishing with foam flies, since we only had one autumn to do it in. We devoted a week in September to the project in Odense Fjord and the Helnæs area of South Funen. The visual element is crucial when fishing with foam flies. You can follow the fly’s dance on the surface from the moment it hits the water until the final retrieve. Often the sea trout attacks several times before it either takes the fly or turns away, which can be quite a thrill.
A wake behind the fly
Of course, the sea trout also chases ordinary flies beneath the surface, but then you rarely notice that. So foam flies offer far more contact with sea trout, simply because you spot all fish that show interest. Unfortunately, the take of the sea trout is seldom a
In the film series “Sea Trout Secrets” we have always aimed to take long shots in order to show the moments leading up to the magic take of the sea trout. What we want to do is to show the cast, the take, the fight and the landing – in a single continuous shot – and do so without cheating. The hook-up is the moment of the adrenaline kick. This is when your heart beat faster and the moment the angler, the filmmaker and ultimately the viewer, truly feel the action. You can compare missing the take with watching a football game and seeing the ball burying itself in the back of the net, without having seen the player who smashed the ball home without giving the keeper a chance.
Hard to keep focus
Filming fishing with foam flies presented us with a dilemma. Should the camera focus on the angler or on the fly? To focus on the angler would be easy enough, but focusing on the fly would definitely be more interesting. We quickly became aware of the challenges of maintaining the focus on a tiny foam fly landing on the surface 25 meters
Foa m flies ca n be effective and fun to fish with but are hard to film.
30 · SEATROUT.DK
out to sea. It demanded no little physical effort for Niels to stand behind the camera, often in awkward positions, trying to keep the camera still and focused on a tiny, constantly moving object out in the waves. For good reasons, Niels couldn’t keep this up for long at a time.
Fishing in slow-motion
Having cast the fly, I had to stand and wait while Niels gave his all to focus on it. This meant that we moved along the coast in slow-motion. I was only able to do so for a limited period of time, because I like to constantly be on the move when chasing sea trout. Our fishing and filming in the Odense Fjord had been a complete failure: we wasted three days there… Then we moved to Helnæs where, finally, the sea trout began to play their part in front of the camera. Although a couple of fish did approach the foam flies, we never got the footage we had hoped for. We decided to postpone the entire film project by six months, because it became obvious that we would need one more September.
Too cold, too windy, too much…
We had planned a week’s filming in February, but were forced to cancel the first two days because the weather was hopelessly cold and windy. Then we had a couple of days with higher temperatures. We started fishing and filming, is was still uphill because the higher temperature made for slushy snow. I tried all my little tricks, we visited secret hotspots and worked very hard. But we were getting nowhere: the water was too cold and the fish were nowhere to be seen. On the final afternoon, we had the opportunity of the week at a location known as ‘the Rocks’ in Dalby Bay. A very nice sea trout took the fly, then was off again immediately. Then we ran out of time and had to acknowledge that we would need another winter. The deadline for the film project had to be postponed – again – by another six months.
Poor time management skills
No more than a week or so later, the weather was mild and partly sunny, and fishing conditions completely changed and were excellent when I visited the same locations with my fishing pal, Steen. The water temperature had risen to a perfect three degrees and, without too much difficulty, we caught four beautiful winter sea trout. Especially one of them made Steen shine like a star: A perfect bright shiny specimen measuring 65 centimetres. I waited a long time before telling Niels about our exploit. I knew only too well how useful a role that spectacular fish would have played in our film project.
Like peeing in the pants ...
The summer of 2017 proved to be cold and windy. In other words, it was as unlike an angler’s midsummer night’s dream as it could be. Heavy winds prevented us from visiting many of my favoured coastal hotspots. My plan-B locations gave some fish, but then heavy rain showers spoiled the camera work. As the weather forecast’s only promise was more rain, Niels decided to give up and return home a couple of days before time. The weather improved the week after and Niels, who lives in the other side of the country, actually offered to return. However, I had begun to doubt my own abilities, so I refused. Instead, we agreed on yet another postponement. Initially, any postponement of the finished project due to the lack of sea trout action was a blow to my confidence and self-esteem. Gradually, as postponements became more the rule than the exception, I accepted them as an easy way of solving the problems we faced there and then. It was a bit like peeing in your pants to keep warm.
Drowned cameras
When Niels and I met up again in September 2017, I could not fail to sense our mutual lack of enthusiasm about the project. We felt tired and discouraged. It didn’t help that at the same time, Niels, had been working with Thomas at the same time on the lure fishing footage. And that he hadn’t fared much better on that count either. For almost two years, Niels had crossed the Great Belt Bridge between Funen and Zeeland several times. He had driven thousands of kilometres and incurred unforeseen expenses due to equipment that had broken down. Three big cameras had drowned and five smaller underwater cameras had been lost.
Time is money
Niels had spent something like 100 days filming, and the film’s
The water temperature of the water, and of the sea trout as well, is close to the zero point.
Steen’s big bright fish – caught in February few days after the cameraman had left the scene. SEATROUT.DK · 31
Tight lines! Yeah right! Not even a deep-water expressline would take the fly down anywhere near the fish here!
release had been delayed by a whole year at least. Unlike me, Niels makes a living out of making and selling his films. He never mentioned it, but I could figure out that his hourly wage on this project would be far below the minimum wage in the normal labour market, and we were not even half-finished yet. More than ever, we were in need of some good old-fashioned fishing fortune. That autumn, we were not entirely lucky, but on the other hand, we were not 100 % unlucky, succeeding as we had in filming some good sea trout action on foam flies. The weather could have been better, of course, the fish could have been bigger, and the takes more spectacular. But then again, we did manage quite a bit and decided that we had what we needed to make the foam fly filmsection in the film. No postponements this time – very strange!
Third time lucky
Around New Year’s Eve, we prayed and hoped that our third attempt would be successful. For the third consecutive year we booked some February days to go fishing and filming at Fyns Hoved at the head of the Hindsholm peninsula. The winter looked promising, mild and green as it was. Then, in late January, a massive cold wave rolled over Funen meaning that we would have to deal with cold, frosty weather. Biting cold winds, bitingly cold water and no sea trout biting… As ice started forming along the coasts, we were forced to postpone our filming for a week, then two more weeks. Finally, in the beginning of March, we had to give it all up, as ice was still covering my favourite winter sea trout spots. Niels would have to make do with the
Another day at the office... Niels taking a welldeserved break during the shootings.
footage we had managed to make two years earlier. It was not quite satisfactory, but there was no alternative this time.
Not written in the script
Initially, we had no plans to film any spring fishing scenes for the movies since spring fishing has been covered well in the first six films in the series. But now, after two years with one obstacle after the other, we badly needed to catch some fish – on flies as well as on film! We therefore booked six ‘safe’ 32 · SEATROUT.DK
days’ fishing in April. As we met up on the coast, the icy winter had only just come to an end and the April fishing proved to be far more strenuous than usual. We did, however, manage to shoot some action and bonus scenes we had not calculated with at the outset. We were confident now that we could adhere to the release schedule and release the films in the autumn of 2018.
Summer 2018 was extreme. May was the hottest month on record. June the driest for 26 years. July the sunniest month ever measured... The weather records were in line. So were the beach babes. The sea trout, on the other hand...
The easy summer scenes
Summer depression
Summer 2018 – the hottest on record
Too early or too late
Filming during the summer is so different. No need for gloves, long underpants or a woolly hat. Spring’s many fishing trips had cured the worst of our sea trout fever and along the coast there was plenty of space in the middle of the day, because, in summer, most anglers focus their efforts on early morning, evening and night. Many anglers are actually unaware of the fact that fishing during the day can be almost as good. To begin with, I thought summer fishing scenes to be the easiest to make. I know quite a few hot spots where cooperative fish can be found, and often large size specimens, that is. Well in advance, we had planned three days of shooting round mid-summer. In case of bad weather, we had scheduled another three days the following week. I felt confident and prepared. This time, we would get it spoton. How could we possibly fail to shoot a series of superb summer scenes? As long as the water temperature stays below 20-21 degrees C, you can easily catch fish along the open coast, even in the middle of the day and in full sunshine. However, overcast days with a little wind are preferable. Most years, the water temperature typically does not exceed 20 degrees Celsius. And in years when it does, this will only happen in late July. So say the statistics, at least. Then came the summer of 2018…
Early in May, the summer hit Funen and a heat wave set in with week upon week of Ibiza weather... In the weeks preceding our planned filming days the weather was terrible, with temperatures over 30 degrees, constant sun and no wind. The coastal sea temperature around Denmark exceeded the fatal 20 degrees. The very day we were about to start filming, the water thermometer showed 23-24 degrees. We chose to cancel. This meant that the film section I had regarded as the easiest to make would now have to be dropped completely. To postpone yet again was not an option. I cursed and blamed myself for not having taken the task more seriously the previous summer. We eventually managed to complete the two fishing films by using bonus recordings which we supplemented with a couple of good shots from a couple oftwo improvised film days on the coast in late summer. Sea trout fishing can be so simple, so easy and straightforward. Yet as we experienced it, it can also be the exact opposite. We often felt unfortunate. During the three years we worked on the films, we were often a few days early, or late. Or we were on time but in the wrong place. The weather was tearing, and we had a whole series of technical problems. We ended up being a year and a half late and eventually had to compromise on ourselves and our original film plan. SEATROUT.DK · 34
The final cut
We often felt very sorry for ourselves, felt persecuted by ill fate. Still, our conviction that the next forecast would change everything, (almost) never failed. That’s why, after all, our efforts resulted in two great films. The films films didn’t turn out exactly as planned, but the final cut was certainly not worse. Perhaps actually better. Because that’s the way trout fishing is. It can’t be squeezed into a calendar and it can’t be Googled or postponed.
Sieze the moment
It’s not entirely wrong to say that we had to go through fire and ice to make the film project succeed. The lesson we learned was that in order to be a successful sea trout angler, you have to be flexible, curious and ready to seieze an opportunity when it presents itself. We anglers will always be guided by the rhythms of the seasons and the whims of the weather. We realise the importance of never taking anything for granted and we’re prepared to work hard for our results. This is exactly what makes sea trout fishing so challenging and so meaningful! See you out there on the coast around Funen,
Claus Eriksen
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Go fishing for science You r alen ou rn Fa ngstj record is c a t c h a t h a n d. always
Did you know that you can use your PC or smartphone to give fish biologists a helping hand? All you have to do is enter your fishing trips and catches in ‘Fangstjournalen’. By using this angler’s log app, you’ll be contributing directly to research and helping to ensure there will be fish for the future. By Christian Skov, researcher at DTU Aqua
Fish biologists at DTU, the Technical University of Denmark, have developed an electronic citizen science platform called ‘Fangstjournalen’. Registering your fishing trips in this catch log provides researchers with unique knowledge about fish stocks. The Fangstjournalen catch log works on computers as well as smartphones and tablets, making it easy to collect information on all your fishing trips, online and in one place. The catch log platform and mobile app is free to use, and your information is not linked to your name during use but is part of a shared database.
Also registers ‘empty bag days’
Today the app is used by more than 8,500 Danish and foreign anglers fishing in Denmark. By sharing their fishing experience, they all contribute directly to the sustainable management of fish stocks. To the researchers, days that end with an empty bag are just as informative as bulging-bag days, so it is important to use the catch log even on days when you do not catch anything. Those empty bag days say something important about the density of the fish.
More big fish?
Based on anglers’ entries, researchers can see if the number of fish rises or falls. They are also able to monitor fluctuations in the number of big fish which helps the researchers better to understand if changes in fish stocks are linked to e.g., change in climate, changes in fish habitats, food supply or fishing pressure.
What’s in it for you?
A more personal benefit of using the catch log is that you get an overview and statistics of your fishing trips. You can also explore new fishing locations and compare your angling with other users of the catch log. Another feature of the catch log shows the location of conservation zones near estuaries along the coast, where angling is not permitted.
You can use Fangstjournalen to:
• Keep track of fishing trips and catches – retrieve an overview of what you caught, where and when. • See the extent of the coastal conservation zones near the estuaries of spawning streams. • See up to date wind and weather data related to your fishing trip. • Add your own photos. • Explore the catch statistics for different locations. • Share information and pictures from the anglers’ log with your friends via Facebook or Twitter. • Participate in a monthly prize draw. • Be part of a community and contribute directly to the sustainable management of fish stocks. • Track how you fish in comparison to others – you always decide whether or not your catches are to be made public. • Over time, the catch log will be expanded to contain information about the biology of fish and how stocks develop.
Download the Fangstjournalen app at: https://fangstjournalen.dtu.dk/
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The catch log is developed by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua) with the support of National Lottery’s distribution funds, National Fishing License funds, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Danish Fisheries Agency.
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Summer nights – a much overlooked sea trout season When midnight approaches, most people are getting ready for bed. For those addicted to summer sea trout fishing, however, this is when they wake up for real. During the hours of darkness, when lesser mortals have given up and gone to bed, the sea trout are on the hunt and so you should be, too. By: Chris Halling
Apart from the spooky hoot of a tawny owl, there is not a sound to be heard as the angler ambles down the path to the coast. The owl has been sitting inactive all day long, sitting out of sight at the top of a tree. Now, in the twilight, it will soon be off hunting over the fields. As he walks along the edge of the forest, looking forward to the night’s hunt, the angler is awake and vigilant, too. Arrived at the water’s edge, he pauses for a while to scout. Even in the dim light, he won’t miss even the tiniest swirl from a hunting sea trout. As he looks out over the sea it is as if his physical senses, sight and hearing are at their sharpest… good riddance everyday world, this is the life. Everything is quiet. Just as expected this early in the evening – but later... He loosens the fly from the ring and wiggles the rod from side to side to shake the leader through the rings and onto the water. The fly is a black version of a classic local sea
trout fly, a Silver Fox, and as he pulls it through the water for closer inspection, it looks just right with a distinct silhouette and sparkling with life in the water. He starts casting. Swishing his rod rhythmically through the air, he is so absorbed by what he is doing he doesn’t notice a fox silently approaching along the shore. The fox stops for a moment, looks out across the water, sniffs around behind a fallen tree trunk, then lifts its head to further investigate the shape at the water’s edge. Having seen the man standing in the water waving a stick so many times before, the fox is not in the least afraid. On a previous occasion he was even fortunate enough to steal the angler’s lunch box from the bag he had left beside the fallen tree. Once bitten, twice shy… today the angler has put his bag higher up the tree trunk, out of the way of the impudent fox. The fox finally trots away, keen to reach the hunting ground before the owl. “Whoo-hoo-hoooo!”
The table is covered and in the shelter of darkness the sea trout prepares to sneak in, looking for prey to chase.
Sea trout on the move
Some distance from the shore, in deeper and slightly cooler water, a large sea trout abandons the formation of boulders where it has been hiding all day. It is time to get on the move again after another day of strong sun and a temperature of around 26-degree. A gentle swish of its tail sends the sea trout swimming towards the shore. It’s in no hurry. Throughout the night, the current will send shrimps, sticklebacks and red bristle worms across the ridge of boulders protruding from the sea bed to form a long reef. Sea trout have extraordinary night vision and this one is familiar with each and every boulder around here. A couple of minutes after leaving its daytime retreat, the sea trout arrives at the reef and glides in behind its favourite rock.
Ready for the hunt
From behind its rock, the sea trout senses an increasing flow of water along its body. The current flows across the reef and will continue to do so until the sun’s first rays strike the water it in a few hours. Another sea trout approaches and settles behind the rock, next to the big one – ready for the hunt to start.
His heart thumping
The angler takes great care not to agitate the water as he wades out a little deeper. Coastal angling may well be considered relaxing, but when a heavy splash suddenly breaks the silence somewhere out there in the dark it makes his heart race. His breath quickens and his muscles tense, ready for action. Then again: Splash! The surface of the water, previously smooth as a mirror, is now broken by not one but several hunting sea trout.
The final swim of the shrimp
A shrimp is struggling to make headway, but has to give in to the current that is now flowing fast over the low reef. The crustacean glides over a mussel bed that ends abruptly, giving way to deeper water. Here the shrimp will be able to swim to the safety of the sea bed. The sea trout never allows a treat like this to pass, though, and it doesn’t get that far. The sea trout is moving at speed now, and the way it breaks the water as it intercepts the shrimp leaves the angler in no doubt as to what is going on.
The strike
Having returned to its cover behind the rock, its eyes fixed on the surface, the predator is ready for the next assault. Silent ripples on the surface behind the large rocks indicate the strength of the current. Suddenly, a tiny black shadow glides down the edge of the reef. It could be a baitfish, or perhaps a ragworm. The sea trout has never seen anything like it before, but there is no time to waste. Whatever it is, if the trout fails to respond immediately the current will carry the titbit away. It shoots forward, striking its prey with precision.
During the golden hou r arou nd sunset, the scenery can seem almost surreal.
Fight against the current
The angler feels a hard tug on his wrist, his rod bends, and line pulls off the wheel. All of a sudden, his entire attention is directed to what is happening in the darkness in front of him. Nothing can stop the fast-running fish and the angler is focused on one thing only: ensuring that the line runs through the rod rings without getting tangled. The strength of a heavy summer trout in excellent condition is impressive as it is. Using the current to its advantage makes it an even stronger opponent. As the fish settles down, the angler turns on his headlamp and is reassured to see that his fly is firmly anchored in the corner of the fish’s mouth. He wades back towards land and grasps the trout as it rolls over on its side. He lifts the fish onto land and knocks it on the head with a round stone. Up at the fallen tree it is time to enjoy the sight of the fish and to sit for a while to digest what he has achieved.
The black Silver Fox fly has a distinct silhouette and lively wing, making for an excellent night fly.
Time to rest
After a cup of coffee, he grabs his fly rod once again and heads back to the reef. A few minutes later, a new sea trout reveals its presence with a splash on the surface not far from where the first trout took the fly. It is the best hunting spot on the entire reef, and when one sea trout leaves, it is quickly relieved by another. In the dappled red morning light, the fox heads home to its burrow where mother fox and her young pups are waiting. High in a tree, the owl lets out a long, mournful wail as the fox passes the reef and the fallen tree. The angler has left, and the water surface is flat without a ripple, the last foraging sea trout having departed. The hunt is over for now, but at sunset it will start all over again.
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Can you hear the reef c
alling out to you?
On summer nights, you will often have the best fishing spots all to yourself and will be am azed at how much wild life you will see after the sun has set. On top of that, the sea trout ar e on the take during the darkest hours and in pe ak condition, too. Listen for a moment, an d you may hear the reef calling out for you to come!
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One thing you can’t do in you r sleep: The author proudly shows off the silvery reward for his hardfought batt le in the darkness.
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