WWW.SEATROUT.DK YOUR PLATFORM FOR CHASING SEA TROUT ON FYN, ÆRØ AND LANGELAND
Find Sea Trout Fyn on:
Here, you can find everything you need in your quest for sea trout – apart from the salt water!
CHECK OUT THE NEW 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 NEW 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#?! 2 · seatrout.dk
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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20 # 17
INCREASINGLY SUSTAINABLE
SEA TROUT FISHING
The many sea trout of Fyn – and Sea Trout Fyn – are alive and well. Having said that, we are still working hard to create positive developments in saltwater fishing for sea trout off Fyn, Ærø and Langeland. Essentially, we want the fishing to be based on a natural stock of wild sea trout. That requires major, ongoing efforts in Fyn’s streams, both by way of removing obstacles and by improving spawning grounds and places for juveniles to grow. The work is done by volunteers through Vandpleje Fyn and one of Fyn’s ten municipalities. The state water area plans require the municipalities to take action in the streams covered by the plans. However, many of the small streams that are so crucial for sea trout are not included in the state plans. For that reason, Sea Trout Fyn and Vandpleje Fyn have an important role to play, going forward, to ensure that sea trout can successfully access and spawn in the small streams. In this issue of the magazine, you can read about a restoration project in Sørenden just outside Odense, where the result once again underlines the great importance of this work to the natural, local sea trout stocks. The result of Sea Trout Fyn’s major initiative targeting streams, still to be implemented, will be of great significance in determining whether we will still be able to attract anglers from abroad, as the concept of sustainability takes on ever more
importance among many of us anglers. If, over the next 10–15 years, we complete an initiative corresponding to 10–12 projects per year with a subsidy from Sea Trout Fyn, by that time we can come close to our goal of a self-reproducing, natural stock of sea trout. Sea trout that will be the bedrock of the best saltwater fishing for sea trout anywhere in Europe. If we achieve our goal of having all of Fyn’s streams fulfil their potential, we will be able to minimise releases of smolts. That, of course, will also depend on factors such as rates of fishing, both by rod and by other methods. Here, too, Sea Trout Fyn will attempt to play a part in the years to come to ensure that sports fishing for sea trout is given high priority and is executed to a high ethical standard – for the benefit of all anglers. TIGHT LINES ON FYN’S COASTLINE! Jan H. Kjeldsen,
PROJECT MANAGER, SEA TROUT FYN
Publisher: Sea Trout Fyn / www.seatrout.dk Editorial: Martin Jensen Print run: 25.000. Published in Danish and English versions Layout: www.salarmedia.dk Print: PrintConnect Aps. Translation: Interpen Translation Photo: Martin Jensen, Lars
Kyhnau, Ulrik Jeppesen, Anders Christensen, Terkel B. Christensen, Christian Skov, Finn Sivebæk, Niklas Albrechtsen, Fyns Laksefisk Elsesminde, Nicklas Sørensen, Omar Gade, Jesper Lindquist, Frederik Lorentzen, Jonas Høholt, Mauro Barbacci. Cover: Jonas Høholt
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AUTUMN ON HJORTØ ISLAND 20 # 17
TEXT AND PHOTO: TERKEL B. CHRISTENSEN.
MAPS:
CONTAIN DATA FROM SDFE.
HEAD TO SVENDBORG, AND EMBARK ON AN HOUR’S SAILING IN THE SOUTH FYN ARCHIPELAGO.
HERE YOU WILL FIND A SMALL IDYLLIC ISLAND THAT ONLY A VERY FEW INQUISITIVE SEA TROUT ANGLERS HAVE DISCOVERED. HJORTØ BOASTS PLENTY OF TWO THINGS: UNSPOILT COASTS AND SEA TROUT
HJORTØ.
NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN THE WORLD. NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HERE. THE FACT THAT THE FERRY ONLY HAS ROOM FOR A HANDFUL OF PASSENGERS AND NO CARS IS A GOOD INDICATION THAT THIS LITTLE ISLAND IS NOT EXACTLY OVERRUN. AND THAT’S A SHAME, BECAUSE THIS FASCINATING ISLAND IS WELL WORTH A VISIT. SO WHAT EXACTLY MAKES HJORTØ SO INTERESTING? BASICALLY, IT IS THE REALISATION THAT THERE IS NOT VERY MUCH ON THE ISLAND – APART FROM IMMENSE TRANQUILLITY AND SEA TROUT COASTS. FANCY SOME UNCHARTED FISHING FROM ONE OF DENMARK’S SMALLEST INHABITED ISLANDS, RARELY FREQUENTED BY ANY OTHER ANGLERS? THEN HJORTØ IS THE PLACE, WHETHER IT’S FOR A DAY TRIP OR SEVERAL DAYS UNDER CANVAS. 4 · seatrout.dk
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Hjortø is centrally located in the South Fyn Archipelago approximately at the mid-point of Tåsinge, Ærø and south Fyn – islands that also resonate with sea trout. In ancient times, the Archipelago was above sea level, covered with woodlands and inhabited by Stone Age people. Since then, the land has sunk beneath the waves due to a general lowering of the land in the southern part of Denmark. As a result, the
Hjortø is one of Denmark’s smallest islands. Hjortø is a mass of boulder clay measuring 90 hectares and with a total of six kilometres of coastline. The most obvious, classic sea trout spots are at Halen in the far west, and the southwest coast. But the very shallow waters towards the north are good for fishing, too. In spring, especially, you can find some amazing fish there. The island of Hjelmshoved is
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Archipelago now consists of large areas of shallows traversed by channels created by tidal waters and Ice Age glaciers. The shallows offer the best possible growth conditions for small fish and shrimps – right at the top of the menu for sea trout. The little ferry to and from Hjortø is called Hjortøboen. Although traffic to the island is sparse, you need to book your journey well in advance of departure: the ferry only sails if tickets have been booked in advance! To book, visit www.svendborg-havn.dk
less than 200 metres northeast of Hjortø. The water between the two islands is shallow enough to wade through. The island is less than two kilometres in circumference and sufficient for half a day’s fishing. The water is fairly shallow all the way around. You have to wade out a few hundred metres to reach waters above knee height. But make no mistake – the mill-pond waters with mixed vegetation are sea trout territory par excellence.
Welcome to Hjortø. Three expectant sea trout anglers leave the harbour and head into town – or, rather, the ten houses on the island, only a small proportion of them lived in by the 5–6 permanent residents. The introduction to this article said there is not much else on the island apart from the scenery. That is quite literally the case. There is nowhere to buy anything. You have to bring everything from home. You cannot buy a cup of coffee or get anything to eat. There is no overnight accommodation – unless you bring a tent. There is a neat lawn by the harbour and you can pitch your tent there, free of charge.
One of the locals wants to size us up and find out where we are heading. In return, we receive a fresh update on sea trout fishing: “The sure-fire stretch is down from Hjortø Mølle mill and out towards the northwest, about one kilometre of coast. You can wade out 30–40 metres there. It’s classic sea trout water, with large rocks among the clumps of seaweed. Farthest out is probably Hjortø’s best sea trout spot. It’s the big reef, Halen, jutting out into the Archipelago towards Drejø. There is plenty of current here, and large rocks, if you see what I mean.”
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HJORTØ MØLLE MILL CAN BE SEEN ACROSS LARGE SECTIONS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. IT IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF HJORTØ, WHICH IS ABOUT ONE-AND-A-HALF KILOMETRES LONG. FROM HERE TOWARDS THE WEST WOULD BE THE PLACE TO FOCUS ON IF YOU ONLY HAVE A FEW HOURS AVAILABLE.
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Hjortø is within the designated wildlife reserve of the South Fyn Archipelago. That means there are certain restrictions on where you can go during the birds’ breeding season. In other words, from about 15 March to 15 July, you cannot fish on Halen, the eastern part of Hjortø or on the eastern part of the neighbouring Hjelmshoved. That means approximately one-half of the islands’ coastlines are out of bounds during that period. However, there are approximately 6 kilometres around Hjortø and 2 kilometres around Hjelmshoved. So you can happily head to Hjortø in the spring. There are still plenty of superb expanses of water available, but to get the maximum benefit, early
spring, summer nights and autumn are the best times for seriously concentrating on Hjortø and Hjelmshoved. Halen – Hjortø’s most westerly point. The ferries to and from the other amazing sea trout islands of Ærø, Drejø and Skarø pass at regular intervals. So do the sea trout. The current can really race across all those rocks. The superb vegetation, especially, sets the scene for this classic sea trout spot. The fact that prawn fishermen set their traps at the tip is yet another indication that there is worthwhile fishing here. Halen is not the worst place to be on a peaceful summer’s night with your fly rod. Hjortø sea trout: The shallow and nutrient-rich waters of the Archipelago are well-stocked with prey, so there are always strong chances of catching sea trout. Fish measuring between 40 and 50 centimetres are the ones you will most commonly encounter, but occasionally you will find their older, bigger siblings in their midst. As we know, sea trout are socially inclined. Huge fish can also be found in the waters near Hjortø; the skipper of Hjortøboen confirmed that to us: his own record this spring was one of the really big, trophy sea trout. It tipped the scales at a whopping 9 kilograms... what a dream fish!
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NEW FISHING GUIDE BOOK 20 # 17
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 COASTLINE AWAIT, WITH SCARCELY A SINGLE METRE WHERE, AT SOME POINT, A SEA TROUT CANNOT BE CAUGHT.
BUT WHERE DO YOU START? WHICH ARE THE BEST FISHING SPOTS FOR DIFFERENT SEASONS? AND WHAT ABOUT THE WIND AND THE CURRENT? HOW DO THEY AFFECT VARIOUS LOCATIONS?
Answers to these and many other questions can be found in our new 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. BUY THE BOOK FROM YOUR LOCAL FYN FISHING TACKLE STORE
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COASTAL SPOTS#!
BOOK CONTENTS: • 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.
SEA TROUT FYN
WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE SAKE OF THE SEA TROUT seatrout.dk · 11
SEA TROUT FYN SEATROUT.DK
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WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE SAKE OF THE SEA TROUT
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TEXT:
MARTIN JENSEN, SEA TROUT FYN. SØREN KNABE, VANDPLEJE FYN. LINDA BOLLERUP, FYNS LAKSEFISK
PHOTO:
FREDERIK LORENTZEN, JONAS HØHOLT AND FYNS LAKSEFISK
FYN, ÆRØ AND LANGELAND HAD HARDLY ANY SEA TROUT LEFT – ONCE. LONG-TERM COOPERATION HAS BEEN THE WAY TO SUCCESS WITH A COMMON AIM:
IMPROVING THE SEA TROUT’S LIVING CONDITIONS. THIS HAS CREATED SUPERB SPORTS FISHING AND FISHING PLEASURE – AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT WITH REAL JOB CREATION AND A FINANCIAL RETURN.
SHARED WATERS AND SHARED GOALS Sea Trout Fyn is a collaborative effort involving the ten municipalities of Fyn, Ærø and Langeland, with a steering group executing the strategy adopted by the ten mayors. The goal has always been to improve watery habitats and, as a result, create good sports fishing for sea trout. This is accomplished in part by restoring the streams on the islands to facilitate a sustainable stock of Fyn 12 · seatrout.dk
sea trout. Sea Trout Fyn was established in 1990 and is now a successful nature and commercial project, recognised in Denmark and abroad for the excellent sea trout fishing now offered by the islands. This success is due to a broad-based partnership that also embraces commerce – and not least, with Vandpleje Fyn and Fyns Laksefisk as indispensable partners.
SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION Together, the municipalities invest approximately DKK 4 million annually, which Sea Trout Fyn converts into three initiatives. These initiatives are interdependent: Restoration of streams and removal of dams and weirs, release of sea trout smolts and angling tourism. Evaluations document in black and white that it works, and here on Fyn and the isles, we have good reason to be proud of that. The result is better-than-ever fishing for sea trout and a natural environment with more diversity. Good sports fishing has become a healthy business for local enterprise and the municipalities alike. We sea trout anglers benefit greatly from these three initiatives, of course, and the older ones among us can still remember how few and far between catches of sea trout were in past decades. However, investing in Sea Trout Fyn has also demonstrably generated a handsome return. The latest assessment shows that Sea Trout Fyn has generated: • 38 FTES CREATED • LOCAL ADDITIONAL TURNOVER OF AT LEAST DKK 50–58 MILLION PER YEAR • AT LEAST 55,000 OVERNIGHT STAYS PER YEAR BY PEOPLE VISITING TO FISH FOR SEA TROUT ONE SEA TROUT PROJECT PER MONTH The municipalities work with Sea Trout Fyn to carry out restoration of the streams that have great potential for spawning sea trout: areas with the greatest potential get first priority. It is very simple and focused. Sea Trout Fyn provides financial support for a massive 80% of the costs to whichever of the municipalities will be undertaking riverrestoration. That way, a municipality is able to flex the major financial muscle often required to be able to take action on things like obstacles to streams, which absolutely have to be removed.
Each year, 10–15 initiatives are selected on the islands. That means Sea Trout Fyn has now provided subsidies to more than 300 restoration projects in trout streams on Fyn, Ærø and Langeland – an average of one stream project per month for 25 years. This has been long-term, extensive work – but what a difference it has made to sea trout angling on Fyn! A clear indicator is the many sea trout-fishing islanders and visiting guests. VANDPLEJE FYN (FYN WATER CONSERVATION): TREMENDOUS VOLUNTARY WORK Living on Fyn or the isles is sheer pleasure if you are an angler. Fyn’s anglers are well aware that they are living in an eldorado. However, they realise, too, that fishing for sea trout on Fyn’s coasts is the result of decades of work by the municipalities of Fyn, Fyns Laksefisk and Fyn’s anglers – and anglers really appreciate this work. Vandpleje Fyn is a force to be reckoned with, boasting by far the largest share of Fyn’s angling clubs and, therefore, representing more or less all 2,800 Fyn anglers who are members of the Danish Sports Fishing Association. The purpose, among other things, is to improve living conditions for fish in Fyn’s streams, and to organise Fyn’s electro fishing for breeding fish. The work of organising electro fishing and the work of supporting Fyns Laksefisk must be considered as a primary task. Without this voluntary work for Fyns Laksefisk, they would have difficulty meeting the requirements for stocking quotas to improve the supply. Each autumn, Vandpleje Fyn and a handful of clubs and associations undertake work corresponding to approximately 550 man-hours distributed over approximately 20 electro fishing trips around the whole of Fyn – all done on a voluntary basis.
FYNS LAKSEFISK OUT ELECTRO FISHING ON THE RIVER AA, WHICH EMPTIES INTO THE SEA TO THE SOUTHWEST OF FYN. MANY PEOPLE MIGHT NOT THINK THIS STREAM IS VERY SIGNIFICANT, BUT THE SEA TROUT ARE ECSTATIC ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT LITTLE SPAWNING STREAM. EACH YEAR, SEVERAL SEA TROUT WEIGHING MORE THAN 5 KILOGRAMS ARRIVE HERE. seatrout.dk · 13
“THE GRAVEL GANG” INDISPENSABLE SUPPORT Another key task for Vandpleje Fyn is preparing stream projects throughout the area covered by Fyn. Vandpleje Fyn plans and, annually, implements several restoration projects in these valuable little spawning streams. These usually involve spreading gravel beds and shingle for spawning in the upper parts of the water systems, where the restoration offers the most value for effort. The Gravel Gang consists exclusively of a large band of enthusiastic volunteers who are happy to toil away with wheelbarrows, rakes and shovels to spread the gravel in streams that are often inaccessible to large machinery. This way, Vandpleje Fyn and the Gravel Gang ably assist Sea Trout Fyn’s municipalities, which usually take care of the large, complex and expensive projects. FYNS LAKSEFISK HATCHERY In the heart of Odense is a modern, land-based sea trout hatchery. It is a recirculated system; in other words, an aquaculture hatchery where the water is purified and used again. As part of Odense Produktionshøjskole (Odense Production High School), Fyns Laksefisk is a workshop for, at any time, 9–11 students, two technicians, a workshop instructor, a master fisherman and 3–4 students on
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an aquaculture study programme. Together, they raise sea trout for stocking streams, mainly on Fyn. Each spring, approximately 365,000 sea trout are released for Sea Trout Fyn. In short, the “parents” of the little trout are caught in the autumn in the streams by means of electro fishing. The parents, or broodstock fish, are sedated with electricity and taken to Fyns Laksefisk, where they are stripped of their roe and milt before being released back into the wild. Electro fishing starts at the end of October and continues through to the end of November. Fyns Laksefisk undertakes electro fishing most weekdays during this period. It is a popular attraction for local school classes, who learn about the streams and their inhabitants. At the weekends, Fyn’s anglers spend their free time electro fishing and bringing broodstock to Fyns Laksefisk. This cooperation between Fyns Laksefisk and the anglers (Vandpleje Fyn) is both close and vital. The fertilised eggs are stored safe and sound in hatching trays at Fyns Laksefisk. In February/March, the swim-up fry begin to feed for themselves, and when, the next year, they each weigh 40 grams and measure 15 cm, the sea trout are released into the streams as smolts. Here, they migrate downstream towards the sea around Fyn and the isles – later to return home to the stream to spawn.
SEA TROUT! THEY ARE STILL TOO SMALL TO FIGHT OR DO MUCH ELSE BUT WAIT AND SEE. IN A FEW YEARS, THEY WILL BE BIG AND STRONG AND MAKING THEIR WAY ALONG THE COAST TO THE STREAM OF THEIR INFANCY, TO SPAWN.
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ONE DAY’S FISHING IS NEVER ENOUGH! 20 # 17
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 16 · seatrout.dk
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! ALL THESE ESTABLISHMENTS CAN BE FOUND VIA WWW.SEATROUT.DK AND YOU WILL RECOGNISE THEM BY THIS SIGN: SEA TROUT FYN PARTNER.
AN OCEAN OF OPPORTUNITIES:
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BREAKING WITH SEA TROUT THEORIES 20 # 17
TEXT:
ULRIK JEPPESEN, FYNS LAKSEFISK
PHOTO:
ULRIK JEPPESEN, TERKEL B. CHRISTENSEN AND LARS KYHNAU JENSEN
SOME FISHING SPOTS ARE MORE POPULAR THAN OTHERS – BUT THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THEY ARE ALSO BETTER THAN OTHERS. RATHER, IT MEANS THAT WE SEA TROUT
FYN HAS SOME OF THE BEST SALTWATER FISHING FOR SEA TROUT IN THE WORLD.
SEA TROUT FISHING
ANGLERS ARE DRIVEN BY THE SAME THEORIES. BREAKING WITH HABITUAL THINKING OPENS UP EXCITING NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR SEA TROUT COASTS, WHATEVER TYPE OF FISHING IS YOUR THING.
THE DESERTED 1,000 KM
ANGLERS FROM DENMARK AND ABROAD DISCOVERED LONG AGO THAT FYN HAS SOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST SALTWATER FISHING FOR SEA TROUT. HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT EVENLY DISTRIBUTED ALONG THE FISHING SPOTS OF THE COASTLINE. LET ME DARE TO CLAIM THAT, AT SOME TIMES OF THE YEAR, WE ANGLERS AMASS ALONG 100 KILOMETRES OF FYN’S COAST, WHILE THE REMAINING 1,000 KILOMETRES ARE MORE OR LESS DESERTED. AND THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT BECAUSE YOU CANNOT CATCH TROUT HERE. ON THE CONTRARY, IT IS BECAUSE MOST OF US ARE DRIVEN BY THE SAME THEORIES ABOUT WHERE, WHEN AND HOW TO OUTWIT THE SEA TROUT. THEORIES ARE OFTEN USEFUL. HOWEVER, THEY ARE VERY LIMITING, TOO, AS WE ARE QUITE SIMPLY OVERLOOKING AN OCEAN OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. seatrout.dk · 17
THEORY NO. 1:
“In winter and early spring, the fishing is in the shallow inlets.” This theory is presented in lots and lots of literature about sea trout fishing. Gamborg Fjord and Ellebæk Vig cove on west Fyn, as well as Nakkebølle Fjord on south Fyn, are examples of the spots that come under intense fishing pressure all through the winter. Granted – there are trout in spots like these. But you can be sure that you will have to share them with other people. It is very difficult to catch a trout in sub 2°C water temperatures. At 2-3°C, you are in with a chance. At 3-4°C, the fish are often sluggish, but they will take at times. Above 4°C, and typically at 5°C, the trout really start to want to play ball. In periods of night frost, the water temperature will rapidly plunge below 2°C in shallow inlets and coves. On the other hand, it rises relatively quickly once the sun has been up for a while. Many underestimate the importance of the sun during cold periods, and blindly rely on being able to catch fish in the shallow inlets. But the sun – and, usually, lots of it – is absolutely vital to success.
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On the open coast, water temperatures are far more stable and independent of a little sunshine. In fact, even in periods with night frost, you will be able to find water temperatures from 4-6°C. That was precisely the case in winter 2016, and while the anglers in the inlet were busy complaining, I enjoyed some amazing fishing on the open coast. For instance, I experienced a real bonanza of large alternate spawners between 60 and 70 cm on the coast by Nyborg, which is supplied with relatively tepid water from the deep Great Belt in winter. Despite this, most of the east coast is largely deserted in winter.
DURING THE COLD PERIOD, THE WATER TEMPERATURE IS OFTEN MORE STABLE ON THE OPEN COAST THAN IN THE INLETS. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO FIND AREAS OF WATER WHERE THE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 4°C, YOU ARE IN WITH A CHANCE OF SOME BRILLIANT FISHING FOR BIG FISH.
THEORY NO. 2:
“When saltwater fishing for sea trout, hug the coast and use the lightest possible tackle.” It is relatively well documented that many sea trout live in quite shallow waters. The trend on Fyn and the isles also appears to be “as light and delicate as possible”, with light rods, small tackle, etc. Fishing with 30–60 gram surfcasting lures, rigid spinning rods with reels the size of coffee mills look almost like a joke. Nevertheless, this particular type of fishing has untapped potential. I got the idea myself after I saw a German angler catch a 6 kilogram sea trout in the Little Belt using a surfcasting rod and a flatfish rig! I have since found out that a lot of trout get caught in places where not many people tend to go fishing for them: in very deep waters with a sandy seabed.
The fishing technique is relatively simple: get your lure as far out as possible! Shoals of herring and sandeels often travel some distance from land, and that is the only place you will find the sea trout. It means, too, that the fishing depth is determined by the location of the prey fish in the water column. As I do not know their location, I scour different depths systematically, using the countdown method as a depth indicator. I have caught sea trout at the surface and at a depth of 8 metres. However, in my experience, fishing during the day is usually at the top of the water column, whereas night fishing is close to the bottom.
You basically never see anglers focusing on fishing from harbour piers and where the water is deep. So the fishing here is all yours! Conversely, of course, this means you are limited in how much you can draw on other people’s experience. But here is mine from the area by the Great Belt Bridge and the harbour piers near Nyborg: above all, you must be prepared to drop your airs and graces. Light tackle and small, fluttering lures are not particularly good here. Quite the contrary. Use a compact, heavy lure for offshore spin fishing. Discreet lures are preferable, as you need to be imitating sandeel and herring, which are often the only prey in these deep, sandy coastal spots.
A BRAWNY SEA TROUT, CAUGHT USING HEAVY SPINNING TACKLE FROM THE PIERS AT NYBORG.
THIS SANDEEL-HUNTING SEA TROUT WAS CAUGHT BY LONG-DISTANCE FISHING USING A 40 GRAM SURFCASTING LURE. seatrout.dk · 19
THEORY NO. 3:
For night fishing, use a slow-sinking lure silhouetted against the bright sky.” Virtually all the literature dealing with summer night fishing for sea trout indicates that your lure should be as high in the water as possible. You will usually find descriptions of black wobblers or flies that “make a noise” – i.e. streaming or creating pressure waves at the surface. According to the theory, lures that fulfil these criteria should be easier for the sea trout to spot, as it navigates by a bright night sky on a summer’s night. That makes a lot of sense in classic summer spots, i.e. relatively shallow reefs with a good current. The absolute opposite applies in spots like the ones I described in the preceding sections. One summer’s evening, my mate and I went to the Great Belt Bridge to fish for cod. We had decided to test-fish some Gulp sandeels. Slowly, we fished over the sea bed. The cod soon got the idea and
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we landed several superb fish. As darkness fell, there was a steady take, and we had hooked a great cod. But this “cod” immediately took a six or seven metre trip up from the bottom and leapt clear of the water. It was, of course, a sea trout – and a 2.5 kilogram one, at that! The same scenario was repeated with the next cast! To cut a long story short, within an hour-and-a-half, I had caught five cracking good sea trout weighing in at between 1.5 and 2.5 kilograms. With the last cast, I lost a 4–5 kilogram fish, which well and truly demolished my sandeel tackle. After that experience, we returned to the bridge many times. And we caught lots of magnificent fish up to just under 4 kilograms. All taken using the Gulp sandeels, fishing slowly just above the sea bed. Of course, you could say we caught the fish using this method because we did not use any other methods. But on many of our trips, we were in the company of other anglers using surface lures – usually sandeel wobblers – and they did not catch any fish.
THEORY NO. 4:
“Summer fishing is done at nights in spots with cool water and plenty of current.” It is a common assumption that summer trout are found in spots with cool, deep water and plenty of current, as the water gradually warms (that is, 17-18°C and upwards). We have more or less got it into our heads that still, shallow areas do not make for very good fishing in warm periods. I was at a holiday cottage by the coast once. The weather was far, far too good for sea trout fishing: the cottage was by a bay with shallow, still waters well above 20°C. It was bathing water. Nevertheless, after dinner, there we were, standing in the water, because my mate insisted there were sea trout nearby. I did not believe a word of it, but dutifully went fishing. Shortly after, when I felt a heavy take, I was totally unprepared and I was astounded to find I had just lost a large sea trout. We were out again the next morning at the same spot. But we had to wait until the sun was beating down from a cloudless sky to get the next take: a magnificent 2 kilogram fish. When it was even hotter, my mate caught one exactly the same! That experience in the bathing waters gave me something to think about. Since then, I have had
to recognise that warm, still waters are no barrier to the sea trout. Obviously, there is a limit. Some of the more scientific literature points out that temperature-related mortality among sea trout can be observed from 25°C upwards. I have seen catches of sea trout in water at 24°C, but it is difficult to say exactly when the temperature really puts a stop to fishing. However, I can say with certainty that it is far higher than current theories prescribe. I would not go so far as to claim that all inlets and shallows are suitable for summer fishing. Above all, you need to look at the spot from the point of view of the fish: what reason does it have for being there once the heat exceeds its comfort zone? Personally, I like to fish in Odense Inderfjord inlet in the summer. These spots are quite close to the conservation zones of the streams. At other spots, it is not so much a matter of “assembly points” but bulging larders: The deep fairway of the Lindoe Yard is not very far from my best summer spots in Odense Fjord. That means the fish can tolerate hunting in extremely warm water because they can retreat to the deep, cooler waters whenever they wish – if the water temperature becomes lifethreatening.
THE UNPREDICTABLE SEA TROUT The alert reader will note that my attempt to debunk certain theories has resulted in new theories being formulated. And that is true. The point, however, is that new theories, too, can crumble. Sea trout are hugely unpredictable and refuse to be boxed into the theories we have developed in order to be able to predict their behaviour. The only single factor that I can definitely emphasise as vital to success is the upper and lower limits of water temperatures. The absence of sure-fire theories is frustrating, but encouraging too. We must dare to go our own ways – there is a chance of catching sea trout (almost) whichever way you go. seatrout.dk · 21
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ANGLING FOR SEA TROUT FROM A SMALL BOAT 20 # 17
TEXT:
LARS KYHNAU JENSEN
PHOTO:
LARS KYHNAU JENSEN AND MAURO BARBACCI
FYN, ÆRØ AND LANGELAND OFFER AT LEAST 1,100 KILOMETRES OF SEA TROUT COAST AROUND SOME 90 SMALL ISLANDS.
THIS IS FANTASTIC HUNTING TERRITORY FOR FISH AND ANGLERS ALIKE, AND THE SEASON IS ALL YEAR ROUND. SWAPPING YOUR WADERS FOR A DINGHY CAN MAKE THE MANY POSSIBILITIES OF THE COASTS – AND THE LOCAL SEA TROUT – RATHER MORE ACCESSIBLE.
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seatrout.dk · 23
Mobility counts There is something special about being on the water. Whether it is at the helm of a shipshape fishing boat equipped with a GPS-controlled electric motor and electronic anchor, or – in my case – a 35-year-old dinghy with a 2-stroke outboard motor half that age. It is a common assumption that fishing from a boat means fishing in deep waters and at fishing spots where coastal anglers may give up. In my case, however, with a few exceptions, fishing from a boat is usually in coastal waters, exactly like wading out to fish. There are many advantages to fishing for sea trout from a small boat, but in my view, the very best bit is mobility: you can get from one fishing spot to another in a jiffy, and still reach coastal stretches that are difficult to access when you wade out to fish. So it is not unusual for me to manage to visit 5–8 fishing spots during a single morning. The more you fish, the more fish you catch. That is just the way it is. It is not just a matter of clocking up hours; you get a completely different sense of where and when things are happening. It is very satisfying to choose a handful of familiar fishing spots before you leave home, and then catch fish in all those spots. Conversely, it is always exciting to explore new areas, and this is where a little boat really comes into its own. If I am on an expedition in new surroundings, I always try to cover as much water as possible. A small, front-mounted electric motor can be a brilliant aid, but if you plan your drifting somewhat strategically in relation to the wind, current and sunshine, you can in fact manage just as well without. All the richer for the experience Another distinct advantage of fishing from a boat is 24 · seatrout.dk
the view and the overview you get from the stern. Perhaps it does not sound like much, but it really makes quite a difference whether you are standing waist-deep in water in your waders, or you are dryshod in your boat above the surface of the water. From the boat, you are better able to distinguish reefs and troughs, and sometimes you are able to see a lot more fish: fish that are following the lure, but also fish swimming along the reefs or over the large sandflats around Fyn. You can learn so much by observing the ‘followers’ from a slightly elevated view, and you get a terrific insight into the reactions and patterns of the movement of the fish. How do they behave in relation to a particular lure? Are they aggressive and keen to take, or are they just slinking along at a discreet distance? Does their behaviour change when you stop the spinning? These kinds of observations and experiences can be worth their weight in gold in other situations. If you are able to remember and process the observations you accumulate while fishing from a boat, I am certain it also makes you a better saltwater angler. The more fishing tackle, the better Are you one of those people who bring ten times more fishing tackle than you will really need? I am. And if you are fishing from a boat, you can more or less justify that. I always have two or three spinning rods rigged with different lures: one rod with a spoon, one with a wobbler and one with a bombarda. And if I really get into the spirit of it, there will also be a fly rod somewhere in the melting pot. Often, you see a lot more fish than the ones you catch, and once you spot an unimpressed fish behind your lure, it can make a lot of sense to launch a completely different type of lure with your next cast. It does not work every time, but quite
often a change of lure does make a big difference. This is where experience quickly comes into play. Sightfishing Two shadows swim along the dark edge a few metres out on the sandy sea bed. Even from a distance, there is a distinct difference in sizes. One looks like it measures around 40 cm, while the other fish is at least half as long again. My little green lure lands right in front of the fish, and the next moment one fish flips around at the surface with the lure in the corner of its mouth. A few seconds later, the lure comes flying back towards the boat, while the fish make off in the direction of Langeland. Even though I lost the fish, I cannot help trembling a bit and breaking into a slight smile. That was so cool! There is scarcely anything more intense than seeing a fish in the sea, casting to it and ultimately hooking and landing it. And it really does not make any difference whether you are hunting bonefish and permit on the other side of the world or sea trout off Fyn. Sightfishing for sea trout is worth a whole article in its own right, but here are a few quick tips about the boat: If you are just slightly above the surface of the water, at the right water depth (0.5–1 metre) and with the sun at your back, you are in a great position to see the fish before you cast to them. Often, the fish will move alongside the troughs, and you have the chance to see them just as they glide around the sandbars. As a rule, you only spot the fish when they are relatively close to you, so you rarely need long casts. On the other hand, precision is a key factor! Depending on the
behaviour and mood of the fish, I cast my lure either directly above the fish or a few metres ahead of it. If it is swimming towards me fast, I try to place the cast directly above the fish. If, on the other hand, they are probing the sea bed at a gentle pace, I try to land the lure slightly ahead of them. There are lots of distinct sandflats around Fyn, and, on a sunny summer’s day, many fishing spots look deceptively like the Bahamas. Sunshine is a prerequisite for pursuing targeted sightfishing for sea trout, and my season extends from the beginning of May and all through August. The very best conditions are a couple of hours either side of noon, when the sun is highest in the sky. The fish change colour depending on their surroundings, and the sea trout I catch above a pure sandy sea bed are generally a very light brown with a weak golden glow on their bellies. Obviously, that also makes it quite difficult to see the actual fish, and the first thing you see is often the dark shadow of the fish. Sightfishing requires a certain dose of patience, and you would surely catch more sea trout by simply covering the fishing spots in the usual way. HOWEVER, once you have been successful, the experience is hard to beat! I usually say I would rather catch one fish by sightfishing from my boat than ten by fishing blind. And size is, in fact, secondary. See you on the water! There are more fish out there than you think!
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SEATROUT.DK
20 # 17
BOOK THE BEST SEA TROUT ANGLERS OF THE ISLES
PRICES: 1/2 day (4 hours): DKK 2,000 1/1 day (8 hours): DKK 3,000 Meet us at WWW. SEATROUT.DK
Fishing guides on Fyn, Langeland and Ærø
TURBO-CHARGE YOUR FISHING FOR SEA TROUT: SEA TROUT FYN IS 1,100 KM OF SEA TROUT COAST DISTRIBUTED ACROSS 90 ISLANDS – AND THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL FISHING IS KNOWING PRECISELY WHERE, WHEN AND HOW TO FISH. YOU CAN MEET A PROFESSIONAL FISHING GUIDE WITH LOCAL, UP-TO-DATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COASTLINES, WHO WILL MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE TO YOU AND YOUR FISHING.
RENÉ GERKEN My name is René Gerken. Originally from Jutland, I moved to Fyn seven years ago. Almost all my life, I’ve fished for trout, pike, salmon and sea trout, in saltwater and fresh water. I graduated from Dalum Landbrugsskole college of agriculture as an agricultural technician specialising in nature and the environment, and then I trained at Sportsfiskeakademi (the Swedish angling academy) in Forshaga as a professional guide. I am certified as an International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Casting Instructor (MCI) for single-handed fly casting and a Two-Handed Casting Instructor (THCI), and as an instructor for Loop Tackle Sweden. So I run a lot of casting courses and demos for individual anglers, anglers’ clubs and shops in Denmark. When I’m not busy guiding or teaching, you can find me in the Ækvator Sport shop in Odense. I am interested in everything to do with fly fishing, and because of that I’ve also served as a guide in countries such as Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Argentina and Iceland. In 2012, I began running Lakseskolen (the salmon college) in Mandal, Norway, and I am a tour guide at several destinations – for example Punta Allen in Mexico and Lainio, Sweden, for Atlantik Travel. I very much enjoy helping other people to become more proficient fly casters or helping them to have a successful day by the water’s edge. NIKLAS ALBRECHTSEN Niklas is one of just a few people in Denmark certified by The Danish Sports Fishing Association, and that is your guarantee of high quality and, not least, essential knowledge about fishing. Niklas is also a guide with Go-Fishing, Denmark Fishing and Outdoor Lodge on Fyn. Niklas has almost 30 years’ experience of sea-trout fishing, and through this as well as his day-to-day work for Go-Fishing, he has a great deal of contact with anglers, so he has his finger on the pulse of where the fishing is ‘hot’ right now. On the day, Niklas will give you a lot of information about good fishing spots, teach you to read the coast as well as how to catch more fish along the coast, and, not least, what bait to use in order to achieve success. Niklas will help you plan your fishing during your stay, taking due account of weather conditions and other important factors that might affect it.
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SEATROUT.DK
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SEA TROUT RIVER GETS ITS FISH BACK! 20 # 17
TEXT:
ANDERS DALGAARD CHRISTENSEN, BIOLOGIST
SEA TROUT
PHOTO:
ANDERS DALGAARD CHRISTENSEN AND JONAS HØHOLT
THIS IS DUE IN NO SMALL PART TO THE FACT THAT AN ARRAY OF SMALL STREAMS, OFFERING GOOD CONDITIONS FOR SPAWNING AND GROWTH, HAVE THEIR ESTUARIES HERE.
FISHING
SEVEN KILOMETRES FROM WHERE THE RIVER STAVIS Å EMPTIES INTO ODENSE FJORD, YOU CAN FIND ONE SUCH STREAM, BUT UP UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO, IT WAS A NO-GO AREA
THE RIVER STAVIS Å IS POPULAR WITH SEA TROUT. FOR TROUT. SO ITS UNTAPPED POTENTIAL WAS QUITE EASY FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES INVOLVED IN SEA TROUT FYN TO RECOGNISE.
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The stream, named Sørenden, runs through private fields and meadows over a stretch of 4 kilometres. It is in a little river valley, and has been regulated and straightened – this can be clearly seen on old maps from 1883 – presumably for the purpose of utilising the valley for agriculture. Later, in the 1930s, the decision was made to divert the southernmost 2.7 km of the river into a culvert and to establish two obstacles, removing any possible scope for trout to breed along two-thirds of the stretch. The changes up until 2014 resulted in a much faster flow of water, with erosion and sand migration. And for that reason you did not see many sea trout in Sørenden. However, their habitat changed dramatically for the better in spring 2014.
From ‘sandpit’ to ‘playground’ for sea trout Supported by Sea Trout Fyn and positive dialogue with the land owners involved, the City of Odense was able to undertake extensive restoration of Sørenden. The obstacles were removed, and the stream was restored as far as possible to its original course through the valley. In addition, the new stream was prepared with gravel beds and shingle for spawning, ready to receive the next season’s sea trout on their migration. The new gravel would also help to minimise sand migration towards the river Stavis Å. Today, three years later, the stream is a natural gem. Not only for the benefit of the fish and other aquatic life but also for the landowners involved, as they also enjoy the benefit of the added amenity value.
OVERVIEW MAP OF THE COURSE OF SØRENDEN, BEFORE AND AFTER THE RESTORATION PROJECT. THE FORMER OBSTACLES ARE INDICATED. TOWARDS THE NORTH IT EMPTIES INTO THE RIVER STAVIS Å. COPYRIGHT GEODANMARK.
THE ‘OLD’ OBSTACLE IN SØRENDEN, NOW REMOVED. NO SEA TROUT COULD PASS IT.
WHERE SØRENDEN EMPTIES INTO THE RIVER STAVIS Å, THERE USED TO BE SIGNS OF EROSION AND SAND MIGRATION AS A RESULT OF THE STRAIGHTENING OF THE RIVER. THE PHOTOGRAPH IS FROM 2013 – BEFORE THE PROJECT WAS IMPLEMENTED.
THE MOMENT WHEN SØRENDEN IS RELEASED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL, UNOBSTRUCTED COURSE. THE SOIL REMOVED TO EXCAVATE THE NEW COURSE WAS DEPOSITED IN THE OLD CHANNEL.
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The sea trout move in! To document the importance of the project in relation to trout stocks, the City of Odense has closely monitored developments in the number of redds and the stock of juvenile trout in Sørenden. Comparing the data collected before and after the restoration project shows a significant increase in the number of redds in the stream and, to some extent, in the number of juvenile trout. Specifically, from 2014 to 2015, we established that the number of large sea trout redds (> 1 m2) had increased from 0 to 19! The large redds are interesting, as they indicate that big, strong sea trout have been in action here. The project has therefore kick-started a trend which we hope will continue concurrent with the maturing of the recently rearranged stream and as more natural variation occurs. When the first aquatic plants return to the stream, and the alder becomes established to provide shade and cover along the bank, the scope for survival of trout parr will gradually increase. It is hoped that this will result in even larger numbers of juvenile trout, more smolts and, ultimately, more sea trout along the coasts of Fyn.
“SPECIFICALLY, FROM 2014 TO 2015, WE OBSERVED THAT THE NUMBER OF LARGE SEA TROUT REDDS (> 1 M2) INCREASED FROM 0 TO 19!” 25 years of stream restoration with Sea Trout Fyn The Sørenden project is a classic example of the type of stream restorations undertaken in Fyn’s municipalities with support from Sea Trout Fyn. Overall, on average, one stream restoration project per month has been completed on Fyn – over each of the last 25 years of Sea Trout Fyn’s existence. The ten municipalities can apply to Sea Trout Fyn for up to 80% of the costs of stream restoration. That makes it possible to undertake major projects in the streams that could otherwise be beyond the financial resources of any one municipality. Projects such as Sørenden have a big impact on natural trout stocks and, therefore, ultimately on the opportunity to catch wild sea trout along the coasts of Fyn. The photo below shows the final result in Sørenden in 2016, which the sea trout have welcomed so enthusiastically!
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FISHING FOR SEA TROUT SEATROUT.DK
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IN TRAINERS 20 # 17
TEXT:
KASPER RØJSMOSE
MAPS:
CONTAIN DATA FROM SDFE
PHOTO:
JONAS HØHOLT
WHEN YOU READ ARTICLES ABOUT FISHING IN VARIOUS FISHING MAGAZINES, YOU CAN SOON GET THE IMPRESSION THAT FISHING IS COMPLICATED AND VERY TIME-CONSUMING. I DO NOT SEE WHY IT HAS
CATCHING SEA TROUT IS ONLY AS DIFFICULT AS YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE IT.
TO BE SO DIFFICULT. YOU CAN EASILY GO FISHING FOR SEA TROUT WHILE WEARING TRAINERS, AND SUCCEED NICELY – ON YOUR WAY HOME FROM WORK OR WHILE ON HOLIDAY WITH THE FAMILY.
IN RECENT YEARS, I HAVE TAKEN EVERY OPPORTUNITY I CAN TO GO FISHING.
THESE ARE NOT LONG FISHING TRIPS THAT REQUIRE PLANNING AND INTRICATE STRATEGIES. A FEW HOURS CAN EASILY PROVE SUCCESSFUL: WHEN WE ARE AT OUR HOLIDAY COTTAGE, I MAKE DINNER, AND WHILE MY WIFE IS DOING THE WASHING-UP, I SNEAK DOWN TO THE BEACH TO DO A BIT OF FISHING. TIME IS SHORT, AND IT IS NOT WORTH SPENDING THE TIME CLAMBERING INTO WADERS AND ALL THE OTHER FANCY GEAR THAT WE SPORT ANGLERS OFTEN HAVE PLENTY OF. A SPINNING ROD AND A LURE ARE ALL YOU REALLY NEED TO SUCCEED BY THE WATER’S EDGE. 30 · seatrout.dk
Keep moving When I go fishing for a couple of hours, I like to wear my trainers – and then I fish rapidly! I walk along the shore and cast outwards – I do not stand still; I keep moving forward all the time. The spinning rod is brilliant for that. You can explore a lot of water in a short time with one of those. When I then notice a fish or see one following my lure, I stop and scan the water, casting in a fan shape. You can do this kind of fishing with a fly rod, too, but it takes a bit longer. Tackle for fishing For spin fishing on the coast, a 9–10-foot rod with a casting weight of 10–20 grams is preferable, rigged up with a suitable reel. I firmly believe that a small collection of good tackle is better than a lot of rubbish. That is why I only take two little boxes with me: one with spoons, wobblers and spinners, and one box for bombarda, with room for three floats and a few flies. The stripper and rotator spoons are my favourites, and I only switch lures if I see an uncooperative fish following one of them. When that happens, I tie the Langeland wobbler to the rod instead. You can fish this long, thin imitation of a sandeel at very high speed – in fact, fast enough for it to leap between the waves. The sea trout go crazy about that. In autumn, I like to use spinners. There is nothing like a copper-coloured Vibrax spinner to tempt a
sluggish autumn sea trout to take. As regards bombarda floats, I only use intermediates of various weights, depending on how far out I want to cast them. Flies, too, can be used for rapid fishing: ‘Dræberrejen’ (‘killer shrimp’), ‘Brenda’ and ‘sølvræven’ (‘silver fox’) often work well. Talking of flies, for fly-fishing I use a 9-foot #6 fly rod with a floating shooting head. If my fishing trip is last over an hour, I take my little stripping basket along. There is only one type I would recommend: the little multi-flex, specially designed for this type of fishing. Fishing spots where you can wear trainers Around Fyn, Ærø and Langeland, there are plenty of spots where you can fish without waders. The best spots are where the water is relatively deep all the way in to the shore. If there is some seaweed growing, that is excellent. I have often found that the sea trout take right at the moment when I put a bit of extra speed on the lure in order to get it over the thickets of seaweed. One of my favourite spots is Enebærodde on north Fyn: a large fishing spot, just made for fishing from dry land. It has large troughs (we call them “bathtubs”) close to the land, and the sea bed is very varied. The entire spit is frequented by sea trout all year round on their way to and from Odense Fjord. Many anglers make a mistake at the spit:
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they rush the approximately 7 kilometres out to Enebærodde Fyr lighthouse at the extremity of the spit, bypassing a lot of good fishing spots on the way out there: by the first cattle grid, a fence runs all the way down to the water’s edge on the north side of the spit. The band of seaweed there often conceals a sea trout. From there, I proceed rapidly outwards, casting towards the scattered few bands of seaweed as I go. Further out, you come to the ‘bench’ – an exciting spot that you would do well to cover thoroughly. By the second cattle grid, you will find a large, long trough – this, too, needs to be covered thoroughly. The trough always has sea trout lurking. Here is how to fish all the way out to the lighthouse: fish rapidly across the sandy sections of the coast, and correspondingly thoroughly in and along the troughs. Gabet (the coast just opposite Enebærodde Fyr lighthouse) is a fishing spot that can be extremely good. Park by the pilot boat in the pilot station. When the current is flowing out at Gabet, I start my fishing on the left side of the bathing jetty, and I fish towards the boat. There will often be a fish sheltering here. The deep indent behind the pilot boat sometimes holds a lot of fish, so it is always worth a couple of casts. If I do not fish all the way out towards the pilot boat, I continue all the way into Odense Fjord around to Midskov towards the southeast. A seldom-frequented stretch that can be very productive. ENEBÆRODDE: THE PENINSULA SHIELDS ODENSE FJORD FROM KATTEGAT, AND THERE IS NO ACCESS BY CAR. ALL YEAR ROUND, THE SEA TROUT OF ODENSE FJORD HAVE TO PASS THE SPIT ON THEIR WAY OUT AND BACK. THAT MEANS SEA TROUT CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS STRETCH, BOTH ON THE NORTH SIDE AND ON THE SOUTH SIDE. THE FISHING STARTS A FEW HUNDRED METRES FROM THE CAR PARK, BY ‘THE LAZY FISHERMAN’S SPOT’, AND EXTENDS FOR AS FAR AS YOUR LEGS AND ARMS CAN MANAGE.
GOOD FISHING SPOTS FOR A QUICK FISHING TRIP IN TRAINERS: You can find out much more about fishing spots in the Sea Trout Fyn guide book 117 Fine Fishing Spots and on the Sea Trout Fyn website www. seatrout.dk The book is available from your local fishing tackle stores on Fyn, Ærø and Langeland.
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•
MÅLE STRAND AND HVERRINGE SKOV ON SOUTHEAST HINDSHOLM
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FYNS HOVED – THE NORTHERN TIP OF HINDSHOLM
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THE CAUSEWAY TOWARDS HELNÆS, SOUTHEAST OF ASSENS
•
•
STENHOVEDET IN ODENSE INDERFJORD
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ODENSE HARBOUR (EXCEPT FROM THE TIME OF THE WINTER PROHIBITION ON FISHING IN ODENSE INDERFJORD)
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GALSKLINT NEAR MIDDELFART
AA STRAND SOUTH OF ASSENS
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DOVNSKLINT/THE SOUTHERN TIP OF LANGELAND
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THE SIØ CAUSEWAY BETWEEN TÅSINGE AND LANGELAND
•
•
TÅRUP STRAND SOUTH OF NYBORG
ÆRØS HALE AT THE EAST END OF ÆRØ, AND SKJOLDNÆS AT THE WEST END.
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RESEARCHERS HELP FUNEN’S SEA TROUT 20 # 17
TEXT:
HANS JAKOB OLESEN, CHRISTIAN SKOV AND LINE REEH
PHOTO:
FINN SIVEBÆK AND MAURO BARBACCI
THE GOAL IS TO OBTAIN DATA TO ENSURE HEALTHY STOCKS AND MORE ACCURATE FIGURES REGARDING THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF FISHING TO FUNEN.
IN COLLABORATION WITH SEA TROUT FYN, RESEARCHERS FROM NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AQUATIC RESOURCES (DTU AQUA) GATHER KNOWLEDGE FROM ANGLERS ABOUT FUNEN’S SALTWATER FISHING VIA INTERVIEWS AND THE FANGSTJOURNALEN APP (AN ELECTRONIC CATCH LOGBOOK).
FUNEN AND THE ISLES
OFFER KILOMETRE UPON KILOMETRE OF COAST JUST MADE FOR SEA TROUT AND SEA TROUT ANGLERS. IN SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER 2017, YOU MAY BE APPROACHED BY PEOPLE FROM DTU AQUA ON YOUR FISHING TRIP ALONG THE COASTS OF FUNEN. WE ARE OUT INTERVIEWING ANGLERS ABOUT THEIR FISHING AND CATCHES, FOCUSING PARTICULARLY ON SEA TROUT. 34 · seatrout.dk
We are keen to learn how many fish you have caught, and how long it took you. We would also like your permission to measure and weigh your catch. Of course, participation is entirely voluntary, but we hope plenty of people will find the time to help us. At the end of the interview, we will hand out a little questionnaire, which we would like people to fill in after the fishing trip. Completed questionnaires may be returned online or in a reply-paid envelope, and will then be entered into a very worthwhile prize draw. We need anglers’ knowledge of their fishing trips and catches in order to obtain more accurate figures about the economic impact of angling, and to obtain data to help safeguard healthy stocks of fish, going forward. As part of our work, we will also be investigating which scientific methods of collecting knowledge from anglers work the best in the Danish context. We will do so using different methods in the course of our work along Funen’s coastline in spring and early summer 2017. In addition to the interviews in the field, we will be counting the number of anglers on the coast from an airplane on selected days. Moreover, we hope that a large number of those we do not manage to interview in the field will still want to contribute by downloading the Fangstjournalen angler app and continuously entering information about their own fishing trips along the beautiful coastline of Funen, and wherever else they go fishing in Denmark. Every piece of information counts, also from trips where you do not catch anything. The survey on saltwater fishing on Funen is part of the REKREA project, supported by the Danish AgriFish Agency under the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. To find out more, visit www.rekrea-fisk.dk/english
ABOUT DTU AQUA:
DTU AQUA IS AN INSTITUTE AT THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK (DTU). IT IS INVOLVED IN RESEARCH, CONSULTANCY, EDUCATION AND INNOVATION IN THE SUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION AND MANAGEMENT OF AQUATIC RESOURCES IN SALTWATER AND FRESH WATER, THE BIOLOGY OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECOSYSTEMS.
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USE YOUR PHONE TO HELP SEATROUT.DK
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FISH AND RESEARCHERS 20 # 17
TEXT:
CHRISTIAN SKOV AND LINE REEH, DTU AQUA
PHOTO:
FINN SIVEBÆK
ENTER YOUR FISHING TRIPS IN THE FANGSTJOURNALEN APP FOR YOUR OWN SAKE AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE FISH.
USING FANGSTJOURNALEN IS AN EASY WAY TO RECORD YOUR FISHING TRIPS AND CATCHES, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY GIVING SCIENCE A VITAL HELPING HAND, PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SALTWATER FISHING ON FUNEN. IN MANY FISHING WATERS, LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL STOCKS OF FISH HAMPERS TARGETED FISHERIES MANAGEMENT. THAT IS WHY RESEARCHERS FROM DTU AQUA HAVE DEVELOPED AN APP THAT ANGLERS CAN USE TO GIVE SCIENCE A HELPING HAND. BY RECORDING YOUR FISHING TRIPS, INCLUDING TRIPS WITH NO CATCHES, YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UPS AND DOWNS OF STOCKS OF FISH.
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The Fangstjournalen smartphone app covers not only coastal fishing spots but all types of fishing waters, so you can easily bring together all your fishing trips in one digital place. Fishing trips can be registered “live” while fishing, or when the fishing trip has ended. Naturally, there is no charge for using the app, and your shared information will not be linked to your name; it will become part of a combined database. So far, 2,500 Danish anglers have downloaded the app. And we’re delighted! The more anglers who enter their information on Fangstjournalen, the better the knowledge we will receive – benefiting us all. It is important, too, to use Fangstjournalen on days when you do not catch anything, because looking at the combined information from all participating anglers, this tells us how far apart the fish are. Overall, your entries will provide us with key information on whether the number of fish is rising or falling, and whether numbers of large fish are increasing or declining. This will enable us to keep an eye on how stocks of fish around Funen are developing, whether that is due to changes in climate, habitats, fishing or, perhaps, changes in the feed base of the fish, or the number of fish-eating predators. Some more personal benefits from using Fangstjournalen are that you can gain an overview and statistics of your own fishing trips, you can explore statistics on new fishing waters and, above all, you will become part of a community that is making a difference to the stocks of fish. The development of the Fangstjournalen app is subsidised by the Danish AgriFish Agency under the Ministry of Environment and Food in Denmark through the national rod and net fishing license funding. Other uses of Fangstjournalen: • Keep track of your fishing trips and catches – what you caught, where and when • Automatically link in weather data with your fishing trip • Add images from your fishing trip • Explore catch statistics for different fishing waters • Monitor your own fishing statistics compared to others • Keep catches private or display them on Fangstjournalen’s boasting page • Share your information and images from Fangstjournalen with your friends via Facebook or Twitter • Enter a monthly prize draw • Become part of a community that makes a difference to the stocks of fish
KEEP IT PRIVATE OR TELL THE WORLD?
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD FANGSTJOURNALEN FROM GOOGLE PLAY AND APPLE APP STORE Many anglers want to keep their catches private, so obviously the Fangstjournalen app includes that option, too. If you make a catch private, the catch is not included in any statistics displayed, but your fishing trip and catch can still contribute to research. Generally speaking, of course, you are completely anonymous on Fangstjournalen – the only exception is if you yourself choose to boast about a catch on Fangstjournalen’s boasting page. You can also use Fangstjournalen to share a catch on social media. For example, you can display a fish to a group of selected fishing pals on Facebook. In that connection, you also have the option of renaming the fishing location, e.g. the Coast of Helnæs can be renamed “Coast of Funen”. seatrout.dk · 37
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