The Ultimate Big Fish
Experience

Onboard the mv Havcruise

Based at Lauklines in March and April 2012, this superbly equipped catamaran most ably skippered by Captain Cato and his crew. The boat caters for up to 12 anglers. It is ideally placed to explore the incredibly rich offshore reefs where the huge shoals of Barents Sea Cod arrive to spawn. Accommodation is in well appointed 3 bedroom chalets right on the water. Flights are to Tromso with transfers included.

This vessel can operate in most weather conditions and is the perfect fishing platform. We enjoyed fantastic fishing for huge numbers of cod in the 20 to 40 pound range with a good number of 50 pounders, two 60 pounders and the biggest tipping the scales at 72 pounds.

In the summer months the mv Havcruise fishes the rich waters around Soroya as a live aboard fishing base. All meals are included and it is rare not to hook into 40 pound plus coastal cod. There is always the chance of big halibut and coal fish too. In summer flights are to Hasvik on the island of Soroya.

Specification

15 metres long, 7 metres wide. Aluminum catamaran with two 350bhp Scania engines. Foruno electronics. Can sleep up to 12 guests. Full kitchen, spacious lounge, toilet/shower. Excellent fishing platform, very stable. Short and week long trips as live aboard or with accommodation on land if required. Flexible itineraries.

March 2011 with Dave Lewis

The annual run of outsize Barents Sea cod that each year migrate from their rich feeding grounds off northern Russia to the coast of northern Norway to spawn, is undoubtedly the best cod fishing in the world. Nowhere is it more predictable than over the rich feeding grounds off Lauklines, in the Troms district of the far north-west of Norway. I fished here in mid-March this year, and when talking in terms of catching very big cod the day proved to be the best days fishing I have ever had.

I honestly couldn’t tell you how many 40’s we caught but I’ll guess it was over a dozen, while I reckon that by the end of the day we had boated somewhere approaching ten 50 pounder’s. We had two fish over 60lb, but the biggest fish of the day was a monster that was caught by Kim Eirik and weighed an amazing 33.3kg; that’s a 73lb 4oz cod-the biggest caught in Norway this winter

Forget any thoughts of fishing this area on self drives, and unless you are a good sailor who is capable of fishing up to ten hours in rough seas and freezing conditions don’t even think about it. This is probably the most challenging sea angling I have experienced in the North Atlantic, but for those of you who can step up to this challenge the rewards are well worth the effort.

The absolute peak of the Skrei run in this area is from mid-March until Mid-April, and next year Cato Hansen, the outstanding skipper we fished with who caught the second biggest fish at 68lb, will once again be basing his huge catamaran, which is perfect for fishing this area, at Lauklines specifically to fish for them.

If conditions are too bad to venture offshore you can go ice fishing on mountain lakes for wild brown trout and arctic char, or even in the inner reaches of the fjord for cod and haddock; last year Marcus caught a 20kg cod fishing through the ice at Lauklines. Finally as an added bonus, nowhere in the world is better to see the famous Northern Lights and of course skiing can also be organised.

Dave Lewis