Fishing along the coast, Sweden

So, we haven't been up to any craziness lately. Summer was slow in coming and we've been busy doing regular everyday stuff, such as working and studying.
Last year at this time we did a super intensive drive up to Norway and checked out some boulders and sports routes along the way, slept in a tent and such.
This year that was not in the cards, so we did the next best thing, we went fishing ;)

There are some few things you need to know if you intend to go fishing in Scandinavia. The rules are different in for example Denmark versus Sweden, the latter being a bit more liberal. Denmark has quite a long coast line in need of constant work and up-keeping which is why you need to pay a fee if you intend to do some fishing. The same goes for fresh water fishing. Many areas are also rented by different fishing clubs, meaning you can't fish there unless you're a member.
Sweden on the other hand has free fishing with a rod along the coast line. If you want to fish along rivers and lakes you need a fishing permit. You can get more info on the rules of those online HERE.

Trout
Fishing along the coast does include some important rules though. Along the southern coast it is not allowed to fish
trout from the 15th of September to the 31st of December. Along the west coast the trout prohibition is not lifted until the 1st of April.
Size also matters. The smallest trout allowed is 45 cm in the west and 50 cm in the south.

Mackerel
These fish arrive at the west coast during May-June and stick around until August, which is when they move farther away from land until they go to wherever they spend winter time. Most people fish these from boats, but you can catch them from land too, although you need to get a little bit lucky, since mackerel never stay put, they are in constant movement between surface and bottom, looking for something to eat. If you're on a boat you can use several fishing rods and try your luck at different depths simultaneously.

Where to go and when depends on time of day and weather. A tip is looking for information from other fishers around.

There are loads of good spots along the coast line. We've mostly been to the beautiful west coast rocky areas. During summer the rocks get warm in the sunshine and even though it might get windy you can keep warm sitting in a nook between a couple of boulders. These pictures are from the island Hönö.
When the water is warm enough it is also a superb place for swimming and snorkeling.


Hönö is also a good climbing destination for those who like bouldering. Bring your crash pad and prepare to experience hundreds of boulders in all grades.

In retrospect - Road trip on the Swedish west westcoast and southern Norway - Part 2

When snorkeling and hanging out in Gothenburg was over and done with  (https://adventuresoup.blogspot.com/2018/10/in-retrospect-swedish-west-coast.html) the trip continued northward.

I'm a (forever) noob climber and my brother is really a more proficient one. The west coast is known for its many crags (check out 27crags.com) and he had found one that looked fun. We go to places where there are low grade routes for me and higher grade for him.

We brought all climbing gear (harness, shoes, carabiners, rope, helmets, gloves,  quick-draws) and headed off toward Uddevalla, a town that through history has been part of Sweden, Norway and Denmark in turns.. over and over...
Nowadays it's a pretty pleasant town, with a water front, hilly topography and lies close to interesting nature and towns.

The crag we decided to try out can be found on Vindön (wind island, red arrow.

https://27crags.com/crags/vindon

The area has a lot of interesting rock to climb and has 50 routes at levels from 4 traditional or 4+ sport to 6c+ traditional and 8a+ sport.
There is also a single boulder leveled 6b.
I had been climbing for several days already in a row (not a good idea) and my fingers and forearms were bummed.

The rock looks fun and there are quite many routes here. The longest routes, I think, are actually multi pitch (you climb up, secure yourself up there, bring your rope up and continue upward from that point - several pitches).

I didn't do a lot of climbing at Vindön. Instead I mostly stood on the ground and secured Ben, who on the other hand tried several routes, but he too had been climbing a bit more than usual. At some point we realized we had to keep traveling toward Norway. We decided that this place is so much worth visiting again.

As dusk made its way towards us we set off northward in my blue Peugeot. Driving in  Sweden is easy and the roads are good. Max speed is 120 kmh (130 kmh in Denmark) and there are loads of possibilities for a break on the road.

Quite soon we reached the Norwegian border. The border control is quite relaxed and doesn't cost anything.

Driving in  Norway is pretty much the same as in Sweden, but there are loads of road tolls, so you either should  register your car (so as not to receive the highest payable rate) or if you go there often, get an autopass.

http://www.autopass.no/visitors-payment

There are loads of tunnels in Norway. We only passed the ones near the border this time, but depending on where in the country you are you might be in really long tunnels, in sometimes steep angles, with intersections in the deep. Makes for some interesting driving.

By the time we got to Norway it was getting dark and we still had some ways to go to reach the area, Drammen, where we had planned on staying the night in a tent. More about that in the next post...

In retrospect - Road trip on the Swedish west westcoast and southern Norway - Part 1

So this was a short, but intensive road trip, traveling along the northern west coast of Sweden up to southern Norway during a short vacation.

Sweden to the right, Norway to the left
and the top of Denmark below

As most locals know, the summer of 2018 has been quite amazing. We had sunshine, warm weather and more sunshine.

The week started in Gothenburg, Sweden, where I, as usual, spent a load of vacation time working on my laptop due to a deadline. That meant I, during breaks, got to see some of the local area instead.
My brother and sister have made a habit of snorkeling in the archipelago of Gothenburg. If you haven't been there, go! Summer on the west coast of Sweden is GOLD! GOLD I tell you!!

I don't have a wet suit, but I had brought my goggles with me, so one day we headed off to Hönö, one of the islands just west
of the city (red arrow). You can drive all way, the ferries out to the islands are part of the road network and under the jurisdiction of the road administration, so you can just drive right on to the ferry and over to the islands.
The roads on the islands are narrow and a bit worn by the harsh coastal weather, but ok to drive on. On Hönö there is a parking lot in a foresty area just north of town - you can't drive right up to the beach here, walking is required. Actually I have never seen cars right on the beach in Sweden. In Denmark it is another matter and people will park right at the water line, in order to not have to waste physical strength to get there.

The west coast is mostly rocky. The rocks are smooth and rounded in most places and here and there you can find traces of the ice age, such as completely rounded holes in the rock. Potholes they are called in Swedish.

In many places you can find a private nook, with clear and calm waters to swim or snorkel in. I would suggest bringing beach shoes or something of the like, even though I've not used such before now. The rocks can be a bit unpleasant to put your bare feet on since they are so covered with kelp and you can't really see whats hiding underneath.

If you are into fishing, trout is a popular goal for many fishers along the coast line. If you are more into mackerel you need to be on a boat.