Fishing inside the Arctic Circle: ice, fjord and the famous Alta river

Fishing inside the Arctic Circle is not one thing. It is three, and they could hardly be more different: a hole drilled through lake ice in February silence, a sea rod bending over the rail of a boat on the fjord, and the green pools of one of the most famous salmon rivers on earth.

Ice fishing: the quiet one

In winter the lakes of the Finnmarksvidda freeze a metre thick. You ride out by snowmobile, drill a hole, drop a line and wait, with a fire going and coffee on it. The catch is perch, trout and Arctic char; the real product is the silence. It is the most meditative thing we do all winter, and it needs no experience at all.

The fjord: the generous one

The Altafjord gives up cod, halibut and coalfish for most of the year, and a boat on the fjord doubles as the best sightseeing in the region: sea eagles above, mountains on both sides, the lodge on its hilltop behind you. Gear, boat and a skipper who knows the water are all arranged.

The Alta river: the legend

The Alta is spoken of quietly by salmon fishermen, the way drivers speak about certain roads. It is one of the world's great Atlantic salmon rivers, famous for the size of its fish, and access to its best weeks is tightly held. It is not a casual booking, and that is the point. If it is on your list, tell us early and we will see what the season allows.

Make a weekend of it

All three start from the same place: Alten Lodge, fifteen minutes from Alta airport, with the sauna and the hot tub waiting at the end of the day. Fishing slots neatly into our Alta Winter Weekends, or into a bespoke few days built around your group.