Haakon Roe got first place in the Norwegian Fly Fishing Competition 2021, we asked him few questions.

1. When is it season for fly fishing? You can fly fish all year round, but the season is most popular from mid-May to September but varying from where you are in the country. Personally, I fish all year round. This was something I did not do in the first years of my career, but I quickly found out that I could not limit myself to only the summer. By extending the season, a whole new world opened to me. So, I really recommend extending the seasons.

2. Why is Norway so good for fly fishing? Norway is in a class of its own and is one of the countries in Europe where you still find wild fish. This means fish that naturally live and reproduce without human help. I think we who live in Norway take this a little for granted, but seen from the outside, this is unique and highly sought after. Our country is made for adventurous fly fishing. With our diversity of fish species, beautiful nature, large coastal areas, crystal and mineral-rich water, it not only provides good growth and living conditions for the fish, but it gives breath taking nature experiences and strong impressions. I must also mention our nature. The allemannsretten is also completely unique to Norway, which also makes fly fishing very convenient and easy to conduct.

 

Photo: Haakon Roe

3. What do you like best about fly fishing? What I like best about fly fishing is the combination of practical and theoretical skills, experience, understanding of nature, responsibilities and outdoor recreation. The experience and just being out in nature is also important, it is perhaps a slightly more underlying factor but possibly one of the most important reason and driving forces for me.

4. What is your biggest catch? To be completely honest, this is not so important, and this is not where the focus should be in my opinion. Fly fishing is fun no matter the size or catch.

5. How does it fell to be the Norwegian champion in fly fishing? and what have you done to cope with this? It feels so f…. good. An insanely cool experience. Like much else in life, it is about setting goals and work towards the goals you set. Of course, I hope to become a Norwegian champion several times, but now there are other goals to be achieved.