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Thinking about booking a guided fishing holiday in Norway? Discover the benefits of fishing with an experienced local guide, what species you can target, what to expect from a guided fishing day and why Sørøya is one of Norway’s most exciting sea fishing destinations.
| Author | Written by the Big Fish Adventure Team |
If you’re thinking about booking a guided fishing holiday in Norway, you’ve probably already seen some of the incredible fish that are caught from the waters of Northern Norway. Huge Halibut, giant Skrei Cod, hard-fighting Coalfish and some fantastic mixed-species fishing attract anglers from all over the world each year.
But if you’ve never fished in Norway before, you may be wondering whether to hire a boat and fish independently or book a professional fishing guide.
A guided fishing holiday takes much of the guesswork out of your trip. From locating fish and understanding the weather to choosing the correct tackle and techniques, an experienced local guide can help you make the most of every available day on the water.
At Big Fish Adventure on Sørøya, we offer both guided and self-drive fishing, so in this guide we’ll explain exactly what you can expect from a guided fishing holiday in Norway and help you decide whether it’s the right choice for you.
If you’re considering going down the guided route for your fishing holiday in Norway, it’s an excellent option, particularly when your time is precious and you want to make the most of every available day on the water.
Booking a fully guided fishing experience means your time can be spent in the right areas, using the correct equipment and techniques for the species you want to target. Rather than spending valuable fishing time trying to work out where the fish are, your guide brings local knowledge and experience to help give you the best possible chance of success.
Your guide will explain the best techniques for targeting different species and will be on hand to help when that all-important fish finally takes your lure. From helping you fight and land your catch to safely handling the fish once it’s alongside the boat, they’ll be there when you need them.
And, of course, once you’ve landed that trophy fish, your guide can make sure you get plenty of great photographs to share with friends and family back home because what angler doesn’t enjoy bragging about their catch?
The best way to think of your guide is as another member of your fishing group who just happens to know the waters extremely well. They aren’t there to do everything for you. They’re there to provide local knowledge, boat-handling skills, tackle and technique advice, and perhaps most importantly when that fish of a lifetime is on the end of your line, a little moral support!
When you travel all the way to Northern Norway for a fishing holiday, you naturally want to make every day on the water count. This is where choosing a guided fishing holiday can really make a difference.
Even the most experienced angler can arrive in a new country and be faced with unfamiliar fishing grounds, different species, changing weather and fishing techniques they may never have used before. Having an experienced local guide alongside you removes much of that uncertainty and allows you to concentrate on what you came to Norway to do: enjoy your fishing.
You could have years of fishing experience back home, but local knowledge is extremely difficult to replace. Our guides spend countless hours on the waters around Sørøya and build up a picture of where different species are feeding throughout the season.
Rather than spending the first few days of your holiday searching unfamiliar waters, a guide can take you directly to areas that have been producing fish and adapt the day’s plan as conditions change.
Fishing time on any holiday is precious. Nobody wants to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles only to spend valuable days trying to work out where to start.
A guide helps remove much of the trial and error. That doesn’t mean every day guarantees a trophy fish, this is fishing after all, but it does mean your available time can be used as effectively as possible.
Weather plays a huge part in sea fishing in Northern Norway and conditions can change remarkably quickly.
An experienced local guide understands the forecasts, wind directions and the waters around Sørøya. If conditions aren’t suitable for travelling to one area, they may be able to suggest a more sheltered alternative where you can still enjoy a productive day’s fishing.
Different species require different approaches, and what works perfectly for Halibut may be completely different from the best way to target Skrei Cod, Coalfish or Plaice.
Your guide can advise on lure choice, tackle, fishing depth, presentation and technique throughout the day. Sometimes a relatively small change can make a huge difference to your results.
Most anglers arrive in Norway with something they would absolutely love to catch. It might be their first Halibut, a huge Skrei Cod or simply a new personal best.
Tell your guide what you want to achieve at the beginning of your trip. They can then use their knowledge of the season, recent catches, tides and conditions to build the fishing around your goals whenever possible.
Finding and hooking a trophy fish is only half the battle. When a large Halibut or Cod finally takes your lure, having somebody experienced beside you can be invaluable.
Your guide can help with boat positioning, advise you during the fight and assist with safely landing and handling the fish. Then, once all the hard work is done, they’ll make sure you get those all-important photographs before the fish is released or dealt with appropriately.
You may be thinking that guided fishing holidays are mainly for beginners, but that certainly isn’t the case. From experienced specimen anglers searching for the fish of a lifetime to families enjoying their first fishing trip together, having a professional guide can benefit almost any group.
Even the most experienced anglers can benefit hugely from having someone with extensive local knowledge alongside them. You may know exactly how to catch your chosen species, but understanding unfamiliar waters, tides and fish movements is something that can take years to learn.
Having a guide also means someone else can take control of the boat while you concentrate on what you’ve travelled to Norway to do, fish.
For specimen anglers searching for a trophy Halibut or huge Skrei Cod, this can be particularly valuable. Tell your guide what you hope to achieve and they can use their local knowledge to give you the best possible chance.
A guided fishing trip is also a fantastic option for families, particularly when some members of the group have less fishing experience than others.
With your guide taking care of the boat, finding the fishing grounds and helping with tackle and techniques, you can spend less time worrying about what you need to do and more time enjoying the experience together.
For children or first-time anglers, having someone on hand to offer advice and encouragement can also make their first experience of fishing in Norway much more enjoyable.
Planning a corporate fishing trip can involve a lot of organisation, especially when you have a larger group with different levels of fishing experience.
Choosing guided fishing allows much of this to be taken care of for you. Your guides can organise the fishing, boats and equipment while making sure everyone in the group gets involved.
This leaves you and your colleagues free to relax, enjoy the experience and perhaps introduce a little friendly competition along the way!
If you only have a few days available for fishing, hiring a guide can be one of the best ways to make the most of them.
You don’t want to spend the first day or two learning an unfamiliar area, searching for productive fishing grounds or trying to work out which techniques are producing fish.
A local guide already has that knowledge, allowing you to spend more of your limited time actually fishing.
We find that the two biggest draws for anglers visiting Sørøya are undoubtedly Skrei Cod and Halibut, but there are many more exciting species to target throughout the season.
When matched with the correct tackle, species such as Coalfish and Plaice can provide some fantastic sport and are sometimes overlooked by anglers who arrive with their sights firmly set on a huge Cod or Halibut.
This is another advantage of having a guide. They can make sure you’re using the correct tackle and techniques for the species you’re targeting and, depending on the time of year and conditions, may even introduce you to some fishing you hadn’t originally planned to try.
If Skrei is your main target, we’ve put together a complete guide on how to catch Skrei Cod on Sørøya, covering tackle, techniques, finding the fish and targeting the larger specimens.
As with all fishing, seasons can vary depending on conditions, but as a general guide, these are some of the species you can target around Sørøya:
Skrei Cod – Mid-February to the end of April
Halibut – May to October
Plaice – Available year-round, with September one of our favourite months
Coalfish – May to September
Wolffish – Available year-round
Mixed-Species Fishing – June to August
If you have a particular species on your wish list, let us know when you’re planning your trip. We can advise you on the best time of year to visit and build your guided fishing around the species you’d most like to catch.
Once you’ve finished breakfast, your guide will arrange to meet you either at your accommodation or down at the harbour. Before heading out, they’ll spend some time talking with the group about what you would like to achieve from the day’s fishing.
Perhaps you’re looking for your first Halibut, hoping to beat your personal-best Cod or simply want to experience some of the fantastic mixed-species fishing around Sørøya. Your guide will use this information, along with the weather and current fishing conditions, to put together a plan for the day and try to achieve as many of your targets as possible.
Before leaving, your guide will go through the fishing equipment and make sure everyone is comfortable with how everything works. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions about the tackle, techniques or species you’ll be targeting.
Once everyone is ready, you’ll make your way to the boat where your guide will take you through an important safety briefing before it’s time to head out onto the water.
With the safety briefing complete, it’s time for the best part, heading out to the fishing grounds for your 8-hour guided fishing day.
The journey to the fishing grounds is also part of the experience. Sørøya is surrounded by some incredible scenery and wildlife, so keep your eyes open along the way. If you spot something you’d particularly like to photograph, simply let your guide know and, where possible, they’ll stop the boat so you can capture the moment.
Once you reach the fishing grounds, your guide will take care of positioning the boat and will be on hand throughout the day to help with tackle, techniques and landing fish. Conditions can change throughout the day, so your guide may also suggest moving areas or changing tactics to give you the best chance of success.
At the end of your fishing day, you’ll return to the harbour in Hasvik. From there, you can head back to your accommodation to relax or why not make your way to our hotel, grab something to eat or drink and share the stories from your day with the other guests?
And, hopefully, you’ll have a few photographs of that new personal best to prove the stories are true!
At Big Fish Adventure, we understand that every group is different and not everyone is looking for the same type of guided fishing experience. Some guests want the ultimate day on the water with everything taken care of, while others simply want an experienced guide and a great fishing boat to help them get the most from their time on Sørøya.
That’s why we have several guided fishing options available, allowing us to match the boat and experience to your group, the species you want to target and what you hope to achieve from your holiday.
At the top of our guided fleet is our flagship Apex 1100 HT Kaasbøll, designed for anglers who want plenty of space, comfort and the ability to travel further when conditions allow.
Our standard Apex guided day includes a professional guide, fishing equipment and fuel for local fishing, leaving you free to concentrate entirely on the fishing.
For guests looking for something extra special, we also offer our Apex VIP experience. This includes two guides, lunch, drinks and snacks, fishing equipment and unlimited fuel, giving your group the freedom to make the most of the day’s conditions and fishing opportunities.
Whether you’re chasing a trophy Halibut, searching for huge Skrei Cod or simply want a memorable day on the waters surrounding Sørøya, the Apex offers our ultimate guided fishing experience.
For smaller groups, we also have our two dedicated 760 HT Kaasbøll guide boats, Hugin and Munin.
These extremely capable 25-foot aluminium boats offer a fantastic platform for fishing the waters around Sørøya and come with your own professional guide for the day.
Your guide takes care of the boat while helping you locate fish, select the right tackle and techniques and make the most of your time on the water. This makes Hugin and Munin an excellent choice for groups who want the full benefits of guided fishing in a slightly smaller and more personal setup.
Whichever guided option you choose, the most important part for us is understanding what you want from your fishing holiday.
When you arrive, talk to our guides about your experience, the species you would like to target and any particular goals you have for your trip. Whether that’s catching your first Halibut, beating your personal-best Cod or simply enjoying a great day’s fishing with friends or family, we’ll do everything we can to build the fishing around you.
If you’re unsure which guided boat or option would suit your group best, just speak to our team when making your enquiry and we’ll be happy to advise you.
No. Beginners are more than welcome on our guided fishing trips. Your guide will provide as much assistance as you need, from setting up your tackle and explaining techniques to helping you fight and land your fish.
Our standard guided fishing day is 8 hours. Your guide will plan the day around the weather, conditions and species you would like to target.
When fishing aboard Hugin or Munin, you can either bring your own fishing tackle or hire suitable equipment from us.
If you’re unsure what equipment or clothing to bring, Read our complete Norwegian fishing holiday packing guide for plenty of useful advice before your trip.
Hugin and Munin can each take a maximum of 4 anglers, although we find 3 anglers is the ideal number for giving everyone plenty of space to fish comfortably.
Our Apex guide boat can take up to 6 guests, although we recommend having a maximum of around 4 anglers fishing at any one time.
Absolutely. You don’t need previous Halibut fishing experience to catch one.
Your guide can help set up your tackle, explain the techniques and assist throughout the fight. Some battles with larger Halibut can last quite a while, so don’t worry if you need to swap the rod with another member of your group. The important thing is to enjoy the experience!
Yes. Single guided fishing days can be booked, and we actually recommend including at least one guided day during your fishing holiday.
Where possible, we will try to arrange your guided day towards the beginning of your stay. This gives you an opportunity to learn about the local fishing grounds, tackle and techniques, which can be particularly useful if you plan to spend the remaining days fishing from one of our self-drive boats.
Good-quality clothing suitable for the conditions is essential, along with suitable footwear. We also recommend bringing snacks and plenty to drink for your day on the water.
For a complete list, read our What to Pack for a Norwegian Fishing Holiday: The Ultimate Packing Guide.
There isn’t one single best month because it depends largely on the species you would like to target.
Different times of the season offer opportunities for Skrei Cod, Halibut, Coalfish, Plaice and mixed-species fishing. If you’re unsure when to visit, speak to a member of our team when enquiring and tell us what you would most like to catch. We can then recommend a suitable time of year.
Yes. If you have a particular species in mind, let your guide know and they can plan the fishing around your goals wherever possible.
Of course, fishing is always dependent on the season, weather and current conditions, so no particular species or catch can ever be guaranteed.
Absolutely. In fact, guided fishing is something we particularly recommend for families.
With the guide taking care of the boat, finding the fishing grounds and helping with tackle and techniques, you can simply relax and enjoy spending time together.
Your guide can assist everyone in the family according to their experience level, helping make the day enjoyable for both experienced anglers and those fishing for the first time.
Yes. We can tailor a fully guided fishing holiday around you and your group, whether you’re looking for a few days on the water or a complete week’s fishing.
Your trip can include accommodation, guided fishing, transfers, fishing equipment and meal options, allowing us to take care of the details while you concentrate on enjoying your time on Sørøya.
When making your enquiry, let us know how many people are travelling, how many days you would like to fish and, most importantly, what species you would like to target. Our team can then recommend the best time of year, guided boat and accommodation for your group.
If you’re not quite sure what you need, don’t worry. Tell us what you’d like to achieve from your fishing holiday and we’ll help you build the right package.
Whether you’re planning your first fishing holiday in Norway, searching for your first Halibut or hoping to finally beat that long-standing personal best, a guided fishing trip can help you make the most of every day you have on the water.
At Big Fish Adventure, we can tailor your guided fishing holiday around you and your group. From choosing the right time of year and guide boat to accommodation, transfers, fishing equipment and meal options, our team can help put together a package that suits exactly what you’re looking for.
You don’t need to know which boat to choose or have every detail worked out before contacting us. Simply tell us how many people are travelling, when you’re thinking of visiting and what you’d love to catch, and we’ll help with the rest.
If a guided fishing holiday in Northern Norway is on your wish list, get in touch with the Big Fish Adventure team and let’s start planning your trip to Sørøya.
We look forward to welcoming you.
Tight Lines,
The Big Fish Adventure Team
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