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Fishing in Finnmark

In this brochure, inland fishing means freshwater fishing for all freshwater fish except salmon, sea trout and sea char. Salmon fishing means fishing for salmon, sea trout and sea char. The term foreigner describes anyo­ne who is not a permanent resident of Norway. The dis­tinction is made according to a person's place of resi­dence and not citizenship. People who have been per­manent residents in Norway for more than one year are therefore entitled to the same fishing rights as Norwegians. The relevant fishing regulations can be found in the cclnnlandsfiske i Finnmark)~ brochure.

Fishing Licence

All people aged 16 years and over, must purchase a state fishing licence to be able to fish in freshwater (the licence fee can be paid at post offices). The licence period is from 1 April to 31 March in the following year. A seven day licence is valid for seven days from the date of issue. In 1997, the licence fee is NOK 90 for fis­hing for inland fish in rivers and lakes where there are no anadromous salmonoids. A family fishing licence can be purchased (couples and their children aged 16-20) for NOK 160. A weekly licence can also be purchased, costing NOK 45 for one person and costing NOK 60 for a family week licence.

Sea Fishing

Anyone is allowed to go sports fishing in the sea with a rod or hand line, which means that you don't have to purchase a fishing licence or permit to fish in the sea.

Fishing permits

You have to produce a receipt showing you have bought a fishing licence in order to buy a fishing permit. There are two types of fishing permit in Finnmark: one for inland fishing on government-owned land, and one for fishing in Finnmark's salmon rivers.

1. Fishing permit for inland fishing

Non-residents of Norway must purchase a separate fis­hing permit to fish inland in Finnmark. This permit can be purchased at all post offices in the county. The 1997 prices are as follows: 3 days NOK 105, and 1 week NOK 210. People under 16 and over 70 do not require a fishing permit to fish. If a husband and wife both purchase a fishing permit, one of them is entitled to a discount of 50%. New fishing permit prices will be introduced in 1998.

The fishing permits are for government owned land (land owned by the state) all over northern Norway. Post offices, campsites and hotels in Troms and Nordland counties have brochures giving you an overvi­ew of government-owned land and fishing regulations in these two counties. The fishing permit in Finnmark county is only valid within a 5 km radius along roads marked either Hv ## or E ##. See also the section on fishing regulations for inland fishing further on in the brochure.

2. Fishing permit for salmon fishing

A separate fishing permit has to be purchased to fish in the salmon rivers which are marked blue on the map. These permits can be purchased in the vicinity of rivers. Ask at nearby kiosks, campsites, petrol stations, tourist information offices, or sports shops. See also the '~Laksefiske i Finnmark>' brochure, which is only availa­ble in Norwegian.
Fishing permit prices vary from NOK 60 to NOK 240 per day, and from NOK 240 to NOK 965 per week. People under 16 can purchase the fishing permits at a reduced price. On some rivers, foreigners can only pur­chase 1 day permits.

Fishing regulations for inland fishing Where can you fish?

Foreigners can only fish along a five km radius of the county's main roads. The main roads are marked in red on the map. A whole lake can be fished even if only part of it is inside the 5 km zone.
Statskog Finnmark Jordsalgskontor (Statskog Finn-mark Land Registry Office) can grant dispensations for fishing outside the 5 km zone, if the applicant fulfils one of the conditions below:

a) He/she must have close family in the county, i.e. parents, parents-in-law, siblings or children.

b)He/she must be in the county on business lasting more than one month.
c)He/she has been invited and is fishing together with a local fisherman.
d)other valid reasons might also apply.

Statskog Finnmark jordsalgskontor can also grant local travel agents a general permit which allows them to take foreigners inland fishing beyond the 5 km zone. Ask at the tourist information office, or a travel agent, if there are companies with the general permit where you want to go.

Fishing times

Fishing for inland fish (char, trout, whitefish, perch and pike) is permitted all year round.
In lakes where there are both inland fish as well as salmon, sea trout and sea char, ice fishing for inland fish can only take place in the period between 1 January and until the thaw, and a minimum of 200 m from river inlets and outlets.

Tackle regulations

Only rods and hand lines are allowed for inland fishing.
Worms, flies and spinners are permitted. The use of live
bait is prohibited in Norway.

Regulations for salmon fishing

With the exception of the rivers Neidenelva, Grense Jakobselva, Altaelva and Tanaelva, the following fishing regulations apply to all salmon runs:

Fishing periods:

Fishing in watercourses populated with salmon, sea trout and sea char is permitted between 15 June and 17
August. Exceptions being the following rivers: Altaelva, Repparfjordelva, Borselva, Lakselva i Porsanger and
Vestre Jakobselva, as the fishing season ends here on 31 August.
In watercourses where there are no salmon, fishing for sea trout and sea char is permitted from 15 June to 14 September.

Tackle regulations:

Only rods and hand lines, and a maximum of three hooks are permitted (a triple hook counts as three hooks).
The use of several rods or lines simultaneously is pro­hibited. It is illegal to fish using rods and hand lines in such a way that makes it probable that fish will be foul hooked. Rods and hand lines must not be left unattended whilst fishing.
The distance between the base of the hook and the tip of the hook must not exceed 12 mm (hook no.210).
Single hooks the distance must not exceed 15 mm (hook no.4/0).
Flies can be used all season when a float or fly line is used as weight for casting.
Spoons, spinners, wobblers and worms with a sinker are permitted until 10 July.
Worms without a sinker are permitted until 31 July.
Special fishing regulations apply to many salmon rivers in Finnmark, i.e. one or more of the implements mentioned above can be prohibited for the whole or part of the fishing season. Fishing regulations for each indi­vidual river are printed on the fishing permit.

NOTE!

Special regulations apply to the Neidenelva and Altaelva rivers and watercourses which form national borders. Foreigners are not permitted to fish in the follo­wing rivers; Pasvikelva, Grense Jakobselva and in all salmon inhabited tributaries of the Tanaelva river. These rivers are coloured yellow on the map. Information about the fishing regulations that apply to the Tanavassdraget watercourse can be obtained from the permit vendor or the Fylkesmannen i Finnmark (Chief Administrative Officer in Finnmark (see address on the back page).

Stop Gyrodactylus salads!

The rivers in Finnmark are still free of the salmon para­site, Gyrodactylus Salaris. This deadly parasite, which attacksthe young salmon, is found in the Skibotnvassdraget watercourse in Troms, the Torneavassdraget watercourse in Sweden/Finland, the Enare-Pasvikvassdraget watercourse and in watercour­ses which drain southwards towards the Gulf of Bothnia. It's not all that far to the rivers in Finnmark!
The transmission of contamination can occur via your fishing tackle, if you have recently been fishing in a watercourse where the parasite is present, and your fis­hing tackle is still wet or damp when you start fishing in new watercourses. Please make sure that waders, Ian-ding nets and boats and other fishing tackle are comple­tely dry before you move on to a new watercourse.