Cold weekend near Femund

It had been a few weeks since my last ice-fishing trip, and I was starting to feel the desire to catch some arctic char. I’d also bought two new rods and some ice-fishing flies from Isfiskebua, so I was eager to try them out. Where to go? Why not Volsjøen. The plan was to sleep outside, but the weather forecast made me book my favourite apartment in Elgå instead (thank you Jon Arve). And it turned out to be colder than expected. Luckily there was no wind and the sun was shining, but −30°C on Sunday was simply too cold. Even so, I fished all three days, didn’t meet a single person, and managed to catch a few fish.

Cold morning at Volsjøen (minus 25), after fog went away

Warmer with the sun

The biggest catch

Great track all the way up to the lake

Looking forward to hot shower

being out from early morning till the evening...

Next morning was clearer and slightly warmer, but still below minus 20

Fish were active only between 9 and 10 in the morning, during both days...

On my way to Oslo, I stopped to fish at Rørsjøen. It was minus 30 when I was sking to the lake...

Demanding 4 hours of fishing (a layer of water on the ice under the snow) resulted only in one escaped solid fish...

Last days of 2025 around Tynset

It has become a family tradition for us to spend the last days of the year in the Tynset region. This year we stayed in two places - first, a couple of days in a cosy old cabin near Kvebergstjønna, and then in an amazing little house in Fådal, just 5 km from Savalen lake. 

The area around Kvebergstjønna offers great views and some nice cross country skiing routes. It was a big contrast to snowless Oslo. 

Kvebergstjønna is supposed to have good trout and arctic char populations, but on the day I tried icefishing there, nothing was biting. Still, it was a good opportunity to test my new (half home-made) pulk and to grill in the local gapahuk. 

It was time to move to Savalen. My first ice-fishing day there did not start very smoothly. I stepped right into a pool of water on the ice near the shore. I didn’t notice it because it was still dark, and there were tracks there. It was only about 50 cm deep, but I ended up lying in the water and had to drive back to change into dry clothes. As a result, I started fishing an hour later and also had to pay the toll twice. But there was a positive side to the day as well: I met Gaute on the ice, a nice man who runs an online ice-fishing shop called Isfiskebue. He gave me some good advice on when and where to fish—and he also gave me three nice fish. So I ended up with five fish for dinner and drove home after two hours. 

The key to fishing at Savalen is to start early (very early) and find the right spot and depth. A combination of a char lure, a red blinking light, and a fly with maggots usually works well. I fished four mornings and caught some nice fish every day. Such early start is actually good for a family holiday, because you can leave the ice at around 10:30–11:00 and still have time to go skiing or sledging. 

These are the places where I fished. At the southernmost spot, the fish were very active from 07:00 and stopped biting after 09:00. The northern spots were deeper (8–10 m), and the fish started biting later—around 09:00—and stayed active until about 10:00. 

Nacreous (pearly) clouds (perlemorskyer), or polar stratospheric clouds, are clouds that form in the stratosphere during winter at altitudes of 25,000–30,000 metres.

Before a lot of snow arrived, we went on a little expedition to explore the ice, using a spark (kick sled), our favourite local way to get around.

Locals really use them in Tynset, too.

First ice-fishing trip of the season

It has become my tradition to start the ice-fishing season in November on Volsjøen. This year I caught less artic char (but more trout) than last year. The weather wasn’t ideal—strong winds and a couple of days with temperatures above freezing—but the ice was solid enough, and I managed to catch fish every day.

As usual, starting early proved to be crucial. My routine looked something like this: waking up at 05:30, hiking up to the lake, putting on the floating suit, drilling the first hole at around 07:30, and then staying on the ice until about 15:00. I have to admit, after three days of that schedule—followed by the drive back to Oslo—I was pretty exhausted. But it was absolutely worth it.

Evening on the lake, Elgåhogna in the back

Shades of Volsjøen

Not a big catch, but the fish were excellent quality.

Ice-free water fishing season 2025

Finally, it’s freezing outside and the lakes will soon be covered in ice. I’ve been out in Nordmarka several times this autumn, enjoying calm days in the forest and by the lakes, mostly in the area above Hakadal. Overall, it was a really good ice-free water season for me. I started using a braided line combined with a fluorocarbon leader, and it worked great. I also began fishing with wobblers and even caught my biggest trout—over 2 kg—on a wobbler in the Mistra river.

I tried a packraft for the first time and ended up taking two fantastic longer trips: one in Femundsmarka/Sweden with Louka, Vit, and Vojta, and another on the Mistra river with Vlado, Luky, and Stella. I also stopped being conservative with my lure selection in Nordmarka and experimented much more with different types and colors.

But now, it’s time to get ready for the ice!

Nordmarka autumn days 

Nordmarka autumn days 

Madeira

Week on Madeira... fantastic and dramatic landscape, mountains,  levadas, plants, forests, food, ocean and villages. Nice and friendly people. Great facilities on all beaches. Definitelly a place to come back.