A superb day of 2 halves..well 3 actually🤭.

Part 1...Tarnaby

It was yet another gorgeous morning when we got up and we decided to do a small hill walk from the campsite, just to try and get a bit height to get a better look at the lakes and mountains. There was a 800m plus hill within easy walking g distance and that would be fine for the morning. After breakfast we got on our boots, packed a couple of small rucksacks and got on our way, up a road initially and then a bit if path to tbe summit. The bottom half was in the trees a d the top section clear of trees but covered in scrub and juniper bushes, really nice and green looking and very different to our generally treeless and heather clad hillsides back home. 

Soon we were on the top and the views were really nice out over the lakes and also some much higher and glacier clad peaks to the northwest which would be on the border with Norway. We headed back down the same way. There were other ways down but today we needed an easy descent. There were loads of flowers and bushes on the way down, Logan was asking about them all, so my Leafs snap App was well used identifying all these plants and tree species.

Back at the van we had lunch, rhe boys had another play while Joyce and myself sorted the van out for moving on. It's a shame we are leaving here, I recon we could have a really great holiday here, fishing, biking and walking. It appears to also get some very good weather.

Part 2...a driving afternoon and crossing the Arcic circle.

We left Tarnaby at 2:30pm and headed north west again on the E12, passing through more nice little villages all obviously ski resorts. I don't think the slopes are extensive as the hills are mostly small. Cross country skiing is much bigger than Alpine skiing in these areas, that said the Swedish Olympic and World champion skier Ingemar Stenmark came from this area. Eventually we crossed the border and finally after all these miles made it into Norway. We have really enjoyed Sweded this trip, its not dramatic as Norway is but beautiful in its own right with easy roads and lovely friendly people. We will be back.

Eventually the road drops from the high plateau area into Mo I Rana which is a very industrial looking town. We passed through without any delays amd after a few miles turned off right onto the no17 road which is one of Norways most superb coastal routes., and one which we driven the length of back in 2019. It may be stunning route but it's not fast and we were on a mission to make it to Kilbogham in time for the ferry which would take us across the Arctic Circle and on to Jetvik. If we missed it we would have to wait 90 minutes for the next one. We had 20 minutes spare showing on the sat nav which was plenty time until of course we got stuck behind a tractor in a along tunnel, and then also a very slow moving campervan....we made it with about 10 minutes to spare. 

For the second time this wee adventuring family crossed the 66 degree 30 minute line of latitude and we were once again within the Arctic Circle. Callum and Logan did not remember this from 2019 (understandable really) but were quite interested to see the silver globe on a little island which marks the line where for 1 day in the summer the sun never sets and for 1 day in the winter it never rises. The weather was gorgeous and this is a stunning ferry crossing. Steep and high mountains line the coast and the islands are again very mountainous and dominate the views out to sea. The 1 hour 15 crossing again passed very quickly.

Strangely, we had not been able to book or pay for this ferry online, and no one had been available on the boat to pay for the crossing. In 2019 this had been an expensive crossing but one which we were happy to pay for again for the scenery and for the fact it took us to where we wanted to be tonight. We were soon back in Bessie but, still not paid....I asked a ferry man on the cardeck where we paid and he said this crossing is now free....WOW!! Was not expecting that, what a bonus. 

For this evening we had set our sights on a parking spot we had used in 2019. It was one of our favourites with views over to the Svartisan glacier and also a place that had proved a fantastic fishing area. I was dismayed to find out that according to our park for night app that you were no longer allowed to park there overnight...disaster!! We had another ferry crossing to make to get us over to where we wanted to be, but because of this potential problem we toyed with the idea of not crossing and just parking somewhere around the Tjongsdjorden but there were vans everywhere, all the good places were busy. We didn't really want to stay here anyway. We decided to press on for the ferry and take our chances at Holands parking....we had decided if other vans were in that we were not even going to look at the parking "rules" sign. 

We had a short wait at the Agskaret jetty for the ferry which soon arrived...again...this crossing was free!! What's going on Norway...this is amazing!! We headed round the Holandsfjord to our desired place and to our joy saw other vans in the carpark but loads of space for us too...it was game on, tonight we would be fishing!!

Part 3....midnight fishing.

It was quite a late dinner by the time we were parked up,  but it was a quick one. Joyce had precooked baked potatoes while we were tidying up at Tarnaby, so they just needed reheated....added to a little and soon dinner set and was over. The boys were keen to get out and fish. The jetty here is prefect...its straight into deep-water and big fish lurk straight underneath. I had caught 2 very good (by Scottish standards) cod here in 2019...would this year be as good.

Callum and Logan were keen to try the little rigs that Bjorn had kindly given them during our visit. We agreed to just put them onto my rod as its stronger, casts better but also there are boats tied up here and having 2 or 3 rods with 2 beginner fishers was going to be hard work for me so one fishing rod was enough. It was after 10:30 before we first went fishing but it was gorgeous. The Alpenglow was illuminating the mountains and glacier across the fjord, there was not a breath of wind either. 

The boys took turns at dropping the lures into he water and straight away were into fish, some fairly small cod, and some multiple coalfish hook ups , 3 at once for Logan. Logan is hands on...he wants to get his hands all fishy and put the fish back, Callum is not so keen...he likes to catch but not return, lol. We tried casting out and again had some joy but nothing big until....after the letting the lure sink to the bottom for retrieval Callum suddenly hooks something that immediately bends the rod double....he's not holding onto this!! I took over and for between 5 and 10 minutes played something very large....it was taking line when it wanted to but eventually I got the better of it and it was coming to the surface. The water here is blue/green coloured with glacial sediment so you cannot see into it but I knew this fish was almost up.amd very big...we never saw it however...I recon it must have seen the daylight as all of a sudden it took one last dive and bang!! The line had snapped.....a couple more reels and there was the end rig...minus the lure at the end. This was my biggest fish that never happened and I was gutted🥺😫😓. Somewhere in that fjord is a big fish, probably a cod with our lure hanging out its mouth. I do hope it's OK.

We fished till midnight and it had gone pretty quiet, the tide was still coming  in but was nearly right in, we caught 1 more cod that was keepable but agreed ot should go back, we wanted something bigger...at 12am though, I took the boys back to the van as it was well past their bedtimes. There were no arguments. I left my rod at the jetty...I was coming back. I told the boys that if I caught a biggie I would wake them to see it.  I grabbed a beer and headed back to the jetty and fished on, a couple of medium cod all went back and I wondered if that was it. Then after maybe 30 minutes something far bigger took the lure. This fish put up a good fight, but no where near as hard as the first one. Finally a fine cod came into view...it was a bit of a heart beating moment....no net....a big fish that I really wanted to land...how well was it hooked, well hooked as it turned out. I was able reach down into the water and lift out an amazing fish (again by Scottish standards). I didn't have scales with me but it is easily between 12 and 15lbs in weight,.probably my biggest ever cod to date and it was in my hand...I shall not try and explain the smile that was on my face. 

I headed to the van with my fish and Joyce and the boys could not believe the size of it. Not having expected to land such a big fish it was a bit of an effort to gut and fillet it with the poor quality and not very sharp knives at my disposal. But after a while I got there and it was all gutted, cleaned, wrapped and frozen...well apart from tomorrows dinner. This fish will do our family for 3 if not 4 nights dinner. Unfortunately that one fish has filled our freezer and it means anything we catch from now on either needs eaten or put back....I so wanted to try a little longer for a other big Norwegian cod

Beer, whisky and bit blogging and I am going to bed a very happy man.