With the Helgeland coast as our nearest neighbour, it is almost impossible not to try a fishing trip when you are Polarcamp. Old Norwegian books say that this was the richest fishing area in Norway. Here are the most common species that you can expect to find on your hook.

Cod

Cod is one of the most common fish in Norway, and from an economic aspect is considered to be the most important of all the saltwater fish. It can grow up to 150-200 cm long and weigh up to 60 kg. Cod is easy to recognise with its characteristic ‘beard’ and fins.

Coalfish

Coalfish can reach up to 120 cm long and weigh over 20 kg. It is strong and muscular, which makes it a challenge to catch. The belly and sides are silvery-grey, while the back is darker. It lives at a depth of between 0–300 metres.

Mackerel

Mackerel is a fast swimmer and is found in large shoals from Morocco in the south to Finnmark in the north. With its characteristic appearance, it is easy to spot in the water. Mackerel tend to be found in shoals, and swim in the upper water layers.

Pollock

Pollock is easy to fillet, which makes it an excellent edible fish. The dark lateral line which curves up behind the first dorsal fin makes it easy to tell the difference between pollock and coalfish. Pollock can grow up to 130 cm long and weigh 13 kg, and are a common fish along the Helgeland coast and here in the Sørfjord.

Ling

With its long, narrow body, you soon learn to identify ling. Ling can grow up to 210 cm long and 45 kg, but are usually no longer than 1 metre. You fish for it between depths of 100-1000 metres, but usually at around 300-400 metres. This is an excellent edible fish which tastes very similar to cod.

Halibut

The characteristic halibut is an excellent edible fish. It is the biggest fish in the flounder family and is easy to recognise with its flat shape. In the waters around Polarcamp, we usually fish for halibut at a depth of 10-40 metres, on sandy bottoms.

Redfish

A deepwater fish which lives at depths of between 100-1000 metres. Redfish is distinctive because of its bulging eye, which is caused by the tremendous changes in pressure when it is brought up to the surface. It can grow up to 100 cm long and weigh 15 kg, and is considered to be a good edible fish.

Haddock

Haddock, with its characteristic appearance, can grow up to 110 cm long and weigh up to 20 kg. It has a prominent overbite, small barbel and clear lateral line. It is easy to recognise because of the big, black blotch under the first dorsal fin. Haddock is a bottom feeder and is found at a depth of 40-300 metres.

Salmon

Salmon spawns in freshwater, but spends most of its life in the sea. When young salmon are 2-5 years old, they leave the river and head out to sea, where they make their big feeding migration. An adult male will probably grow up to 1.5 metres long and weigh more than 40 kg.

Monkfish

Also known as sea devil because of its huge head and gaping mouth. It’s not hard to identify a monkfish. It can grow up to 200 cm long and weigh more than 98 kg. It is found from the shoreline down to 600 metres. Despite its unusual appearance, monkfish is an excellent edible fish.

Cusk

With its long dorsal fin, cusk is easy to identify. It can grow up to 130 cm long and weigh 20 kg. It tends to be found in deep fjords and thrives at depths of 200-500 metres. Cusk is considered to be a good edible fish.

Turbot

Turbot is of the flounder family and lives on sandy bottoms. With its firm, white flesh, turbot is considered to be a highly prized edible fish. It can grow up to 1 metre long and weigh 25 kg, and has an extremely high sale price.

Atlantic bluefin tuna

Also known as tuna. This is a rare fish species which can occur along the Norwegian coast during the summer season. It can reach a maximum length of over 300 cm, but is usually around 200 cm. Bluefin tuna is found in schools of 50-1000 fish, and lives at a depth of around 100 metres.

Plaice

An easily identifiable flounder with red blotches along the top of its body. It normally grows to around 50 cm and weighs around 1 kg, but some females can grow up to 100 kg and weigh over 7 kg. There are large numbers in the North Sea, and it lives on sandy bottoms at a depth of 250 metres.

Wolffish

Wolffish is easy to identify with its long dorsal fin which runs from its neck all the way back to its tail. Atlantic wolffish and spotted wolffish are good edible fish. Wolffish can grow up to 125 cm and weigh 20 kg, and are found at depths down to 450 metres.

Herring

An abundant fish which lives in schools, it is a versatile edible fish. Often called the ‘silver of the sea’ because of its colour and economic significance. Herring can grow up to 40 cm long and has a compact body with large, shiny scales and a deeply forked tail fin. Herring reaches adulthood at between 2.5 – 4.5 years.

Sea trout

Sea trout is relatively abundant in Norway along the entire coastal strip. Sea trout can occasionally grow to more than 14 kg. During its spawning migration, like salmon it moves to freshwater and water systems.

Scorpaeniformes

A well camouflaged fish which likes sandy bottoms, where it burrows into the sand. However, if you see one, it is not hard to identify with its flat head and spiny body. Scorpaeniformes are considered to be good edible fish and are found from the shoreline down to depths of 250 metres.