CASUAL VISITS TO NORWAY 161 



sea trout. That, of course, was the extreme of ill-for- 

 tune, and might occur to anyone anywhere. The truth 

 is there are still fine chances for salmon in Norway, and 

 excellent chances for trout if you have the gift of 

 searching for rivers and lakes in remote districts. The 

 fascinations of the characteristic scenery, the com- 

 paratively unspoiled people, and the rich legendary 

 past remain. 



It is quite possible that the distance between Great 

 Britain and Norway is somewhat in the direction of 

 fascination. If you go there for a fishing holiday you 

 are entitled to talk about seafaring matters. It is not 

 a mere crossing ; it is a voyage, and I have known men 

 get a F.R.G.S. on the strength of it. On my first visit 

 it did strike me on my return that five days to reach 

 your river and five to return, was paying a fair price, 

 apart from the fares (which were indeed reasonable 

 enough), for ten days' clear fishing, and I would suggest 

 to the reader to make his stay on the fishing ground as 

 long as he possibly can, so that the journey may seem 

 worth while. Justice cannot be done to Norway, its 

 fish, or yourself under a month. There is not much 

 to choose between the two routes, the one from Hull, 

 the other from Newcastle, but care must be taken to 

 time the arrival at the chief ports to suit the smaller 

 steamers that traverse the fiords. The North Sea pas- 

 sage has its caprices of weather, but it is not very 

 protracted. If you leave port on Saturday night, by 

 breakfast time on Monday you are threading between 

 the rocks that introduce you to Stavanger. That same 

 night you are (wind and weather permitting) at Bergen, 

 and thence next day you are going up the beautiful 

 fiords to the river of your choice amidst surroundings 

 that are nowadays the property of the picture postcard. 



In the short Norwegian summer great variations in 



II 



