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Journey Through Denmark: Fishing Chronicles & Tips for the Avid Angler
By Ade Kiddell
Last year, we embarked on a two-week journey across Denmark in our camper van. We not only revelled in Denmark's beauty but also seized every chance to fish.
I previously shared insights about the fantastic freshwater and saltwater fishing in Denmark. Given our incredible experience, it was a no-brainer to choose Denmark for our vacation again this year.
Is Denmark known for fishing?
Denmark is renowned for its fishing opportunities, thanks to its vast coastline and numerous freshwater bodies. Anglers often target saltwater species like sea trout and cod along its shores, while freshwater enthusiasts can find pike, perch, and roach in its lakes and rivers.
Additionally, Denmark boasts numerous lakes, rivers, and streams, providing ample opportunities for freshwater fishing. Species such as pike, perch, roach, bream, and zander are commonly sought after.
Enhancing Future Fishing Trips with Notes
I keep notes about a lot of my fishing sessions, I can recommend to any angler keeping a fishing diary can pay great dividends for later sessions.
Recording simple things like:
- Swim depth
- Flow of water
- Best baits
- Best rigs
Looking back on last year’s trips allowed me to make sure not only had I got the tackle I needed but also that I was better prepared for the varied sessions I had planned.
What Coarse Fishing Tackle Do I Need?
- Rod: Usually a match rod, feeder rod, or specialist rod depending on the species you're targeting.
- Reel: Fixed spool reel is most commonly used, filled with suitable line.
- Line: Monofilament line with a breaking strain suited to the fish you're aiming to catch.
- Hooks: Assorted sizes, typically barbless for catch and release.
- Floats: Various types such as waggler, stick, and pole floats for different conditions and depths.
- Weights/Shot: Assorted split shots and weights for balancing floats and getting bait to the desired depth.
- Feeders: Used to deliver bait and attractants to the fishing area.
- Bait: Common baits include maggots, worms, corn, bread, pellets, and boilies.
- Bait box: To store live or wet baits.
- Landing Net & Handle: Essential for safely landing fish.
- Unhooking Mat: A padded mat to protect fish while unhooking.
- Disgorger: Tool to help with unhooking fish.
- Pole Elastic: If pole fishing, elastic helps to play and land fish without breaking the line.
- Rod Rest or Rod Pod: To support your rod while waiting for a bite.
- Tackle Box: To store all small bits of tackle.
- Bankstick: A stake driven into the ground to support various accessories, including rod rests.
- Swivels and Beads: Useful for various rigs and to prevent line twist.
- Hair Rigs: For bait presentation, especially when using boilies.
- Method Feeder & Mould: For presenting bait close to a weight, commonly used with groundbait.
- Dip & Sprays: Used to attract fish or enhance bait appeal.
Remember, the specific tackle you'll need can vary based on the species you're targeting and the water you're fishing in. Always check local regulations and recommendations.
Coarse Fishing Tackle Essentials
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Unfortunately in Denmark, coarse fishing tackle is not easy to obtain, whilst there are tackle shops it's predator and sea fishing that they cater for and not the coarse angler.
If you are planning a trip then make sure you have plenty of tackle and bait packed for the trip.
Best Fishing Baits for the Travelling Angler
Whenever I am travelling around with the camper and know I will be coarse fishing, then I try to carry a bit of bait with me.
Maggots: Fresh maggots can lead to problems, having over the years had several escapes in cars and sheds, I never carry live maggots, frozen maggots are very effective and much easier to transport kept in the fridge they will last a few days in the freezer they will last for months.
Corn: Tins of sweetcorn make a great standby bait, it's easy to transport and a relatively cheap bait, basic corn is great but it's always worth looking at the various flavoured and coloured corn available from the tackle shop.
My number 1 choice has to be Sonubaits F1 corn, I have caught so many fish using it I always have a tin in my bag.
Worms: Over the years my favourite bait when travelling has always been worms. There is hardly a fish that swims and doesn’t eat a worm. A pack of Dendrobena worms is fairly easy to keep fresh, as long as they are kept cool, a bag is better for this than a plastic tub.
How do I store worms for fishing?
I use a Cresta EVA micro mesh bait store, these are perfect for the job and as well as keeping them cool I feed them every few days with some ripe bananas.
Peel the banana and put it in with them, a few days later it will be completely gone, and you will keep them alive and perfect for bait. The worms I am using at present I have had for almost 6 months.
Coarse Fishing Bait Boxes
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£2.99 - £4.99 -
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£13.99 - £19.99
Sea Fishing in Denmark
On this trip, I fished in many different places both fresh and salt water, with some great results. Fishing in both the North Sea and the Baltic was brilliant with loads of mackerel as well as flat fish and small cod.
Float Fishing for Mackerel
Fishing for mackerel is usually with lures or strings of feathers, but this year a Danish angler tipped me off regarding using float tackle to pick out the better fish.
Using a simple sliding float, a small pike float is perfect, using a sliding stop knot and a small weight with a silver hook about a size 2 is ideal.
For bait, either a small strip of fish or a small dead fish cast out and allowed to drift with the tide and wind, an occasional jig of the bait will often produce a bite.
I have to admit it’s something a bit different and certainly produced some nice mackerel as well as some garfish. A great method for youngsters to try as it’s a lot easier than casting and retrieving lures.
River Fishing in Denmark
Freshwater wise yet again Denmark didn’t disappoint, I had a couple of big bags of roach from the River Guden. Fishing the stick float in the steady flow was fantastic. I got a bite on almost every cast by feeding dead maggots and using worms for hook bait produced some memorable fishing.
I caught hand-sized roach that looked like they were freshly made just for my trip! They had bright eyes, blood-red fins and bright silver scales, a joy to see and one of the reasons I go fishing.
Canal Fishing for Bream
The outstanding catch of the trip was a net of big bream from a shipping canal. I had fished this canal a few times before and had some big bags of roach and ide but only had a few small bream.
With a bit of local knowledge and a change to feeder instead of pole and I found a shoal of hungry bream keen for a worm lunch. A total of ten big breams with the biggest going close to ten pounds with plenty of nice roach perch and Ide to complete a red letter catch.
Fishing in Autumn
As Autumn approaches we move into a fantastic time to be an angler. I always look forward to this time of year. The fish are feeding up for the winter ahead, daylight hours are reducing fast, and it's time to get the rods out and bag up.
Rest assured I have some trips planned starting in the next couple of days with a barbel trip into France, I will let you know how it goes.
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