THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

First amongst these is that the Baltic is no ordinary sea. While in reality it isn't land-locked, to all intents
and purposes it might just as well be. There is a narrow opening to the North Sea between Denmark and
Sweden, after which it has a coastline with Finland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and finally
Russia, losing its salinity continually as it progresses eastwards.
Off the German coast it is still quite saline. Yet even there it supports what we over here would see as
an interesting mix of saltwater and freshwater species, which it does because the lighter density
freshwater from river inputs and run-off floats on top of the more dense saltwater, creating two well
defined bands.
Inshore, along the shallower parts of the coast, the freshwater might extend throughout the entire water
column, allowing colonisation by those species which have a high tolerance of very low salinity
brackish conditions from both sides of the divide.
What you also need to understand is a bit about the relevant politics here too. Germany if you recall
was a divided country, until Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev gave the east German people the all clear
to cross and later demolish the Berlin Wall, eventually leading to reunification.
Prior to that there was a very strictly enforced border which hit the coast close to Wismar, putting Sven's
home town of Rostock just inside the eastern sector.
The importance of this fact is that offshore fishing was to all intents and purposes banned there. The
east Germans would not risk anyone escaping by boat, particularly in the border regions, which on the
one hand may well have led to improved fish stocks by virtue of no exploitation, but on the other, left
local anglers with a lot of catching up to do once the wall came down.
This they have done astoundingly well. Not only in terms of acquiring boats and technology, but equally
important, getting the best use out of them.
At the same time, they have also recognised the need to conserve and protect their assets, with a fishing
licensing scheme that requires thirty to forty hours of supervised lessons. This is then followed up with
a written exam looking at fish specialisation, biology, equipment, treatment of fish, and relevant
legislation. Visiting anglers however can get a tourist fishing permit.
To be in with a shot of seeing the offshore trolling scene at its best, Sven suggested I compete with him
in the annual trolling competition out from Schaprode on the Baltic island of Rügen where he moors
his boat.
Unfortunately for our plans, this fell
right in the middle of the aircraft
grounding fiasco following the
Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in
Iceland, which saw me stranded in
southern Spain.
It took me three days to get home by
bus, train, ferry, and hire car, arriving
back on the day of the flight out to
Germany. Not that it mattered. With all
flights still grounded, the Baltic visit
was put on the back burner, and by the
time flight restrictions were lifted, the
effective fishing season was all but
over.
Inshore Baltic Pike
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