More Than Fishing - A Lesson from the Nordhordland Bridge
A few days ago, while fishing from the Nordhordland Bridge, I had an encounter that stuck with me more than the catch of the day.
An older Norwegian woman approached me, clearly concerned. In her hand, she held several tangled pieces of discarded fishing line. She explained, with a mix of frustration and worry, that anglers keep leaving line behind, and that birds can easily get trapped in it. She had already collected quite a bit and showed it to me in a way that didn’t leave much room for misunderstanding. I tried to explain that it wasn’t mine, that I fish with braid and not monofilament, and I think she believed me. At least I hope she did.
What impressed me was that she had taken this issue on as her personal mission. She regularly visits fishing spots just to clean up leftover line. She even made a small sign about it, and we attached it together to the bridge railing. Whether it survives the Norwegian weather is another question entirely.
Still, she has a point. Discarded fishing line is a real problem. It doesn’t just disappear. It stays there for years, posing a risk to wildlife. Even in a place like Norway, where the shores are often surprisingly clean, you still come across carelessness. Bits of line, packaging from soft baits, broken gear, random plastic. It adds up.
I get annoyed every time I see it. Most anglers take pride in the places they fish, but there are always a few who don’t think twice about leaving their trash behind. It doesn’t take much effort to pack it out.
From now on, I’m bringing a small trash bag with me every time I go fishing. Not just for my own waste, but to pick up whatever I find along the way. Yesterday I already filled part of a bag with old line, lure packaging, a piece of glass, and some unidentifiable plastic chunk that had clearly been there for a while.
Fishing itself was decent, even if the main target didn’t show up. I went after sea trout, but they had other plans. Instead, I ended up with cod, coalfish, and pollack. Not a bad trade, honestly.
