A Summer Holiday in Scandinavia

Routes

THERE are several ways of reaching Norway, among which the tourist must choose for himself. He will, of course, be able to obtain full information from the respective offices. For the Norwegian steamers which ply along the coast and upon the lakes, I must refer the traveler to the "Norges Communicationsblad," which is published every week, and contains full information.

There are steamers from Hull to Christiania, Bergen, and Trondhjem: fare, £3 3s.; agents, Messrs. Wilson and Co., Hull. From Leith to Christiansund, once a fortnight; sea passage, forty-five hours. Another line runs direct from Lower East Smithfield Wharf to Christiansand and Christiania; fares -- 1st class, £4; 2nd, £2 13s. 4d. Our route was from Hull to Christiania (the Wilson line) -- a passage of three days. On the whole, I think this is preferable.

Fishing

In regard to this subject, the tourist must rely on his own piscatorial experience to a great extent; as, on account of the large diversity of streams, seasons, and fishing-grounds, it is impossible to lay down any fixed rules.

July and August are considered the beet fishing months; but the season is earlier in the south and later in the north.

The strongest tackle and plenty of it must be taken; strong because the fish run to a great size, and plenty because tackle proper -- gut, flies, and good rods -- are almost unknown in Norway, the natives pursuing their sport with long poles of fir, and for line the finest string they can get. Even with these rude implements, however, they are often very successful. Pike lines and baits should also be taken for use on the great lakes. We met a gentleman at Laerdalsoroen who had done great execution with the spoon bait. A few night and float lines for coarser fish might also be taken, as Lake Miosen alone is said to contain twenty different sorts.

As regards flies, firstly for salmon, one cannot do better than follow the advice of a respectable London fishing-tackle maker; but to have a book well-stocked with many varieties and all sizes is desirable. I feel sure that generally a large fly is more successful than a small one, and that color is a secondary consideration. For trout, on the other hand, decided colors are supposed to be the best -- bright or dark. At Fagernoes, after a slight freshet, we saw a basket full of fine trout taken with a rather large fly with grey body lightly bound with silver twist, and wings of the blue barred feather from the jay. March-browns and red palmers are also extremely useful on many waters. But the well-stocked fisherman will find this out for himself, if only he pays due regard to the character of his local flies and does not offer the keen-eyed fish an object as big as a bumble bee when he sees they are rising at delicate gnats and tiny midges. With good observation and a large choice of flies he will be unfortunate if he does not get a creel of nice-looking fish in almost every piece of water he tries. Just above the place where a river runs into a lake is an excellent spot to throw over for big trout, which, we found, keep well out into the center of the stream where it is deep and rapid. At the foot of the lowest falls of a river is also a most likely spot. It is said to be necessary to get the permission of the landowners to fish in some of the trout streams. This may be the case with a very few; but for our part, we fished with considerable success wherever we seemed likely to catch something, and were never once in the least degree interfered with.