15 Hours, 2 Flights & Many Miles Later We've Arrived At Sandbakken!

After 15 hours, 2 flights & many miles later we've arrived at the Sandbakken Lodge! Which will be our home for the next seven days!

We left sunny Norwich at 7.30 this morning, and after a quick breakfast courtessy of Macdonalds! we were on our way to Gatwick. Fortunately the roads were trouble free and we arrived at our purple parking just before 12. After the short bus journey to the airport, and after many luggage re-arrangements, desperate to keep our suitcase weight below 20kg! we checked in and even had time for a quick pint! Or a rather elabourate hot chocolate...! Within the hour we were in the skies and heading to the land of the giant Cod! (we hope...!)

Landing in Oslo at around 5, we didnt have to wait long before we were in the skies once again, this time on our journey to the military airport of Bardufoss. Now Bardufoss is like all airports should be! It's more like a shed than an airport, but means there's no queing, waiting around or general hassles!

We had left Norwich bathed in sunshine and temperatues of 21 degrees, we arrived in oslo to broken cloud and temperatures of 12 degrees, we had arrived in Bardufoss to temperatures of 3 degrees, with 6ft piles of snow all around and were told it was warm!

Credit to the Norweigns, who although are probably used to the sub zero conditions and icy roads, didnt seem to flinch at the prospects of going out and doing there day to day buisness!

Within 20 minutes of landing we were on the mini bus and on the last part of our journey to the lodge, once we arrived we unpacked, got a brew on! and started to sort the mounds of tackle we'd all brought with us. With colorful, wierd and wonderful things coming from all tackle boxes and rig wallets, we sat down and started to get the end tackle sorted, a couple of quick demonstrations later and we're all revved up and ready to go (as the ramones once said!)

First days fishing tommorrow, everyone's chomping at the bit to get out and wet a line, fingers crossed the fishing gods will be good to us!

Tight Lines...

Yours Truly On The Coach To The Airport, Luckily It Got Taken On MY Goodside!

More Like A Cocktail Than A Hot Chocolate!



The Boys Waiting To Board!



A View From The Window, A Shot Of A Rather Brown & Murky Looking River Thames!



A Snowy Landscape, Bit Different From The View Out Of The Window Over London!



There Was A Fair Amount Of Snow Outside The Doors Of Bardufoss Airport!



All Tackled Up & Ready To Go, From Right To Left, Leadhead Shad Jig (for the Halibut), Standard Pirk & Gummi Macks (General Allround Work), And Mini Shad For Some Light Tackle Fun!



 It's 4.00 In The Morning & I'm Blogging! I Really Should Get Some Sleep, But A Quick Glass Of Vodka Redbull, A Meal Of Cheese On Toast... And I'm Thinking It's Starting To Get Light... Should I Get The Shad Rod Out...!