Differences in Cultures:
Janell DeYoung and I traveled to Norway last week to exhibit at a Sportsman’s Expo in Lillestrom, just outside Oslo. Throughout the 8 days we spent with our hosts, we enjoyed discovering the differences between us (the Americans) and them (the Scandinavians). In the end it was evident that although few Americans regularly enjoy burying a trout in the ground and eating it several days later once the rotting process has cured it to some degree, we were much more alike than I would have ever thought.

The Scandinavians are somewhat stand offish at first.. but once you break past that front, they are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. They are always concerned about others, always asking if I am having fun or need anything. One difference in our cultures is that if you say you do need or want something, even if your kidding, it will be done for you. As I worked on a painting at the Sportsman’s Expo, I was not thrilled with the coffee that they had at the concession.. Roy Thue (one of the Fly Fish Europe guys) came up and asked how I was doing.. did I need anything? I jokingly asked if he could set up a coffee bar in the Fly Fish Europe Booth. He went into deep thought and wandered away.. I thought he understood I was just kidding, but the next morning I approached the booth to the smell of strong coffee brewing. Roy had brought in an Espresso machine and I’ve got to say.. it did make me very happy!

Another thing I learned about the Scandinavians is that they like to party. Oslo came alive every night around 11 pm and would stay quite lively til dawn. I don’t think I’ve stayed up til 2 am – 4 am and got drunk for 8 consecutive nights since I was 17 years old. I noticed the hang overs I experienced in Norway and Sweden were very mild compared to back in Montana. Whether this was due to being at sea level, or a difference in the beer and wine there, I’m not sure.

The Fishing:
Most of us Fly Fishers in the US have heard that the Europeans are very skilled fly fisherman. I now have seen first hand that it is true. Or maybe I was deceived, and I was fishing with Scandinavians 7 best Fly Fisherman… which could be the truth. But watching them cast was amazing. Their casting technique was flawless. As a Montana guy, I’m a believer in casting as little as possible… I spend my time fishing, not casting. My casting typically consists of a single water load, one back cast.. double haul and shoot the line as far as possible… which is more then enough for most situations in the Rockies. But standing at the edge of the Sea, casting as far as I could amongst this group of Scandinavians.. I felt damn inadequate! I did have three days of practice though, and my cast is looking better now than when I arrived. There were moments though, when the wind seemed to laugh at me as it took my weak attempt at a cast, crumple it up, and throw it back at me. Then as I pulled my line in to untie the resulting wind knot, I would look over at Tom Roger Bekkeli effortlessly throwing 70′ darts, and I would silently curse him.

I asked many Scandinavian Fly Fishers what they fished for. 96% immediately responded “Brown trout on Dry Flies.. only Dries”. They were usually very polite, and said that they never made fun of the elderly or very young children for using nymphs.. but for them it was all about the rise. I must be honest, I am so far from a purest, that I felt a little guilty for my “anything goes” tactics when chasing fish. Then it occurred to me that a trout might be happier being caught on a Joe’s Rubberlegs by me.. and promptly put it back in the water to swim away, then to fall victim to a Scandinavians dry fly, and placed in a zip-lock bag and buried two feet under ground to be consumed later.