Growing up with Salmon fishing under the waterfall

Salmon fishing under the waterfall was something most people had a connection to when they grew up in the 1950s and 1960s.

Drift net fishing with 2 boats, 2 rowing and 2 casting and pulling in the net. Monday at 6 pm was the day we liked to go to see, we were full of anticipation. The salmon had been protected from Friday at 6 pm to Monday at 6 pm. Now we were all excited, lots of visitors, cars parked along the road in Dynge.

People stood close together when they rowed out and cast the net. I liked sitting on Landskjæret, exciting if there were fish, when they started pulling the net we knew when there were fish, there could be both 3 and 4 in the first cast. When the fishermen rowed in, people crowded forward to see the catch. The salmon were put in boxes, so everyone could see. Some were sold, but most were sold to restaurants and shops. The salmon was stored at Kulland in Dynge, where there were large blocks of ice, which had been cut out in the winter. The blocks were placed in sawdust, and they kept all summer.

Fishing base on Ullernsida was Hans Hansen with rowers Lars Hansen and Per Ola Hobbelstad, Nils Petter Hobbelstad and Harald Kruke. There were several others who took turns.

On Hoensida it was Hilmar Olsen with his son Erik who fished. But Hilmar also ran the Ullern hatchery. It was exciting to go there, here we got to see salmon fry in different phases. Hilmar was always kind and had time to tell us about the salmon.

Hilmar was married to Ellen Fagerlid Olsen, she ran a grocery store, and Hilmar was a handyman and handyman. Hilmar was often seen with his delivery bike, always cheerful with a twinkle in his eye. He often sat mending nets with his moose dog by his side. It was nice to stop and have a chat with Hilmar on the way to swimming in Evja