I thought I would keep this bit short due to the lack of salmon and sea trout running the river. It would seem that this season the fish had entered the system earlier than normal and very few fish were caught the week we where there. The water level was perfect but apart from a couple of pulls and a lost fish for me and similar results for the other guys only one small sea trout was landed by Anders.
On the late afternoon of the Tuesday 1st August we where having a few beers and snacks at the cabin and I felt a pain in the top joint of my right hand middle finger. By 21.00 pm I was feeling very chilly and retired early to bed. By the morning my finger had swelled dramatically and the fever was very unpleasant. Hakan took me to the local hospital on the Wednesday evening and the doctor took blood samples and informed me that I had a infection and he prescribed a 7 day course of antibiotics. He also said that this kind of infection can be deep in the tissue and that if it was not improved by the end of the antibiotics I should seek further treatment.
On my return to the UK I made an appointment with my doctor and she referred me to the hospital. I was admitted and spent the next 5 days having intravenous antibiotics 4 times a day and I left hospital on the Saturday, 12th August with a further 4 days supply of oral antibiotics. I have an appointment on the 21st August at the hospital hand clinic for rehabilitation exercises to get the full movement back in my finger. Bit of a warning to you fellow anglers, Don’t leave small cuts untreated.
The Laerdal is a great river to fish and is set in the most stunning of scenery and apart from the lack of salmon the fishing and the company was fantastic. Thanks to Anders, Goran, Claes and Hakan for your friendship and look forward to meeting again.
Hakan on the upper beat of the Laerdal.
The rod rack outside the cabin. The bridge and tunnel at the river mouth. Tunnel 6.6 km long.
The Laerdal entering the fjord.
The oldest part of Laerdal.