Titran Rorbuer Havfiskesenter: Hooked on the sea – fishing with traditional roots

Fishing has always been, and still is, an important trade in Norway, but it is also an important part of the tourist industry. One of the many great destinations for experienced open sea fishers, is Titran Rorbuer Havfiskesenter, located only a few minutes by boat from the best fishing spots in Central Norway.

Titran, on the island Frøya, is one of Central Norway’s oldest and biggest fishing villages, with a history dating all the way back to the Viking Age. in 2020, Magnar Johnsson and Nils Ivar Årsund, two friends who shared a love for fishing, boats and the sea, got the opportunity to buy Titran Rorbuer Havfiskesenter and jumped on it.

Photo: Helge Melhus

Boats at your door step

A Norwegian rorbu is a traditional type of seasonal house by the sea. Titran Rorbuer Havfiskesenter comprises two buildings, with a total of seven apartments. They are built in the traditional timber style, but were built in 2000 and have modern facilities.

Just like the original rorbu, these apartments are also seasonal. Winter can be rough, so they are open for guests from March until the end of October. “There is a lot of great fishing at the beginning of the season, especially for cod and big leng,” Jonhsson says. “But the weather is rougher and the early season is for experienced anglers.”

Another essential quality of the traditional rorbu is its proximity to the water. The buildings were constructed on land with one end on poles in the water, allowing easy access to the boats. Bigger than the traditional rorbu, Titran Rorbuer needed a bigger quay, still, the boats are just a few meters from its front door.

The area around Titran has a beautiful archipelago and waters with little underwater reefs, and navigating the boats, which can fit up to six people (but are more comfortable for three to four)
is fairly easy.

Slettringen lighthouse.

There is plenty of fish in the sea

Frøya is in a prime location for fishing. It is in the middle of Norway, the sweet spot where the warmer waters from the south meet the colder waters from the north. This means you can find fish species that are usually more common in Northern Norway or Southern Norway.

Halibut is a fish more commonly found further north, but which is living happily in the waters surrounding Frøya. In 2022, halibuts weighing respectively 77 kg and 95 kg where caught, and earlier this summer a guest caught one weighing more than 100 kg. Due to its size, it had to be released back into the sea, as halibuts bigger than 100 kg are protected.

In fact, the sea is teeming with everything from salmon, pollock and mackerel, to haddock, plaice and turbot. There is also lobster, crab, crayfish and prawns. All the ingredients for a seafood feast.

The new boat is almost ready to welcome guests.

A break from fishing

Fishing is indisputably the most popular activity at Titran Rorbuer Havfiskesenter, but there is much more to do, both on land and below the water. Whales are known to appear around the boats and if you look up, you might spot an eagle. If kayaking in the archipelago is tempting, two kayaks are available for hire, and divers are welcome too (bring your own gear or rent from diving clubs). And diving is definitely worth it for seafood lovers too- the sea floor is full of scallops ready to be picked. Furthermore, all the apartments are fully equipped, so the distance to the frying pan could not be shorter.

A place worth visiting is Slettringen lighthouse, currently being refurbished. First built in 1899, and then completely rebuilt in 1923 with Norway’s tallest cast iron tower.

Plans for the future

Today, when renting a boat at Titran Rorbuer Havfiskesenter, you are in charge of it. This means that those who want to go out to sea, need to have some experience handling a boat. But this is about to change. “We have bought a new boat,” Johnsson explains. “It is 37 feet long, with space for up to 12 people, and it will have a captain.” The bigger boat will be ready for the 2024 season, and will be captained by an experienced fisherman who knows the sea and islands well.

This new development also opens up for companies wanting to go on team building activities or big groups of friends and families going on the same boat. And, it will not just be for fishing. The captain can take groups on eagle safaris, diving trips or just exploring the many islands and islets.

Furthermore, with a captained boat, those who have never sailed a boat on open seas will no longer be restricted to fishing from land, with someone else in charge of the boat there is nothing to worry about – the guests can just relax, enjoy fishing and the beauty of the sea.

Photo: Helge Melhus

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