An avid fisherman, adventurer, explorer and "Brother of the Rod" from the 1800s, who's books have inspired this journey of discovery.
William Bilton (1797-1870) was one of the first men to explore the Scandinavian region in search of salmon. He admits to being of a ‘roving disposition’ which had led him to most parts of Europe and every nook of Britain from John O’Groats to Land’s End. After spending timing exploring and fishing in Ireland and completing in 1834 the book "The Angler in Ireland" "or an Englishman's Ramble Through Connaught and Munster, During the Summer of 1833” which gives a well rounded view of Ireland in the 1830s, William set off in the summer of 1837 for first time to Norway.
"Such, therefore, as have the power of taking a long flight, naturally turned to other lands, where this art, so peculiarly English, is as yet unknown. A few adventurous brothers of the rod have already explored the Scandinavian wilds".
Bilton main objective was to explore new fishing areas in Norway, but he also expands his observations to the Norwegian countryside, climate, peoples and natural history of the land. His books "two summers in Norway" (London, Saunders and Otley, 1840), also act as a travel guide for those who wish to follow in his foot steps as he sets out his route through Germany, Denmark and up into Norway aboard the steamers to Kristiansand.
At a time his descriptive writing often adds a romantic angle and allows the mind to wonder to what it must have been like to explorer virgin lands and especially fishing grounds for the first time, yet to be exploited and plundered by man for natures natural resources.
Although little is know of William (Belton) Bilton outside his books, there are obvious conclusions we can draw from reading into his books. He was a man of stature and financial resources to be able to fish and explore during the summer time, he was well educated and literate as his writing demonstrates, his Natural history and historical knowledge was extensive, as well as later picking up some of the Norwegian language during his second trip. I can imagine he was approachable as I am sure there where challenges he faced and managed to over come, since he was often invited to lodge with farmers during his time, or when arriving late at a town engaged the relevant persons to find lodgings. He was a christian attending church on several occasions and observing the rule “no fishing on Sundays”, as well as sharing his views on religion (most strongly shared on Catholicism in the Angler in Ireland) and obviously a skilled fly fisherman, judging by the success of his endeavours for both trout and salmon.
In terms of conservationist, he was defiantly a Naturalists through his wild life, fauna and geographical observations, but judging by the weight of salmon he took from the rivers I don’t think conservation was a priority, nor at the time a consideration.
William Bilton can be credited with opening up Norway to the salmon fisherman with his discovery of great fishing on the Namsen and being one of the first "lakse lorder" or “Salmon Lords” as the locals referred to these English fisherman. You can still follow in his footsteps and stay at one of his lodging and fish the Namsen "the queen of rivers" at the Moum.
Comments