The charr
Photo and
text : RUDOLF SVENSEN
The cold rain is
hammering against our car and it is complete dark outside. We are
parked on the edge of lake Bjorheimsvannet and are waiting for the
rain to stop so we can get our drysuits on without getting to wet.
It is in late November and approximately 30 metres from our car is
the Arctic Charrs ( Salvelinus alpinus ) gathering to spawn. Leif
and I will make an attempt to capture some images of these beautiful
fishes.Soon we are gliding
along the rocky bottom at just a couple of metres depth. The Charrs
are everywhere, but it is not easy to find a fish which will let me
take his photo. I am at the mouth of a small brook when I spot a
male charr looking at me from something that looks like a small
hollow between two rocks. I make a rest to observe the handsome fish.
It does not seem afraid like the rest of his mates, and suddenly he
sets off straight towards me. I raise my camera end push the trigger
in the same moment as the fish make a turn straight in front of my
camera. I seem to me as it tries to scare me away. The charr attacks
me once more before I leave it alone.
It is past midnight when I download
the images from my camera to my PC. The two images of the attacking
charr are not to bad. I hope he will manage to defence his territory
out there in the dark.
