Those whose main vice is fishing, on the other hand, might also find a lot of reasons to fancy a trip to Amsterdam. A quick glance tells you that the whole city is full of canals, ponds and lakes. Most of them have fish, although with not a huge amount of guidance out there, it can be hard to assess the sport. Some folks will tell you there aren’t many; others will tell you there are species such as perch and zander throughout while the canals are the cleanest they’ve been in 40 years. Well worth a pop with some light lure gear, surely?
So what are your main considerations to fish there? Cheap flights are readily available and with the Dutch being arguably the most tolerant nation in Europe few areas are out of bounds, with a refreshing lack of those local Hitler types saying “you can’t do that” found on many UK canals. Let’s face it, if you can smoke jazz cigarettes or hire a harlot perfectly legally, nobody is going to be worried about you having a cheeky cast. Being English I actually asked one guy if I could fish all the water, to be told “this is Amsterdam, you can do what the hell you like!”
The whole workings of the city are a thing of wonder alone, which the UK could learn from. Public transport is excellent and cheap; bicycles hurtle around in their thousands. It feels truly multicultural and welcoming too; everyone just seems to get along.
Of course, even a very liberal city has rules. You might already be asking: do you need a license to fish in Amsterdam or Holland in general? It’s a tricky one. The obvious answer is yes, you need to buy the general license. Fortunately there are lots of tackle shops in Amsterdam (here's a handy page where you can get a PDF list of shops) . The fact that only annual tickets are available is a pain, but around 50€ is not desperately steep and allows you to fish a silly amount of water. I should also mention that you are fine to fish with most local guides, thanks to a kind of buddy system where guests can fish for free.
I didn’t have infinite time on my visit, as I didn’t want my girlfriend to freeze or get bored, but tried various locations. I tried the canal basin right where we were staying and also walked the banks of the Slotermeer- a giant urban lake, but the shallow bits within range were too cold to hold much life in the dead end of winter.
To be honest, it was a struggle and it was probably just as well that I’d booked a proper guided day with my friend Pim Pos, who I’d fished with in Norway previously. Not only is he a staggeringly keen lure angler, but has a wicked sense of humour and the sort of boundless optimism you need when the temperature drops.
We took a ride aboard his boat, the Dutch Dyke (not really) to explore the huge shipping canal above Central Station. It was an experience to say the least, cruising past huge ocean liners and skyscrapers. When you’re with a local you can also get into those parts that others don’t dare or even know about. Right outside the police station or behind a huge red ship busy loading up. And what a difference a well-organised guide makes. Besides lures and rods to cover every scenario, he also provided a thermal suit for my other half.
We used heavy dropshot tactics (20g sinker, 3-4” lures) in areas of ten metres or more in depth. But while the fishfinder showed signs of life, the fish were decidedly picky. Partly because this time of year is when the big zander are egg-bound and lose interest; partly because it was as cold as a whore’s heart.
An hour in and we had caught nothing. But another move or three and the knocks arrived. There is a special knack to this form of fishing, and it was instructive just watching Pim in action. Very slight “shivers” on the rod bring your lure to life- or sometimes just subtly raising and dropping a paddle tail lure as the boat gently moves. In competitions, a second “static” rod is often used- and even with only the action provided by the boat, fish are caught. He has a million other dodges too, and I’m keen to spill the beans with an article at some point.
It took a while, but I managed a nice perch to break my duck and suddenly it wasn’t all doom and gloom. And while the action was never hectic, it was a great lesson in concentrating to make the most of few chances. We added further perch and four very modest zander to provide some welcome action. Not a bad result considering the bitter conditions. This is the value of a guide- and if you want to book with Pim (whose surname “Pos” means “ruffe” in Dutch, rather appropriately) you could always drop him a line at: p.pos@hengelsport.com
Besides the zander, the semi-salty waters around Amsterdam can also produce cod and whiting on lures!
Much to the relief of my other half, we also did some touristy stuff on the trip. We saw Rembrandt’s house and his famous nudes, while we also enjoyed local food and booze immensely. Dutch pancakes with bacon and maple syrup might sound wrong, but are devilishly good, as are the local beers. It might not be very rock'n'roll, but for me Amsterdam's craft beer bars held more appeal than the many coffeeshops and their notoriously strong weed. Brand IPA was an especially good brew; think punchy IPA crossed with Belgian beer and you get some idea. Paulina enjoyed a glass or two of this more than the fishing, I suspect:
The Weissbeers are ace too, especially with a few Bitter Ballen- seriously tasty, crunchy savoury little things, eaten with mustard:
The other notable event I only discovered very late in the day was the Amsterdam Street Fishing Competition. Having had no joy on the smaller canals around the city centre, I headed for the bigger, deeper waters around Central Station hoping for better, or at least a single touch. This is the trouble with having your birthday in February though- you dream up a big adventure but the fishing can be bloody cold and difficult.
I was sort of simultaneously disappointed and reassured to find that the competition anglers were also catching very little. I was also pleasantly surprised to bump into Dan Sales, who had also made the journey to Holland and was busy mucking in with the locals trying to winkle out a fish. Boy, it was tough though, so we continued to the large basin type area by the Nemo centre. Here's a Dutch specialist, trying to lift a perch from underneath Gandalf's arse:
I tried just about everything in the end. Scaling down my jigs. Dropshot tactics. Praying to the angling gods. Cursing the angling gods. It didn’t do a whole lot of good- and I suspect the whole competition was probably won with a modest perch or two. Not that the day wasn't entertaining. This is one of the more bizarre spots I tried, complete with an upturned pair of plastic legs:
I’d hate to write off the street fishing in Amsterdam so easily however. The local rods all told me there was decent sport here usually- just not on our visit. The shallower canals will also no doubt produce at other times- you just suspect that many fish move into the deeper channels for winter. The general consensus told me that the best time to visit is probably autumn. Which is when I’m already thinking of a return, because Amsterdam is simply too fascinating not to do so. And I also have that bloody one year ticket to use.
