Veddö - Sea Trout Angler's Paradise

I’ve never been to the Irish islands, so I naturally can’t claim to be able to describe what it’s like there. But places like Veddö must exist in Ireland – at least in my imagination.

Veddö is a magnificent spot in Bohuslän, and it’s easy to get carried away by how beautiful the almost-island is scenically, and even better when it comes to sea trout fishing.

Veddö is a nature reserve very close to the equally recommendable coastal gem of Fjällbacka (so close that you can drive there for a longer lunch break during a fishing trip and mingle with the tourists at the harbor).

The reserve is surrounded by water – and you park at the narrow connection point to the mainland. Very practical.

The hikes over the rocks are part of the charm of this fishing area.

The particularly beautiful thing about this area is the versatility of the fishing opportunities. Within a few hundred meters, you can find everything imaginable: wide shallow water areas with rather soft bottoms, a narrow sound, very classic sea trout beaches with leopard bottoms, steep rocky sections, bays that you might also find in the Mediterranean, etc. In one day, you can explore the entire range of Swedish sea trout fishing – without having to get into the car once. And since it’s an almost-island, you can always find spots that suit the given wind conditions – much to the delight of all fly fishermen.

This shoreline looks fishy. Fish are likely to pass by here in the evening.

There’s almost nothing more to say about the fishing. Park at the hiking car park at the harbor (Veddö Naturreservat Parkering) and start walking. Ideally, you should have checked the shoreline structures on Google Earth beforehand. This way, you’ll know which areas to dedicate more or less time to, depending on the season. Depending on the season, you can roughly orient yourself as follows:

In early spring, right after the closed season:
The shallow harbor bay north of the car park, as well as the two bays east of the estate (these face south and can therefore be particularly interesting right after the closed season, when a few degrees of temperature difference can already play a role).

The harbor bay at the Veddö Nature Reserve car park

In late spring and September:
The long beach sections in the west. There you’ll find some of the finest sea trout beaches!

Veddö on the west side

In summer:
During the day, especially the rocky corner in the southwest. Here you can stand on the cliffs and fish over deep water. Be careful, fish are sometimes very close to the steep walls on the shore. As a fly fisherman, definitely use fast-sinking lines here. Early mornings, evenings, and nights, the west-facing beaches are certainly very interesting.

Typical cliff fishing spot

Like many of the numerous nature reserves here, Veddö is essentially a mini-Bohuslän. It’s a wide, open coastal landscape with some beautiful viewpoints over the archipelago. Partially park-like, partially resembling pastureland, partially simply pristine and wild. The ideal destination if you want to fish for a whole day and try various spots – without spending time in the car.

PS: You can also take wonderful walks here. You can complete a full circuit – at a brisk pace – in about 40 minutes.