Walleye fishing in the Netherlands? No chance. All they have here are canals and lakes full of carp and eels, right?
Central Europe has some great fishing, and walleye fishing is a big part of it. In the Netherlands, the walleye is a commercial fish. Locally, it is known as the schnook, Barsch or pike perch. In Germany, it is the Zander. The North American walleye is a perch or percidae; its scientific name is Strizostedion vitreum. The Zander, also a percidae, is known by the scientific name Strizostedion lucioperca.
The Zander is a somewhat larger walleye and is adapted to the murkier waters of Central and Northern Europe. But whatever you call it, it is still a walleye: It fights hard, tastes great and is right here in our back yard.
Fishing in Europe can be a daunting experience for those who cannot speak the language and are unaware of local laws, rules and regulations. In the Netherlands, as in North America, the axiom of 90 percent of the fish is in 10 percent of the water remains very true. As a result, I decided to seek out some local expertise in my walleye hunt. I hired a guide.
Catching walleye is not as easy as the pros on ESPN make it look. First, you have to be where they are and then you have to use the right bait or lure. Heading down to the river just won’t cut it, especially if the river is in a different country with specific laws, rules and regulations for fishing.
This is where guides are invaluable. First, they know where to fish. Second, they have the equipment and the knowledge to use it. Third, they have a boat that will get you to the maximum number of fishing spots per day.
Finally, guides know the rules and regulations and provide the license. Fishing may not be their livelihood, but it is their avocation; they won’t want to lose it by breaking the rules or getting a client in trouble with the Dutch police.
Because the country is so small, almost all the fishing opportunities are within a two-hour drive of Amsterdam.
In the past year, I have fished on the Rhine River near the city of Gorinchem; the Haringsvliet on the Maas River; on Het Gooemeer (pronounced “hooeymeer”) a large lake near the city of Almere; and on the Nivameer, a small lake just off the end of the runway at Schipol International Airport.
Each provided excellent fishing and was a short drive from my home in The Hague. To get a better idea of the locations in relation to U.S. bases, the Haringsvliet is less than 90 minutes from Brussels, Belgium. Gorinchem is less than two hours from Geilenkirchen, Germany. And the Gooemeer and Nivameer are both less than six hours from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. As you can see, great walleye fishing is closer than you might have suspected.
Fishing in the Netherlands is an exercise in weather adaptation. You have to be ready for anything. My first fishing trip was in November 2002. During that day, we caught 26 walleyes and experienced the full range of weather conditions from driving rain to sunny skies, and temperatures ranging near freezing to mild. You need to dress warmly with layers of cotton and wool, and take waterproof clothing.
The summer is no different, just a little warmer. We were fishing on the Rhine in June and as the rain fell, so did the temperature. My Gore-Tex parka and pants kept me dry but I still needed the sweater and jeans underneath to stay warm. By the afternoon that day, the sun had come out and we were down to shirtsleeves.
Fishing for walleye in the Netherlands requires a bit of skill and the right equipment. Some local fishermen use dead shiners for bait. Others troll with large lures.
However, the most effective method appears to be vertical fishing using plastics and jigs that are locally known as “shads.” This method can be learned in a matter of minutes and provides a rush of adrenaline when a walleye strikes the lure.
For this type of fishing, the color and type of jig are critical. On a recent overcast day in moderate weather a pearl-colored jig with a fish tail brought multiple strikes and fish on the Gooemeer. In the Nivameer on a cold rainy day in November, the favored jig was chartreuse and embedded glitter. On the Haringsvliet on a sunny, cool day in spring, the best jig was a small red plastic bait the size and shape of a large leech. The choice is based on the adage, “match the hatch.”
The time of year, current and recent weather and the spawn are all factors in lure choice. This can include weather conditions hundreds of miles away as well. During our trip to the Haringsvliet on the Maas River, the lure of choice was one resembling a leech. This was because heavy rains falling in past weeks throughout Germany, Belgium and France had washed worms into the river upstream and the walleyes were feeding heavily on them at the mouth of the river. As a result, we had great luck that day with the leech-like jigs.
Not only are Dutch walleyes plentiful, they are also large. During the spring trip to the Haringsvliet, we caught more than 50 walleyes, including three that were nearly a yard long.
Generally speaking, the fishing is not crowded and most fishermen are polite and friendly though not particularly talkative about their luck. But then again, who is?
As a game fish the Dutch limit is two fish per person per day. The guides prefer not to take more than one or two medium-sized fish in the 16-to-32-inch range. The guides also do not like to keep the large fish above 32 inches. They refer to these large fish as “breeders” and believe they are critical to maintaining a strong stock. This self-imposed slot limit appears to be fairly widespread.
Poaching (keeping fish under 16 inches long or selling the fish commercially) can bring large fines and confiscation of equipment. During the summer when it gets hot, the guides prefer not to keep fish early in the day or at all as they may spoil before they can be cleaned and properly stored.
Regarding guides: I use one in particular and he has contacts to several others. The guides here are somewhat different from what you may have experienced in North America.
First, they treat you like a fishing buddy, not a client. They are there to show you where and how to catch walleyes.If there is more than one boat, the guides switch
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