Fishing in the centre of the city: my street fishing adventure in Hamburg
6.8.2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Lorenz Keller
Fishing instead of a harbour tour: street fishing shows Hamburg's hidden sides. With landing net and bait, you can go fishing for zander and perch - right in the centre of the city.
«You can only reach this spot twice a day», explains fishing guide Manuel, shortly before we set off on our street fishing trip in Hamburg. This is due to the tides that the Elbe is exposed to. The so-called tidal range is around 3.8 metres. In other words, the water in the river sinks almost four metres - and then rises again. And this happens twice a day.
We carefully balance over the stone rubble at a lock in the direction of the Elbe. Where the tributary and the main stream meet, we can already see small fish jumping. The predatory fish are active - and that's what we're after.
The first bite while sightseeing
For the first part of my somewhat different tour of Hamburg, I booked a tour with Elbcoast Guiding. For around 100 francs or euros, I travelled in a small group with a professional guide. The advantage of this is that you can hire fishing tackle and you don't need a fishing licence.
And on a body of water like the Elbe, with ebb and flow that shift by an hour every day, a local expert is twice as important. He knows when the fish are where - whether they bite is another question.
Our group stands at the top of the rockpile and makes the first casts with small rubber fish. They imitate the small prey fish that we keep seeing in the water. As the water sinks, they swim out of the stones and look for new hiding places. The zander know this and fill their stomachs.
Cast out, let the bait sink to the bottom, crank it up briefly, let it sink again, crank it up, let it sink - again and again. Zander fishing requires patience and perseverance. Meanwhile, I have time to enjoy the harbour atmosphere in Hamburg. Small and large boats pass by on the main river, in front I can see the Elbe bridges, next to them large cranes. I'm right in the middle of it all and not just cruising past like on a harbour tour.
Suddenly the rod twitches. There it is, the famous «Tock» of the zander, which occurs when the prey is sucked in. If the prey is my rubber fish, I feel it as a shock in my fishing rod. But the fish doesn't hang - instead, my motivation and concentration suddenly increase.
The first and the last fish
A short time later, other guests on the guiding tour also report contact with fish. And suddenly I feel another bite. This time I strike fast enough and land the zander. Despite two hours without catching anything, it was worth sticking with it.
A so-called biting phase begins. As an angler, I experience periods like this again and again, when the predatory fish all become active and go on the hunt. The guide catches a small zander, and later a second one. Another person in the group is also lucky. However, the mini zander gets out just before the landing net - that's also part of everyday fishing. Not so bad: the fish, which was too small, would have had to be released by law anyway, as it had not yet reached the minimum size.
As soon as the water rises again, the fish contacts are over. We leave the spot - because at some point the whole rock pack is flooded again and we would get our feet wet. What's more, other spots are more suitable when the Elbe is rising.
We take the car to another part of the harbour, between two bridges. There is a strong current here, but there is also a calm area. And this is exactly where the predatory fish lurk to hunt passing fish. However, they completely ignore our bait - just like at other spots.
On this day, we only managed to catch one fish in around seven hours. That's part of fishing. On the other hand, I saw many corners of the harbour that the tourist tours don't pass by - such as the area where scrap metal is loaded and unloaded.
Hamburg, the rowing city
A few days later, I go stalking on my own. I use my travel rod, which fits in every suitcase thanks to its four-piece construction and is therefore often taken along on city trips.
The best time in summer is often the early morning and late afternoon - that's why I stand by the Alster at sunrise. Here, Hamburg shows itself from a completely different side: no rusty harbour facilities, but green banks, lined with footpaths and parks.
As soon as the first rays of sunshine appear, the water is alive - unfortunately not with fish, but with rowing boats and canoes. The whole of Hamburg seems to be dedicated to rowing, with the occasional excursion boat in between.
Since I mainly walk along the riverbank, the boat traffic doesn't bother me. As so often in summer, it's a game of patience. I catch a few small perch - also known as Egli in Switzerland - within sight of stately villas and beautiful townhouses
At the end of my somewhat different Hamburg tour, I move on to the Hammerbrook neighbourhood. The former working-class neighbourhood is now a modern office district. The old canals and bridges have been made accessible with footpaths - for example along the central canal.
This is not only interesting for walkers, but also for anglers. I can present my bait well under the bridges. That's where the fish like to be. And I actually catch the biggest perch of the day in this metropolitan setting - a great end to my street fishing adventure.
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
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