| Monday: | Paul Arden |
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| Tuesday: | Kalyn Hoggard |
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| Wednesday: | Tracy&James |
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| Thursday: | Martyn White |
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| Friday: | Mika Lappalainen |
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| Saturday: | Rickard Gustafsson |
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| Sunday: | David Siskind |
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State of Emergency FP
Monday, 7 July 2025
“You’re looking for something.
But what could that be?
You look for a Gourami,
Then don’t look at me…”
Yes a song from Stiff Little Fingers to brighten up your day. But also a FP from The Ronan shifting down the lake. It’s been quite a weekend. A 4hr bike ride on Saturday that wiped me out, a 15 minute Snakehead Swim and a 21km evening run on Sunday. It was 34C and high humidity for the run. But with ice cleverly strapped to my forehead I survived. I think I’ll lift some weights tonight and have a recovery ride. But before that I’m going to go chasing Mr Gourami… the f**ker.
Up a river without a net
Tuesday, 8 July 2025
One of my favorite times of the year is when the brown trout run up and down the rivers out of the Great Lakes. I do not hide that fact too much. The main reason I get up at 3am, drive two hours, and make sure that I am the first guy standing on the run I want to fish multiple times a week during the fall is simple: there are world record browns around! Even though they are not always fired up about eating, when they are fired up, they will kill their meal, and when they are hooked, they fight like you stole their girl.
I like to do all of my scouting alone. I cover a lot of water. I don’t fish every run that might be holding fish. I get up early and I stay out late. I don’t eat much. I don’t stay super hydrated like I should. I am chasing, and that’s the mentality you really need to have if you are going to pull off catching one of the biggest browns in the world during the day on a streamer. Most people are not willing to keep up with my pace during the run. So, I just go alone unless I’m guiding.
Scone Game Fair 2025
Wednesday, 2 July 2025
Tracy and I are in Scotland this week ahead of this weekends Scottish game fair at Scone Palace in Perthshire. Tracy is working in the area whilst I'm just lazing around, going for walks and playing chess. I'd normally use the time Tracy is at work for Spey casting practice, however I've decided to give my hand a complete rest as things are not going well at all – pretty much all my fingers are numb.
To Frog Or Not To Frog?
Thursday, 3 July 2025
After last week's eventful morning of tubing, I'm happy to say that we had several stable days leading to lovely calm conditions on Monday. Chuck and I were both free so took advantage and took the tubes to a new location.
Mud racer 2
Friday, 4 July 2025
You might remember my FP mud racer, when Stefan and I went fishing. It gave me some extra heart beats and ended up a great day. I haven't been fishing much as spot which I would like to explore from Kuusinki river has some issues.
Issues are short term and profit will be long term. 3 weeks ago they opened old river Piilijoki and shutdown dam. Piilijoki has been dry about 70 years and has been cleaned etc.
Among drills, roll casts and flies
Saturday, 5 July 2025
I’m not a fan of Paul’s launch drill. I find it hard, awkward and too honest. A mistake and you get punished directly. That’s why I have ignored it, and now I have to pay the price I haven’t done before. I need to spend time on the damn drill. But that could be good. All my casting is crap at the moment. So something to get me back on track. The only thing that I’m somewhat happy with is my roll cast and Speys. But they are good. Which is nice since I will soon be on a fishing trip where I guess I will use those casts more than my distance cast. Just don’t tell Minna. She thinks we are going on a vacation. Didn’t she notice that the cabin we are going to stay in is located next to a river?
Coincidence (or overthinking)
Sunday, 6 July 2025
Paul just posted his Launch Drill addressing a problem that I have struggled with for a while. That is the transition from a strong 170 backcast to the forward stroke. An assumption implicit in this exercise is that a forward cast is best initiated from a completely unrolled backcast. Paul teaches ringing the bell and a diminution of felt tension as good signals to start forward. It works for me.
