My first but not last…..
There is always stories to be told…. I just want to share this one with you. This is about how I met Sexyloops. I will have some shortcuts in my written story but you get idea anyway.
August 2016, Monday evening… I was just going to refill my car in Russia (diesel is about half of price what it is Finland) and back home, it would take about 2 hours home to home. Next morning it would be rafting guiding and afternoon tvshow shots, Thursday and Friday fishing guiding and Saturday rafting. Just normal week in my office.
I came to Russian border station and saw Jeep standing on area where they park cars if they have some issue. I went thru passport check and saw guy sitting on bench and lady walking around. I was thinking what the heck is that British looking man doing in here. I declared my car and I was about to leave from building when I decided to ask if they had problem (I knew they had but didn’t know what kind of it would be).
They couldn’t cross border because they (Paul) couldn’t declare the car. He didn’t have final document of registration. I don’t know if you have been in Russia but they are strict about things go by the book. The other problem Paul and Ashly had was that Russian’s authoritative speaks only Russian and Finnish (if even that). I’m not sure but I think either of those are Paul’s best language.
I figured out the problem (and also that Paul and Ashly should be in Lovozero before midday on Tuesday) and also called to my Russian friend if we could find short cut to problem. But like I told with authoritatives there is no short cut. Decision was that someone needs to go Petroskoi to pay the customs duty fee.
From map you figure it out fast that was not really option, driving 700 km one way, paying fee, driving back 700 km to get Paul and Ashly going to…. It was Monday evening around 18.00 and they needed to be in Lovozero Tuesday at 12.00. By the way car can’t be in custom area without driver so someone else should go to Petroskoi. I will short this little bit but there was lot of things going and one main issue was that if they go back to Finland to rent a car, they can’t come back to Russia because their visas would be used.
Paul had already asked if I could take them to Lovozero and come with them to fish (for free), I said to him that I will hate him rest of my life because that kind offer…. Varzina….. dream come true in many ways… I haven’t been fishing there but I know the river and area, you just fall in love….. at the same time I had duties back home, I was calling my wife already about things going. Suddenly authorities did something really extra extra ordinary…. they said that if I will take Paul and Ashly to Lovozero they could return to Finland and leave car and then we could cross border. (hyss, don’t tell anybody about this, this is trust issue between us)….
Okay, I refill my car and I go with you…. You are still an asshole Paul with all love.
Back to Kuusamo, packing my car with fishing equipment, leaving Paul’s car to our yard and heading back to Russia. Crossing border easily just before closing. We (I) drove whole night to Lovozero and (I) trying to figure out how to fix guiding back home and especially if I would have home when we would be back. (You know, my wife was not really happy about me jumping like that, but offer was just too good)
There is big areas without phone connection….. We came to Lovozero around 6 am, plenty of time before take off to Varzina. During the night I had to admit that I have no chance to go and I have to go back to work for the rest of the week.
We agreed that I will pick them up next Tuesday…. We said bye bye and I started to drive back home. I was many ways in deep sorrow but……
Week went off and it came to next Tuesday, helicopter would be in Lovozero around 1pm. I needed to start at 6 am from home to be in border when it is opening. (Alone I was able to cross border from Salla, because of immigration issue on that point in Salla it was only Finnish, Russian and Belarus people allowed to cross border or ones which are married with them).
So this was my day trip…. I came to Lovozero airport just in time to pick Paul and Ashly. (Don’t tell them that I was checking some rivers on the way). We started to drive back to Kuusamo and we needed to go Suoperya. On the way in some point my car’s turbo went off and I was worrying if we can manage to border in time (it would be closed at 8.30pm). I think that Paul had some effect on car because normally it is doing okay and I have learned that Paul have issues with cars.
Luckily it was only safety mode and I could pass it. We came to border around 8pm to refill car before going Finland. We were running out of gasoline so we really needed to refill. Gas station was closed but for our luck I was able to talk it open again. After refilling we went Russian border station where everything was easy and fast. We left from there 8.25pm and heading to Finland’s border station. We came there it was just about to be closed……. Finland now we can relax. I drove home and my wife (and me) invited Paul and Ashly to be our guests for few nights and maybe we would go fishing in our area also. (which we did).
Ou…. This should be story about Sexyloops HT rod….. Well I got this one beginning of March. It is number 126.
And it will be used a lot starting from coming summer…… right after this snow is off….
This is a same place where I got some teaching from great Mr.Sexyloops, in night time after few beers.
You will get another story about HT when this river is open again… 1.6.
So this was my first contact to Sexyloops and about my first HT rod which is not used yet. I hope that you enjoyed it.
For me this is story about helping a stranger…. And sometimes they will reward you nice way.
Regards,
Mika
Kuusamo, Finland
Ps. See you on the river and keep fishing.
