Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 24 July 2026
Weather is pretty much perfect here now. Yes it could be few degrees warmer yet otherwise it is great. Late afternoon with sun it is +20 celsius, nights are around +9 celsius. We have had some rain but not too much. All of these makes rivers perfect, enough water, temperature around +13 celsius, easily under +15 celsius. I would say this has been as perfect as it can be for waters.
Wednesday I had guiding day. I had one lady as fishing guest 9 years ago, week from now it would exactly 9 years. (Had to check from photos). She was travelling to north with her dad, cousins and with her daughters. Younger one was still in manger size and older one could just walk. Older one was playing in river while I taught fly fishing to mom.
Now 9 years later circle closes. Daughters came to learn fly fishing. Mom was with them, youngest children was again manger size (just few months old) and second youngest was playing and swimming in river.
We started from farm where girls (now 9 and 11 yrs) trained roll cast with their friend (11 yrs). They learned really fast and we also tried how to take fish in as Elsa (9yrs) wanted to know how to handle situation as she will catch something.
After first session we had lunchbreak with bread and waffles. Then girls painted some stones as we have open door days at farm this week. While painted stones were varnished and we waited that it will dry we had short second session. After that we did some cone throwing play before going fishing.
Cone throwing is nice way to make casting practise as play. I don't know if you have tried yet it works pretty well. You cut young willow, about 50 cm piece, that will be your rod now. You put cone on tip and make slingshots. If cone drops next to you, you have used too much power and too fast, if it doesn't fly, too little. If cone flies as high arc, direction has been wrong. Cone should fly straight and hit target.
Girls really liked that game and now they can practise at home also without real gears. I selected fishing spot which would be easy to wade and most important we will catch something, doesn't matter what species as long we catch. And we did, start was difficult with catches as we really tried to get some grayling first, then we moved little different spot where would be perch and roach, a lot. And then girls started to catch fish.
All of them were really in fire and it was nice to see that, they really kept casting in order, if I told to fix something they really did it. And they kept catching fish, each got ten or more including one grayling and lost two.
Circle closes mom is watching daughters learn and daughters who slept and swimmed when mom learned were fishing now. I can honestly say that it was one of the best guiding days during 18 yrs that I have been guiding, pure joy and excitement from children. Elsa gave best comments afterwards as she said to her mom that this was best ever visit to Kuusamo. (They live about one hour drive now from here) She even pointed that having burgers after fishing isn't that great than this is.
She basically booked new trip for next summer, whole day. Let's see if it will hold over winter and if mom will pay. Mom sent message afterwards that she will bring girls for fly tying session during autumn.
I consider that day successful, new and young people hooked on flyfishing.
Have a nice weekend and go fishing
Mika the Legend