Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 24 July 2020
It is more like deal with Ukko. Ukko is the supreme god in Finnish mytology. Before Christian religion came to Finland Ukko was called Perkele. Perkele is translation to devil, so people started to call Perkele as Ukko so there won’t be misundestanding. Ukko, the supreme god, rules weather amongst some other things. If you needed rain you asked that from Ukko. Past ten years have shown that I kind of have deal with devil.
When we are even talking about making hay in our farm dark clouds are starting to gather around. Forecast which was originally good weather is turning rainy. Last few years we have basicly made hay against rain, 12 hours time frame to cut, turn and pack. No time to predrying or anything like that. It has mean that in winter our hay are little bit frozen, you could say. During these years it has never been heavy rain when I have been guiding. There is always bill to pay. Great weather on river, poor weather for hay making.
This year we had perfect weather for hay making. Three days in row no rain, even it was little bit late considering growing season, it was just perfect. We had time to let hay pre dry etc. We should have top quality hay for wintertime. Now you could think that it means that it has been raining when guiding because, there is always bills to pay.
During the years there have many cases that it is raining or forecast is bad when we start our fishing. I remember one case really well because we were doing some tvshooting on Kitka river. We rafted down to river and fished on the way. When we began our rafting it was heavy rain and I know everyone were little bit worried about how filming will go. We stopped on first fishing spot and rain stopped. We set everything ready and start to fish. At the same time sun came out and sky was totally clearing. Fishing was amazing and we got lot of good size grayling. After that whole day was good weather and filming went great and fishing was good. We were just finishing our trip and coming to shore when rain started again. After that it has happen same thing many times and I have been joking that I have deal that when I’m at the river fishing with guests there won’t be rain. Of course sometimes it drops some water but it is not like monsun.
Wednesday I was pretty sure that it will heavy rain whole day. All three forecast which I follow promised heavy rain for afternoon and evening. Morning was grey and some rain allready. But when we reached first fishing spot with rafting boat rain stopped. In this time sky was still in clouds but no rain. Next 7 hours it lasted that way. There was 3 short showers during 7 hours but those were like 5 minute showers each. Just when you got rain coat from pack it was allready ending. Then about 30 minutes before we had to finish fishing monsun was coming. Heavy rain, we had good gears so nobody got wet but fishing died totally. When light rain we got some still but when all taps were open nothing. When I asked guests about trip they said that it was perfect trip and weather, warm, some shine sun not really rain until in the end when allready had to finish fishing. So I do have agreement with the devil and I want to keep it that way.
How was fishing? It was best so far during this season. 4 guests, each got at least one grayling over 35 cm, some more. Biggest one was 38 cm, in fact three of those. They got lot graylings around 32 cm, some small trouts and graylings. Last summer in similar trip we got totally about 50 graylings and now 30. If I compare circumstances, water level etc. This trip was equal with last year. Fishing has been challenging because of high water etc but it seems to get better and better as season goes foward.
I hope that Ukko keeps my agreement valid for coming years. I do take rather great weather for fishing and decent for hay making than otherway.
Have a nice weekend and go fishing
Mika the Legend
