Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 27 August 2021
August is still one of my favourite fishing month. Past weekend was heavy rain so it was just spending time at home with dogs. Satu had short work trip to Kuopio during weekend. Tuesday it was sunny and I decided to have time for myself. So I went fishing.
In the morning my friend came to plow one of our fields so I was with him couple of hours. Then I had just say him that try to manage, I’m off now. Cold wind still but there was some sun coming in afternoon. As usual I didn’t have idea where I’m heading even I knew where fishing would be good as always. In some point I noticed that car is taking me there.
It is my favourite fishing area in Kuusamo, Kitka river lower part. There is nice graylings, beatiful river and water for all kind of fly fishing. Especially for dries there is lot of good areas. I decided to start with nymphing and test how many fish I can get from same hole where I saw competitor taking 25 graylings. I got about 20 when I confused with my counting. Main reason for that was I hooked big grayling and had thought about photo and lost it, again same mistake. Never take photos, not even in your thoughts, before you have landed the fish.
All the time during the nymphing I had thought that I should start with dry flies. Fishing was so good that it took little bit longer time to do that. I moved to spot with has not been so good this year with fishing, even I knew that there are graylings. I was nymphing still when I saw some good size graylings on my feet. None of them were willing to take nymphs, I changed to smaller ones and got two. Now it was time for dry flies.
If they won’t like nymphs, I can try dries. It will be fun anyway. So I put size 14 white foam dry on side and 18 size gnat on top. There was rise right away, it was so small fish that it could only sink fly, not get on mouth. I changed to drifting line for flies and now we are talking about. It was great 30 minutes with dries got plenty nice size graylings and lost same amount before hooking. I moved to same hole to test dries where I was nymhing earlier. I got few rises and one fish. There was only 10 meters between fishes including shallow bank. Up from bank dry fly was best and down nymphs.
I moved this time downstream to fish one different spot before leaving. There is really deep hole and good spot for graylings again. I was casting side of main stream first but there was not action. Then I started to cast against shore where slow side stream is going. It is ending to deep hole and there is birch falling just on the surface, not easiest place to fish but not bad either. Just when flies went under the birch there was rise and take, nice grayling. I got two more before I was late with my strike and messed tippet well. I decided that it is good to stop now. I still have to walk back to the car and go up 35 ”floors” before reaching the car.
August is still my favourite month for dry fly fishing, there is only few days left, now I have to run again. Guiding is waiting.
Have a nice weekend and go fishing
Mika the Legend
ps. last night there was first frosty night