Esko and the rock

Esko and the rock

Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 11 June 2021

It was great three days with these guys. They learned fast and wanted to improve their skills. Four of them were total beginners with fly fishing and some haven’t fished never before at all. I have notice that those who have never fished before are easier to teach than those who have some experience about spinning, that will different story. It is all about casting techniques. This will be story about Esko, name not changed, it is his nickname. ( I hope that name doesn’t mean anything stupid in other language, if so let me know).

Last Friday we fished two stretch, we heard that day before that someone have been fishing those and got only one small grayling. We met some other fishermen also before starting and they had same news from few days back, fishes are hiding. So it was mood killer to my guests, and pressure on me. In the end of day our amount was 26 graylings so average 5 per fisherman, it was okay, even we got only 2 which were close sizeable graylings.

Saturday was our main fishing day, first day training, next day learning and improving fishing, casting and reading water. Saturday we took raft boat and went rafting and fishing. That water is killer for grayling fishing, it is one of the best trips you can do trousers on. Different kind of waters from fast stream to slow, nymphing, dryfly, trad wet fly, just pick up your style.

In our fast stop, I took three musketeers on middle of river, there is burning hot spot, in fact two. One was fishing shore stretch and Esko, our main character in story, went down to fish small spots between main stream and shore. Everyone started to get action quite fast but Esko had problems, it was dead river for him. After awhile he hooked a rock and I went to help him out, at the same time it was time to change plan for him. So I took him downstream where is another hotspot in middle of river. ( In this point is good to know that Esko’s biggest fear is to drown). So I had to change plan again, there was sweet spot next to shore so Esko could fish from slow and easy water. I changed fly for him and he started to fish.

I could see small grayling coming few times going after fly. I told Esko that there are some graylings in the spot and he was getting line longer and getting slower to sweet spot. After few cast fly start to be where it should. One more cast, I saw from line that there was strike and told him to lift rod. Esko was slow with reaction but lift the rod eventually. I told him that he has the fish (that I could see from tip of rod) and he replied that, no it is on the rock. I tried to explain that he has the fish but after all he was holding the rod so he should know better.

I saw how line started to go upstream and I told him that your rock is swimming upstream. In that point he realized that he really got fish on. He was reeling in and holding rod with two hand (9 feet 5#). It was funny to see how he was douple over with rod, it was like someone punch you very hard on stomach. He is short guy but still. Now the fight was really on, I had to give some tips to Esko (he was total beginner and that was first big fish on), he relaxed and did great job with the fatigue ( transtlator gave this word, no idea what it means). He was able to land nice 40 cm grayling, it is looking smaller in my hands.

In the next place after moving down with boat he had more ”rocks”. Esko is the man who can turn rocks to sizeable graylings. There is ancient story about man who turned water to wine but I think is better skill to turn rocks to fish.

Totally during the day we caught 46 graylings and there was few +40 and some +35 and lot of around 30 cm. And as usual the biggest was lost, by me this time, and it was huge one. That and how I got two big graylings from basically from no water, is a different story.

Have a nice weekend

Mika the Legend