Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 27 September 2024
Monday morning, my watch wakes me at 7.20 and phone finishes waking at 7.25. I'm not morning person and if I haven't got cup of coffee on front of me, please do not speak. I check temperature and it shows - 4 celsius (24F). It is time start prepare lunch package for guests.
It will be last guiding day for this season for sure. It was originally planned to on Tuesday. Forecast was that Monday morning will be cold and some sun during the day, it should warm to 7 celsius (45F). It will start to rain in the evening and would rain during the night and possibility for some showers during Tuesday, temperatures would be warmer on Tuesday as around 10 celsius (50F). With this information I asked if we would go on Monday, as I knew it will be much better for fishing.
As my guests agreed we met at farm 9.30, temperature was - 1 C(30F). Some shopping and buying few flies and then we headed to the river. When we arrived it was allready +2 celsius (36F). Sun was shining and I was happy about my decision to go on Monday.
We got I gears ready and had short walk to the river. I showed and explained to other one how and where to fish as he was more experienced fisherman (call him S). I stayed with other who had none experience (call him M) with flyfishing. While showing roll cast, I already had two strikes but I manage not to hook them and my guest didn't even realize that.
After short introduction he started to fish and caught first grayling only after 10 minutes fishing, not big one but grayling anyway. I helped him and he fished one of my favourite spots on that area. He caught few graylings , lost one big and we had good casting practise before lunch break.
S had good fishing with dries which he bought from our shop, landed 38 cm as biggest and few smaller ones. The day had a good start.
After lunch they fished few spots and both of them caught some graylings and M got even small trout. Then we moved different rapid, I want to help S with dry fly fiahimg technique as he told that drifts are too short when he have to fish across or downstream. I showed few tricks and he got meter of two more drift which he needed. From that area they both landed +35 cm graylings.
We went back to the car and went fish small area with islands and really deep spots. There is only 4 reasonable spots and all of those hold good fishing when you nail it. I gave easiest to M as his wading had some issues even he is doing trail running but wading is something different. Also it was easy spot to fish with roll cast.
I explained mid spot to S which has deep hole just next to the sand bank in middle of river. I went check one spot from up which is great spot if there is fish, that one is always gamble spot. I saw that both of them caught some fish which was good. I caught some smaller graylings when casting all the way on the other side of river which is about 15 to 20 meters where I was standing. There was big grayling rising on fly once in middle.
I packed my rod and went see how M is doing and we had again short casting session. He was done with fishing part. S had finished mid spot and landed 11 graylings from one stand. I told him to go up to check that big grayling.
S saw rise from big but couldn't get that interested about fly. It was time to finish day as it was turning 6 pm already and sun was gone behind clouds. As often guests counted how many fish they caught and I was told that M caught 11 and S 33 graylings, so totally 44, which is excellent result. Biggest landed one was 38 cm and few was over 35cm. Overall it was absolutely great finish for guiding on this season. When we arrived to car it was 6 celsius but nobody felt cold.
So fishing season at the rivers are really coming to end, Satu had letter from Sweden with some ismo's pupa so I think we need to have at least one fishing together with Satu and see how those are working.
But that fishing won't be on coming weekend. Mika Lappalainen will have his 50yrs birthday party on Saturday and we are invited. Party are 500 km from here so it will be over night trip. This Mika Lappalainen who is turning 50 can sing and he is good one with some records, he can't fish as I do but otherwise he is okay.
Have a nice weekend and go fishing!
Mika from Finland