Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 10 January 2025
It is still cold out here, temperatures are around - 18c/0F. It is not just about cold, but now it is with breeze, moist wind which makes your hands freezing cold in few minutes. We still have some reindeer out and my time after guests at farm goes driving them back home or catching them.
Today I got mail from Sweden. There are as many ways to handle waters and fishery data as there are waters. Somehow I find that in Sweden in some waters they have an absolutely great system to follow fishing and amount of fish in the river.
In Kuusamo we have system which is always old information. Next summer when I buy license, they will ask what and how much I caught last summer (2024). That catch report is collected by water owners in end of summer (2025). Based on those catch reports from 2024, fishing rules for season 2026 will be done. So it means that information what they use is two years old. What a stupid system in modern world.
In Sweden they have waters where you buy license and to buy next one you need to leave catch report. You are recommended to report catch during next 24 hours after you license expires. That goes for big trout and grayling, so water owners have valid information all the time. Of course not everyone will do it but most will. Also from some waters you will get reminder to your email about leaving catch report and I think that you are not able to buy new license before you give catch report.
Modern system with computers, who would thought that it could work. And that's not all, you can see catch report online, it will be there as soon you leave it. So everyone can see how it is going. It is interesting and working system as fishery is good in that area and there are running trouts quite a lot. Like everywhere there are also dark clouds on the sky, as trolling on lake is not so controlled and I heard catches with big numbers what they caught and unfortunately also taken out.
Anyway on that river they also have pin system. When you get grayling over 55 cm (21,5inch), trout over 75cm (29,5inch) or trout over 80cm (31,5 inch) and you give report, you will receive pin. It is not about pin of course but I think it is good boost for some people make a report. From website you can find list of all the pins between 2017-2024.
Interesting system. Oh, I got my pins on that mail, Silver trout and golden grayling. Trout could be golden but you need to leave something for future to beat your personal best.
Have a nice weekend and go fishing
Mika from Finland