Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 16 June 2023
Saturday Satu had a shaman drum building course. So I had a "home alone" day. Which I decided to be a fishing day. We had made plans earlier in fact that our trainees can go hiking and I will go fishing. In the end two of the trainees joined me for a fishing trip.
The forecast said that it wouldn't be the best possible weather. Cold wind, cold air, and mostly clouds. Warming would be on Sunday. I didn't care about the forecast, I had chance to go fishing, I would use it. And as a stubborn person like me, I decided to stick dries and surface fishing, despite conditions.
Water was still a little high, not badly anymore and just enough that some spots were still not fishing. And as always at this time of the season in this area, it is new water. River and spots are moving during the winter floods. Main spots are always there, but some holes come and go and those are the ones you need figure out now, so that fishing will awesome later in the summer.
I got rise on dry really fast after start but that was only rise and a rejection. I was on section where those moveable holes are, so scouting more or less those new holes.
I moved downstream to one of the best sections on that area. I let trainee fish that first but he didn't catch anything, well he also skipped the hot spot. I caught few rise and three graylings (one double) from there. Weather was not really on our side. Heavy cold blows and turning all the time in the canyon, sun was warming so I was hoping good afternoon fishing to come.
Coffee break for me and then showing good spots to trainees and then going to check section where Paul almost fished the right spot, when visiting us.
Everything looked that it will great fishing, sun was starting to warm more and more, some hatching was about to start. So I had high hopes.
Then wind turned and pulled clouds and my high hopes were dying faster than apple dropping to Newton's head. Stubborn as I said, I stick with dries still. I got few rises, changed flies got a few up. I knew that it won't be surface in anyhow more. The starting hatching stopped like driving car in Chinese wall. End of the game.
I fished one spot with nymphs, got one saw one, lost one. Another spot nothing. Stubborn I said, so back to dry flies and back to upstream. Trainees had fished their spots so I fished them also, got two more graylings.
It was time to hike back to the car and pick up hikers. It was good fishing despite weather and sticking mostly on dries. I got in total 8 graylings which is not much for those spots in their best. I enjoyed a day a lot and so did our trainees. Everyone got some fish and it was great outdoor day.
I'm home alone again. Satu is now having her me-weekend. It might be that my fishing days will turn reindeer marking days and nights. Summer is here, temp +22 celsius (72F), sunshine, daylight all the time.
Lot of works to do at the farm also, Had one short notice guiding at lake also this week. Summer... what a nice execuse to go fishing!
Have a nice weekend and go fishing.
Mika
