JaniFIN

Most early open water season to me ever. Catch not any fishs, but main thing is to me, that now season is open 😀

Short report. We went fishing with Saija. Had plan be 1 hour, went 3 h. 😆 So had not even gront motor with me (mistake) so we use anchor. We did try find "redfin tweed", but have been so cold, that havent been grow even yet. Water was only +16'c and now is mid summer. I catch first 4 cast 4 redfin. We try to move closer to spot, becouse Saija had only traditional gears, ror, line, hook and worm. But we lose all spot when move. I catch one more redfin and one common bream. We drive bu boat on ring after ring and try find tweed, impossiple. So we drop anchor and i start casting. One bite, then big bite and fish on. No redfin, but 1.1 kg "some" bream. Nice size and strong fish. I plan that let it go, but eye was broken, so i tuc it for food. Then we tuck anchor on boat and i start row, Saija fishing. Finally we find one fish for Saija, redfin. Then we did drive other spot, where i catch one more redfinn, then back to home.

Just arrival from river. Had plan go fishing for couple of hours. First went alone and try fishing spots where usually catch "table size" zanders. Not even bite there. Then i had plan go to "big fish spot", but Saija call that she come allso boating. So i sayd that it is better, that she come before i go "big fish spot", becouse netting is difficult there if some bigger hooked, becouse there is allso strong stream. So i did drive to redfinn spot, and wait there tjat saija walk to pier. There i catch one pike, but send it back. Then Saija call tjat she is on pier, and i did go get her on boat. So, we drive to bigfish spot, and put i pilot about 15m from spot. Couple of cast with pink softplastic and couple of bite too. Then front motor off, and floating to 5m from spot. Change lure to plack softplastic with yellow tail. First 2 short cast, nothing. Then longer cast and FISH ON. I feel thet it is big, maby big pike. Fight start and we change me to boat front, Saija to boat back, i sayd to Saija, that use motor trim and put motor up, i dont want that line broke to motor. Just under 10minutes and i saw fish tail, WIDE tail, ZANDER tail!! Now i was exciting and hope that get it. Saija tuc net and put in to water allready. Couple more pull by fish, then its came in net, Saija pull net side on boat. Huh, BIG zander. We did drive with front motor more distance from stream and put i pilot on. There we pull zander on boat. My PB zander, 94cm/8.45kg. You can see extreme big "finnish smile" on my face. Offcourse need lucky allso, i trust my fishraider hat and my aussie singlet.

Quick report. We think with Vili, that we go test, if Front motor work again, after change rometecontrol battery. So drive to nearest zander spot. I catch one redfinn. Then change look if tweed is grow allready. It havent, but Vili catch his pb redfinn, 37cm/570g. And very first fish with new rod/reel combo. Next to "big fish spot". Was hard get right spot for i pilot, for stream and wind. After several try i was happy. 3th cast and fish on, short fight and Vili use net. Zander 73cm/3.85kg. I start fixed that, snd Vili continue casting, but not even bite. He need more patience for zander fishing, but he casting well. He want change new softplastic, so i tuc him quite big softplastic, and only drop it boat side. Fish on, quite big, but escape. Next cast to me, and fish on, Vili use net and 66cm/2.65kg zander on boat. Vili want still try, and hi casting one more hour, but nothing. So good start for this season.

After rain, 2 cast and line broke bottom. Change spare gears, and couple of cast, bite near pier but not hooked. New shot cast and fish on, pike this time, but i sayd "welcome" and use net. Pike stomach was allready full roachs, so over eating is dangerous. I did clean fishes, and just came home for smoking 2 zanders. Boys leave to Saija's parents cabin and i give smoked fishes to there.

Just came to pier. Change rod/reel and fixed things in car. 1th cast, stay and line broke. Fixed new leader, 1th cast, zander +50cm. 2th cast, zander 45cm. Then 20min, no even bite. Just now raining snd i have thin trousers, wait in car and and warming fingers. This is Big river, and river start under bridge. Now is lot water, and this spot have 5-8m water, quite strong stream, but wind made waves to stream. I use 14g head, 3/0 hook.

My biggest fear is not, that i lose my boat (or my other kidney). I can be without them, but i was in shock, because first i didnt find that orginal fishraider hat after winter 😱. I have 2 spare hat, but not similar. Luckily I found the original, even though I had to empty the half room first 🤣

Zander season is open. I had plan go by boat, but gas tank coupling was broken. So i drive to pier, with redfinn gears, but zander softplastics. Couple of cast on heavy wind, and fish on, huge, about 10kg Pike. Short fight and line broken by teeth...baga. About 30min fishing, lost 8 zander, redfinn rod was too soft for strike hook trough the upper jaw, it is so hard. I change shorter leader and harder hook. First cast and fish on, short fight and season first zander landing 57cm. Then i need go one meeting, but return pier later with Veikka. With zander gears this time and ofcource, zander reel was broken. But i had my cheap spare pike gears, 3 cast and zander again 57cm was landing on pier, Veikka use net. 15min later i catc 2 more, just legal size, but i releace them. Soon hooked and landet 49cm zander. Then wind end fast and not even bite after that. Anyway nice start.

Maps. From home to Kilpisjärvi and from Kilpisjärvi to camp

Our "fridge", hole on allmose alltime frozen peat.

Some cloudberries

Sorry mates, take time write english and get photos from other group. So, short story, more pictures. Ok. One week grayling fishing on Lapland. Romma-eno_Vartsajoki area. Day 1)We did drive about 14 hours over night from home to Kilpisjärvi. My uncle Esko came pick up me and Vili, first stop on Oulu gas station where we met rest of group Viki and Veksi. Some shopping and coffey, next stop on Kukkolankoski where we stop every trip. That place is salmon fishing spot. Short pause and continue to Kilpisjärvi, where we went 10:00am. Lunch there and then last shopping, some drinks and fresh potatoes. Then to helicopter station, and we saw, that copter is under service. There was other copter from Norway, it is not any else matter, but finnis copter have 2 carry box, norwegian only one. Allso norwegian company had 2 pilot, so only 4 peoples on one trip and we had 5 people. No worry, that finnish owner sayd, they fligh so many times what is nesescary and not any extra cost to us. Had good luck, because group before us was going close to same spot that us, only 10km closer, so their group 3 peoples going first, next flight rest of their group+ Viki and Veksi. Then was my, Vili and Esko turn. We landing spot where Viki and Veksi waiting us. We had some idea on our camp spot, because we had planning with google satellite map. Spot was quite nice, but wet allso. After short check we find place what was ok for tent. So build camp, tent on, build fireplace and looking firewood. Then naps, allmoste everyone had been wake up long time, 24-38 hours. After naps scan river with fishing gears. Nice spots, but no fishes, exapt Viki, he came to camp with 48cm/1020g graylin and he sayd that release 5 smaller. We walk with Vili to same spot, but was quite difficult fishing, only one spot for cast, for deep and thicket. about 1m pike try steal my lure, but i was enought fast and pull the lure out of water. Esko or Veksi didnt catch allso anything first evening. Day 2)After good sleeping night fishing continue. Viki walk to downstream and catch 49cm/1060g grayling allso 43cm/740g and 44cm/790g graylings. Veksi cach close to camp 39cm/600g grayling by dry fly. Esko catch under limit grayling and 2 pike. Me and Vili catch only under limit graylings. Weather was nice all day, but windy. I going sleep after midnight and just then when i get my self sleeping bag, came really calm and sunny weather. But i was too tired continue fishing. Day 3) Normal breakfast thing, some porridge, bread and yeastarday fishs, coffey, tea and hot chocolad. We start testing our packrafts with Vili. Walk to up stream calm water, allmoste lake and paddle from river cross to Vartsajoki. There we saw caryling eat some things on top, but was quite windy. I har fly gears, Vili had spinners. We put anchor and start fishing. About after 30min fishing i had fish on. I saw that it is grayling, not so big (39cm/630g) but was difficult fight on packraft, because it is really light. Finally I netting it on boat, but netting was huge manouver. Still we saf graylings on top water, but soon nothing. We did continue paddle over lake to next stram, same time trolling lure and fly. Catch nothing and wind start get stronger. We visit under white water and paddle back to camp, was quite big waves already. Esko had catch one pike, Viki 5 pikes and under limits graylings, Veksi 38cm grayling and Vili nothing.. Day4) Rain allmoste all day, no fishing, only reading in tent, We did some meals late, no rain anymore, and Esko walk back to Vartsa fishing. Other of us continue fishing close to camp. After few hours we meet on campfire, Veksi had cach 38cm grayling, Viki Pike, me and Vili under limits graylings. day5) We went still eat on campfire after midnight, when Esko walk back from Vartsajoki, with 37cm/570g , and 47cm/1080g graylings. He clean fishes and soon we all go to sleep. Morning Viki and Esko walk upstream, me, Vili and Veksi stay near camp, i didn´t fishing, try help Vili catch limit size grayling, try again with packrafts, vili catch pike and netting in him self, Viki catch pike and 37cm grayling, Esko catch nothing, because he saw so much cloudberries, that he cant thingk anymore else, that picking berrys. Veksi catch 40cm/650g grayling, . Eveneing veryone else exapt me go picking cloudberrys, Vili allso like picking, i spent time reading Day6) Veksi walk morning to Vartsajoki, big grayling hit him fly, but line broke down. Esko and Viki continue cloudberry picking, Vili catch underlimit grayling. He start to be desperate, if he not get any legal size graylings. Afternoon we made pancaces and eat with fresh cloudberry jam and sugar, then reading, exapt Esko go picking more cloudberrys. Day 7) Last fishing day. Weather was nice, half cloydy, but quite calm. We had plan with Vili go fishing by packrafts, but when we went walking upper stream, we saw legas sze grayling on river. Vili try it by fly, 2 hours, vereytime it allmoste hit to fly, but no, no hit. We try several different flyes, and after that allso spinners, but it was not interesting. So we continue upper stream where our packrafts allready was. Start wind again, and we change plan, go to Vartsa joki by walk. Vili casting but nothing. Then get calm water, no wind, nothin, but lot of graylings tails ad backfins on there. Not interesting fly or spinner. Vili casting again over hour, and say, that he is too tiret fishing anymore. I sayd, that this is his best and last chance get legal size fish, so we continue, baby after 15min he sayd fish on, short fight and Vili landet 46cm/900g grayling, he was happy and i was happy. We continue fishing, i allso, saw lot of graylings but they didint want eat our lures, so we walk back to camp. Viki had allso catch 48cm/975g graylings, esko was picking 10kg cloudberries. Day 😎 Helicopter came early and we fly back to kilpisjärvi all together this time, Vili sit first time copter front seat. After landing to shop icecream and soda, then to sauna, me and Vili allso swim +11,c Kilpisjärvi, get "freshing". Then 14 hours back to home.

Camp.

Just drive back to home. Still about 6 hour drive. Not so many fishs but nice trip anyway.

Soon we go, return after one week, hope som graylings. No net, no phone or internet, so report later.

After Sauna.

Wow, what a fish. This size jew is maby giant theets allso?