Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 30 May 2025
Things are just about happen. On Sunday fishing season starts as rivers are opened for fishing. One river has new rules which is a great thing, finally something going good direction. They didn't change rules because it is good for fishery, rather it was because they were forced as part of other deal. Well it doesn't matter why, at least is done. I'm hoping that they would do same rules for other river also which they manages. It didn't happen this year, maybe next.
This week summer finally started to arrive. Warm days with + 18 celsius and sun now and then. Snow is gone and also ice from lakes, last weekend was crucial as there was rain and wind, rain does always best magic.
Last Sunday we went to fish our lake. It was totally calm when we decided to go yet as soon we arrived and got our gears ready and boat out. Suprise, some wind came up. I saw some rises when getting ready and looking really forward first fishing session after winter.
Wind was not heavy, just some blows and covering only some part of lake, yet always when we anchored our boat on calm water where rises were, wind turned and ruined the spot.
Eventually I decided to anchor boat and we would wait if wind comes as it was coming and going. We had tried few flies allready and fishes didn't mind any of those. Rises were everywhere, some really close to boat and some plus 20 meters or more. There were hatching, but what?
I could see some really small black something, then there was some white caenis flying also. We had tried few options and nothing got reaction, there had to be something what we didn't see. They ate just under surface something as many of them were tailing and some were rising normally. I had tried buzzers, different dries and not really reaction.
Light small nymph would probably work but it is dry or die for me. I put my secret fly, I have two of those, another is black and other is white. Not really secret, but it has small foam so I don't want anybody to know about that. Fly is simple and it works as dry or you can sink it just under surface, always does its magic. Fly itself, hook 14, thin body, body hackle and small foam on top. Everything same colour.
Anyway I put that one, no reaction as it was floating high up. I got it wet and could sink it when pulling line and then it stays just under surface, you can see it yet it is not floating.
I started my casting game which is wait, cast on rise. There was rise 20 meters from boat, I made cast and other fish rised in same spot and I basically hit fly straight to fish mouth, Satu saw it and started to laugh, I couldn't catch a fish even I got fly to the mouth.
What made me happy was my accuracy overall. I hit with 90 % accuracy on rises distance between 10-18 meters. Did I caught a fish, no. Yet I was really proud of my performances. Will it happen everytime, no I had no pressure as I was just having fun.
Other thing which I was happy about was distance, I could easily make 20 meter casts and even 25 meter with decent accuracy. Looks like my training pays off. Am I there where I want to be? Not yet, direction is right. Of course circumstances were on my side as there was no wind really etc. Still happy.
Did I caught fish, no. As I lost one, the only one I was able to fool with my secret fly. Weather looks good for tonight, so hopefully it will stay like this so another session on lake after farm work.
I do find huge joy about my improved casting. If it goes like that catch is just bonus, who I'm kidding catching a fish always the best.
Have a great weekend and enjoy!
Mika from Finland