Trout behaviour I have not seen before…
As a reader, I hope you have seen video footage of golden dorado feasting on baitfish in Bolivia because what I want to explain to you is best compared to that spectacle. But incredulously, we are talking about trout in Finland not anything so exotic as a South American jungle.
This story needs to start in 2023 in northern Finland. Some lovely Finnish guys invited me to see their lodge and fishing operations. The fishing was based around a big run of Baltic salmon along with grayling and trout. I made my way to Alta, picked up a car and headed east across the border. The lodge was quirky but lovely and the guys running it were so nice. We headed out fishing.
That evening, I had to sit them down and have a serious chat. I was gutted because they were so nice and so aware of how to run a lodge, it was perfect for clients but there was one BIG problem. The run of Baltic salmon had melted from 90,000 fish the year before to something like 7,000 this year. There simply were no fish and the reason was human damage through netting and over-fishing. Equally, the biggest grayling we caught was about three quarters of a pound. There were no trout.
Once we got serious, they explained to me that this beautiful land of 10,000 lakes had basically been raped by over-fishing and over-killing. Both the Finns and foreigners would come to Finland (particularly the north where there is a free for all and no private water) and kill all they caught on rod and line and net the rivers and lakes too. They loaded their catch into the freezers they brought with them and head home. I always imagined driving through this lake-strewn land that it was the land of milk and honey for trout and grayling – the truth is they are empty. It was shocking and I thank Elias and Toni for their honesty. They led me to this story which is even more remarkable given what I have described above.
Three and a half hours drive from Helsinki (I have to say one of the easiest and pleasurable drives I have done in a long time – it made me wonder why I was not considering moving to Finland!) lies an extraordinary fishery that I did not know existed until recently. The drive is north of Helsinki to mid-Finland, somewhere I have not been to before and it was stunning farming country with hardly any people. Up a short track through some trees, Kellankoski Lodge appears in front of you.
Built in 1923, the lodge is a beautiful traditional old building which used to be a local school now converted into a small fishing lodge. It sits on the banks of Liesvesi lake which is part of the Rautalampi water system which goes from Pielavesi some 220 kms emptying into the Baltic sea at Kymijoki. It is full of pike, zander, some grayling and happily, in this particular area, some very fine trout.
The lodge speaks of 10 kms of fishing and they are not lying but the key fishing is in the rapids of the system and those rapids probably measure closer to 3 or 4 kilometres. The rapids (20 to 50 metres wide) are key to this fishery and so are the ‘baitfish’ which consist of bleak, small roach and vendace. Bleak have an elongated, flat body with a long anal fin and pointed heads with a relatively small upturned mouth. They are shiny silver in colour and have a dark green/black back and fins that are pointed and colourless. Their maximum length is approximately 20cm. They look like tiny tarpon. The roach is also a small fish, often reaching no more than about 35 cms. Its body has a bluish-silvery colour and becomes white at the belly. The fins are red. Young roach have a slender build; older specimens acquire a higher and broader body shape. Vendace are part of the whitefish family and also small up to about 20 cms and equally shiny and silver. Young perch also form part of the ‘run’.
Commencing in the spring, these small silver fish begin to run in their hundreds of thousands (sometimes when you wade the bottom of the river parts as you push the baitfish out of the way) between the lakes of this 220+ kms Rautalampi system and through the rapids; the trout are following them. The trout hide out in the fastest possible water (think white water) ready to ambush them and when they do, the action can be a real spectacle with the trout flying out of the water time and again as they pound the baitfish, often moving downstream as they do so. I have certainly never seen trout behave like this anywhere and the spectacle is akin to dorado feeding. Their takes are more like that of an Atlantic salmon taking a sunray. So how does Kellankoski Lodge set about fishing for the trout?
In an ideal world, they would like to entice you to fish for pike or zander during one of the four-hour fishing sessions to both have you enjoy those species but also to keep pressure on the trout to a minimum though the trout move in and out of the lakes so what trout might be in the rapids one day may be totally different the next. There are lots of pike up to 20 lbs so some time fishing for them in the crystal-clear lakes is certainly not to be sniffed at, in fact, it is really good fun. We did not get around to fishing for the zander. They divide their private water into beats based on the rapids with differing numbers of rods on each beat depending on their carrying capacity for number of rods and the water height as well as wading capability. On some beats there are platforms to fish from as well.
There are opportunities to fish a caddis upstream or skated, particularly later in the season but the focus is on baitfish imitations and skated flies. They use drift boats for those that struggle to wade, and these can access all parts of the rapids as required. The wading can be tough because of the uneven bottom and the power of the water so boats are preferable. Guides will advise guests to fish downstream and across like salmon fishing but upstream as well striping fast. Variable speeds and style of stripping are advised. As I have commented, the trout hit the fly at speed, sometimes with a hammering splash, other times the entire fish will come flying out of the water. These fish take their hunting very seriously!
The lodge would like guests to bring a 7-weight, I used a 5-weight, and it was hard work both in terms of casting largish flies and when hooking a fish. The trout are extremely strong (I was spooled by one fish and never saw it!) because of the fast water but they big wild fish too. I would make your choice based on your skill level when casting decent sized flies. Most of my fish took 20-minutes or more to land with many nervous moments over being broken in the wild water. One lands about every tenth fish that tries to take your fly. The cause is not angler error but the chaotic way the trout attack the fly, they are on and off almost before you can react. Suddenly there is a huge explosion, a massive pull and it is all over before one has done anything!
This is not classic trout fishing to supping wild brownies. This is fishing for trout like one has never done before because one has never seen trout behave the way they do. Consequently, it is not for everyone, but I have to say, it is very cool and truly unique, and the trout are beautiful wild specimens with red spots. The differ in colour depending on how recently they came out of lake, the more silver, the more recently they have dropped from the lakes. I caught fish from about 3.5 to 7lbs but bigger are landed fairly regularly.
Your hosts are Jani and Titta Himanko. Titta has taken firm control of the lodge and takes huge pride in delivering a comfortable experience for guests. She was previously an arts and craft teacher, and she still works with counselling young adults. Jani has more than twenty years of experience in fishing tourism and the fishing tackle industry. He is a member of the Finnish Fishing Hall of Fame which Jani humbly says is very small! Some may recognise him from TV shows, videos and pages in both Finnish and foreign anglers’ magazines and videos. Jani continues to submit articles to Metsästys ja Kalastus – and PohjolanPerhokalastaja, two Finnish magazines focusing on hunting and fishing. Jani has been a professional fishing guide since 2001. He and his team of guides have whitewater experience and carry the usual First Aid qualifications.
Converting the lodge has been a work in progress and great things are planned for cabins overlooking the lake in the future. The lodge can take up to ten rods depending on how many are sharing rooms/guides etc. There is a fine sauna overlooking the lake, always the number one priority for any lodge in Finland! There is work that needs to be done this winter such as a proper wader drying room, improvements to the bug screens on the windows and evolving the large sitting/dining room (which was the main teaching room) into more of a lodge atmosphere.
But Jani is already sending me photos of work in progress in that regard. A typical day will start with breakfast at 10 am (you will see why), relax after breakfast or maybe go pike fishing. Lunch is at 1.30 pm and dinner at 6.30. Fishing hours are between lunch and dinner and then a full session after dinner until midnight or even later. The best fishing tends to be when the sun is off the water, that is when the real hunting begins, and one can see when the fish are ‘on’ because they start to splash and fly out of the water.
A brief synopsis of the season is as follows:
May and June
In May and early June, streamers, and of course skaters, are best. In early summer, high water levels may present challenges but keep in mind that big water can mean big fish.
Bring caddis flies too. Do not forget strong tippet for streamers, min .35 mm, about 20lbs.
7 to 8 weight rods for streamers and 6 weight for small flies. A wading stick is valuable.
July
In July, the best time to catch fish is the reduced daylight hours. On summer evenings, it is a good idea to look what the birds are doing. Bring streamers, caddis flies and pupaes. Don’t forget strong tippet for streamers, min .30 -.35mm, about 20lbs.
7 to 8 weight rods for streamers and 6 weight for small flies. A wading stick is valuable.
August
In August, when water levels are low, pupae imitations and other tiny flies are best in the evening. Streamers and skaters still work. Bring smaller streamers, caddis flies and pupaes. Don’t forget strong tippet for streamers, min .30 – .35mm, about 20lbs.
7 weight rods for streamers and 5 to 6 weight for smaller flies.
Chest waders are important, and a wading stick, and it is important to bring insect repellent. The lodge is casual and relaxed.
In terms of travel, we think the easiest and most interesting way to get there is to rent a car from Helsinki airport and do the very easy drive but there are flights to Jyväskylä Airport, which is 56 km away. Alternatively a train to Jyväskylä train station is a good option and the trains in Finland work very well. Having a car gives you that extra bit of freedom too. The nearest village, Konnevesi, is 10-minutes away, the nearest city is Jyväskylä about 56 kms away. The nearest doctor is 10 minutes away, hospital 55 minutes away.
For those not fishing or wanting to mix their fishing with other things to do, Etelä-Konnevesi National Park and other hiking tracks are also nearby. There is also kayaking, river rafting, berry picking, mushrooming, horse riding (Icelandic), baking finnish pastry or buns with Titta or her daughters and just having a look around this beautiful area. If you need a break from big trout, you can always dry fly for bleak with tiny dry flies. They will hardly bend your 5-weight but it is great fun and Jani sits there incredulous that anyone should find it entertaining!
In summary, the negatives to this fishery are there are mosquitoes, and I worry that sometimes there are too many rods on the water. I would not be telling the truth if I did not admit that a part of me wishes I could be casting upstream to these huge, wild, stunning fish as they sipped small dries off the top. But the negatives stop there. Jani and Titta are truly lovely people and nothing is too much trouble for them. The fishing is in a beautiful area which is so peaceful one cannot help but relax into the routine under the midnight sun. The trout and the way you fish for them, in my book, are truly unique and for that alone, this trip is worth it. They really are special trout, and the takes and behaviour must be seen to be believed. When you combine this with the excellent value to the trip (€4,480 for 7 nights/6 days shared room/guide) and the ease of travel, this experience should be on everyone’s list.
End…