Dear Reader,

It's well known even among flyfishermen that the grass is greener at the other side of the fence. We like to (or have to) travel a lot and look for even better fishing possibilities. I have myself fished in many different countries and continents and spent a lot of time and money in destinations both excellent and exotic. Finally, I seem to have come to the almost bitter conclusion that (almost) nothing beats sweet home.

Of course I know Finnish waters better that those of any other country, but I still think that many of those special moments which I have enjoyed flyfishing here are unbeatable. Fishing is different here, filled with fond memories. The businesslike solidity of big caddisflies, the quick and purposeful rise of a big brown trout in fast water, the silvery shape of a fresh fish arching in a jump, the quiet solitude of those semi dark hours on a warm July night...

Foreword

The original idea for this text came from the many inquiries received from fellow anglers all over the world asking for fishing information. Finnish Sportfishermen's Federation kindly published the little hasty first printed edition, which proved to leave too many questions unanswered. For this edition I have enlarged all chapters and also written some totally new ones. Obviously it would be quite hopeless to try to cover all areas and places in depth, but I'll give you some general ideas what we have to offer.

I have selected some typical areas to represent the different types of fishing available. As you'll find out, little is told of flyfishing in lakes and reservoirs. That is because stillwater flyfishing is as yet not very popular in Finland our traditions being based on river flyfishing. More will be said of rivers, rapids and streams, which offer some of the finest flyfishing anywhere. If you are familiar with fishing in Norway and Sweden, you'll notice that while we have many things in common with our neighbors in Scandinavia, Finland and fishing here are unique. While this is primarily a flyfishing guide, I have even included some advice for those addicted to spinning and coarse fishing.