The Challenge of the Salmon 2
Go to: Salmon part 1 - Teno
River Kymi
There is some salmon fishing available in southern Finland, mainly in River Kymijoki,
which connects Lake Päijänne to the Gulf of Finland. There are a couple of places at the
river mouth in Kotka which are reserved for flyfishing only. Langinkoski-rapids with their
tidal pools were already fished by Russian emperors more than one hundred years ago and
the imperial colors fly still proudly above their private fishing lodge. Nowadays anyone
can try for the noble fish there: grilse and salmon up to 25 kilos/55 lbs and seatrout
(sea-run browns) up to 10 kilos/22 lbs. The number of daily rods is limited as the area is
not too big. Best time is from around 10th of July onwards, September and October are most
reliable months (there is no closed season at all here). There is also some fishing for
local brown trout in Kymijoki.
Comprehensive information: http://www.kotka.fi/kalastus/index2.htm
River Näätämö
Another river to consider is Näätämö (Neiden in Norway) north of Lake Inari in NE
Lapland. This totally different type of river than Teno, which flows through small
villages and which is almost always visible from the main roads. Näätämö is a true
wilderness river with no people living nearby, no roads and no pollution. The mouth of
this river and some kilometers of the river proper are situated across the border in
Norway, but most of the river and the main spawning areas are in Finland. From Lake
Opukasjärvi (close to the remote little village of Sevettijärvi, about 150 kilometers
by
car from Ivalo) downstream both spinning and flyfishing is possible, the upper river is
reserved for flyfishing only. Näätämö is a medium sized salmon river with plenty of
grilse and many salmon in the 5 to 10 kilos (10 to 22 lbs) bracket.
Dry flies and small hair-winged salmon flies are popular. There are not many trout but
lots of big grayling, especially in the upper area, where the river flows through several
small lakes. Park and Forest Service controls Näätämö and sells cheap permits (50 FIM
per day and 250 FIM per week). Also this river belongs to the Special Fishing Card area.
The remote location naturally restricts the number of fishermen visiting this long river
and so there has been no need for any special regulations. Most fishermen walk those 10 to
15 kilometers needed to reach most areas but helicopter service is available, too. One-way
heli-trip costs about 800 FIM for a group of 3-4 fishermen. Boat or ATV transport by local
residents in Sevettijärvi can be negotiated.
River Tornio
The hottest salmon fishing place during the last couple of season has been
Tornionjoki. This is a very big and long river with salmon running about 500 km of
it's length. Last season the average weight of salmon was 7,5 kg (over 16 lbs) with
thousands caught. The top weights go over 20 kg (44 lbs).
There were many years with meager runs but now strict limitations of the sea fisheries
helped the salmon population to rebound. I'd predict that Tornio will be the very best salmon river in the whole Western Europe within
just a few years.
Due to the size of the river most fishing is done from river boats. Plugs and spoons
have been producing better that flies.
Tornionjoki is the border river between Finland and Sweden, also fine with grayling and
whitefish. There are some trout, but not in very many places. It's mostly easy access,
special regulations and seasons apply. Tornio is a real bargain with licenses from 50
to150 FIM for the whole river and the whole season.
One of the fishing areas is actually on the Swedish side: http://www.kolafishing.net/
River Simo
River
Simo flows into the salt at the northernmost end of the Baltic Sea. Since the
restrictions imposed on the Finnish drift-net fishery in the Baltic Sea started
in 1996, the numbers of salmon running to the river Simo have shown a
considerable increase. The most significant of other fishes caught in the river
are grayling, pike and (to a lesser extent) trout.
Simo has become one of the favorite destinations for Finnish sports-fishing enthusiasts in the space of only a few years.
The water of river Simo carries some solids and is therefore brownish. The flow of water varies a great deal depending on the weather. In the summer; the average flow is 39 cub. meters/second. During a dry and warm summer there can be problems due to the lack of water and rising temperature.
The width of the river bed is between 130 - 70 meters at the lower part of the river. This lower part of the river (50 km in length), which is also the actual salmon run part, has numerous rapids. Though they are numerous, the drop is not that great. It is highly suitable for spinning and flyfishing thanks to its open banks (ice tends to carry away the small trees in the springtime) and it is easy to wade as it is shallow.
Other advantages are the good travel connections (Oulu and Kemi airports, which can be reached via Helsinki) and the services of the nearby towns (Kemi 26 km, Oulu 81 km and Rovaniemi 125 km).
Considering that we are in Finland (in Finnish Lapland), the number of people residing by the lower part of the river is relatively high.
The river is free-flowing (i.e. there are no dams) and one of the few original salmon rivers remaining in Finland.
More info: www.simojoki.com
Excellent content with interactive maps etc but unfortunately only in Finnish: http://www.infokartta.fi/simojoki/
Go to: Salmon part 1 - Teno
