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        The Stonefly Season
  
     in Keihari-Rapids is On

Text and photos: Nikolai Holttinen

My friend Iiro called me in one February evening and asked, if I was willing to go fishing in the opening of the stonefly season in Keihari-rapids. The river is famous all over Finland of its quality fishing, so I did not think twice, when I answered: "OF COURSE!". Living in western parts of Finland I have not had possibilities to fish trouts in Mars with dryflies.

The reason is, that the best early stonefly hatches happen in Central-Finland rivers, far away from home waters. It is diffult to estimate, when the hatch is on, and the licences are quite expensive to go fishing just by fun. The licences were reserved, so I decided to join the boys. I have never had more than two numbers right in state lottery, but now I had at leasts six hits!

When we arrived at 10 pm to the rapids, the weather conditions were not the best possible. Even though we were first-timers in Keihari, we found, that the water level was really low. This we knew, because the licence seller told it to us, when we reserved the fishing time. When we got out the car, the wind was chilly and blowing straight to the hottest spot, the place, where river started from the lake. That was the place, which had our biggest expections. If we had to think something possitive, it was the air temperature, five + degrees and warming up.

Ok, the waders on and rods ready, but first Trangia on.  If you know me, you know, that I am always hungry, specially after sitting in the car several hours from Pori. Because the day was still so short, it was wise to tank energy for the long fishing day. More time to fish, when your stommy is full.

After breakfast I went to the starting point of the river. Olli, Iiro and Pasi stayed in the wind shelter, and started in mid and lower parts of the river. Casting upstream against the wind was impossible, even with 6-class equipments. I can tell to you, that no hatches were on! My first fly to serve to the fishes  was a combination of sculpin and black leech. Casting downstream was easy, the wind worked as helper. The water level was so low, that almost every cast gave some algae on the fly. This I had found already earlier this year. There were no autumn floods last year, so no cleaning of the bottoms happened.

After the first hour of fishing I thought, again  these no fish sessions! Suddenly I saw a tailing fish downstreams about 30 meters away. That, of course, made my heart to hit faster. I waded to the stoneriff, from where I could serve my fly correctly to the trout. Then I saw Pasi on the other side of the river. While I was wading he hooked three fishes of which he landed one 42 cm. And all this in two minutes! I myself finally came to the casting distance, first cast and a nice fish hits on my sculpin fly. I took the trout in my hand and saw that the adipose fin was not cut, so the fish was natural born. I released the trout carefully back to its own element, the river. I had saved my trip, but not everything  yet, what for we really traveled here.

     
     My first Mars dryfly trout. Not a fat one, but anyway...

Then came Iiro from downstreams. He had had no happenings there. When maestro heard of the success of me and Pasi, he almost run to the river. Immediately he hooks a legal size fish with black leech.

All this time the leading actors had stayed away from the stage, we had seen only some few stoneflies on the surface, not a real hatch. Then I saw two flies floating by me. I almost got out of my waders and shouted to my friends, what I had seen. The surface broke, and the other fly was gone. Even the fastest  boat driver had been jealous of my speed, when I waded to the camp and took my dryfly rod. On the leader was ready tied a dark CDC dryfly. My heart was hitting 180, when I carefully waded to the possible casting spot. I made the cast some meters upstreams from the tailing point. A dark head came up about five cm from my fly, but it did not take the fly. Some meters more floating and a splashing hit. I lifted the rod, but no fish on. I casted two more times and the same reactions happened again. Then I decided to change the fly. Matti Huitila's present to the finnish flyfishing,  Potemkin, on. The first cast, and I had my first Mars dryfly trout on! Next cast and I fought with a nice 45 cm trout. You should have heard my shouts, like an indian riding against general Custer. This 45:er had a cut adipose fin. I decided to have it. The feelings were totally high, so high  as possible when standing in icy water, with blue balls and arctic wind blowing.!!

        
        A beautiful yellow belly went back to its own element
At the same time Iiro and Pasikin had changed dryflies on, and it was happening.  Pasi's skater rised many fishes up, but they did not hit properly. Iiro, too, was not lucky, he lost many fishes.

But where was one of our team, Olli. I run downstreams to fetch him, but when we got back the show was over, no more tailings. It was time for a coffee break, and let the place calm down. After coffee and delicate pastry, we went back to the hot mid part of the rapids. No more tailing fishes, so back to the streamerfishing. The fishes started to hit crazy on minitinsel flies! We lost about same amount trouts as we landed and released, about ten pcs up.

Then I decided to cahnge a leaded orange-black leech on. After that the fishing was almost ridiculous. Four casts and three legal size fishes and one small one. This kind of action was going on till six o'clock am. Total catch was: in the net 25 trouts of which 15 legal size (40 cm). Most of the fishes were in nice form with adipose fins on. Only some had their fin cut, so they were put and take fishes.

                         
                         This trout took Leech 

When we leaved home, we went to the licence seller to thank of a nice fishing day and to tell our huge catch numbers. It was a surprise, when he told ti us, that last time they have put fishing size trouts into the river, it was summer 2001.

Perhaps a reason for our huge catches was, that we were the first fishermen in Keihari this year. More fishermen makes trouts to be aware and they do not hit so eagerly as now happened. All the fishes were caught in the middle pool of Keihäri in about 50 meters area. At the end of the rapids we had three contacts, but no fish was landed.
 
           
   Left a minitinsel called Sappisilma (= Bile-eye) and right Potemkin

With stonefly imitations we caught only two fishes landed, but the hatch was poor, too. Short hitting time was perhaps because of low water level and clear color of the water.

Home we took a trout per fisherman. Tight Lines to the next group of fishermen!

LFoinally I have tosay. If there had been a real hatch on, all the fishes in the middle pool had gone crazy and we could have said: To see Keihari and die...  

Info:

Licences and reservations:

Siro Hämäläinen  +358-14-539 172