Guided Fly Fishing for Grayling, Trout, and Pike in Finland

Grayling (Thymallus Thymallus) - Grayling are the dominant species on our secret small stream. They average about 30-40 centimeters, though we have caught grayling up to 52 cm. here before.

Brown Trout (Salmo Trutta) - Brown trout are present in both our secret stream and on the larger waters that we guide. Wild, typically smaller trout are present in the former whereas the latter holds a mix of wild and stocked trout in larger sizes.

Northern Pike (Esox Lucius) - A frequent bycatch of streamer fishing on the larger trout rivers and also possible to catch when they eat your grayling while nymph or dry fly fishing.

Ide (Leuciscus idus) - A member of the carp family, ide fight quite hard and inhabit sections of both the larger and smaller waters that we guide. Susceptible to streamers, nymphs, and even dries.

Perch (Perca fluviatilis) - Present in slower moving sections of the rivers, perch are an aggressive predator that is prone to taking streamers. Perch in rivers tend to be smaller but can still reach larger sizes, and they put up a good fight in any case.

Roach (Rutilus rutilus) - Often referred to as "Oh, that's not a grayling," the roach is a simple minded creature that is prone to getting nymphed, often in slower sections of the river. Also an important food source for pike.

Your booking includes 8 hours of guiding per day, as well as transport. This schedule is flexible and can be arranged with us upon contact. Weather and other conditions will impact the specific timeline of the fishing days.

We can always provide fly tackle for one person. We do not provide waders.

Only one fly is included per person per day. Each fly after that costs €2, or €4 for large streamers which you can settle at the end of the trip. Lunch is not included if you don't also book accommodation with Ville. (Why?)

Licenses are not included. You won't need any license for our secret grayling waters which we have special access to, but you will need a day pass for certain rivers (average €8/day) and a state fishing license for Finland (€40 per year).

We run our fly fishing guiding services in a number of rivers near Iisalmi, Finland. Ville will collect you from Kuopio Airport (KUO) or Kuopio train station- we are very flexible with arrival time for pickup. If arriving in the afternoon/evening, you can consider going fishing for trout and pike on the big waters as the first outing of the trip because this is best at midnight.

For an additional €20/person/night, you can stay in Ville's home, in an extra room, for up to 3 people. Mattresses and linens will be provided, and breakfast and dinner (often including fish and local dishes) will be included, as well as cooked lunch in the field when you're fishing

You will have free access to a shower, bathroom, and kitchen. Expect hostel conditions- this is not intended to be a fancy hotel, but simply a base camp to unwind, eat, and rest after long days spent fishing.

Bring your own waders and wading boots — we do not provide these.

Rods

• Small streams (grayling & trout): A 3–5 wt, 7–10 ft rod.
• Large rivers (trout & pike): A 6–8 wt, 9 ft rod with a floating line.
  We can usually cover 1-2 people for rods.

Other:

• Sunscreen, hat, and polarized glasses
• Clothing appropriate for the weather conditions- such as rain jacket, fleece, or sun hoodie.
• Water bottle
• Flies, if you wish to bring your own.
  

Q: Is tipping expected?

A: There is no expectation of tipping, and you can always show appreciation by leaving us a review or referring us to other anglers! However, our guides do gratefully accept tips. All tip proceeds go fullt to your guide.

Q: How difficult is the fishing?

A: This fishing is entirely suitable for beginners, particularly for grayling and pike.