Part 38 (1/2)

Comment is needless. Romance will have its sway in spite of dense Englishwomen and stupid writers, who do not see what is going on under their noses, in their search for less interesting information elsewhere.

From romance to reality is but a span, and fishermen, and their name is legion, may be glad to learn a little about the fis.h.i.+ng in Finland, and that the best rivers lie in the governor's province of _Wiborg_. There are lake salmon, trout, and grayling; minnows and sand-eels are specially favoured as bait.

In the Government district of _St. Michael_ excellent sport is also to be found, especially _Salmo eriox_ and trout. Dead bait is chiefly used.

But a large stretch of this water is rented by the _Kalkis fisk Klubb_.

In the district of _Kuopio_ permission to fish may be obtained from Henriksson, the manager of a large ironwork at _Warkaus_ and _Konnus_.

Silk bait and Devon minnows prove most useful.

In the province of _Uleborg_ salmon of every kind can be caught at _Waala_, where there is a charge of ten marks (eight s.h.i.+llings) for the season. There are also trout and grayling, and the ordinary English flies and minnows are the best bait, Jock Scott, Dry Doctor, Zulu, and shrimp being great favourites. Sportsmen can put up at _Lannimalio_, or _Poukamo_, at the peasants' small farms; but information is readily given by the English Consul at _Uleborg_, who, although a Finlander, knows English well.

At the town of _Kajana_ two marks a day is charged for trout and grayling fis.h.i.+ng, but in the adjacent rivers, _Hyrynsalmi_ and _Kuusamo_, the fis.h.i.+ng is free.

On the borders of Russia, at _Kem_, the best grayling fis.h.i.+ng perhaps in the world is to be found.

The sport generally begins on the 1st April, and ends at _Waala_ on 15th September, and at _Kajana_ a few days later.

Practically all the fis.h.i.+ng is free, and when not so, the charge is merely nominal. Near _Waala_ salmon up to 50 lbs., grayling 5 lbs., or trout 18 lbs. are not uncommon.

There is no netting except at two points on the _Ule_ river, and there is a great move nowadays to take the nets off from Sat.u.r.day to Monday to let the fish free.

_Herman Renfors_ was then the best fisherman in Finland. He told us that during five days, in September 1885,--things are not nearly so good as this nowadays--he caught the following:--

Sept. 9. 18 Grayling weighing 19 lbs.

8 Salmon, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 9, 24, 31 = 93 ”

-------- 112 lbs.

” 10. 18 Grayling weighing 21 lbs.

7 Salmon, 4, 5, 6, 16, 27, 30, 40 = 128 ”

-------- 149 lbs.

” 11. 18 Grayling weighing 16 lbs.

5 Salmon, 7, 18, 26, 36, 52 = 139 ”

-------- 155 lbs.

” 12. 6 Grayling weighing 6 lbs.

8 Salmon, 5, 5, 6, 7, 14, 29, 30, 43 = 139 ”

-------- 145 lbs.

” 13. 6 Grayling weighing 6 lbs.

6 Salmon, 4, 2, 5, 31, 32, 33 = 107 ”

-------- 113 lbs.

Total in five days 674 lbs.

Verily a record. His sister made his flies; and the salmon which weighed 52 lbs. he got with a salmon-spoon of his own make. He uses a spinning-rod 11 feet long, or a fly-rod 14 feet long. We saw him fis.h.i.+ng in the famous rapids, and never shall we forget the dexterity of his throw, or the art of his ”play.” He once caught 1600 lbs. of fish in three weeks. Masters of the piscatorial art, does not envy enter your souls?

But this is digression, and our narrative demands that we proceed to tell how a twopenny fare in a little steamboat from _Uleborg_ brought us to the tar stores. On a Finnish steamboat one often requires change, so much paper money being in use, and the plan for procuring it is somewhat original. In neat little paper bags change for half a mark or a whole mark is securely fastened down, the colour of the bag indicating the amount of money it contains, therefore there can be no cheating. If one wants a mark changed the ticket-collector immediately produces a little sealed envelope containing a mark in pence, and having opened it one pays him whatever may be due.