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Rostujávri (also Rostojärvi, Råstojaure) 21.-23.7. 2006


Rostujavri, Sweden 21.7.-24.7.2006

Thursday 20.7. ; Dept. from Turku by car 18:00 – Pori – Vaasa – Oulu – Ii 02:00. Packing to one car with Ahti and Risto and drive up to Gilbbesjavri. On the way we saw elgs, reindeers and a fox in the morning sunshine (well, we had 24 hours sunshine, hi!).
We arrived at 08:00 after 14 hrs / 1350km. Quick shower at Kilpis Hotel and to the helipad for departure ca. 09:10.

Friday 21.7. ;
Arrival at Rostujavri 09:30, +10C, northwest 10m/s, half cloudy. No mosquitos and very quiet camp (only 3 cabins occupied).
We made the “asento” (settled in) to our cabin; 4 x 3 m with 4 beds and simple gas owen. Good for us, the fishermen!

Short nap and to the lake at 12:06 and back 18:00.
Catch: 3 artic chars and 8 graylings.
Sauna, dinner = smoked grayling and reindeer stew. ZZZ around 10 pm.

Saturday 22.7. ;
Wake up 05:00, breakfast 05:30 and out to the lake – calm, sunshine and lots of graylings having their breakfast (catching flies from the surface). You cast a red Super Vibrax to the spot where grayling surfaced and you have a catch ! Easy, almost unbelievable.

Further north towards Norwegian boarder we experienced the same dip-cast-catch with artic chars.
On the way to the northern side of the lake, we were greeted by a young sea eagle (standing on a cliff on the shoreline and majestically spreading his wings and flying towards Norway and snowy mountains. – a moment hard to forget.

Back to the camp for lunch at 13:00.
Morning catch: 18 graylings and 6 artic chars.

Lunch = new potatoes and grilled grayling and artic char – just great !
ZZZ 14:00 – 16:00, Sauna and couple of gin tonics and a good sleep 22:00 – midnight. Quick check : heavy winds, 02:00 still heavy winds.

Sunday 23.7. ;
06:00 heavy winds but we decided to go out for a try, after all this was our last day. +10C, northwest 15 m/s and grey sky.

We tried to find the very few calm spots on the north shore of the lake and small islands, but that was difficult due to very flat shoreline. To our surprise, big graylings were aggressive in very shallow spots of the lake (less than 1m of water) with sandy bottom. Super Vibrax (red, black), even a small spinner with a black fly in a line some 20cm behind was good for graylings. Only Risto catched one artic char (pure luck?).

Back to the camp at noon.
Morning catch : 15 graylings and one artic char.
Quick lunch and back to the lake and wind at 14:00.

This time we tried the east shoreline of the lake and graylings came up as steady row. I bet you will not find a place like this easily elsewhere in the world.

Back to the camp to clean the fishes of the day and to back at 16:30.
Afternoon catch: 15 graylings.

The helicopter came at 18:00 and took us back to Finland and Gilbbesjavri. Sauna and sleep in a rented log house followed by another looong drive back to Southern Finland – it was worth the effort !

What a great three days we had up in the Swedish wilderness. Thanks to Aki, our guide and chef, thanks to Rostujavri camp, thanks to Risto, the pilot … and most of all, thanks to the Lake Rostujavri.

How to get there: http:/www.lapinsafarit.fi Mr. Tomi Kuosmanen, the man who Knows!
For more: http://www.rostujavri.com/

And the question lies ; “Where shall we go next?”

You can rent a helicopter in Gilbbesjavri, Finland or a plane in Kiruna, Sweden. Rostujavri is ca. 40km from the closest road!


Our home, gas heaten cottage. Ahti slept there with two roaring bears. "Safe dreams", he commented - with grimly smile.


Greyling no. 50


The Map of Rostujavri


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